Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Secret of Contentment:* [1 Timothy 6:5-21]

*Intro:* - Tom last week spoke on Babylon that will dominate at the end - it is marked by commercialism, the desire to gain wealth.

- reading through passage in ICU waiting room outline came, brings perspective, what really matters

- contentment an illusive thing - everyone’s chasing something: pleasure, fame, fortune, security, significance, acceptance

- there is a great dissatisfaction fuelled by advertizing industry - great ache and longing in the human heart to be satisfied

- contentment is a rare and precious thing - all are looking for contentment - the secret is in this passage!

- before we look at it, ask you a question: “Where is your citizenship?

*[OHP]* - the home where your heart is fixed (Eddie) [*Phil 3:12-21 */I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ/]

- Where is your heart?

- you tell by where your investments are [*Matt 6:9-21*/ Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also./]/

/

*Read 1 Tim 6:5-21*

- Where is your heart?

- we have a choice what we set it on: below or above, on the things of this world or on heaven [*Col 3:1-4*/ Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory./]

*Get or give [1 Tim 6:5]*

*-* Is God a means to get what you want? - people in the church for what they can get out of it - motive is selfish contrary to the Gospel which calls for us to deny self.

*Riches or contentment [1 Tim 6:6-8]*

- contentment  - a glorious key to peace - to accept ones lot as from the hand of God and aspire to godly living in that situation is indeed great gain.*

*(*Heb 13:5*/ Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”/).

-  There is a blessing on godly contentment.

Godliness is great gain - not material gain.

For godliness to be of great benefit to us it must be accompanied with *contentment*.

Godly contentment is precious indeed - a wonderful, indescribable blessing which those longing after the world’s riches cannot comprehend.

Dissatisfaction and complaining, hankering after more robs us of the benefit of godliness (cf.

Israel’s grumbling in the wilderness).

It is one of the most enervating diseases in the church today - it robs people of their joy in the Lord.

[*Phil 4:11-13*/ Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me./]

- we brought nothing into the world, we’ll be taking nothing out except the godly character we have cultivated.

So then what is the use of popularity, material gain, prestige, riches etc? Nothing! - may we ever see life in the light of eternity.

- all we strive to obtain we will leave behind (*Ps 49:16-20* /Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not descend after him.

Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish/.

*Ecclesiastes 2:18-20; 5:15* / I// must leave it to the man who will come after me.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?

Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun.

This too is vanity.

As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came.

He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand/ *Luke 12:15-34* /Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.

And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”

’ But God said to him, ‘You fool!

This very night your soul is required of you... but your Father knows that you need these things.

But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also./)

- *Contentment (1 Tim 6:6,8)* is the key to godliness.

All we need in this world, and all we require to be content is food and covering (clothes and a roof over our head) -the basic necessities of life - the things required to survive - all else has no true value.-

God has given us the requirements of life (food and clothing) most of have those and much more!

Let us be grateful for all material blessings and use these for His glory.

- gratitude, not dissatisfaction,/ /is the work of a spirit filled Christian - to complain is to insult God who is the Giver of every good gift - we are saying He is either poor or miserly

*Evil or godliness [1 Tim 6:9-14]*

- What are you pursuing?

- choosing wealth above all else opens you up to temptations which ensnare - we are trapped by our lusts: greed leads to lust; leads to temptation; leads to evil; leads to ruin; leads to death!  (*Jas 1:14,15*/ But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death./).

"Plunge" (v.9) - the verb is the image of drowning someone in the sea - a giant squid’s tentacles wrap around your legs and drag you down to the bottom, helpless to escape its grip - *that is lust!*

They drag us down to ruin, destruction.

Get rid of the desire to be rich, - continually pursuing wealth will cause you to be led astray from the true faith - it ends in apostasy!

It pierces you with many sorrows.

The love of money leads to disaster!

Beware!

/flee// from lusts/! - they are a mortal danger!

- flee lusts, rather pursue godliness - Instead of pursuing money we should be absorbed in pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverence and gentleness.

(*2 Tim 2:22 */Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart./)

- Paul gives a serious charge in the authority of God to flee evil and pursue godliness - to maintain his Christian testimony in the world that is totally absorbed with pursuing material things.

Jesus maintained that confession so must we.

Faith is not something that is received and reveled in - it requires fighting for in order to preserve it, keep it true and pure, unadulterated by false teaching against which Paul has warned -it takes effort and striving to preserve the faith which is under constant attacks from the enemy./

/

- pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness -it is a fight, an endurance race - eternal life is the goal

- Christ’s return is what motivates us to godliness and purity - Timothy was to keep this charge whilst God gave him life - Paul expects Jesus’ return imminently - he expects His return before Timothy’s life ends.

The man of God must be beyond reproach - without stain or reproach - blameless at Christ’s coming - only Christ can do this work in us.(*1

Cor 1:7,8*/ awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ./*

Phil 1:6*/ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

/*1 Thess 3:13*/ so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

/*1 Thess 5:23*/ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

/*Jude 24,25*/ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.

Amen.)./

*Material or eternal [1 Tim 6:17-19]*

- it is the eternal goal that motivates us - having our eyes fixed there will bring the attractions of this present world into perspective

- Paul returns to the issue of riches - material wealth brings pride, we tend to trust in it and what we have obtained rather than reliance upon God

- So He gives instructions to wealthy believers.

What they have is from God.

Their hope must be on the Giver not the gifts He gives.

-  The trouble is that we are convinced by what we see, not what is real and true.

- the rich tend to be conceited - thinking themselves superior to those who have less - more astute, harder working, more intelligent etc.

- their attention is on the  wealth of the "now age" whereas true wealth is given to the "poor" - the wealth that carries beyond this present life (cf.

*Luke 6:20-24* /“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.

/*Jas 2:5* /Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?./).

Present riches are no security (cf.

stock market crash) - it is temporary, only is present in this world - it has no place in eternity.

- Our hope must be fixed solely on God, even if we are "blessed" with wealth - the danger of wealth is the temptation to rely on it rather than God, to feel secure, to place your heart in this world rather than eternity (cf.