WEBVTT 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:07.599 Well, church, this passage in 1 Timothy gets into several different things. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.240 It gets into doctrine, which is consistent. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:13.519 Timothy's Paul's often telling Timothy about doctrine. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:20.160 It gets into our desires, what it is that we desire, and how are we pursuing those things. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.320 And there's this phrase at the end of verse 2, actually. 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:37.840 I think it connects the passage we talked about last week with honoring one another, how we show honor to widows, and how we show honor to elders and honor to masters, how we're to live together as a family of God. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:49.359 Ties that passage in with the passage we're going into this morning, and that is where it says at the end of verse 2 teach and urge these things. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:59.600 Timothy is constantly being reminded to teach and urge, teach these things to the church, urge these things, live in this way. 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:02.960 This is God's design for God's people. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:06.640 Teach and urge these things. 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:08.000 Verse 3. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:24.159 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:50.640 He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and 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 means of gain. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:02:04.239 But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take and we cannot take anything out of this world. 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:09.439 But if we have food and clothing, with these we are we will be content. 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:24.000 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. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:30.400 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:40.879 It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:56.639 Strong words Paul gives us, the Holy Spirit, through Paul, gives to us about our doctrine and our money, or our doctrine and our desires. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:04.560 Our doctrine and our desires must be submitted, brothers and sisters, to the rule and to the reign of Christ. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:13.439 Our view of our own doctrine and our view of money reveals much about what we think of God. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:17.520 And it reveals how we treat one another. 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:28.800 This letter is how we, you and I, as Christians, as the local church, are to live and to love one another and to love those around us. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:39.520 So this first few verses, verses three, four, and five, this difference in doctrines. 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:59.199 It's that those who desire doctrines contrary to Christ and his teachings, will sow and then they will reap desires that will destroy unity, destroy their affections, and will actually promote godlessness. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:02.319 Not godliness, but godlessness. 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:20.720 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of the Lord Jesus Christ in the teachings that accord with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:44.160 He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels about words which produce envy, dissension, slander, and suspicion, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:52.240 As I said a moment ago, all of our life must come under the rule and the reign of Christ. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:05:00.399 And we think about tangible things like money or our possessions, and we kind of, okay, that makes sense. 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:10.079 But even our theology, even our doctrine is, this might seem kind of silly to say that all of our thoughts about God must be submitted to God. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:20.800 We cannot kind of come up with our own ideas and think, well, the Bible has some good things to say about God and who he is, but I have my thoughts as well. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.279 Or the Bible's outdated. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:33.759 And we've had, since then, we've had some kind of clearer understanding about the nature of man, what truth is, how we think about ethics. 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:40.160 All of our thinking about the things of God must be submitted to God. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.040 One, because that's what we're commanded to do. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:06:07.120 But two, the way we think about the world, the way we think about everything else in existence, the way you think about marriage, your spouse, your job, what you're to do with your time, all those things flow from your understanding of who God is and what you believe God to be and what you think he's told us and how we're to live. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:11.199 And so some people they do want to navigate kind of a third way. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:20.399 They don't want to accept all of who God says he is, in the doctrines and the teachings of God's word, but they don't want to fully reject it either. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:30.480 They kind of want a third way where they can blend what they like about God and the Bible with what they like about themselves and what they want to keep doing. 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:37.279 But it's interesting, even in Paul's instructions to Timothy, there's something for us to glean here. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:51.519 It's really important that we understand, especially in this day and age where truth feels relative and people have opinions about everything, about everything, that sound doctrine is knowable. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.000 You know what I'm saying? 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.959 Sound doctrine, it's not beyond grasp. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:04.079 We don't have the ability to say, well, that's for people who speak Hebrew and knew the ancient languages. 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:06.720 We'll let them figure those things out. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:11.279 Sound doctrine is knowable, it's accessible. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:20.959 And it's expected as Christians, as faithful followers of Christ, that we are working toward having sound doctrine. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:24.480 We're growing in our understanding of God's word. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:34.959 The second thing that, again, this might sound counterintuitive, but sound doctrine aligns with the teaching of Jesus. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:41.600 So Jesus' teachings, his words, his commands align with sound doctrine. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:08:00.240 But you come across people, and it's evident that Paul is telling Timothy about this, you're going to come across people in your life, and for thousands of years now, who make what feels like consistent logical arguments about things. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:11.279 Consistent, what feels like well-thought-out, logical arguments about the faith, but then it doesn't align to what Christ said. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:15.600 And so there's gotta be room there for some deception. 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:27.600 Obviously, people are laying out arguments and doctrine and theology, and they're arguing for why it's right, but it's not in accordance with the teachings of Christ. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:33.440 So, Paul, even just in his instruction to Timothy, saying, listen, no sound doctrine. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:43.519 You need to know these things because there will be people who present arguments, they sound good, maybe they feel good, it makes sense. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:49.200 The only problem is it doesn't line up with Jesus' teachings. 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:53.919 It doesn't submit itself to his rule and his reign. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.960 People like this become divisive. 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:09.759 People who reject the teachings of Christ, but they still want to be teachers, untethered from authority. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:11.919 Now, how dangerous is that? 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:26.320 How dangerous is it to have someone who is posturing or positioning as a teacher, but the only authority that they're submitted to is their own opinion, their own rationale, whatever they think for that day. 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:32.320 They're not submitted to God's word, they're not submitted to what seems a local church or any of these things. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:42.399 Here they are promoting themselves and declaring to be teachers, but they're unsubmitted to authority, untethered to authority. 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:47.039 And this naturally lends itself to division and difficulty. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:56.799 Because when you say to those kind of people, if you've ever met people like this, and you say, well, on what basis are you are you anchoring your argument? 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:59.360 Where do you see this in the scriptures? 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:09.519 They begin to be really offensive because you're questioning not the Bible's authority, you're questioning their authority. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:21.120 So if our arguments and our sound doctrine is anchored in God's word, and people might get upset with us, they might yell at us and say all kinds of manner of evil against us. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:25.840 But we can simply say, it's not me who's telling you this. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:27.360 I'm not the authority on this. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:34.000 God's word is the authority on this, and this is what it's saying, and we must submit ourselves to God's word. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:42.639 But without that, without God's word as our authority, without our guide, we're just floating out there. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:49.759 So these kinds of people they they begin to teach, and when there's people begin to question, they become divisive. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:52.159 They begin to challenge. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:54.559 They're people of friction. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:57.039 People of friction. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:02.080 I think that's such a helpful way to just image and capture these kinds of people. 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:06.399 The people around them, there's friction in their relationship. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:13.200 You try to work with these people, and all of a sudden, kind of things go south, and there's tension, there's division. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:26.080 It's interesting how difficult it is as believers when there's someone who's divisive around us to deal with that. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:31.200 Because in some ways, we just want to be we want to be kind and be like, well, you know, they have their opinions. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:33.120 Everyone's welcome to their opinion. 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:43.200 But something, hopefully you hear me say a lot, is within Christianity and within our our faith, there are things that are reasonable. 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:47.039 And we as Christians should have reasonableness, right? 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:53.840 It's reasonable that we're that you hold to this doctrine, it's reasonable that you hold to that doctrine. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.080 But then there's things that are just far out there, and it's not reasonable. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.759 It's not reasonable that you don't submit to the authority of Scripture. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.519 That's not reasonable. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:12.960 And so we must be ready and willing to stand up for the truth and tell people that I think that you're wrong because you have no authority. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.159 You're not submitted to the authority of Christ. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:27.679 And not only that, if you look at your ministry, so to speak, there's all this division, all this difficulty, there's quarrels, there's unhealthy cravings. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:35.600 There's this idea of we can slander and sow evil suspicions of one another. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:43.120 Nothing steals the church's joy like suspicion and slander. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:48.559 Nothing will destroy the church as quickly as those things. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:55.519 When you begin to start being suspicious of people, well, they said this, but I think what they really meant was this. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:58.960 And they didn't say these things to me, so they must have meant this. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:06.480 We talked a lot about this last week with the passage on honoring, about giving one another the benefit of the doubt. 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:12.879 Suspicion creates this friction and tension and then division. 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:15.360 And Paul kind of he hits it right here. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:17.279 They're depraved in their mind. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:18.480 What does that mean? 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:23.919 It means they're not Christians, it means they have carnal thinking going on. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.559 They're thinking in a fleshly way. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:28.320 They're without Christ. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:31.519 They've not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:35.679 And on top of that, they're deprived of the truth. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:44.639 And here they are seeking to be teachers and to instruct, not submitting, and they have no truth. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:55.120 And worse than that, they imagine they imagine that they can use godliness as a way to gain status in the world. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:14:05.600 To maybe get to gain financial resources or or status or achievement to gain uh whatever it is that would support their kind of lifestyle. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.440 People doing this, it's not new. 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:14.639 People trying to leverage religion to gain is not new. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:19.759 It's been going on since Timothy's time and long before that. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:29.279 It's interesting how people who claim to use their knowledge and their skill to glorify God. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:33.039 That's what they're, as teachers, that's what they're trying to do. 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.799 Like, well, this is what God's will is. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:44.320 They're using their skill and their knowledge to glorify God, supposedly, but what they're actually doing is using those things to glorify themselves. 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:55.440 They're not coming with their skill and knowledge, seeking to glorify God and help set the captives free and share the gospel and see those who are uh dead in their sin brought to life. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:15:01.200 They're leveraging their position to increase their lifestyle. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:07.919 And I just want to point out, as easy as it is to step back and say, wow, look how wicked these people are. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.080 I would never do something like that. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:20.879 It is very tempting to use our authority or power to promote ourselves rather than others. 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:27.440 It's very easy to use our authority and our power to promote ourselves rather than others. 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:28.879 It's in our nature. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:32.720 And being that it's Father's Day, I'll use a parenting analogy. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:38.799 If you've been a parent, and it also works if you've just been around kids for a while, okay? 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:49.919 And you're doing something, and the child comes up to you and they need something, or they're fighting, or they're they're they're they broke something, they made a mess, or their siblings are fighting. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:55.840 Something's going on where you have to stop what you're doing and go and address the child. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:11.200 I can't speak for everyone, but I know for me, I'm most upset that my kids, not that they're actually not treating their sibling well, or that they weren't more thoughtful with the thing on the table and they spilled their milk. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:12.720 That's not what I'm upset with. 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:19.919 What I'm upset about is the fact that now I have to go and deal with the situation, that I'm inconvenienced. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.879 Now I have to get involved. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:28.960 And I'm frustrated that I can't keep doing what I want to do. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:30.559 And so what happens? 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:33.679 I'm the person of power in that situation and authority. 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:38.559 So sometimes I'll kind of yell at them or I'll be upset, I'll be aggravated. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:45.279 And it has nothing to do with uh my being me being broken over their sinful nature or any of those things. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:47.360 It's that they've inconvenienced me. 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:51.840 And in a small way, if you understand, that is the picture of what's going on here. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:55.919 People using their power and authority in a selfish way. 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:57.919 They're being selfish with these things. 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:01.360 And so it's so easy for us to do these. 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:08.559 The second thing to notice in this part is how much people are looking to follow other people. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:16.480 We see this all over the place, all across time, everywhere, everyone, all of us are the same. 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:19.200 We're looking for someone to follow. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:30.720 And if we're not careful, we follow godless men who have no real desire for the things of God, but they desire the gain that might come from God. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.000 I think a clear picture of this is politics. 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:40.240 For generations in America, to become president, you had to be a Christian of some sort. 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:44.160 You had to have that kind of label to become president. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:49.039 And you had to kind of quote the Bible vaguely every once in a while and mention God. 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:53.680 But you did not have to submit yourself to God's rule or reign. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:56.400 You just had to have that kind of facade. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:03.359 And if we're not careful as Christians, again, we're always looking for someone to follow. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:10.400 And we can follow someone who's godless, who doesn't care truly for the things of God. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:19.680 I think even as Paul is reminding Timothy, again, that should be a sobering reminder for us that we too can be deceived. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:26.799 We must follow and submit ourselves to the rule and reign of Christ. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:42.319 If you're truly a Christian, you've truly repented of your sins, you put your hope in Jesus Christ, trust him, believe him that he's died for your sin, paying the price for you, brought you into his family. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:51.279 If that is true of you, then your theology, your doctrine is going to align and be submitted to him. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:57.119 You cannot be submitted to a God that you do not believe in. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:06.640 You cannot say, I believe in God, but then you don't have any care about who that God is or what he says is true. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:17.359 If you think that you can put your hope for salvation in a God that is theoretical or ethereal, unknowable or out there. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.200 It's hopelessness. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:25.039 There's no hope there, there's no desire or affections for God there. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:29.279 We must submit to God and follow his ways and enjoy him. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:36.319 Those who do not do that are on a path to destruction. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:39.119 They have different doctrine. 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.519 And then there are those who have different desires. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:20:01.599 Those who desire contentment from Christ, they will have joy and peace, but those who desire contentment from the things of the world, not from Christ, but the things of the world, they will face disappointment and destruction. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:03.359 Look at verse 8 with me. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:07.839 Or sorry, uh verse 6 and 7 and 8. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:14.799 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:21.680 For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:27.920 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:39.359 So Paul takes this phrase about godliness and gain, and he twists it, and he and he illuminates it, and he helps them understand that it's with contentment. 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:43.119 True godliness with contentment is great gain. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.039 It's wonderful gain. 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:54.559 Pursuing and growing in the ways of God, pursuing him with being content, while being content in him is tremendous gain. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:02.559 The word here for contentment means both outward sufficiency and inward sufficiency. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:08.000 That you have what you need to faithfully follow God. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:17.119 It's helpful, I think, to remember that we can't take any of this stuff with it. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:20.400 That we can't take any of our things with us. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:25.119 There was the story of an extremely wealthy woman. 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:32.640 Older lady, she passed away, and you know, all these people attend her funeral, and they're just wondering, like, man, she was so wealthy. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:34.240 What happened to all this? 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:45.599 And some people have the nerve to go up to the to the minister to the pastor after every the service and everything and and the funeral and say, like, how much, you know, how much did she leave? 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:47.359 Like, how much did she leave behind? 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.359 And the pastor just said, all of it. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:53.279 She left all of it. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:55.920 She could take none of it with her. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.519 She brought nothing into the world, you and I bring nothing into the world. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:02.400 And we take nothing out. 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:06.000 It just helps put all these things in perspective. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:14.880 Maybe this week, maybe today, you will die, and you will go on into eternity. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:24.480 And all the things that you were working for are trying to achieve, the hopes and the dreams, and some of them good, and maybe some of them not good, are gone. 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:26.400 Taken away. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.799 You're taking nothing with you. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.720 This is what Job said in the first chapter of Job, verse 21. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:36.799 Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:39.440 The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:42.319 Blessed be the name of the Lord. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:49.599 We work and we save, save money, both good things, working and saving. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:55.839 But we must be careful, church, and how we view our money and our possessions. 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:13.119 They are simply tools, simply resources to be used to live, to live on the earth, to help others live on the earth, to help others enjoy life, and to for ourselves to also enjoy life. 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:17.119 There's nothing wrong, and you always have to add these caveats to these things. 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.640 There's nothing wrong with having things. 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:23.759 There's nothing wrong with having nice things, or going on nice trips, or relaxing by the water. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:27.839 Those can all be wonderful, wonderful things. 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:34.799 But keep in mind, and this is purely speculation, but I think I'm right. 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:37.920 Those can all be nice things. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:51.200 But most of the people who are seeking to go on nice trips and have nice things and sit by the water and relax, most of them are looking for contentment in those things. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.920 And they're finding it empty. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.119 Yes, God has made the world for us to enjoy. 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:02.400 How wonderful that we can travel and see things and partake of cultures and all those wonderful things. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:03.440 Let's do those things. 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:04.799 Let's enjoy God's creation. 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:06.240 Let's enjoy what He's given us. 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:08.720 Let's work hard and enjoy those things. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:15.119 But let us not look to those things for some kind of false contentment. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:19.759 As if they could deliver something that they cannot deliver. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:25.599 As if they could deliver something that only Jesus Christ can deliver. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:29.279 Inner peace, soul level rest. 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:35.920 The feelings or the cares of the world will press in on us. 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:42.240 But trusting in Christ, there is joy, there's hope. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:54.000 The thing about stuff, money, possessions, all those things, they cannot bear under the weight that we put on them. 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:56.240 We look to these things. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:59.519 We do this in relationships as well with our spouse. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:12.880 We look to these things as if they would bring ultimate satisfaction or meaning or purpose or some kind, somehow they'd fill the feeling hole that we have inside of us. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:14.799 And they cannot do that. 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:19.759 You're putting on those things a burden that just will crush them. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:22.400 They are not designed to do those things. 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:30.720 Only Jesus Christ is designed to fulfill you and to satisfy you and to give you ultimate purpose and meaning. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:43.839 And when we have our affections out of order, meaning we we long for something just that's temporary, to find satisfaction in a temporary thing, a fleshly thing, a worldly thing. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:46.799 And then our desires for the things of God are under that. 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:51.440 When our affections are misaligned, we're miserable. 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:53.440 We're just miserable people. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:26:00.559 We're upset, we're we're disappointed, we're upset with other people, we wish we were better, we wish others were better. 00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:06.559 We're miserable people because our affections are out of order. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:16.640 But when we rightly align our affections, that's what Paul's telling Timothy, rightly align your affections. 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:20.559 You will be content and satisfied. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:30.240 There's this really famous quote from John Rockefeller, first billionaire in the world or in America that we know of. 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:32.640 And it's a reporter, this is like 1900, right? 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:36.960 So a hundred and some years ago, is saying, how much, Mr. 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.559 Rockefeller, is enough money. 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:42.960 And his famous quote, he says, just a little bit more. 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:44.799 Just a little bit more. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:53.839 You can take out money, you can put in food, you can take out food, you can put in sex, you can take out whatever out and put whatever else you in, whatever else you want in there. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:27:04.400 Whatever you're trying to be fulfilled by, whatever it is that you're trying to find contentment in, it cannot deliver unless it's Jesus Christ. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:07.359 It will not deliver unless it's Jesus Christ. 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:13.599 You cannot consume enough of that thing to be satisfied. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:18.720 It will leave you wanting again and again and again. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.920 So again, Paul's not saying don't have nice things. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:27.119 He's saying rightly order your affections. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:32.400 And in our effort to do this, what we see nowadays is kind of people flipping things. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:34.000 We're just going to get rid of everything. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:34.400 Right? 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:35.440 Minimalism. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:38.960 It's on the craze, it's gaining in popularity. 00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:40.160 And it makes sense. 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:41.680 We have so much stuff. 00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:44.720 And when you get rid of your stuff, usually you feel better. 00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:46.559 I'm always trying to get rid of stuff. 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:48.400 Candace is like, no, we should probably keep that. 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:49.200 We have kids, you know? 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:50.400 Like, ah, it's okay. 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:51.440 We don't need this. 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:56.160 We want to get rid of stuff because we realize it clutters up our life. 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:58.319 But then we have to have stuff, right? 00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:01.039 You have to have some things in your life. 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:04.720 First of all, food and clothing, a place to sleep. 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:14.640 But even in the quest to get rid of things, if that's not ultimately so you can glorify and edify Christ, it's the same trap. 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:23.519 It's as if you can change your circumstances in your life to deliver some kind of inner peace or inner joy. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:26.880 Only Jesus Christ can do those things. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:30.000 This line about food and clothing. 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:30.640 It's helpful. 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:36.640 Some interpret a lot of commentators believe that clothing is mean clothing and shelter. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:41.920 Paul's saying is with food and clothing and shelter, there's contentment. 00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:44.720 With these basic things, there is contentment. 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:47.680 And I just want to ask for a moment. 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:50.480 I want you to kind of think about your own life. 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:53.839 What would happen if you lost everything? 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:57.519 Everything with the clothes on your back was gone. 00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:02.559 And you knew that the Red Cross or someone was going to put you up in a hotel for a few days or whatever. 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:04.480 Everything else was gone in your life. 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.240 How would you respond? 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:10.400 Would you be content with God? 00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:12.000 Would you be at peace with him? 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:13.920 Would you be angry with him? 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.440 I'm not saying would you not like have concerns or everything? 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:20.000 I'm not, you know, your whole life is disrupted. 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:23.920 There's gonna be some issues, but between you and God, would you be at peace? 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:25.519 Would you be content? 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:28.000 Now here's a different scenario. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:32.319 Just imagine that your income is cut in half. 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:34.160 You don't lose everything. 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:37.359 It's not like your house is gone in the fire or something. 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:39.119 No big dramatic story. 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:42.880 But your income, your your annual income is cut in half. 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:45.839 And now what you had to live on is now half. 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:48.319 What would you do? 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:50.799 You need to sell your house because you can't afford it. 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:53.920 Probably need to sell one of your cars because you you can't afford that either. 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:58.400 You gotta move into a rental or move in with family around you. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:00.559 What about that situation? 00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:03.279 Would you be content with the Lord then? 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:10.240 Would you be okay to move into a rental or move in with family and things between you and the Lord be okay? 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:15.200 Let's say you wake up tomorrow morning and all of your accounts are zeroed out. 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:19.920 Checking, savings, retirement, college fund, whatever it is, you have no money, it's gone. 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:22.880 Where are you at with the Lord? 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:27.119 Are you saying, God, where are you? 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:28.480 What happened? 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:32.079 I thought you made promises that you're taking care of me. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:38.079 See, these kind of questions, they begin to reveal our hearts. 00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:47.440 It's one thing to say, I'm I'm content with the Lord, and I have my$1,000 emergency fund or$30,000 emergency fund. 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:53.119 It's another thing to say, I'm content with the Lord, even if that's gone. 00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:54.960 And that's a hard thing to do. 00:30:55.119 --> 00:31:02.799 It's a hard thing to have things, have possessions, and yet be content in the Lord. 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:12.079 The English Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs wrote in his book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, which I can't recommend that book enough to you. 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:14.960 He says, Christian, this is how he describes contentment. 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:33.440 Christian contentment is the sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to God, and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in everything. 00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:35.839 That is so sweet. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:50.240 Contentment is a sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in everything. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:56.000 It's saying God is good and he's sovereign and he loves me. 00:31:56.400 --> 00:32:05.920 Therefore, whatever happens, whatever comes, or whatever doesn't come, I will rest because God loves me. 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:11.599 And this is what this is what Paul says in Philippians 4, verse 11 through 13. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:18.240 Not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation to be content. 00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:23.200 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:32.400 In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:37.599 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:44.000 This is what we, brothers and sisters, should be aiming for contentment. 00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:47.359 If the Lord gives us five million dollars, okay, we're content. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:50.160 The Lord takes everything away from us, we're content. 00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:53.039 If we have resources, we'll use them for his glory. 00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:54.480 If we don't, we won't. 00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:56.480 But we will still glorify him. 00:32:56.799 --> 00:32:59.200 We'll still put our hope in him and our trust in him. 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:05.279 We will rest because he's good and he's kind and he's sovereign and he loves us. 00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:16.559 That is so important to understanding contentment that God is sovereign and good, and he's kind and he will keep his promises. 00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:17.920 He will. 00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:40.880 Many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:44.000 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. 00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:51.279 It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 00:33:52.480 --> 00:34:04.960 You know, one thing that makes our culture difficult, it's lots of things, one thing that makes it difficult for us is it seems like riches and wealth are all around us in so tangible. 00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:08.320 I mean, everyone's just making a fortune everywhere. 00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:10.639 Somehow, everyone on YouTube are millionaires. 00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:12.320 I don't know how this works out, but they all are. 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:16.559 And like legitimately, there's a lot of people making millions and millions and millions of dollars on YouTube. 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:17.920 That's just one illustration. 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:26.159 But it just feels like there's people around you just making so much money, and it feels like it's almost within grasp. 00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:36.480 Like if I just do something different, if I just change the way I act, or a couple things, or this or that in my life, I probably will be really wealthy as well. 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:41.199 So there's there's there's an allure that wealth is so close to us. 00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:44.480 See, the world is selling, this isn't new. 00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:46.719 The world is selling materialism. 00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:49.840 And it's so easy to fall for it. 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:53.760 We just chase homes or filling our homes with stuff. 00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:57.519 We chase cash and filling our accounts with cash. 00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:02.400 But again, remember that money is simply a tool. 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:04.719 I mean, you know this. 00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:07.920 I'm not telling you anything you don't know. 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:15.760 So much of this letter is so helpful in the sense that it's not new information for most of us. 00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:24.159 And that's not really the problem with most people in Christianity, is it's it's just also new, and I don't know how to get my head around all these things. 00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:27.199 The problem is we don't want to submit to it. 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:31.360 Our flesh wants to rebel, it wants what it wants. 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:41.360 Money is a tool, it can be used to build and to produce good things and bless people, and it can be used to destroy and tear down and deceive. 00:35:42.400 --> 00:35:47.840 Few things are as fleeting and like a vapor as money. 00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:55.039 I don't know how you guys feel when you guys sit down and go through your budget and everything, but almost every time Candace and I look, we're like, where'd it all go? 00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:59.360 We had some, and now it's gone, and it was just right here. 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:08.000 And if you're putting your hope in something that's so fleeting and quickly it's gone, how quickly will you be deceived? 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:12.719 Then the love of money, it's the root of all kinds of evils. 00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:35.119 Greed, selfishness, cheating, fraud, perjury, robbery, envy, quarreling, hatred, violence, murder, marriages of convenience, the perversion of justice, drug pushing, pornographic websites, blackmail, the exploitation of the weak, the neglect of good causes, the betrayal of friends. 00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:39.280 These are just a few things that the love of money will bring. 00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:53.119 So if you're sitting here and you're hearing me and you think, yeah, but I do kind of want to set my heart on loving money, I'm just telling you, this is what's in store for you destruction, pain, difficulty. 00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:56.239 You cannot love money and God. 00:36:56.400 --> 00:36:58.960 That's what Jesus said in Mark in Luke 16. 00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:08.559 No servant can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:11.519 You cannot serve God and money. 00:37:11.760 --> 00:37:13.840 Luke 16, 13. 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:17.440 Do you love money? 00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:20.559 That's a legitimate question you need to think through. 00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:22.239 Do you love money? 00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:25.360 Do you look to money to bring you stuff? 00:37:26.079 --> 00:37:28.960 Do you just love having money so you can go shopping? 00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:31.840 Have the newest things or the coolest things? 00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:35.039 Do you love money because it brings security? 00:37:36.239 --> 00:37:40.239 Do you love having a good chunk of cash in the bank or under the mattress? 00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:42.800 It makes you feel safe and brings you peace. 00:37:42.960 --> 00:37:44.639 Do you love money? 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:49.280 Jesus gives many, many warnings to people in the gospels. 00:37:49.519 --> 00:37:54.880 And money is one he talks about often in the downfall that money can bring. 00:37:55.519 --> 00:38:00.719 It can lead us away from Christ and it can lead us to destruction. 00:38:01.679 --> 00:38:05.519 So, church, as I close, I want you to think about these things. 00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:08.880 Is your life submitted to Christ? 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:15.039 Does he truly rule your days and nights? 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:18.480 Does he rule, are you submitted to him? 00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:21.199 Is your doctrine submitted to him? 00:38:21.519 --> 00:38:24.079 Are your finances submitted to him? 00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:31.119 Do you desire contentment in the Lord or do you desire comfort? 00:38:32.079 --> 00:38:35.119 Even as a song we sang, it is well with our soul. 00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:36.400 Is it well? 00:38:37.039 --> 00:38:45.199 Whether you have all the things you love around you, or the case of the guy who wrote that song, everything you love has been stripped from you. 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:48.079