"To Whom be Honor and Everlasting Power"

We're going to be continuing our study and 1st Timothy. And so if you got your Bibles with you, I would appreciate it. If you go ahead and open it up to chapter 6 and 1st Timothy with me and we are going to be reading through the first major portion of this of this chapter. Actually. It's the majority of the chapter as we get ready to finish up our study of 1st Timothy. We're going to be finishing it up next week.

starting in 1st Timothy 6

verse 1 and will be reading through to the end of Sixteen.

Now that is many buns services are under the Yoke Count Their Own Masters worthy of all honor. So the name of God and his Doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing Masters, let them not despise them because they're brother and but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved teaching exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to Wholesome words even to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctor in which Accords with godliness. He is proud knowing nothing but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come envy and strife revealing evil suspicions useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain from such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content. Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and then too many foolish and harmful us which drowned men in destruction and prediction for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil for which Summit strayed from the from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you oh man of God free these things and pursue righteousness godliness Faith love patience gentleness. Fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on eternal life, which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I heard you in the sight of God who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate that you keep this commandment without spot. Blameless until I Lord Jesus Christ appearing which he will manifest in his own time. He was blessed and the only potentate the king of kings and Lord of lords who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light who no, man has seen or can see to whom be on earned Everlasting power. Amen.

By the way, that is

an amazing package, isn't it?

I love this this way to Paul ends this letter but before we get into the ending, it's make sure we're on the same page here that the theme of this passage. The main point driving point of this passage is actually right there at the end. And I'm just going to go by the last phrase to whom to God. Be the glory to be honor and everlasting power.

and I want you to keep that phrase in mind as we consider what this passage is talking about because as we've been looking through 1st Timothy and we've seen how Paul is describing to Timothy his disciple all the different aspects of of leaving the church and and guiding other believers and maintaining relationships between Believers within the body of Christ

Ken's off by reminding Timothy what the purpose is what the focus is what the goal of having all of this lifestyle. What is all about? It's all about the God that we serve. tumbi honor and everlasting power So as we look at this passage, I ordered you to keep that in mind that actually leads right into these different things that that Paul talks with Timothy about I'll remind you because I think that it's important for us to keep this in mind. I've called this study to coin because The coin in your pocket serves as a wonderful illustration of what Paul is teaching Timothy about in this book. The coin got two sides. And we're not going to go into all the different ways that I've used this illustration. But keep in mind this wonderful to Heart Ministry that Paul has encouraged Timothy about as he's been reminding him of the different relationships between Believers in the way that we work in the church and outside of the church and what our testimony is for he reminds Timothy that Ministry at its core has two practical aspects. the ministry of your words and the ministry of your hands the things you say in the things you do are the wonderful two sides to the same coin of ministry that wheat Believers called by God into every believer is called by God With a Purpose to live and speak. a testimony of the one who saved us every believer has come out as we've gone through 1st Timothy. It works out in different ways for different people in there is order and organization within that understanding but at its core Ministry in the heart of the believer has two components and that is to speak the testimony to give testimony with your words of the one who has saved you. and also to live

live in accordance with what he has taught us. so that our actions and our words will all bleed out the Wonders work of Jesus Christ in our lives.

That's very simple to say and very hard to live and as we've gotten towards the second half and towards especially here at the end of 1st Timothy. We now see Paul.

putting it into bootloader

We see Paul moving from teaching us how we should think about this ministry into how we should apply this ministry. And so is he talks in 1st Timothy 6 we see here that those who serve others ought to serve others in a way that glorifies God service. Bond servants or or even Unslaved as it as it translates in the Spanish version, why was using earlier this morning for those in slavery for those in bondage for those who are serving others?

You ought to treat? You want to count your master as worthy of all honor? That's actually a very interesting phrase because you'll find Paul teaching the same thing about how children not to be treating their parents. with all honor

I know most of you have held jobs even careers in your lifetime.

When you have been working for your for the business for the owner of the business, have you treated? That owner that person or even the business as worthy of all the honor you can give it just like you are treating your parents.

That's actually kind of difficult to do isn't it? That's not the way that we normally think of work in our in our modern society and our modern society is actually wonderful to call out your your your employer as horrible in horrific if they do or say just the wrong thing. In fact the majority of what I hear about business owners. Is only news about how much their employees hate them?

How much their employees dislike working for them? How much their employees are disappointed in their political opinions?

Where is the honor?

Now if you don't treat your off at your parents with honor and respect, we got a different conversation. And that's a different passage of scripture just as valid, but I hope you have in mind. a Biblical idea of honoring your parents

if you do You ought to know that the Bible? teachers just the same about honoring

the person you serve

whether it says an employee another another ages and times it was in reality slavery.

And if you were a slave and not timer that Society you were asked. Now you were called. By God to live a testimony towards your master. No way that glorifies him where that glorifies God honor. Stop Master count him worthy of all honor and this is why.

Remember the wonderful people we have in our society who are always condescending towards their employers. Well, they've reaped their reward. They've gotten the attention of people they've gotten the attention of the media. The media has gotten the attention of the world.

You are to act in a manner.

It is not blaspheming the name of God.

because you see

counting your master as Unworthy of your honor. in fact blasphemes the name of God

That's a heavy burden don't you think?

Just as in a similar way. It blasphemes the name of God when you dishonor your parents.

You're having responsibilities for believers to hold.

Count your master worthy of all honor so that the name of God and his Doctrine may not be blasphemed. There's a step further. You see what if your master is a believer.

If your employer is a Believer, then you you in fact are expected to go even a step further. You're not to despise your master. Not to despise your employer because they are brothers in Christ. But in fact you are too. Serve them because those who are benefited are believers.

Not only are they believers they are beloved brothers or sisters in Christ. It is your wondrous opportunity to serve your brother or sister in Christ.

Not a beautiful thing a beautiful way to considerate. Teach and exhort these things Paul reminds Timothy. if anyone teaches otherwise

does not consent to Wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ into the doctor in which Accords with godliness. He's proud knowing nothing. And we'll continue on in a moment you see Paul as he is as he is bringing this area teaching to Bear. He's reminding Timothy that there are two primary aspects that that

quote that we tend to pursue. in our lifestyle in this world, we tend to pursue knowledge and personal gain wealth weather that's finances or possessions, whatever we didn't pursue knowledge and wealth That's the that's the way the world Works guys. You want to know more and you want to have more? And we all do it.

It's actually incredibly discouraging sometimes to see just how much we desire these things. I want to bring your attention to an area of this passage here. inverse 4 He is proud knowing nothing but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come Envy strife and revealing and evil suspicions and useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth.

Normally we when we when we read this passage, we tend to focus on the idea of a teacher coming in and teaching heresy in the church. Not that's a fair point.

But I would rather that you understood. on a more broad scale what Paul is getting at here? You see we love to know stuff. We we love to we really do we especially since we happen to live in the information age the age where every kind of knowledge is right here. Right at the touch of a fingertip. You can know all that Google knows. You can know everything that some professor over on the other side of the world who lived 50,000 years ago new. You got all this wonderful wonders knowledge at your fingertips, and we love having more information. In fact, we've got a whole society based on information.

Cool view who has had children has encouraged your children to go to college.

do University perhaps one of your kids have a lucrative job working with technology and and compiling information perhaps with

with information vendors newspapers TV stations, whatever it may be Maybe you've got someone in the music industry who spreads knowledge through song.

baby You've got somebody who's a teacher. the professor

we have a society built around everybody wanting more and more and more information. It's come into the spiritual realm to where I'm by the spiritual realm. I mean the church the body of Christ where we want to accrue more and more and more information and we want to have all of the knowledge and it comes to the point where we take a word out of the scripture and we start looking to all the different things that that word could mean and all of the different doctrines that we could poised on top of it and balance and start building ourselves a nice little wonderful Tower of information.

and yet

there's a there's a famous guy and I'm not going to bother saying who it was because I'm not going to call him directly. There was a famous man who recently within the last few years put it this way. He was talking specifically about about

hearing and listening to and reading the news. He said everybody is looking for more information. They're constantly looking for more information to know more about what's going on. They want to know what's going on and pretty soon the news agencies. I've built to have built opinion Pages opinion groups on what kind of lightbulb you should use. Which light bulb is better? Let's get three people from this perspective in three people from that perspective and we'll talk about it for 3 hours.

Because everybody wants to know more information. And yet the problem he said and he made a good point. When do you stop getting more knowledge and start trying to figure out which knowledge that you already have is true.

What knowledge that you already have is valuable. You spent so much of your time pulling in more information and piling it into your brain that you never stop to think. What is the value?

What is the purpose? Behind all of this knowledge that I have. That I have available to me. Is he the reality is that if you have the truth? All other knowledge is secondary.

If you already know what is true if he comes a filter for all the other knowledge that you ever take in all the other content that you ever take in and believe me. It's it's It stops being so important to learn more now. I'm not saying that it's not valuable to learn. Because knowledge is indeed power. But I would caution you.

Sorry, I got movie quotes coming through my head. Give me a second.

I would caution you.

That those people who spend all their time getting more knowledge. Never seem to actually understand anything.

We've described it in many ways.

social Elite

people in Ivory Towers

We've got a lot more phrases that can describe the kind of people who are always accruing knowledge. You see Paul was reminding Timothy that there is a practical side. In fact, the ministry itself is practical. And by practical I mean you practice it.

You need to be practicing your faith. You need to be practicing your ministry as you walk through like you need to live that life because as well come to in the moment, you're going to find that that life. Reeves that life disappears

In fact those people who are so focused around the accrual of knowledge. Find this. And usually they find out too late.

They suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

And yet all of this all of this stuff disputation and argumentation over words leads to envy and strife and refiling and evil suspicions and useless wranglings. the corrupting of the mind and the destitution of the truth

from such withdraw yourself now godliness since we're on the topic Godly. With contentment is great gain. If you want to put something on your wall, go ahead and grab that phrase It's A Beautiful phrase and it should lead your mind to all sorts of wonderful truth. About the way that you should live godliness with contentment.

Is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world.

And it's just as certain that we can carry nothing out. I keep in mind he was talking about knowledge just now not things and it's a good reminder because he's going to actually get into well in the next in in the following versus but it's good to remember that not only are the things that you have now not going to go out with you when you die.

It's interesting that all the knowledge you accrue.

You came in with nothing and you're going out with nothing.

I think it's going to be.

astounding when I get to heaven and learn how much I didn't understand.

Having food and clothing with these things we shall be content.

But those who desire to be rich.

Those people fall into temptation and a snare. Send into many foolish and harmful lust which drowned men in destruction in prediction.

Remember that second thing that we chase after we chased after knowledge and we chase after wealth.

You see the Love of Money the love of accrual of wealth is the root of all kinds of evil and you can only you only really need to look at your own life before you find that to be true.

Wasn't that long ago maybe even some of you were young enough to remember 70 years ago somewhere in there. There's a there's an elderly gentleman who was commenting on this lifestyle change that he had seen through his lifetime. Any he said it was interesting when he was growing up each person would have in their closet maybe a couple changes of clothing and a pair of shoes. It have a few precious valuable things.

And they lived their lives whole entire lives full of purpose and value and accomplishments.

with very little when it came to wealth and yet he said now you've seen how that isn't quite the same today. And it'll give you an example from my own life. People like to give each other presents in that when I get a present one of the first thoughts in my head is not a while now. I can finally do this thing that I've been wanting to do for a haven't been able to do it because I don't have the right stuff to do it. No, my first thought is where am I going to put this?

Why do because I've got a house full of stuff and now I need to find another spot in amongst all this stuff where I can put the new thing.

Have you noticed how much well we have?

And how little Joy has brought?

in fact I know it for the majority of you. You're a different generation than I am. So you might not have this mentality, but for the majority of my generation. it is actually becoming

More common to think of having less as being more valuable than having more.

Getting rid of stuff you might have heard the term minimalism is trending now. Why because we have so much that we see the value easily in having less.

Now if only we could think that way about money then we'd have it made right? You see those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare. It truly is a snare.

People in to this temptation and into a snare and and they fall into many foolish and harmful lusts which drowned men in destruction and prediction the love of all this stuff. Is a root of all kinds of evil.

For which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness neck pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Does Paul draws his letter to Timothy to a close? He he ends off with this wonderful two-part?

Ending conclusion. He he exhorts Timothy and then he gives a sort of a doxology it it one one commentator put into as a side note. This was a doxology. He called and I love that word.

We're going to take a look at the exhortation because I want you.

To consider this exhortation personally for yourself. As you walk out of here.

Preparing to go into the rest of your ministry.

I want you to consider this excerpt ation.

but you oh man of God flee these things.

He's useless yearnings after. knowledge and wealth

pursue righteousness and godliness face love patience and gentleness

fight that good fight of faith and lay hold. funny turtle life

you were called. to eternal life

you've confessed that good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I heard you in the sight of God who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus who gave testimony confession before Pilate. I heard you before these that you keep this commandment. without spot blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ appearing

but you will manifest in his own time. And by the way, that's a study for another time.

blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ appearing But he will manifest in his own time. He who is the blessed and only potentate. Lord and King The King of Kings the Lord of lords who alone has immortality. Dwelling in unapproachable light on no man has ever seen nor can see to whom be honor. to him be Everlasting power

you guys go ahead and say it with me. amen

Would you pray with me?

Lord, thank you.

Again, thank you.

As we look into your word of Truth.

Your Holy Spirit reminds us that the truth. That is within us.

You remind us every moment. That Jesus Christ is within us.

That we have new life because of our Saviour Jesus.

as we consider the the profound truth that we have new life in you.

I pray that you would guide us every moment.

peaches to live a life that is Worthy

worthy of that new life

that we would use the time that is given to us to glorify you.

That our words and our Deeds. Would be blessing to you. To our fellow Believers to the world around us.

Thank you for all the ways that you provide for us Lord.

Please give us contentment. As we live in faith.

In Jesus name we pray amen.

Set the reading passage from the book of Colossians chapter 3.

And whatever you do in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him. 2022 Pond Circle in all things your Masters according to the flesh not what I serviced as men Pleasers. What is integrity of heart. Guy and whatever you do do it heartily as unto the Lord and not the man knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward the reward of the a narrative. Could you serve the Lord Christ?