“LIVING GRATEFULLY”
The X-Factor - Week 1
1 TIMOTHY 6:6-10 & 17-21
INTRODUCTION OF SERIES: (Sermon video intro :32)
You know, the letter “X” can have a number of connotations. For example “X” can stand for mystery like in the X-Files or the X-Men. “X” can be used to shorten something like in using “Xmas” for Christmas, “Xtra” or “X-press.” X can also stand for something in the extreme like the X-Games or even for those who could not write they often made their “X.” But “X” can also be a factor for something of value. For example in math, finding the X is what gives the equation completeness or makes sense of the problem. Or how about “X” marks the spot? There the “X” usually means treasure. Well, for the next three weeks we want to look at several biblical X-Factors of value.
These qualities, if recognized and utilized can help complete our lives and although we won’t discover them at any specific geographical location, finding them can bring us real and lasting treasure. Next week we’ll look at how giving can be an X-Factor as we discover a great “X-change” - how sharing what we have ends up blessing us! But today, we want to begin by Xploring the quality of gratitude. God tells us several times that this “X-Factor” can lead to a much wanted result: contentment. But before we begin let’s ask God to bless our time together this morning as well as in the weeks to come as we look at some of his most important “X-Factors.” (Pray)
INTRODUCTION OF SERMON:
Phil Connors is a self-centered weather reporter who is experiencing one heck of a day. In fact, he’s reliving this one day over and over again, the same day repeating itself it’s - Groundhog day. Every day is exactly the same in the way it unfolds. Phil knows everything that’s going to happen before it happens. Each day is predictable but also another opportunity for Phil to change. Finally, he comes to care for the people he once disdained. Because he knows exactly what is going to happen he begins helping them in ways that only he knows they need. What he learns is that his divine-like intervention can be a thankless job.
{Video Clip - Groundhog Day - Start: Chp. 23: 01:21:54 - End: Chp.24: 01:23:30 = 1:36}
Most of us are like Phil. We expect gratitude to be expressed and that those who don’t are brats. And yet all of us are guilty of being ungrateful. The more I study the Bible the more I am haunted by how often I take God’s care for granted or how many times I am more greedy than grateful. I am often reminded of that by my own complaining. I have so much and yet I tend to complain about either not having enough or about what I do have. Paul says in vs:8 of our text, "As long as we have food and clothes, we should be content."(GW) And yet I complain that my ‘95 Explorer is a gas guzzler and I don’t have a 6 CD changer in my 2004 Pilot, yet I own 2 cars! I complain that my clothes are getting "old hat" yet I have a closet full of them. I remember a very “living gratefully” moment when I was on a missionary trip to Haiti. In one village where we stayed for several days I noticed a little boy looking at my feet. Not thinking about the fact that I had changed shoes because we were going to walk a while that day, I asked the little guy what he was looking at. To which he asked, “Mister, how many shoes do you have?” I was embarrassed to tell him that I had more pairs of tennis shoes then he had shoes at all. And I doubt I’m alone in this battle to live a thankful life.
How do we live grateful lives? The writer of the book of 1Timothy has some advice that will help us. His name is Paul and he has the experience and basically says, “You can live gratefully and here’s how.” Now whether or not you are a Christian or believe the Bible is inspired or think Paul speaks from God, here is a man who is worth listening to. Kind of like those “info-mercials” or weight loss commercials, you’re not sure if it’s true but you’re willing to plop down “$19.99 to take a shot because people are saying they’ve tried and it and it has worked and you need it. Well, Paul wrote these verses from prison. He’s without anything but chains and without anyone but guards and yet he says, “As long as I have food and clothes I’m content.” So, as we “x-plore” these verses let’s take it from someone who had done it and incorporate 3 words into our minds so that we can remember these instructions.
I. CONCENTRATE ON NEEDS OVER WANTS: vss:6-9
First, Paul says to concentrate on our needs over our wants. The watchword to remember here is contentment. Twice in 3 verses Paul gives us the message: be content. Vs:6 says- "A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have." vs:8 -"as long as we have food and clothes, we should be content."(GW) And Paul is not alone in this admonishment. Once, in Luke 3:14, when a group of soldiers asked John the Baptist how to live right lives, John replied, “Don’t extort money, and don’t accuse people of things you know they didn’t do- (here it comes) and be content with your pay!"(NLT) Can you believe that? Be content with your pay. Now, I associate with a lot of preacher’s and you would think them to be the spiritual giants. But you know what? At preacher’s meetings it seems that someone is always complaining about being over worked and under paid. (It’s probably nothing like that in your occupation - but it seems to be that way in mine.)
Or listen to Hebrew 13:5- "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God Has said, `never will I leave you; never will I forsake You.’"(NIV) Do these Scriptures convict you like they do me? Let’s face it, we all have difficulty with this principle of contentment. I think the problem stems from the fact that we have trouble distinguishing our actual needs from our wants. What we must have from what we want to have. One study concluded that in 1920, the average American wanted 72 different things, and considered 18 of them essential. Today, the average person wants 500 things and considers 100 of them essential!
How did we get such an attitude? Well I think there are a number of reasons for the problem. Let me mention 3: (1) Advertising stimulates a desire for more. Never before in the history of civilization have people been so pushed to possess. Every day in the U.S., businesses shell out $200 million on advertising, almost one dollar for every person in the country. They use the most beautiful music, the catchiest slogans, subtlest layouts to inflame our desire to possess more and more. "Boy, if I just had a “Bo-flex” machine or that “ab-chair” thingy then I could look like him or her." If I eat the right kind of “chunky” soup I’ll be successful like Donovan. David Henderson wrote: “People don’t buy products anymore. They buy the promise of friends, sex, fun wealth and youthful beauty that seeps through the ads. Advertising aggressively plays on the discontent of the American public. Bored and world-weary men and women are romanced with a picture of a better life. Then they are told that it can be bought at the corner store. But it never can.”
(2) It is difficult to be content is that so much of our self-esteem in this culture is directly tied to possessions. Previous culture’s measured a person’s worth by the size of their family or their blood lines or their intelligence or physical strength. But in today’s culture we determine a person’s value by what they own. What kind of house do they have, what do they drive? Not who are they but what are they, measured by what they have.
(3) We have a terrible temptation to constantly compare what we have to what others possess. And when we encounter someone who has more than us, we feel inferior. So, it doesn’t matter how much we have, what’s important is: What do
I have in comparison with other people? Now, God wants our lives to be fulfilling and happy but if we are always measuring what we have to what others have, we will never be satisfied because somebody always has more. Some years back, as a police officer, I answered an alarm call in a very posh area of Boca Raton called “The Sanctuary.” The guard at the front of the place said it was the home of Farrah Fawcett. Now, this was back in the ‘80’s when Farrah was a hot commodity. So, I took an extra long time to look the house over hoping she would pop in. But as I looked at that house I remember having the feeling that I had no idea how under privileged I was. Why we only had 2 bathrooms, she had eight, we didn’t have a pool on the intercostal waterway. And would you believe it? We didn’t even have an intercom. When someone comes to our door we have to actually look out the window or open the door to see who’s there. And I remember being dissatisfied with my very nice home. No matter how good you have it, comparing can make you feel inferior.
So the world makes it difficult but Paul says, “Be content with what you have, even if you don’t have very much.” Don’t get caught up in this world’s propaganda. One of the primary ways we can live gratefully, that we express thanks to God for His goodness, is that we develop a spirit of contentment. One step in doing that is to concentrate on your needs not your wants.
II. CONCENTRATE ON SPIRITUAL GROWTH NOT MATERIAL POSSESSIONS:
Now the second suggestion Paul makes in these verses, in order to live grateful lives, is to concentrate on spiritual growth not material possessions. And the watchword for us here is: ambition. Look at vs:10 where he says, "Certainly, the love of money-(not money, but the love of it) is the root of all kinds of evil."(GW) And in vs:11 the next verse he tells the recipient of this letter, Timothy to "But you, man of God, must avoid these things. Pursue what God approves of: a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness."(NCV) What are you pursuing in life? Where is your ambition carrying you? I know that I am talking to some here who have, since childhood, been driven to succeed. You are goal oriented, highly motivated, type A personalities. Some of you are so consumed by ambition that you have never taken a serious look at what you are ambitious for. A lot of us are like the guy who was asked if he would like to be poor and happy or rich and miserable. He thought for a moment and then said, "I’d rather be semi-rich and moderately depressed." We’re trying to have the best of both worlds, not ever really considering the fact that we could lose both.
Now, please don’t misunderstand. Ambition is not a dirty word, in fact there is nothing wrong with balanced ambition. Balanced ambition motivates a person to achieve, to excel, to improve. And if you are an ambitious person, there will always be a degree of dissatisfaction in your life that is good. Most every Sunday after Church I ask my wife how the sermon went. She’s always very honest, but after she gives her opinion she always asks me... "How did you think it went?" And I have to admit that it is rare that I say, "I thought it went great!" Usually I am a little disappointed. Why? Because I know that the Bible has the answer to people`s needs and I think of the times that I stuttered or "uh’ed" and I wonder if I made it difficult to hear what God needs to say. The point is that dissatisfaction is not all together bad if it motivates you to work harder to improve yourself.
But ambition out of balance can be very destructive. Vs:9 tells us if our drive is for material possessions then we will fall into all kinds of traps, you will drown in destruction and ruin. And this unbalanced ambition will create at least 2 problems.
(1) If your life is bent on pursuing material gain it can lead to problems here and now. Not too long ago there was a newspaper article about the Pizza competitors who tried to top each other? A manager of Domino’s Pizza in Terrau Haute, Ind. took out an ad, offering a free pizza in exchange for any 30 coupons of a competitor. That really angered the manager of Zmores Pizza, Brad Amberton. So he took out an ad in the Indiana State campus newspaper with a block of 30 coupons in it. That night there were 125 people who descended on Domino’s demanding a free Pizza! There were so many that Domino’s had to rescind it’s offer and 25 people went home empty handed. Greed can get you into trouble. Studies show the suicide rate of those in upper income professions such as dentists, doctors and lawyers are higher then the norm. People whose primary ambition is to get rich fall into all kinds of traps.
(2) And most importantly, Paul says that pursuing things instead of God causes spiritual problems. He says in vs:10 that people who have been eager for money have wandered from the faith. Jesus said it this way in Luke 12: "Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own." And then he told them the parable of the Rich Farmer whose sole ambition was to have bigger barns and more goods. And he finally said to himself, "I’ll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’ 20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’”
" And then Jesus adds, "... a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." (Lk.12:17-21 NLT)The concept is simply this: When God is not the primary pursuit of your life you put yourself in a place of potential problems. But the way to live gratefully is to concentrate on our spiritual growth more than our material one.
III. CONCENTRATE ON LASTING VALUES OVER TEMPORARY TREASURE:
Then one final suggestion that Paul makes here in vss:17-19 is to concentrate on eternal life not temporary treasures. And the watchword for us here is perspective. Our perspective in life is not based on the things we have but on the things that really last. Thing like love, faith, hope. Paul says in vs:17: "Tell them to hope in God, not in riches which are so uncertain." (NCV) And the result of putting your hope in God is in vs:19: "By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to have the life that is truly life." (NCV)
One of the spiritual concepts that I believe we have lost is the fact that this world is not our home. Peter in the Bible calls believers, aliens and strangers. Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:18 to, "Fix your eyes not on what is seen but on what is Unseen. What is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal."(NIV) You see, some of us are spending an awful lot of time and energy getting real comfortable in a place that we are just passing through. The Bible teaches us that God wants you to concentrate on Him, He wants you to invest in more lasting commodities. And then He will make sure you have what you need. Why concentrate on temporary things? Knofel Staton said, "The wisest investors are those who invest in what outlasts life."
Now, how do keep a proper eternal perspective? Three ways as we close. (1) Be grateful for what you have. Too many times we are so caught up in how much we want to have that we fail to recognize the blessings that are right in front of us. In fact, I want to introduce you to someone who found out the truth of this principle the hard way.
Please welcome Paul McAllister. Faith Story.
Neither Paul nor I want it to take a heart attack for you to change your perspective. Take stock of what you do have. Be creative, Sit down with your family, each of you describe why you are thankful for each other or get your paycheck cashed in $1 & lay it out on the kitchen table... but take some time to count your blessings.
(2) The second way to keep a spiritual perspective is to lay up true treasure in heaven. He writes in vss:18-19- for us to “...do good, to be rich in doing good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.”(NCV) You can’t take it with you but you can send it on ahead. Have you heard that story of the guy who died and was being given a tour of heaven and he saw a friend of his drive by in a beautiful Mercedes. And he said, "Boy, this is great!" "Oh, yes," St. Peter said, "your friend was really generous on earth, we had a lot to work with. Your transportation up here depends on your generosity down there." Then Peter gave him his transportation: A honda motor scooter. He said, "Wait a minute, he gets a Mercedes, I get a scooter?" "That’s right, it’s all we had to work with." The guy drove off in a huff. A week later Peter saw this guy all smiles and said, "You feeling better now?" The guy said, "Yea, I have ever since I saw my preacher go by on a skate board!" (I don’t think it will be like that, at all) And I don’t think our reward in heaven will be material but this verse does say that if we are generous we are laying up treasure in heaven. The most contented people I know are those who are not concerned about accumulating. They enjoy life because they have found the way to keep their possessions in perspective and they are generous.
So, keep this proper perspective by thinking gratefully sharing generously but make sure that your do this third thing. (3) Live a life where eternity matters more than time. When Paul wrote these words to Timothy it was plain that he realized there was something beyond this life. In fact, he calls it "the life that is true life." As you grow in your relationship to Jesus this world will mean less and less. What is unseen becomes your focal point. Christ, people who have died, heaven. That’s what will be real.
Maybe the one word that wraps up this whole passage and our living grateful lives is priority. What is your first priority? When God is our first priority then we will be content, concentrating on needs not wants, we will be ambitious for our spiritual growth over our material possessions and we will have the right perspective placing lasting values over temporary treasure. After all, when you think of it, God made us His priority by sending His only Son to die that we might live. Maybe Jim Elliot, the missionary who was killed for his faith in the jungles of South America, at just 28 years old, put it best. He said, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to keep that which he can never lose." And we are the wisest of people when we turn our primary attention to this X-Factor - living gratefully. Because that’s when we are the richest we will ever be.
(Pray)
