Great gain in poverty or riches

We're reading from 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 3 to 19.

1 Timothy 6:3–19

If anyone teaches a different doctrine that does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words

which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions and constant friction among people

who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth.

Imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

Now there is a great gain in godliness with contentment.

For we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world.

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare,

into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.

It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith

and pierced themselves with many pains.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith.

Take hold of the eternal life to which you are called

and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things

and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession

to keep this commandment unstained and free from approach

until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which he will display at the proper time.

He who is the blessed and only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,

whom no one has ever seen or can see.

To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty,

nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,

but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future,

so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Well, good morning, everyone.

Sounds like that children's talk touched a nerve there, Simon.

So if you want me to take that temptation off you of the millennium failure,

I'm very happy to help you.

And I saw Albert Dale Han coming to church for the first time.

Great to have little Albert here, Han family.

All right, let's get into God's word.

Let's pray.

Father, in this topic that is, I don't know, I suppose a taboo,

we don't like to talk about money,

I pray that you would help us listen to what you have to say.

And I pray most of all that you would show us where great gain can be found.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

Well, there's two polar opposite views on what the Bible says on the topic of money.

I went to a church once that I was visiting,

and they were fundraising for a really legitimate cause.

And the pastor, I don't know, he went on for maybe 10 minutes.

It felt like a long time.

He was just trying to, he was plucking Bible verses out of context,

and he was promising that God would richly reward us if we give towards this thing.

And he kept saying, are you ready to give?

Are you ready to give?

I just wanted to stand up and say, I was ready 10 minutes ago.

I should have.

I know.

I was gutless.

One view of what the Bible says about money is that we are children of God, right?

God is the king.

Would he want us to be impoverished?

Wouldn't he want us to abound in prosperity?

Isn't that what Scripture promises?

But then money just takes over the focus of the church service.

People's prayers are focused on their circumstances.

Wealth is taken as conclusive evidence of God's blessing,

of God's approval that you're pleasing him.

And it disregards the warnings we find here in 1 Timothy 6.

Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ruin, flee.

That's one view.

Another view of what Scripture teaches is kind of focuses on the passages like the rich young ruler,

where Jesus says, sell all that you have and give to the poor, then come follow me.

Church history is filled with monasteries.

Many Christians through the ages have tried to escape the materialism of this world.

Some today sense that owning a house or anything of value is inherently disobeying the true Christian lifestyle.

There's this nagging sense of guilt that if you're enjoying a holiday, there's just this guilt.

Should I be enjoying this?

But this view ignores the fact that Abraham and Job, they were filthy rich.

Now maybe you might say that's just Old Testament promises,

and there's some truth to that argument.

But even Jesus and Paul accepted at points in their ministry,

they accepted wealthy patrons who supported their ministry.

And here we find in 1 Timothy 6, to the rich, God doesn't say sell all you have, stop being rich.

He says God richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

Doesn't quite fit that model of getting rid of everything.

I think there could even be this inverted pride of trying to give away everything in the name of God.

In the movie Chocolat, I don't know if you've seen it, there's the religious mayor of the town,

and Lent is coming up, and he's observing Lent, the religious fast.

But others in the town are indulging in the chocolate.

And he's just condemning them for doing that.

And at one point he gets so angry that he breaks into the chocolate shop,

and he starts smashing all the chocolate until a little bit lands on his lip.

And he gives in to temptation, and he just starts going for it.

And he's rolling around in the chocolate.

And he's just weeping because he too has failed.

If we're judging others,

it could be a symptom of envy, not godliness.

It could be a symptom of envy.

It's this inverted pride of going,

others are indulging, look what I've sacrificed for you, God.

But if it's a sacrifice,

if you're thinking it's a loss,

doesn't that suggest

you want it,

you delight in it,

you've lost something?

I think it can be just in love with money

as those who indulge.

1 Corinthians 13.3,

If I give away all I have,

and if I deliver up my body to be burned,

but have not love,

I gain nothing.

Are you confused?

Something's going on in 1 Timothy 6

and across the teaching of the New Testament

and Scripture as a whole

that it doesn't fit.

It's not prescribing a lifestyle of riches.

It's not prescribing a lifestyle of poverty

or bare necessities.

And I think it's possible.

There's another danger.

We're just confused.

We can't see the coherence.

So let's just not let the Bible

say anything to us really.

I can't quite make it fit in my mind.

Except maybe a vague notion

that I should share something

of the excess.

So if a Christian lifestyle isn't prescribed

neither poverty nor riches,

what gives 1 Timothy 6 coherence?

What is the godly life

when it comes to possessions?

And what we're going to see here

is first a really strong warning to flee.

But then,

but then we're going to see

the true path to great gain.

And you can have this great gain

whether in poverty or riches.

And so that's where we're headed.

But first we need to hear the call to flee.

When,

do you remember in Genesis,

Joseph was being seduced

by Potiphar's wife

in Egypt.

What does he do?

She grabs his cloak

and he runs for his life.

He gets out of there.

He doesn't try and reason with her.

Now,

now,

now,

let's not do it.

He runs.

He senses the danger

and he runs.

So when scripture says,

flee sexual immorality,

we get it,

right?

To some,

to some extent.

We see the danger.

So when 1 Timothy 6 says,

flee,

do you struggle like I do

to sense the danger?

The desire to be rich

is like

a hidden trap

that catches birds.

It's hidden

and it causes their destruction.

Run away.

Now,

it's not riches in itself,

but it's the desire to be rich.

This is speaking to people

who think

they don't have

It would be really,

it would be really easy

in this series

that we're going through

to,

to agree

with much of what's said

or what scripture says

and just think,

oh,

that's,

that's speaking to them,

that's speaking to someone else,

that's speaking to

those people

who have more than me.

If we're thinking that way,

we are in great danger.

This is speaking to

all of us.

It's hidden

like a trap.

I've never had someone

arrange a pastoral

meeting with me

in order to say,

Dave,

I'm just addicted

to financial gain.

I,

I don't know what to do.

Now,

I've only been

a pastor

for so many years

but I've heard

other pastors

say their entire ministry,

they've never had it.

It's insidious.

It's gradual

and it's subtle

but it kills us.

I think

an example

of this

insidiousness

is what we call

a necessity.

It just

gradually,

subtly

increases.

Like,

you think

you'll be content

if you can buy

that house.

You'll,

you'll buy it

on the edge of town,

it'll be a fixer-upper,

the real estate agent

says it's got

great potential.

Then I'll be content

if I get that.

But how long is it?

How long?

Weeks?

Months?

Before we need it,

we must renovate it.

How long is it before

I want to move

into a safer neighbourhood?

How long is it before

we need to be

in this school zone?

How long is it before

it would be really

good for ministry

to have a house

with a pool?

Now,

it could be a good thing.

I'm not,

I'm not condemning

anyone with a pool,

okay?

But,

do you hear my point?

What we call

a necessity,

just,

it's just gradual

over time.

It just creeps up

on us.

It's like an addiction.

We need a bigger

and bigger buzz.

I found it helpful

this week

just to reflect,

like five years ago,

what was I content

to live without

that now I call

a necessity?

I'm not going to

tell you my answers,

but I'm asking you

to ask yourself

that same question.

There's,

there's an allure

and I,

I don't think it's just

comfort

that allures us.

Possessions claim

to increase

our significance,

doesn't it?

Our worth as a person.

And,

like,

why else do we need

to have the latest phone?

Why do we need

to keep up

with the Joneses?

Why,

why do we need

a phone

that has

22 camera lenses

on the back of it

instead of 21

so that we get

that perfect image

to put on social media

of how abundant

our life is?

Like,

why do we feel

like we're missing out?

It can't just

be comfort

when it gives,

the new technology

gives just that

little bit more

functionality.

It,

it can't be just

comfort.

I think it's got

to be significance.

When I have more,

I am more.

When I have less,

I am less.

Like,

don't you feel

that,

I've,

I've never experienced

this,

but don't you feel

that little bit

superior wearing

the new dress

at the wedding?

If I have

new clothes,

somehow I am

more

valuable.

If I don't,

somehow I'm less.

at a funeral

of a wealthy

woman,

apparently a man

asked the minister,

how much did

she leave?

And he said,

everything.

It's a good

answer,

isn't it?

Everything.

What do you

mean?

The diabolical

lie that our

personal worth

is less or

more valuable

based on what

we have

is in this

obvious fact.

We all come

out with the

same in the

end.

Nothing.

Like,

what time

frame are you

measuring off

to say that

you're more

or less

significant?

And we're

warned here,

it's the

root of

all kinds

of evil.

Now,

it's not

saying it's

the root

of all

evil that

exists.

It's saying

it's a

root of

all kinds

of evil.

I'm just

going to

give a few

examples and

I'm sure

you could

add to

my list.

We treat

people as a

means to

an end,

don't we?

I remember

when Emma

said to

Sam,

people are

more important

than things.

I was like,

oh,

that's a

good point.

We treat

people as a

means to

think of

the country

in terms of

leadership and

the legal

system.

Scripture has

a lot to

say that

bribery

blinds the

eyes of

justice.

there's

double

standards

depending

how much

you have

or if

you're

poor.

How many

people have

been killed

in wars?

Think about

in business.

This desire

to be rich,

it makes

you break

your word.

Your yes

is no longer

yes.

I think

of when

you're

selling a

house and

you've

said,

yes,

I'll

accept

that

offer,

but you

allow that

higher

offer.

James 5

warns

about not

paying your

workers'

wages and

God hears

their cries.

How often

do we read

about tradies

not being

paid or

foreigners

not being

paid?

People

skimping on

safety

measures to

make the

profit bigger,

putting

people's

lives at

risk.

Think in

terms of

your personal

addictions,

people's

personal

addictions,

sports betting,

ruining

families.

Apparently

Australia has

a pokey

machine for

every hundred

or so

people.

Why do

we need

that many

poking

machines?

Any

poking

machines?

Whoops.

What?

How much

profit are

people making

off industries

like,

obviously,

drugs and

pornography?

Ruining

people's

addictions

that ruin

them.

Think about

family.

It ruins

families.

I heard

of a man

who had

elderly

parents,

I can't

remember if it

was mum

or dad,

but they

needed to

go in

nursing

home,

they had

dementia,

they could

afford a

place that

could really

care for

them,

but they

chose a

place that

couldn't

care for

them properly

with their

dementia

because they

wanted a

bigger

inheritance.

Dishonouring

our mother and

father.

how many

marriages are

fighting over

money because

each spouse

believes we

need this to

be content.

And children

and parents

not talking to

each other

anymore.

How common

is it to hear

that sort of

thing?

And sadly

in church,

you look in

church history,

the sale of

indulgences,

the church

saying to

people,

you can

buy your

forgiveness

before God.

Wow.

Or James

2,

the warning,

something that

will destroy

us as a

church,

something like

favouritism

based off

this.

It will

destroy us.

And I

read the

other day

that a

study found

like,

we can

look into

the merits

of the

study,

but this

study

apparently

found that

the most

common

reason for

leaving church,

you think it

might be

this crisis

of doubt,

of faith.

No,

it was just

the main

reason that

people look

back and

they stopped

going to

church for

multiple years

was because

they got a

new job or

they moved

city.

Like some

change in

their life,

they just

stopped going

and then

they just

never came

back.

It's

insidious.

It's,

it's,

it leads to

all these

kinds of

evils.

It's,

and do you

see the

irony that

1 Timothy

6 is

warning us

about?

The desire

to be rich

leads to

ruin.

It ruins

our integrity,

it ruins

relationships and

society,

it ruins

churches,

it ruins

your soul.

you can,

you can

trade in

God and

eternal

life because

of this.

We've got

to hate

it.

We've got

to learn

to hate

it.

Not riches

in and of

itself,

but the

desire to

be rich.

We've got

to learn

to hate

it and

flee from

it.

I'm sure

you could

add to

my list,

couldn't

you?

I could

add my

own regrets.

Now,

what's the

remedy?

The command

here isn't

be content.

It's not

contentment

is great

gain.

It's

godliness

accompanied

by contentment

is great

gain.

It's not

flee riches

and just

be content.

It's

flee

the desire

to be

rich and

pursue.

Take hold

of true

life.

Fight

for it.

It's

appealing to

us.

You want

gain?

gain,

get great

gain.

I don't

know about

you,

but telling

myself,

be content,

be content,

it doesn't

work.

You've

got to

pursue

something

even

better.

Let's

take

missionaries,

for example.

They've

voluntarily

given up

so many

comforts

in one

of the

richest

nations

in the

world.

Now,

that's

amazing,

right?

It's

amazing,

but there's

something,

it shows

that something

is much

more important

to them,

but there's

something more

amazing about

some

missionaries,

at least.

The

daughter-in-law

of Hudson

Taylor,

Hudson

Taylor,

pretty well

known name,

he's the

pioneer

missionary to

China,

and his

daughter-in-law,

Geraldine

Taylor,

she thought

missionaries

were exaggerating

when Hudson

Taylor and

David Livingston

to India

before him

said this

phrase,

I never

made a

sacrifice.

If you

think about

the hardships

and they

made the

claim,

I never

made a

sacrifice.

Geraldine

thought they

just got

to be

exaggerating,

right?

But then

she went

on to

speak of

her own

experience.

Talk of

sacrifice,

this is

no sacrifice,

there is

no such

word to

the

Christian,

count it

all joy,

all joy.

After a

riot,

when our

lives had

been saved

by a

miracle,

when we

were sitting

bruised and

bleeding amidst

the ruins of

our home,

in that

hour,

believe me,

heaven itself

was open

to us,

and we

tasted then

and afterwards

a joy so

marvellous that

I scarcely

liked to

speak about

it.

As we

realised that

we had been

permitted to

suffer something

for Christ's

sake,

no words

can tell you

the joy

which filled

our hearts.

We have

never known

anything like

it since,

and we

would not

miss that

experience out

of our

lives for

all that

you could

give us.

That's a

strange paradox

to the

authentic

Christian

life.

They

voluntarily

lose the

world values,

but they

don't feel

superior for

sacrificing so

much.

They count

it as

personally

receiving

greater

gain.

Now,

not just

in the

future,

but now,

and they

say,

I never

made a

sacrifice.

How is

that possible?

How is

that possible?

Verses

11 to

16.

The

true life

pictured here

makes something

as precious

as gold

that we

list on

our contents

insurance.

It's as

commonplace

as concrete.

You may

walk on

it.

It

makes

wealth

just

pale

into

insignificance.

Now,

this is

addressed to

Timothy.

He's being

charged to

be so

different to

the false

teachers,

but he's

also an

example to

the whole

church.

This is

for all

of us.

He's

saying,

take hold

of the

eternal

life to

which you

were called.

Take

hold of

it.

What does

that mean?

Because he's

got eternal

life.

Take

hold of

it.

Pursue.

Eternal

life has

already

begun if

you know

Jesus

Christ.

It's

begun.

We're

in it.

The best

is yet to

come,

of course.

It has

begun.

So take

hold of

it.

Pursue

it.

Fight

for it.

Tooth

and nail.

It won't

happen

automatically.

you've

got to

seize

it.

How

rich do

you believe

you are,

Christian?

These

verses,

look at

who it

is who

possesses

you.

God who

gives life

to all

things,

the source

of life.

He is

the blessed

and only

sovereign.

Blessed.

He's the

only one

who has

deep

contentment

in

himself.

He is

the source

of all

things.

And

look at

this

requires

much

more time

to meditate

on these

words that

Paul is

using here.

But look

at the

status of

who this

one is

compared to

whoever you

think is at

the top

of society.

Look who

this is.

The only

sovereign,

king of

kings and

lord of

lords who

alone,

alone has

immortality.

Death and

decay can't

touch him.

He has

life in

himself.

He dwells

in

unapproachable

light.

life.

His life

is so

full and

pure.

There's

nothing

unlovely

in him

who no

one has

ever seen

or can

see.

You can't

by your

human

reasoning

find this

God.

Only if

he reveals

himself to

you can

you have

him in

his

immortality

and in

his

blessedness

and in

his pure

life that

is light.

heart and

this one

has called

you.

He's

called

you to

know him

heart to

heart.

This one

was the

one who

stood before

Pontius

Pilate.

Picture

that moment.

Pontius

Pilate.

Governance

palace,

royal clothing,

sitting on

the judgment

seat,

representing

Caesar.

He's

representing

he's at

the top

and he's

looking at

this

Jesus

and

in the

screenplay

Jesus Christ

superstar

Pilate says

when he

sees Jesus

who is

this broken

man

cluttering

up my

hallways.

So this

is Jesus

Christ.

I'm

really

quite

surprised.

You

look so

small.

Not a

king at

all.

Why did

he do

that?

This

one.

Well,

we're

going to

look at

the

passage

next

week,

but to

quote 2

Corinthians

8,

he did

it to

make us

rich.

2

2 Corinthians 8:9

Corinthians

8 verse

9,

for you

know the

grace of

our Lord

Jesus

Christ,

that though

he was

rich,

yet for

your sake

he became

poor,

so that

you,

by his

poverty,

might

become

rich.

He

I

know I'm

not doing

this passage

justice,

I know I'm

not,

but do you

sense who

it is who

has called

you to

himself,

and the

cost to

do so,

and he's

going to

appear one

day,

this one

will appear,

that's the

right time

frame.

How wealthy

are you?

Are you

going to

measure that

based off

retirement?

Is that

the measure

of how

much you

succeed,

how wealthy

you are?

That is

too short

sighted.

His

appearing

is the

correct

time frame.

Five

minutes

into

eternity

and you're

just soaking

in pure

joy.

Five

minutes

in and

you look

back on

your life

and go,

are you

going to

think to

yourself,

man,

I wish

I hoarded

more stuff

for myself.

Surely

we're not

going to be

thinking that

way.

Surely

it would be

much more

likely that

when he

appears,

five minutes

in we're

going,

why didn't

I give

you more?

Paul

can't help

himself here.

He's just

going into

doxology.

He's just

praising.

I think

that's part

of the

key.

I think

that's the

key.

Godliness

isn't a

means to

some other

end.

Godliness

is the

end because

you pursue

him and

you're taking

hold of

him.

I'm rich

because I

have him.

He possesses

me.

He treasures

me.

despite

my

treasuring

stuff

over

him.

Jeremiah

Burroughs,

he was a

Puritan,

he wrote

the rare

jewel of

Christian

contentment.

Godliness

teaches us

this mystery.

A little

in this

world will

content a

Christian for

his

passage,

but all

the world

and 10,000

times more

will not

content a

Christian for

his portion.

Because the

blessed one has

called you to

himself and

is calling us

man of God,

woman of God,

know how rich

you are.

Take hold of

it.

Pesure it.

Fight for it.

You've got to

preach it to

yourself.

Tim Keller

gives a really

great test of

whether you

know how rich

you are as a

Christian.

Here's the

test.

You don't

envy those

with more

than you.

Now with

this test,

I'm going to

encourage a

scale here.

because I

clearly fail

that test to

some degree

and that's

why we've

got to

pursue it

more and

more.

But the

more we

know how

rich we

are, the

less we

envy those

with more

than us.

And the

flip side of

that is you

don't feel

superior to

those with

less.

less.

If we

have food

and clothing,

if we

have got our

basic necessities

to meet the

responsibilities God

has given us,

we'll be content

because we

know how

rich we

are.

In fact,

I think we

can have

compassion on

those who

are filthy

rich in

this life

only because

they are

setting their

hopes on the

uncertainty of

riches and

they commit

suicide when

there's a

global financial

crisis.

You can have

compassion on

those.

who don't

have life.

And when

you have

more than

our basic

necessities to

meet the

responsibilities God

has given,

when you

have more,

you don't feel

superior to

those with

less.

You recognize

that you

haven't earned

this.

They are

gifts from

God to

enjoy.

you don't

see excess

as an

opportunity to

hoard.

You see

money for

what it is.

It's a

resource.

That's all

it is.

You see it

for what it

is.

It's just

a resource.

And it's a

resource to

do good.

You get to

get great

gain by

sharing your

God's

character in

meeting the

needs of

others.

being rich

in good

works because

you know

you're rich.

You're

content and

if you have

more than

what you

need, you

get to

share in

God's

character.

And so

you get

more and

more of

God,

whether

you're

struggling

to make

ends meet

or you've

got more

than what

you need.

Great

gain in

both.

Scripture

doesn't

command a

lifestyle.

God is

not equally

distributing

among us

equal outcomes.

He doesn't

command a

lifestyle.

He's

calling us

to pursue

God and

make having

him an end

in and of

itself and

to know how

rich we

really are,

to know it

in our

inner life,

not our

circumstance,

but our

inner life.

God is

going to

fight for

it tooth

and nail.

God is

going to

preach it

to

ourselves,

knowing we've

been called

to true

life.

If you

know how

rich you

are,

money can't

add to

your

significance

and when

you lose

it,

it can't

take away

from your

significance.

You can

have great

gain in

poverty or

in riches.

You can

have great

gain.

I think

only the

Christian can

live like

this.

We saw

last week,

Matthew 6,

those who

trust in

wealth for

their security,

their safety,

they're always

worrying about

tomorrow.

But the

Christian, we

can look at

tomorrow and

go, I'm

safe.

I know my

tomorrow is in

my Father's

hands.

And here in

1 Timothy 6,

we're not

just told be

content, be

content.

We're told,

Christian, you're

rich.

You can have

great gain in

poverty or

plenty.

You know

where great

gain is to

take hold of

it.

When people

make us think

we're missing

out or we're

telling ourselves

we're missing

out, we can

go, I never

made a

sacrifice.

I'm pursuing

great gain.

And

I think at

stake here is

the clarity and

the attraction of

our testimony of

where true life is

found.

That we know

great gain.

Why would the

unbelieving world

look at our

lives, either as a

church or our

families, our

individual lives,

and think, I

want what they

have, if we're

seeking the exact

same things.

We're just using

Jesus as a

ticket to the

exact same

things.

The witness of

where true life

is found is

at stake.

And our

testimony, our

witness can be

equally as

powerful, whether

we're struggling

to make ends

meet and we're

content and we

think we're

rich because we

have God.

What a

testimony.

Or you've

got more than

you need and

you're not

hoarding it like

the rest of the

world.

You know you're

rich and you

think it's great

gain.

You're not proud

because you're

giving so much

away and just

boasting, look

how much I'm

doing.

You're not

doing anything

like that.

You think you're

sharing in God's

character, getting

to know him

more.

What a

testimony.

What a

testimony.

With little or

plenty, may our

lives testify to

where great gain

is found.

Will you pray

with me?

Let's pray.

Father, send

your spirit to

convince our

hearts that

knowing you

more and more

really is the

path to joy.

Lord, fill us

with your spirit

afresh to set

our eyes on

when Christ

appears so

that we live

in light of

that day.

I pray this in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.