Ungodly Greed and Godly Contentment (1 Timothy 6)

Well, it's good to be with you. Glad you're worshiping

with us today. If you have your Bible was turned

with me the first Timothy, First Timothy, chapter six. This

morning we're going to return in our study in the

Book of Timothy. Have you ever noticed in your life,

for all of us, we have desires. We have desires

for different things. Some desires that we have are healthy, good,

good desires, healthy desires. Some desires we have are not healthy,

unhealthy desires. For me, one of the things that I

like in the morning, particularly when I'm just kind of

waking up and getting stirred a little bit, I want

a little caffeine. I need something to kind of wake

me up a little bit. So I have what I

believe is a healthy desire for a pepsi zero, just

a soda, just to kind of wake me up a

little bit. I remember one time I was pastoring a

church and there was a man in our church who

had been visiting for some time, and I went visiting

visited him for a while. We spent time together. He

knew that every morning I liked a diet pepsi or

a pepsi zier or whatever it may be. At the time,

and he had a different desire. He had an unhealthy desire.

He had an unhealthy desire for alcohol. He had sources

of the liver, and he was dying from sources of

the liver. And he told me, and I was talking

to him about giving up his alcohol because of what

it was. It was going to take his life. And

I'll never get him looking at me in the eyes

and said, Pastor, just like every morning you get up

and you want your diet PEPSI. Every morning when I

get up, I want liquor. I desire that he had

an unhealthy desire. You know, it's important for us to

notice and recognize we have healthy desire and unhealthy desires.

And I think it's important to understand that as we

considered that this morning, think about that there's also healthy

spiritual desires and unhealthy spiritual desires. And Paul talks about

that in Glatians chapter five. He talks about these unhealthy desires.

He calls them the desires of the flesh, and in

Glatians five seventeen he says this, the desires of the

flesh are against the spirit. Desires of the spirit are

against the flesh. For these opposed each other to keep

you from doing the things that you want to do.

But if you are led by the spirit, you're not

under the law. Now the works of the flesh, and

he gives us a list of these unhealthy spiritual desires

sexual morality, impurity, centrality, idolatry, sorcery, entemies, strife, jealousy, fits

of anger, rovalies, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and orgies. He said,

these are unhealthy spiritual desires. Now he gives us another

gliss and these what he would describe would be healthy

spiritual desires. And what are those of Glatians five twenty two,

He says, but the fruits of the spirit. What are love? Joy, peace,

patient kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control? And to get

such things there's no law. So we know there's unhealthy desires,

as Paul describes them, and they were spiritual, healthy desires.

As we come to first chapter, I mean we come

to first Timothy. Chapter six, Paul is returning to a

subject of really was what motivated him to write this

letter to Timothy in the first place, And what motivated

was false teachers. False teachers had came into the church

in Ephesus, and they were causing a lot of problems

for the church. And so Paul wrote out a concern

for these false teachers, and that's what led him and

Paul's returning. That was the beginning, as he wrote, this

first chapter was about instructing Timothy to confront these false teachers.

Now he ends the letters, and he ends this letter

to Timothy by now exposing the unhealthy desires of the

false teachers. He writes, to expose their unhealthy desire and

they're unhealthy motives of these false teachers. I ask you

this one, as we come to this passage of one Timothy,

chapter six, here's my concern about today. My concern is

that today, as we expose the unhealthy motives and desires

of the false teachers, that you'll hear that and you say,

you know what, Pastor, I'm not a false teacher. I

don't follow the false teachers. And this doesn't really apply

to me. I pray this morning, as we come together,

that we will say in our own hearts, Lord, expose

any unhealthy desires that are in me today.

Lord, if there's any motives or any unhealthy desires that

are in me, God exposed them in my heart today,

and God give me today health, these desires spiritual desires

for you, Lord, would you make that your prayer? As

we begin this morning, let's stand and read God's word together.

This is First Timothy, chapter six. We're going to start

in the end of verse two. We'll read all the

way through verse ten. This is what it says.

This is the word of the Lord, teaching ears these things.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree

with sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, that teaching

that accords with godliness, he is puffed up and conceded

and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy,

for quarrels about words which produce envy, dissensions, slanders and evil,

suspension of suspicions, and constant friction among people who are

depraved of mind and depraved of truth. Imagining that godliness

is a means of gains. Now, there is 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, we will be content.

But those desire to be rich voluntitation and to a

snare and to many senseless and harmful desires that plunge

people into ruin and destruction, for the love of money

as a root of all kinds of evils. And through

this craving some have wandered away from the faith and

pierce themselves with many pangs. Let's pray together, Father, we

thank you that you have brought us here, Lord, that

you've brought us to this place for this moment, for

this message. Lord, we recognize our sovereign hand in leading

us here. Today. Lord, I pray today that we would

Lord listen for your word. Lord, we surrender to the

movement of your Holy Spirit and allow your word to

penetrate our hearts. So God give us ears to hear

and hearts to obey. Today, Lord, I pray, as you're

a messenger today, that you would feel me, Lord, with

my words, my thoughts. Lord, but your words, and Lord

your thoughts, and Lord, I pray that you I would

decrease and you would increase. Lord. Today, Lord, I need you, Lord,

every hour, every moment, every sermon. I need you today.

So feel me, Lord, Father, that I might deliver your word.

And Lord, may we have ears to hear. Lord, you

speak today your name, we pray Amen, you may be

seated as we begin. This pass is just one and

Paul is exposing these false teachers and their unhealthy desires

and their unhealthy motives. And he begins, as you look

at the passage, just look with me. At at the

end of verse two is he has this really instruction

or command for Timothy. He says, teach and urge these things.

He's really again, this is a letter that Paul wrote

to Timothy. Timothy is the pastor of the Church of Ephesus.

Paul is the one who planned the church, and so

he's really mentoring this young pastor and in this letter,

and he's first in chapter one by encouraging him to

confront the false teachers. And now he's been going through

all kinds of different things about elders and deacons. He's

talked about different groups in the church and how to

minister to them, as we looked in chapter five, and

as he given instruction how to care for the widows

and how to care for different elders. He tells Timothy,

now I've insured you to do this. Now you need

to teach these things. That's the command here. He's commanding

them to teach and urge these things. And then in

verse three Paul does something with this basis that in

this letter, I've provided you doctrine, truth and application, how

to guide the church, and how to teach the church.

You to teach these things. And then he changes, He

kind of turns in verse three and he says this

using that as the basis as the foundation teaching God's word.

He says, if anyone teaches a different doctrine that does

not agree with sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the teaching that accords with Godliness, he is puffed

up with conceit and understands nothing. He kind of gives

Paul gives Timothy kind of a test if you will,

to how to detect false teaching. You know, if you

in some point in your life, maybe you've got the flu,

or you got some sickness or a cold, and you

go to the doctor, and what do they do when

you go to the doctor. They are going to test you. Right,

They're going to maybe swab your mouth or maybe test

your blood, and they test you. They're looking for something.

They're looking for something in your body that's not right.

Paul is basically providing Timothy a test, a test to

how to determine if something's not right in a teacher

and a false teacher. And he kind of gives three

different things there. He gives one the first test, there

is a contrary doctrine that Paul has given him the

foundation of what is godly teaching, what is right teaching,

what is faithful teaching. And he says, if anyone teaches

something different than what I've taught you, of what God's

word have taught you, that's the first sign. There's the

first test there's something's not right in their teaching. This

second thing is not only a false teaching test, is

a contrary doctrine. The secondly, it's contrary to Jesus is teaching.

He says this and this passages and does not agree

with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's

very interesting. Paul uses the word sound there. That word

sound in the Greek could also be translated as healthy.

It's a medical term that's used to describe health. And

what is the imagery he's giving is listen to if

you put that together and this word does not agree

with the healthy words of our Lord Jesus Christ, it's

you know when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord's Savior,

and you accept the words of Jesus, that he is

the way truth in the life, and no one comes

to the Father but by Me, and you experience salvation.

Listen his words what spiritually change your heart. He gives

you a new heart right, and he spiritually revives your soul.

And he's saying, listen, that is healthy words, the healthy

words of Jesus. And if they teach a message that's

contrary to that, they're a false teacher. Do you know

all false teaching in our world today, morma Joyah, witnesses Islam,

you name it. Any false teaching out there. Deny the

incarnation of Christ. They deny the deity of Christ. All

of them depart from who Christ is and that Christ

is truly God and wanted the same with the for God,

the Father. They deny the deity. They teach a Jesus

that's contrary to scripture. Not only contrary doctrine, the contrary Jesus,

it's third ay at contrary Godliness. They teach a lifestyle

of Not only do they believe doctrinally different, they believe

different about what Jesus and who Jesus is. But thirdly,

they teach morals that are contrary to God's word. Do

you know just recently in this last few months, there's

one of the branches of Presbyterians, Presbyterian USA is one

of the one of the again, one of the different

groups of Presbyterian had of debate in their convention in

this last year, and the debate is whether they should

require their pastors, their ordained pastors to be monogamous. What

does that mean mean? Should they expect their pastors to

be in the monogamous relationships? Basically saying it's okay for

their pastors to have many multiple relationships, sexual relationships. And

they've said in their arguments that if they do that,

if they limit pastors to be in monogaous relationship, they

are hindering the sexual freedom of pastors. And I want

you to see that. That is you see the false

teaching here that departs from the truth of God's word

and the truth that is in aligns with Godliness. You

see the imagery here, and that's what Paul is saying here.

He says, if you see these things right, just as

the doctor scans your body and sees it, this is

not right. If you see someone who's teaching a doctrine

that's country, that's a sign that there's a false teaching.

If you see someone teaching something that's contrary to who

Jesus is and what Jesus has says, it's a sign

that it's false teaching. Is someone is teaching that godliness

is contrary to what God's word says, it's a sign

that it is false teaching. Not only does he he

give the test of false teaching, now he moves into

this passage. He moves into really what false teachers are motivated.

It's it's the why why did they do what they do?

Why do they teach what they teach? Why do they

lead and do what they do? And he explains, he

goes to the motivations of false teachers. What they are motified?

What what do they desire? Listen to the passage of Scripture.

He says in verse four, he is puffed up with

conceit and understands nothing. He's this idea is conceded as

he he's prideful. Right, he believes he's puffed up. He

believes he has knowledge, and only is he conceded. Scripture

describes he he understands. Listen to the word there, he's

conceded and understands nothing. The idea is he's he's devoid

of truth. It's interesting that Paul is using this imagery

because if you think about a lot of false teachers,

many times they come as if they are in the know,

right that they do have a fresh word, a word

that's new. Is the other religions are corrupt, but they

have a new word from the Lord, and they're in

the know. They know more than anybody else. And Paul

is actually saying, although they may come across as there

that they have it all together and that they know

all things, he says, actually they have no truth. They

are devoid of truth. They think themselves ares wise, but

actually they understand nothing. What do they desire? He gives

a description of what they desire. He has listen to

this an unhealthy craving for controversy. There is no doubt

here Paul is using a medical term that says, Jesus'

words are what healthy? Spiritually? A false teacher's words what

are spiritually unhealthy? He does not have a healthy desire

for Christ. He has an unhealthy desire for things. What

is this unhealthy? Desire that he has. He has an

unhealthy craving for controversy. Controversy is this idea of vain

discussions going beyond what is useful. It's just vanity and

what he speaks about. He's just unhealthy desire for controversy

and only has unhealthy craving desire for controversy. He has

unhealthy desire for quarrels. The word literally means word battles.

He just likes to argue and create controversy. Then he

describes not only this, he has this unhealthy craving. There's

consequences to what he does. It's almost like this is

what he desires. He's conceded, he's puffed up, but he

really doesn't understand anything. He has a desire for controversy

and quarrels. But what is his What does his ministry produce?

What does it? What is the results of his ministry?

And he gives five moral defects envy, Look at the

passes there. Listen to the passage there. He has an

unhealthy craving for controversy, for quarrels about words which produce

this is what it produces, envy, dissension, slander, evil, suspicions

and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind

and depraved of truth. Imagining that Godliness is the means

of gain, he has unhealthy craving and consequences. It produces envy, dissension, slander, evil, suspicions,

and friction. You know, I'll never forget going to Tanzania.

And we would do many times when we go on

mission trips, we would we'll gather the pastors together and

we do pastor training there. And there's one time we

were there and there were two hundred pastors had traveled

up to eight hours to get to us and wanted

to do training. And we asked them, what is the

most important, what is the greatest need that you have

in Tanzania? What's the biggest issue that you have that

you battle as a pastor? You know, a number one

issue was false teaching, false teaching and false teachers. And

I remember the pastors that day as we were different

pastors from America were there and we were talking about

what we're going to do, and we were thinking, as us,

would we say that's the number one issue for us

in America today And the reality is many times we

would say it maybe not be the main thing. But listen,

understand today for Paul as he's right into Timothy is

one of the main concerns for the early Church. I think,

to be honest with you, in America we become numb

to the dangers of false teaching. We become numb to

the dangers of the false teachers in our world. But

just as dangerous as it is in Tanzania today and

then other places across the world. Listen today, in America,

false teaching is just as dangerous and as active and

of as happening more than ever than before. May we

as a church be mindful of what does it look like?

What does false teaching look like? May we be mindful

of the test. May we be mindful of what their

motives are, and may we be mindful of their desires.

Just recently, over the last few years, one of the

ones that's come to the forefront of in America as

a man false teaching by the name is Sam Bateman.

Samuel Bateman was a leader in Utah. He started his

church and he used this same idea, these same concepts

that he thought he was he knew at all he

was in to know he had a new word from

the Lord, and he had an unhealthy desire for cravings

and consequences. He would teach his followers this idea of

an atonement demand that he demanded that they these male

followers would confess their sins before him, and if they

were not faithful as in his mind, to the demands

that he believed, then he had a right as the

prophet sent by Jesus to demand things from them. He

would find that two of his followers, Maroney Johnson in

particular and Laddel I forgot how you say his last name,

were not faithful. So he demanded for atonement that they

both give him his wives and his daughters, for his

wives to be his wife. And if they did not,

he would they would not be saved and to be

damned to hell. I tell you that because that is

in America today today. It's here. It's not in another country,

it's here. Understand, we must know the tests, We must

look for the signs, We must understand the desires for

controversy and cravings. What you see and only do he

describe that they he identify as false teachers are motivated

by unhealthy cravings and consequences. But secondly, it's important for Paul.

This is the main thing. Was the main desires they

have is godliness for profit, godliness for prophet. Look at

the Passage of Scripture. He says in verse five, a

constant friction among people who are depraved in mind to

deprave the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of game,

godliness is a means of gain. What does that mean, Pastor,

They believe their religion is a means to make money.

Their false religion, their false teaching, is the way for

them to make money, to make profit, to gain spiritually,

I mean use spirituality or religious things to make money

for themselves. Probably no greater example of that than just

in our own neighborhood. Again, it's not just in the

countries away from us. It's happening right here. In August

twenty twenty five, just half a mile down the street,

a man was arrested by the name of apostle David Taylor.

David Taylor had a ministry that was in Durham, in Michigan,

and in Florida. David Taylor had what he had described FBI. Actually,

you can look at the website from the Department of Justice.

Department of Justice described he had armor bears that he

would bring in, and he would bring them in from

all over the world, and he would put them in

their prayer his prayer centers where they were expected to

receive phone calls from people asking for prayer, and they

would live in these call centers. He would demand who

would control them. They would not be able to leave

the control the call center without his permission. They had

some strict rules that he would have follow from him,

and he demanded that they every day would meet a

quota nine thousand dollars a day that they were going

to get. They should get every armor bear should get

from making phone calls. Over from twenty fourteen to last year,

David Taylor in his ministry took in fifty million dollars

that he used on boats, jet skis, ATVs, luxury cars,

luxury properties, fifty million dollars. He believed ministry, his ministry

was a means to make money. Paul was saying, Timothy, here,

listen these false teachers. They're motivated by a desire for

unhealthy cravings and consequences, but they believe religion is a

means to make money. Godliness is a means for profit. Listen,

to what he says here. I love this passage. It's

a very unique passage. But what Paul does in next

is he gives a rebuttal. He responds to the individuals

who think that religion or spirituality is a means to

make money, let me tell you what the Bible says

about godliness. What is godliness as godlies is a means

to make money, or a means to profit, or means

to make ourselves financially better. Paul responds to that in

these next words, looking verse six, he said, now there

is great gain in godliness. So I like this because

Paul wants you to understand there is there is something.

Godliness is profitable. It's profitable for something, but what is

it profitable for. Listen to what he says. Godliness is great.

There's great gain in godliness, but it's not in material things, right.

We gain in godliness and we gain it through what contentment? Contentment.

Listen to what Paul says here, and he gives two

reasons as he walks through this, believers, I believe here

is he's Paul's teaching his believers must pursue godliness through contentment,

and he gives us two reasons why we are to

pursue godlelyinness It's not for a profit, it's not for

natural gain. We were to pursue godliness for contentment. Listen

to what he describes. There's two reasons. Number one because

of our eternal perspective. Paul says, now we've brought nothing

into the world and we could take nothing out of it.

He's kind of giving a kind of the book ends

of our life. He's kind of getting us to think

about our life. You think about it. When you came

into this world, did you have anything? Were you born

and with a car? You know your mom, Hey, congratulations

you got a new son and a new car outside

They didn't You didn't come with anything, right, You didn't

come with clothes. You didn't come with anything cars, any

type of material things. And not only do we bring

nothing into this world, but when we die, you know,

you know, you don't go to the funeral home to

make your arrangement and says, now, when I get my

make my arrangements for where I'm want to be buried,

can you also set up for you haul to come

by and get my stuff to take them with me.

You know, your possessions don't go with you. Right, you

don't bring anything into this world, and all the things

that you acquire in this life, they're not going with you.

And with that being said, think about it. We spend

so much of our life every day. Right. Amazon thrives

on what you not being content? Right? You wanting more

or something the clothes that I have, I want new clothes,

or or I need this new gadget into my house,

or or the dealerships make money what that your car

is not good enough, you need a better car? Right,

Lows makes a lot of money on what that you

want to do things better to your house? Right, We

always are in this constant every day licking at our phones,

are getting these ads from the from our TV or

social media, whatever it may be, that offering what you

need this for your life to be better. But think

about that, all the things that you buy on Amazon,

all the things you bought up Walmart, Lows, wherever it

may be, there's not one thing that you have ever

bought in this life that's going with you in eternity. Nothing, nothing,

So godliness is not a means to get more things

that it can't go with us. It doesn't even make

any sense. Right. Godliness is found in contentment. It produces contentment.

Why because as believers, we have an eternal perspective that

we don't live for things in this world. We live

for the one who created the world, which you see.

Not only does we find or could godliness produce contentment,

It produces contentment because of our eternal perspective, but also

because of our daily provision. That's what Paul says here.

There's great gain in Godliness with contentment. Before we brought

nothing into the world and we could take nothing out

of it. But if we have food and clothing, with

these we will be content. Paul in the first one,

as he thinks about nothing, we can bring nothing into

the world, we can take nothing out of it. He's

using really an Old Testament illusion. He's referring back to

something that happened in the Old testamenters someone who said something,

who is referring back to his return fraing back to

job job. If you recall lost it all or lost

his whole family, right, lost all his material possessions in

one moment, and in that moment he said this in

Job one twenty one, and he said, naked, I came

from my mother's woman in naked child. Return the Lord gave,

and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name

of the Lord. He's referring to this eternal perspective that

Job has and then only he He alludes to this

fact of what Job says, this principle that we as

believer as an eternal perspective. But he also looks forward

to another teaching of someone else, and that was Jesus

who said, what He's provided our daily provisions. He's given

you everything. Can you imagine that everything that you have today?

Think about it? Sometimes we are Sometimes if we're real honest,

we think about everything we have today is by our

own hands. But if we're really honest about what Scripture says,

everything you own today, every shirt that you have in

your closet and over your shirt you have owned today.

Everything that you eat today, every home that you live in,

everything that you have in your provision today God has

given you. It's by the hand of the Lord. Jesus

said this. What therefore I tell you, don't be anxious

about your life, what you eat, nor about your body.

What you'll put on for life is more than food,

and the body is more than clothing. He talks about

the ravens right, and he talks about the flowers. Now

God provide for the ravens, and how God provides for

the flowers, so much will he provide for his white children.

He says, Oh, you of little faith, don't seek what

you're to eat or what you're to drink, nor be worried.

For all the nations of the world see captured these things,

but your father knows that you need them. Instead, seek

his kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.

You know why why do we find contentment? Why does

Godliness produce contentment? One because of our eternal perspective. We

came nothing, and we came with this world with nothing

and will leave with this world with nothing. But also

because we know everything I have today God gave me,

and everything I'll need in the future He'll give me.

So I don't want to live my life or wanting more.

I want to be content with what he gave me today. God,

what have you given me today? And how can I

find contentment? I'll be honest with you. I think this

is maybe one you know there I preach sermons. I'll

be honest with you. Know the Lord leaves me and

we we preach through books of the Bible, so I

have no idea of just whatever we're going to see

next next week is how what's God's going to speak?

But sometimes just you know, I'm gonna be a real, honest,

real transparent as I preach passages. You know, I'm thinking,

you know, how do I apply it? You know, and

well with people in the congregation, Like listen to this

sermon and say, you know what this this can apply

to me? Right, I'll be honest with you, I don't

know that I've preached a sermon in the last year

that I don't believe apply this sermon applies to everyone

in this room, because there's not one of us as Americans.

Let's be honest, there's not one of us that does

that struggle with good tentment. And I'll be honest with you.

If there's anybody in this room that I feel like

struggles with this as most, it's me. I struggle. I'm

always looking at wanting something more instead of saying, God,

you've given me all I need right today or today,

You're more than the knight Lord. Why don't I always

want to find more and things of this world that

I can't take with me. But that's problem to wonder,

Oh God, I feel it pro to leave, to leave

the God I love. That's me And many times it

comes right to this source of me not being content

with what God gave me. You know, I really I

read this the other day my devotion. You remember the

sea saw. You had a little playground, you know, a

little sea saw you don't want. Someone gets on the

other side, and you know, they jump up and you

go down, they go down, or you know, and then

you go down and they go up. I heard a

statement about a writer the other day and he said this.

He says, our love for God and our love for

idols are connected. When one increases, the other decreases. And

I'll be honest when when I heard that, I thought

about how my love for things of this world riches

and materials and my love for God is connected. And

when I seek after things of this world, it decreases

my love for God. I'll tell you what my heart

longs for. I don't want anything, any material possessions that's

not going to go with me to hinder or decrease

my love for God. I don't want it to go down.

I want him to be above all things I wonder

for you today. How about you evaluate right now today?

Or do I have an unhealthy desire for things, for

riches of this world? Maybe I'm not so different than

the false teachers that I want things and I want

gain and material things more than I want you God.

Maybe today we just simply say, God, we want you more.

We want you more than anything of this world, because Lord,

what you've done for us. God, we want you more

than things.

Of this world, because what you've provided for us, and

less of this, because what you provided us, when you

gave us your son, who came and lived and died

that I might be forgiven.

Lord, I want you more. Will you pray with me? Lord?

I thank you Lord for this word. Today, Lord, I

pray that we would be honest about the times we

as believers, Lord, abandon our love for You for the

love of things. Here, Lord, forgive us in the times

that we have unhealthy cravings. We have unfaiealthy cravings for things.

See things that rust, things that fade, things that will

believe us, And we love them more than you, Lord,

and we want them more than we want you. Lord,

help us today have hearts that love you more. Riches

of this world. Lord, help us grow in godliness, help

us pursue have a desire, a healthy desire for godliness,

and help us find out in contentment. Lord. Lord, I

pray Lord, not for a movement of me today, a

movement of my words. Lord, I pray a movement right

now of your spirit and Lord, as you speak, Lord

to your people, right where they are, Lord, I pray

you would expose the areas Lord in them. They're not

healthy cravings. Lord, that are not right. Lord, and I

pray that God you would replace that unhealthy craving for

a healthy craving of Godliness, a contentment found in you. Lord.

Or we love you. We thank you Lord for this word.

We thank you Lord for how you draw us today.

We thank you Lord that you meet us right where

we are, and you meet us in this place. God,

thank you for coming, Thank you for speaking, Thank you

for moving. Lord. As you move now, may we respond,

Or we love you in your name, We pray Jesus

pain

To Hi