The Power of the Gospel for Everyday Life

Jesus, we turn our eyes to you.

What does that mean?

What does that look like from day to day?

!

We turn our eyes to you.

Really, the essence of what that song is emphasizing is that those who believe in the gospel will fundamentally be different in how they live.

That doctrine will lead to life.

That training and teaching, that the things that you believe about God will shape the way you live in this life.

And so when we talk about the gospel, we're not just talking about that gospel that is going to change us and save us for some future day.

That when I finally pass from this life to the next, this guarantee that I'll be with God in heaven someday.

That is true.

But the essence of what the gospel does for us is that it changes day by day.

It changes life in the moment.

In the present.

And not just changes life in the here and now, but changes it for the days and weeks and months and years to come until we go to be with Jesus someday in heaven in the future.

Fundamentally, the gospel will change every aspect of life.

And so we come this morning to 1 Timothy chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

And I would encourage you to open your Bibles with me, please.

1 Timothy chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

If you're using the Pew Bibles, it's on page 993.

They're in front of you.

And I would encourage you to see this for yourself.

If you don't have a Bible, use that Bible.

And if you don't have one, that now belongs to you.

That's our gift to you.

We would encourage you to take that home and make that your own so that you can have it for yourself.

But seeing the scripture, our commitment, our confidence is in the word of God to shape our lives.

This past week, I was reading a study and surprised, actually, in reading some of these statistics, that the American workers are more content than ever.

That word contentment, we're going to kind of get to that in our sermon today, our passage today.

But American workers, it says, are more content than ever, according to the Conference Board of Job Satisfaction.

The report finds improved satisfaction across all the 26 indicators that they will look at in the workplace.

So that over 62% of the workforce, U.S. workers, are satisfied in this year.

It's up from the previous year, 60% the previous year.

Satisfaction has now surged for two consecutive years, rising in many different areas.

Job satisfaction has been rising steadily over the last decade, in particular, where it hit an all-time low in 2010.

During the Great Recession.

Job satisfaction, it says, was up across the board.

Especially in areas that relate to things like work-life and balance.

Things like workload, or performance reviews that are given at the end of every year.

Or health plans and bonus plans and education and job training that's available.

Also increases because of the flexibility now in the job of being able to work from home,

or work in the office, and the flexibility of that.

About 7 in 10 say that they're satisfied with the respect that they have in the workplace,

and the co-workers that they are working with.

I was surprised to see these statistics.

But while it paints a rosy picture of the job market,

we also come to understand that contentment and satisfaction are temperamental.

Contentment and satisfaction can be fickle things, can't they?

These compensation packages, these health cares, and job security, and training, and flexibility.

What would life look like if those things were taken away?

How much contentment, how much satisfaction would there be?

How do you suppose that satisfaction would change if those things were stripped away?

You see, satisfaction and contentment are temperamental words.

They fluctuate.

They come and go.

They tend to be based upon the circumstance or the situation.

They're driven by experience.

They're driven by external factors.

But what if contentment and satisfaction were independent of circumstances?

What if they rested squarely on an unchanging foundation?

What if contentment was bound up in something that could not be touched?

What if satisfaction could be found in something that would not be diminished?

Something that would not be tarnished?

Something that was never at risk, would never be in jeopardy?

What would that do for us individually?

How would that begin to shape the way we respond in life?

If we had a satisfaction that would not be diminished,

that could not be touched,

that could not be influenced by outside factors?

That's what I think the Apostle Paul is getting to in our passage today.

He's getting really to the heart of what the gospel is meant to accomplish for us.

It's really meant to help lead us to stability,

to confidence, to security,

that of course is only found in Christ through the gospel.

We find that here in our passage in verse 6,

chapter 6, verse 6,

where it says,

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

And that has been kind of the summary statement, as it were, of this letter.

We've seen this time and time again,

that the course of life,

the way in which we live,

our godliness, as it were,

is bound up in our doctrine,

our contentment,

the things we believe.

So that if we believe the right things,

they will lead to the right behavior.

That our doctrine will influence the way that we live,

both for good or for ill.

John Piper has said this,

in kind of describing this,

he says,

God is most glorified in us

when we are most satisfied in him.

God is most glorified in us

when we are most satisfied in him.

And so he speaks to this issue,

this issue of contentment.

That when we set our eyes on him,

as Paul says in Colossians chapter 3,

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

set your eyes on things above,

not on the things of this earth.

Because that's where Christ is.

And if your confidence is bound up,

in what you know about Christ,

it will settle your heart

and help lead you to satisfaction

and will help lead you to a life of godliness.

The kind of godliness that we're going to look at

in our passage today.

The gospel has staying power

as it joins our satisfaction to God himself.

It has staying power.

What you believe about God and the gospel

will change the way you live

because it fundamentally changes what you believe.

It's independent of circumstances,

independent of welfare,

independent of prosperity,

independent of position.

Because our satisfaction is not locked up in this world,

but our satisfaction is locked up,

bound up in God and the gospel.

And so we're going to talk about this morning

from our passage,

the apostle Paul is going to lay out

some areas in which the gospel affects everyday life.

It changes the way we live

because it changes the way we think.

So if you're there with me

in 1 Timothy chapter 6,

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

look as I begin in verse 1.

Again, there on page 993.

It says this,

Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants

regard their own masters as worthy of all honor

so that the name of God and the teaching

may not be reviled.

Those who have believing masters

must not be disrespectful

on the ground that they are brothers.

Rather, they must serve all the better

since those who benefit by their good service

are believers and beloved.

Teach and urge these things.

The apostle Paul will begin here in chapter 6

to instruct Timothy

in how he is to inform this church,

how he is to teach this church.

And he wants Timothy to understand

in this church to understand

that the gospel will change the way they work.

The gospel changes our work.

It changes our work in some various areas.

He begins with one of the most difficult situations

that we're familiar with.

Even in difficult work environments,

the gospel has power to change the way

we respond to our employers

and especially here,

the way that these slaves

will respond to their masters.

In typical fashion,

the apostle Paul tackles a difficult issue.

He leaves no room for exception.

And so as the apostle Paul

will talk about this difficult situation,

he'll raise the bar

to talk about maybe the hardest job environment

so that anything is less than that

and it's covered.

So Paul wants to help these slaves

understand that the gospel

will shape the way

that they relate to their masters.

It says,

let all who are under the yoke.

Paul addresses this difficult work environment

and he leaves no exceptions.

Let every one of you respond this way.

Those who are under a yoke

is a phrase that's used throughout the scripture

to address,

not necessarily an abusive situation,

although some of those abusive situations

took place in the first century,

but to express this yoke of bondage

describing somebody who was under submission,

under authority,

under service to another individual.

Even Christ will use this of himself

where he says in Matthew,

take my yoke upon you

for my yoke is easy

and my burden is light.

And so those of us

who have come by faith to Christ

also will take on a yoke.

And so in Christ's example,

it's not the kind of leadership

that is oppressive,

but the kind of leadership that is kind.

It is a yoke though

because we submit ourselves to his authority.

So the Apostle Paul is relating

to both positive and negative situations

of this yoke.

But then he relates to bond servants

and this word bond servant

is the word slave.

Of course,

in our own history,

slavery was reprehensible.

But slavery in the first century

and even moving back in history,

it was not so much the same

as what we're familiar with.

There were something like 60 million slaves

in the Roman Empire.

And so the Apostle Paul,

in dealing with this,

was dealing with a significant issue.

We even read in the book of Ephesians,

and Colossians,

and even the letter

that was written to Philemon,

we recognize that this was

a pervasive issue in the first century.

But in order for us to really understand

what the Apostle Paul is referring to here,

we need to settle our hearts

and recognize what slavery was

in the first century.

In many cases,

slavery really was just binding

oneself to a master.

It was really,

in some cases,

the only means of survival

for those who did not have property,

those who didn't have vineyards

or trees or livestock.

This was the only way

for them to find employment.

We see this clearly

in the parable of the prodigal son,

where the prodigal son,

he spent all of his inheritance,

he lost all of his friends,

and now a drought would come

on the land around him,

and he was desperate.

It indicates that he was

clinging to survival.

And in that case,

we find from Luke chapter 15,

Luke 15:15

verse 15,

that the prodigal goes out,

he hires himself

to one of the citizens

of that country.

Literally,

he joined himself

to that citizen.

And so as a means of survival,

because he had no property

of his own anymore,

he had expended his funds,

he found a way of survival

that essentially was finding

permanent employment

with a master

by joining himself

to this landowner.

This was a way

for people living

in the first century

or in ancient Israel

to pay their debts,

to care for their families,

by contractually

binding themselves

to an employer

for a period of time.

Never to be more

than six years

as was bound up

in the law.

That would come

with certain benefits.

The benefits of a master

who was obliged

to their servants

financially.

Often providing them

a place to stay,

some food to eat,

a wage to care

for their family.

It was essentially

the job security

of the day.

We see this

throughout the Old Testament.

And specifically,

we see it in Ezra

and Nehemiah

where there were

some abuses

that were taking place.

But some of the best

heroes of the Bible

that you and I

both know

were slaves.

Think about Joseph

in particular

who was sold

by his brothers

into slavery,

into Egypt.

But in that instance,

Joseph would become

a prominent individual

in Potiphar's house.

So that we find

in Genesis 39,

Genesis 39:6

verse 6,

that thus he left

all that he had,

speaking of Potiphar,

in Joseph's hand,

and he did not know

what he had

except for the bread

which he ate.

So they had

some level of authority.

They were often

made part of the family.

There were opportunities

for them to exert

authority and leadership

within the realm

and sphere

in which they've been placed.

Another instance,

of course,

of slavery

we looked at this summer

was Daniel

who, because of conquest

of Israel,

was taken with his friends

to Egypt

and there he was

a slave in Babylon

and also in Persia

but rose to power

that God allowed him

to rise within the ranks

and to be useful

in that situation.

Slaves in the New Testament

are seen

throughout the scriptures

and in the Gospels

in particular.

We read in Luke chapter 7

Luke 7 · chapter mention

the centurion

who, because of his servant

or his slave,

he sends out to Jesus

because he's concerned

about his health.

In Luke chapter 7 verse 2

Luke 7:2

it says,

he was sick

to the point of death

and was highly valued

by the centurion.

Centurion cared for him.

We see this quality

of his life.

We see the testimony

of how things tended

to operate

in the first century

where slaves

were given authority

and leadership

within the home.

And then we also

recognize in the parables

that Jesus spoke.

In Matthew chapter 25,

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

this parable of the master

who goes on a long journey

and he stewards

the inheritance

that he has

to each of these slaves

that he has

and he gives them

each a talent

to manage.

To one,

he says,

he gives five talents.

To another,

he gives two talents.

And to the final one,

he gives one talent.

A talent, by the way,

was worth 20 years

of salary.

So to kind of do

the calculation

for you

at a minimum wage,

about 20 years' salary

is around $400,000

or so.

So this was a significant

sum of money

that was entrusted

to these servants

to manage.

Jesus,

in another parable

in Luke chapter 12,

Luke 12 · chapter mention

will talk about

a master

who sets his estate

in the hands

of his servants

and then also goes away.

This was a typical response

in that first century.

In Galatians chapter 4,

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

we come to understand

that there was often

a situation

in which slaves

were accepted

as part of the family.

In Galatians chapter 4,

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

it says,

I mean that an heir,

as long as he's a child,

is no different

from a slave,

though he is the owner

of everything.

Slaves would often be

made part of the family,

enjoy the same status

and the same benefits

of the oldest son.

But here we find

that a slave

is treated with dignity,

just like the oldest son.

He was often regarded

as part of the family.

So in many respects,

this kind of service

was simply a guarantee

for employment.

Of course,

slavery wasn't always

as good

as these situations.

Peter will address

the harmful,

unjust situations

in 1 Peter chapter 2,

1 Peter 2:18–21

verses 18 to 21,

when he says,

Servants,

be subject to your masters

with all respect,

not only to the good

and gentle,

but also to the unjust.

For this is a gracious thing,

when mindful of God,

one endures sorrows

while suffering unjustly.

For what credit is it

when you sin

and are beaten for it,

you endure?

But if when you do good

and suffer for it,

you endure,

this is a gracious thing

in the sight of God.

You see,

slaves were often mistreated.

And in this situation,

the instruction

that Peter will give

to these slaves,

those who are treated

in a way

that is unjust,

now they have

an opportunity.

Now they have

the golden opportunity

to help their slave owners,

their masters,

to see something significant.

And that's where we come

in verse 21.

For to this you have been called,

because Christ suffered for you,

leaving you an example

so that you might follow

in his steps.

When you are treated

in a way that's unjust,

when you are treated

in a way that's unkind,

when you are treated

in a way that you don't deserve,

you have the opportunity

to maximize the brilliance

and the wonder of the gospel,

to point to the security

that eclipses

all other securities,

the object of your affection,

the stabilizing force

of your confidence

that comes from God

in the gospel.

And you get to model

that gospel in front

of those who are treating you

in this way.

You get to show them

who Christ is.

Not just to tell them

what Christ has done,

but to show what Christ has done

through the way that you live.

Of course,

Christ was the object

of the greatest injustice.

And as we decide,

as those who are treated unfairly,

to respond in a way

that points to Jesus

and our security in him,

we have the opportunity

to let people see

who Jesus is.

So,

make sure

that in your work situation,

even if it's difficult,

that you point to God.

But also,

Paul moves on,

it is a decision

that we make as well

to honor God

through our life.

He says that again

in verse 1,

Do you see what's at stake here?

Do you see

what the object

or the purpose

for our living

in even difficult work situations

is meant to point to?

What's at stake here

is so that the name of God

and the teaching

may not be reviled?

The gospel is at stake.

The word here for regard

is in the present middle imperative.

It means this needs to be

a present

and continuous part of your life.

And the fact that it's in

the middle case

means that it's something

that you need to choose

to do yourself.

No outside pressure

is going to make this happen

appropriately.

You need to choose

on your own

to regard your masters

this way.

Be in an opinion.

Consider to think.

Refers to this object,

objective criteria,

not an internal feeling.

It's not driven

by how you feel

about your master.

It's driven

by what you believe.

The truth that guides

the way you live.

Regard your masters

as worthy of all honor.

Now that's a bold statement,

wouldn't you say?

Paul issues this command

that is independent

of the situation.

Regardless of who

these slaves might be,

regardless of how

their masters treat them,

the command is issued

to every single one of them.

Regard your masters

this way,

with all honor.

It's a decision you make.

It's a choice,

a test of your faith.

It helps people

understand who you trust.

It helps people

recognize

who has your back.

Ultimately,

it points the direction

on where your faith lies.

For those who are believers,

you can trust the Lord.

He will ultimately reward you.

He will preserve you.

He will magnify himself

through you.

He may use these

very challenging circumstances

to amplify your testimony

in a very hard place.

The name of God

in the teaching,

may that be the focus

so that it is not reviled.

This is a gospel issue.

And all of Paul's instruction

throughout 1 Timothy

has been about the gospel.

How we treat our boss,

like I said,

has gospel implications.

And we see that

not only in 1 Timothy,

we see that

throughout the New Testament.

Titus chapter 2,

Titus 2:9

verses 9 and 10

says this,

Slaves,

bondservants,

are to be submissive

to their own masters

in everything.

They are to be well-pleasing,

not argumentative,

not pilfering,

but showing all good faith.

So that in everything,

they may adorn

the doctrine of God our Savior.

Does that sound familiar?

This word adorn

is the word cosmeo.

Does that sound familiar?

Cosmeo, cosmetic.

This is the word

that we get, cosmetics,

or to beautify ourselves.

And so in a work situation,

when you are responding

to your boss,

your employer,

in the right way,

you dress up,

you make beautiful,

you adorn the gospel

through your life.

Now by being argumentative,

not by taking from your company

the things that don't belong to you,

but showing good faith

so that in everything,

you might beautify the gospel.

You might say,

service with a smile.

That's what God has called us to.

We find ourselves,

you find yourself like me at times,

saying,

that's not fair.

Or,

I feel so unappreciated.

Or,

I feel so overworked.

I feel so taken advantage of.

I don't have to take this anymore.

You find yourself saying that?

I wonder

if maybe God is giving you

an opportunity

to adorn the gospel of God

through your attitude,

through working heartily,

as he says,

as Paul says

to the church of Colossae,

work heartily

as to the Lord

and not to men.

Knowing that your labor

is for the Lord.

Recognize who you're really

working for.

It's not the boss

that you see

that's right in your

front window,

as it were.

But,

it's the heavenly Father

that you're representing,

you're trusting

through your life,

through your attitude

to adorn the gospel of God,

to make God look glorious.

If we find ourselves saying

each of these things,

this is not fair.

We need to remember

that this presents

a gospel opportunity for us.

And in this way,

whether we are a slave or free,

the Apostle Paul says

in Ephesians chapter 6,

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

we have this responsibility.

This responsibility.

But then,

if things couldn't get

any harder,

now the Apostle Paul

turns to verse 2.

And now,

he raises the stakes.

Notice,

verse 2,

those who have

a believing masters

must not be disrespectful

on the ground

that they are brothers.

Rather,

they must serve

all the better,

since those who benefit

by their good service

are believers

and beloved.

Teach and urge

these things.

You see,

this is our decision

in the gospel

to bless our brother

in Christ.

Now,

those of you

who have worked

for a believing

employer,

a manager,

and you have been mistreated,

you will understand

the difficulties of this.

Because,

in our minds,

we think,

well,

he should know better.

Obviously,

I should be treated

a certain way.

We have the same standard

in the scripture.

So,

why is he treating me

this way

with injustice?

That he knows better.

Or maybe,

you say,

well,

he's a believer.

So,

I can kind of slack off.

I can just kind of

come in when I want to.

Because,

as a believer,

he's going to forgive me.

He's going to kind of

let this go.

Whichever end of the spectrum

you find yourself on,

you need to realize

that in the gospel,

we have a responsibility,

especially,

to bless the body of Christ,

our brothers,

our sisters in Christ,

because of our commitment to God,

and because of the unity

that we enjoy,

the family relationship

that we enjoy,

because of what Christ

has accomplished for us.

In this situation,

our responsibility increases,

not decreases.

The seriousness is greater,

not lesser.

The question

that must

have been

on the minds

of these slaves

is,

how can I live

this way

and be treated

like this

from

a brother in Christ?

Depending upon

your work situations,

maybe you can identify

a little bit.

when I was

living in Illinois,

I had moved,

our family had moved

out of the secular workplace.

I had become a pastor,

was there for four years,

and then there was

a transition period

where we were waiting

for God

to open up

the next opportunity.

And so,

God did open up

an opportunity for me

to work

at an engineering firm

that was local to me,

and it just so happened

that the man

who owned this company

was a Christian.

And not only

was he a Christian,

but he was a pastor

in town,

by vocational pastor.

And so,

as you can imagine

in my mind

and in my heart,

I thought,

well,

what a great opportunity

this is

to bless

another believer

and to be treated

well by him.

He hired me.

He made big promises

about how he's going

to take care

of my family.

But almost from

the moment I started,

he tried to make life

as miserable as possible

so that I would resign.

My salary was less

than what I made

as a college student

working as an intern

at a local engineering company.

It was less than I made

before I got a degree.

It was less than I made

before 13 years

of experience

as an integrated

product team lead.

In the two years

that I worked

at this engineering firm,

he refused

to give me vacation

and refused

to give me

any sick leave.

There were no

medical benefits.

There was never a raise.

And while all my

co-workers

got bonuses

at the end of the year

for whatever reason,

he decided

to overlook me.

As you can imagine,

it was hard.

But he was my boss.

And this was a golden

opportunity for me

to embrace

and adorn

the gospel.

And God

instrumentally used

that in my life

to not only help

to shape the way

I responded

in very hard things,

but also to recognize

that God is faithful.

That I didn't have

to depend

and lean

on a boss

to take care

of my needs

because God

was able

and faithful

to do it.

And to go

into work

and to try

to wear

the right attitude

and to work

with all my heart

and work diligently

from start to finish.

There were struggles,

of course,

that you can imagine.

And it's hard

not to gripe

and complain.

But each of us,

I would guess,

at some point

or the other

in life,

will have this

kind of opportunity.

embrace the opportunity

for the sake

of the gospel.

Adorn the gospel

of God.

Be one

who is faithful

not to bring

reviling

on the name

of God

in the teaching

of the gospel.

Adorn the gospel

well.

So not only

does the gospel

shape the way

that we work,

but the gospel

will change

our teaching.

That's what we turn

to next

in verses 3-5.

It changes

our teaching.

It says here

in verse 3,

if anyone teaches

a different doctrine

and does not agree

with sound words

of our Lord Jesus Christ

in the teaching

that accords

with godliness,

he is puffed up

with conceit,

he understands nothing,

he has an unhealthy

craving for controversy

and for quarrels

about words

which produce envy

and dissension

and slander

and evil suspicion

and constant friction

among people

who are depraved

in mind

and deprived

of the truth,

imagining that godliness

is a means of gain.

You see,

the gospel will change

your teaching.

Not only will it change

the teaching

that you listen to,

but it will change

the kind of teaching

that you give.

All of us

at some point

or the other

are in teaching

counseling situations.

Maybe in your own family

as parents are instructing

and teaching your children

or maybe as friendships

or co-workers

and you have opportunities

to provide some counsel

and instruction

on how to live.

Make sure that your teaching

is aligned

with the gospel.

How do we know?

Well, first of all,

it's a teaching

that leads to spiritual health.

A teaching that leads

to spiritual health.

That's what we see here

at the very beginning here.

If anyone teaches

a different doctrine

and does not agree

with the sound words

of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the teaching

that accords to godliness.

This sound teaching

that he's referring to

is the Greek word

that relates to hygiene,

to wellness,

to health.

It's a medical term

that helps us understand

the quality of teaching

that points to soundness

and health,

spiritual health

in individuals.

Not the kind of teaching

that's different.

this different doctrine.

This is what the Apostle Paul

begins his letter with

in his instruction to Timothy

in chapter 1, verse 3.

He says,

I urged you

in chapter 1, verse 3,

when I was going to Macedonia,

remain in Ephesus

so that you may

charge certain people

or persons

not to teach

any different doctrine.

That's the same word.

Make sure

that your teaching

aligns with the Bible.

Make sure

your teaching

is in accord

with the gospel.

The right response

of slaves

to their masters

will motivate them

to live a certain way

and rather than moving

in a direction

that would repel

and resist

their masters,

they're learning

to submit

and adorn the gospel.

In this case,

we're transitioning now

to what seems

to be

a new thought here,

but we recognize

there's a couple

of connections

that are taking place.

The first connection

we see

is this reference

to teaching.

At the end of verse 2,

teach these things.

And now at the beginning

of verse 3,

if anyone teaches

a different doctrine.

So while it may seem

like these are

different thoughts,

somehow they relate

to one another.

The second relationship

that we see

is this reference

to the gospel.

In verse 1,

so the name of God

and the teaching

may not be reviled.

Then in verse 3,

the teaching

that does not accord

with sound words

of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the teaching

that accords

with godliness.

We've seen

throughout this letter

that this godly teaching

is synonymous

with the gospel.

So whether you're

teaching others

or being taught,

take note

of the content

of your doctrine.

Don't listen

to the kinds

of teachers

who are going

to soften

the hard truths.

Those hard truths

that would tell

those slaves

to resist

their unjust masters.

Those teachers

that would instruct

their slaves

to run away

from their masters.

Don't listen

to those kinds

of teachers.

It's not in accord

with the scripture.

It needs to agree

with the scripture.

It needs to agree

with sound teaching.

This agreement

is to come near,

to seek association,

to join.

It's the kind

of teaching

that is coupled

with sound teaching.

These healthy words.

Paul's addressed

sound teaching

throughout his letter.

He wants Timothy

and he wants this church

to recognize

the significance

of teaching

and how it leads

to right living.

Sound teaching

is the only way

to enjoy

sound living.

Teaching that accords

with godliness

is the only way

to get to God.

If you want to enjoy

spiritual life,

if you want to enjoy

a relationship

with God,

you need to listen

to the right kinds

of teaching

that will direct

your hearts,

your lives

to him.

And of course,

this has been

the consistent testimony

of this letter

that good theology

produces

good behavior

while bad theology

produces bad behavior.

We saw that

in chapter 3,

verses 14 and 15

where Paul says,

I hope to come

to you soon,

but I'm writing

these things to you

so that if I delay,

you may know

how one ought

to behave

in the household

of God,

which is the church

of the living God,

a pillar and buttress

of the truth.

The apostle Paul

wants us to understand

how intertwined

these two concepts are.

You have to know

the right things

so you can live

the right way.

And eventually,

what you believe,

whether good or bad,

is going to leak

out of you.

It's going to show up

in your behavior.

So then in chapter 5,

verses 24 and 25,

he says this,

the sins of some people

are conspicuous

or they're obvious,

going before them

to judgment,

but the sins of others

appear later.

So also good works

are conspicuous.

or obvious

in even those

that are not

cannot be hidden.

What you believe

about God,

the doctrines

that you hold to,

will eventually show up

in how you live.

And so as we look

around the landscape,

especially of the leaders

who seem to teach

so faithfully,

who seem to teach

so powerfully,

and then all of a sudden

the bottom has fallen out

and they've been exposed

in some way,

it demonstrates

that there's been

a flaw somewhere

in their believing,

in their theology.

Make sure

your theology is sound.

Make sure

that you're teaching

and listening

to the right things.

So what are the marks

of sound teaching?

Well,

it also impacts

the way we live.

We see that

in verses 4 and 5.

Especially in verse 5,

we see,

he is puffed up

with conceit.

He understands nothing.

He has an unhealthy

craving for controversy

and for quarrels

about words

which produce envy,

dissension,

slander,

and evil suspicion.

And constant friction

among people

who are depraved

in mind

and deprived

of the truth,

imagining that godliness

is a means

of gain.

Theology does impact

the way you live.

It shows up

in how you behave.

And so what are

the marks of it?

What do you notice

of the kinds

of teachings,

the kinds of doctrines

that are divergent?

Well,

it's going to lead

to this kind of life.

The kind of life

of one who

likes controversy,

likes to argue

about words,

likes to ask

the kinds of questions

that are somewhat

superficial

and irrelevant,

that want to

parse out

the things

that really don't matter,

that are unrelated

really to the gospel.

They want to

demonstrate

that they are

the smartest person

in the room.

They love,

they have this unhealthy

craving for controversy.

They love it

when people are all

revved up

and they've got them going.

And then,

of course,

in the wake,

of their teaching,

they leave

those around them

full of envy

and dissension

and slander

and evil suspicion,

this constant friction

among those

who are depraved

in mind

and deprived

of the truth.

They show

where their true heart is.

They are depraved.

They're depraved.

And this is

the word

for

to destroy utterly,

to be corrupt.

They're depraved

in their mind.

They're deprived

of the truth,

which means,

is the word

to steal

or to rob

or to deprive.

They assume

and they posture

themselves

as those who

have it all together,

who know all the truths.

But they demonstrate

through the collateral

damage of their life,

they really don't know

anything about the gospel

because the gospel

is meant

to produce

the kind

of fruit

that we see

in Galatians 5.22.

the fruit of the Spirit

that is love

and joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness,

and self-control.

Rather,

what you see

as the marks

of their life

are those

works of the flesh,

those enmity

and strife

and jealousy,

fits of anger,

rivalries,

dissension,

divisions

that we see

in the passage

preceding Galatians 5.22.

These teachers

show

what is really

on their hearts

and minds.

They demonstrate

they really have

no affection

for the gospel.

This is the telltale sign

that we see

throughout the Old Testament

or throughout the New Testament

of false teachers.

This love of money.

Thinking that

working for the gospel

in some way

is supposed to lead

to some benefit

for them.

This gain,

this luxury

they're supposed

to experience.

This means of gain

we see there

in verses 4 and 5.

But in 2 Peter 2,

2 Peter 2:3

verse 3,

Peter will address

those who are

false teachers

this way.

He says,

in their greed

they will exploit you

with false words.

Their condemnation

from long ago

is not idle

and their destruction

is not asleep.

The hallmark

of those

who are false teachers

will be their obsession

with money.

And as we saw

back in this passage

and we saw

in 2 Peter,

those same kind of

hallmarks are true today.

In the health,

wealth gospel

and maybe even

in your own

teaching and instruction

and encouragement

to those around you

that point to

the product

instead of pointing

to Christ.

Don't follow

their divergent teaching.

Don't listen

to those

who cause friction.

Don't give heed

to those

who are unsatisfied

with their income.

Don't follow

after those

who pursue

dishonest gain.

And finally,

in verses 6 to 10

we find the gospel

changes our perspective.

It changes

our perspective.

And we spent

some time

talking about

contentment,

talked about

godliness.

Let me just

wrap this up here

by reading this

and providing

some brief comments.

Godliness

with contentment

is great gain.

For we brought

nothing into this world,

we can take

nothing out

of this world.

But if we have

food and clothing,

with these

we will be content.

But those

who desire

to be rich

fall into temptation

and into a snare,

into many senseless

and harmful desires

that plunge people

into ruin

and destruction.

For the love

of money

is the root

of all kinds

of evil.

it is through

this craving

that some

have wandered

away from the faith

and have pierced

themselves

with many pangs.

Do you see

the dangers

that the Apostle Paul

is drawing out here?

The wonder

and the security

that we have

in contentment

coupled with godliness?

Godliness

with contentment

is great gain.

While those

false teachers

are looking

for the gain

that would come

in a monetary way

or a physical way,

there is gain

to be had

in living a godly life.

But not the gain

that you might expect

here in this world.

It's better.

It's deeper.

It's greater.

It's more secure.

It's the gain

of having

relationship

with Jesus.

Of having

sins forgiven

that only comes

through faith

in Christ.

those of you

who have

enjoyed

the benefits

of this gospel

that we've been

talking about,

you know

that it requires

us to come

to a place

of recognizing

our own sin.

Of knowing

that all have sinned

and come short

of the glory

of God.

Every one of us

has committed

offenses

against God

big and small

and because

of those offenses

we are

deserving

of condemnation

and judgment.

Romans 6.23

says,

the wages

of sin

is death

but the gift

of God

is eternal life

through Jesus Christ

our Lord.

And so we enjoy

the benefits

of what Christ

has come to do.

He paid

for our sin

on the cross.

He erased

the debt

for those

who come to him

in faith

asking forgiveness

for their sins

and recognizing

that only

Jesus can pay

for those sins.

He died

he rose again

to give us

new life

a hope

of a future

with God

that only comes

through believing.

Believe

on the Lord

Jesus Christ

and you'll be saved.

So if we confess

with our mouth

that Jesus is Lord

if we believe

in our heart

that God raised

Jesus from the dead

we'll be saved.

And then

it leads us

to this life

this opportunity

for contentment.

Contentment

we can enjoy

because the perspective

of our life

has changed

and there's new hope

now.

There's new confidence

now.

As Paul will describe

in Philippians chapter 4

Philippians 4:11–13

verses 11 to 13

he says

not that I'm speaking

of being in need

for I have learned

in whatever situation

I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low.

I know how to abound.

In any

and every circumstance

I have learned

the secret

of facing

plenty

and hunger

abundance

and need

I can do

all things

through him

who strengthens

me.

The apostle Paul

has learned

the beauty

the key

to making it

through this life

and he does that

one way

through faith

in Christ.

So when things

are good

when things

are bad

when life

is hard

when life

is good

when he has

plenty

when he has lack

when he is

experiencing

the pleasure

of people's

welcoming embrace

and those

who are pushing

him out of town

he has learned

that he can trust

in Christ

he can do

all things

through Christ

who strengthens him.

That is

the key

to the Christian life

and the alternative

that the apostle Paul

presents here

in verses 9 to 10

is a horrible fate.

Those who fall

into temptation

he says

into a snare

many senseless

and harmful

desires

this love

for money

drives them

and it's not

that money

is evil

in itself

that God

has allowed us

to enjoy

the benefits

of money

so that we

can share

like Christ

we find

in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

that though

he was rich

it says

he became

poor for us

so that we

through his

poverty

might be rich

and that's

the pleasure

the benefit

that we

have

when we

make

money

we have

plenty

it gives us

the opportunity

to steward

that money

and to share

with others

to do otherwise

is what we find

here at the end

we have this craving

and as it leads

some away

from the faith

it pierces them

with many pangs

may God help us

to learn

the secret

to contentment

to understand

the significance

of what God

has given to us

and to allow

the stabilizing

force of Christ

strengthening

in our life

to help us

adorn the gospel

wherever we are

God we thank you

for

thank you for

the word

that we've read

this morning

and God

as we evaluate

our lives

we know

that there are

some areas

we need to grow

we pray

that you would

help us

as we relate

to our managers

our bosses

our employers

help us

to adorn the gospel

in a way

that makes

much of Jesus

and Lord

as we

are instructing

others

as we're listening

to teaching

help it to be

the kind of teaching

that accords

with godliness

the kind of teaching

that even

makes life

hard

so that Christ

can be exalted

even through

difficult situations

and Lord

I pray

you would help

us to be content

help us to learn

the secret

of godliness

along with

contentment

that what

we believe

in terms

of faith

will lead us

to behavior

that points

to Christ

and God

I pray

that you'd help

us to do that

faithfully

in Jesus name

amen

God bless you

have a great week

miracle

Thank you.