Grosey's Messages

1 Timothy 6:6: But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.
"Dear Dad, $chool is really great. I’m making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can’t think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can just $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.’‘
Love, Your $on
The dad replied the following words. "Dear Son, I kNow that astroNomy, ecoNomics, and oceaNography are eNough to keep eveN an hoNor studeNt busy. Do Not forget that the pursuit of kNowledge is a Noble task, and you caN Never study eNough.’’ Love, Dad
Another college student wrote these words,
"Dear Dad: I kNow you’re busy so this will be brief: No mun, No fun!’’ - Your Son
His dad wrote back, "Dear Son: I kNow you’re very busy, so I’ll be very brief: So Sad, too bad! Your Dad
Well it’s no secret that we live in an age that’s obsessed with money. Now, we’ve been involved in a series of studies designed to help us think clearly about crucial issues of life like problems and relationships and stress and even sex. But there is one area of life where there is more confused thinking than almost any other area. That’s the area of finances. Did you know that more divorces occur because of arguments over money than any other problem? 51% of all divorces occur because of financial tension. Somebody said in today’s world, marriage is "till debt due us part."
Money is discussed a surprising number of places in the Bible. Larry Burkett says there are 1600 verses in the Bible that have to do with money or finances -- there are indeed over 500 verses that include one of the words "money," "riches," or "wealth." The Lord Jesus warned Luke 12, " A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Have you discovered that? " We do not lose when we choose to forsake covetousness. We gain. Living for Jesus with a contented heart brings us fulfillment and freedom. Let’s look more closely at the choices before us.
A Covetous Heart
A covetous heart is never satisfied. Covetousness, by definition, is a powerful desire to have. The emotion is so powerful that it captivates our minds. We see something and we have to possess it. The problem is that this drive can consume our lives. In a cemetery in England stands a grave marker with this inscription: She died for want of things. Alongside that marker is another which reads: He died trying to give them to her. Advertising executives spend a billion dollars a year doing marketing research. A vast network of people, from Madison Avenue to Hollywood, spend their full work week designing novel ways to trigger our desires. Music, slogans, Technicolor sights, digitally produced sounds, and dramatic movement, all collaborate to create a passion to possess. They use fear, nostalgia, pride, sexual arousal, jealousy, and envy to produce the desired effect. Their goal is to temporarily suspend our self-control. They are creating a pattern of thinking, an attitude of discontent which will continue long after their product is forgotten. The result is that they are creating dissatisfaction with life. Proverbs 27:20 says, "Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of men are never satisfied." The covetous heart is never satisfied, and dissatisfied people are miserable. Instead of gaining, we lose. We only develop a lifestyle of misery. We find our relationships strained with other people because they have more than we do. We even find ourselves being dissatisfied with God and His provision for our lives. You see, when we covet someone else’s job, spouse, income, house, or car, we are saying, "You’ve not been fair with me God. I deserve a nicer job, or a more lucrative income, or a bigger house, or a nicer wife or husband. You’ve short-changed me. You owe me something better, God!" Now, you may not say those things directly. But a covetous heart is filled with those thoughts. Do you see the horrible destructive potential of these attitudes? They destroy us, and they destroy those around us. They place us in bondage and rule our lives. But there is an alternative to covetousness - contentment.
3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
Paul describes the people who are the cause of the trouble, so that Timothy can spot them. Their crime, in verse 3, is that they're teaching false doctrines that do not agree to the sound (literally `the healthy') instruction of Jesus Christ, and to godly teaching. In other words, people who no longer teach what we call today the New Testament. Paul doesn't go into detail in this chapter, about what is precisely wrong with their teaching. He's already done that earlier in the letter. But, in a sense, the detail doesn't matter - it's very simple in Paul's eyes: God has spoken through His Son, Jesus Christ, and that is the truth. There's no post-modern relativism here: the idea that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe it enough. Actually in religion, as in so many things, who or what is believed in is crucial. To use a trite example: it doesn't matter how much I believe my car works in the morning, what matters is that it actually does.
The false teachers may have chosen to ignore Christ's teaching, or to add on some things to it. But either way the teaching is now false. It's rather like the Mona Lisa, which would cease to be the authentic original if you rubbed a few bits out or painted a few extra bits on. So you could spot false teachers by their beliefs, said Paul, and you could also spot them by their behaviour. It's simply not possible to ignore God's truth and yet live in a manner that pleases Him.
So, if we turn back to the passage, instead of following the healthy instructions of Christ, we see in verse 4 that the false teacher is conceited and he has an unhealthy interest in controversy. These sickly obsessions spread outwards to others like a cancer, leading to envy and strife. So these first steps away from God's truth lead in a deeply depressing direction. The false teacher is not simply short of the mark, or a 50% Christian: he has a corrupt mind and he's been robbed of the truth. He no longer even knows the difference between God's way and what's wrong.
So, what's behind this trouble? The answer is simple - it's money. The fallen teachers believed that they could make money out of religion - presumably either by being paid for their teaching, or perhaps that their faith in God would somehow guarantee them prosperity here and now. In other words, the real focus of their teaching and their lives was about them and the now. It had nothing to do with God at all. Their self-centred motives had led them to wrong teaching.
A Contented Heart
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
The alternative is contentment, which is the key to fulfillment, freedom, and security. Whereas a covetous heart is never satisfied, a contented heart is always secure. When Epicurus was asked for the secret of happiness, his answer was: "Add not to a man’s possessions but take away from his desires." The Jewish Rabbis had a saying: "Who is rich? He that is contented with his lot."
Now you may be saying, "You must be kidding! If I live like that I’ll never get anywhere. I don’t want to be like a lazy old cow, lying on her belly and chewing her cud. I have ambition, drive, motivation! I am not going to let the world pass me by." While you may be thinking these kinds of thoughts, you should know that this is not the picture of contentedness painted by Scripture. To be content is not the absence of ambition. A person can be extremely well motivated, with a great personal drive, and still be contented. Contentment, you see, is a state of mind.
Shakespeare, in the third part of Henry the Sixth, pictures the king wandering in the country. He informs two gamekeepers that he is a king. One of them asks: "But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown?" Listen to the king’s answer:
My crown is in my heart, not on my head; Not deck’d with diamonds and Indian stones,
Nor to be seen; my crown is call’d content - A crown it is that seldom king’s enjoy.
The apostle Paul, in Philippians 4:11-12, says, "Not that 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." How did Paul do this? The secret is found in the next verse, 13: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
The contented person, like Paul, knows that he has everything that he needs, and more than he deserves. In whatever circumstances he finds himself, he learns to praise God for the provision He has given. Christ is his strength. Christ is his provision. The contented person is secure in his Lord.
Just look at what God has already done for you. The Lord has given you life. He gives you the air you breathe, the food you eat, the health you enjoy. He has blessed you with His forgiveness, salvation, and the promise of eternal life. He has given you your family, your friends, and so many other things that we all take for granted. Now look at your life. What have you given Him? Have you always been faithful? Have you always given all? Do you want to shake your fist at God, claiming that He has been unfair with you?
Look around you at others - not at others better off than you, but at others who suffer lack. It’s so easy to look at others who have more. It’s easy to ask why we do not have what they have. But look again at your own heart. Do you deserve even what you do have? Look at those who are less fortunate. Are you any better than they?
Look at Job. The story of Job is an illustration given to us by God of a man who trusted in God, not for what God would give him, but simply because God was God. Listen to what Job says in 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Now, Satan thought that Job just served God for what God had given Job. He accused Job before God saying, "Does Job fear God for nothing?" He goes on to say in Job 1:10-11, "Hast thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse thee to thy face." Then God allowed Satan to take away everything that Job had. Job lost it all. Verse 22 says, "Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." The moral of the story is that Job did trust God for nothing. He did not trust God because of what God gave him, he trusted God for who God is. Like Job, we must learn to trust God. We must learn to find our fulfillment in Jesus. This world, and the things in this world, will never fulfill us. God wants us to find our fulfillment in Him. God wants people who will place themselves in His arms. He wants people who are secure in His provision, trusting in Him to provide what they need according to His wisdom. God does not want grasping people, coveting people, people who are threatened by someone else’s possessions or position. He wants people with open hands, open hearts, open arms. He wants people who will rejoice when others are blessed, not when others suffer loss. He wants safe people. A safe person is a person through whom God can bless others, because He knows that person will not close his hand around what He puts there. A contented person is a safe person for God to use.
The great preacher Lacordaire said: " . . . what our age wants most is the sight of a man, who might possess everything, being yet willingly contented with little. For my own part, humanly speaking, I wish for nothing. A great soul in a small house is the idea which has touched me more than any other." The true path to real satisfaction in life is to live for Jesus with a contented heart. But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. We must come to see that having contentment will make us satisfied with life.
The real key to contentment is focusing on what you have instead of what you do not have. I hear so many people complain about the things they don’t have, when they have been blessed with so many wonderful things which they take for granted. What is there within us that makes us blind to the manifold blessings of God? Perhaps it is the Cain Syndrome — the attitude of not being content with one’s own good fortune, but being envious of another’s. Whatever it is, it is not the attitude that helps us be secure in God. The word for contentment in our text could also be translated as self-sufficient. It does not mean that we are self-sufficient in our own power, but rather that we are self-sufficient in God’s provision. It implies that God is our source and resource. We need nothing outside of Him. What a state of grace! To be secure in Him alone. To be content in Him alone. To be satisfied in Him alone. To have that attitude is to be impervious to outside pressures and temptations. The allure of the world cannot penetrate the armour of contentment. If you are contented with a thing, you are not tempted to change. If we are content with God, then we will be satisfied and secure.
1. The Call to Flee . . . "Flee These Things" - Riches are not eternal - Riches do not bring about contentment - Riches present a great temptation - Riches can destroy life - Riches can produces greed - Riches can lead away from faith in God So much of life evolves around the aspect of money. From the movie "Jerry McGuire" comes the popular phrase, "Show me the money!" Often what is done for God and self is based upon whether or not a person has the money. Many times it has been said, "We can't do that because we don't have the money." The Bible teaches we should be good stewards of our money. But when money becomes the over powering issue in a Christian's life to make it and have it, they place themselves in harms way of falling to temptation of the love of money.
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
The admonition of the hour is to "flee these things!" Flee, get away from the distractions (immorality, idolatry, lusts, money) that deter faithfulness. Psalms 84:10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. When will we learn there is nothing secure in the silver and gold of this world? Faithfulness is a call to flee and to pursue our God.
2. The Call to Follow . . . "And Pursue . . ."
- Pursue Righteousness - Right relationship with God through Christ - Right living in thoughts, will, action and purpose . Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
- Pursue Godliness 1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. Godliness is keeping God as foremost in our lives. It speaks of reverence, and devotion to God. "God cannot be treasured up where the heart is filled up with selfish gain." - author unknown
- Pursue Faith It is not by accident God's Word calls for you and I to walk by faith. Faithfulness is derived from faith living. To have faith in God is to trust, depend, and lean upon God in all of life. God desires is that we would pursue a life of faith.
- Pursue Love Pursuing love involves God and others. As we pursue a loving relationship with our God, we will in turn be better able to love one another. Mark 12:30-31 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
- Pursue Patience Patience is a fruit of the Spirit filled life (Gal 5:22-23). If we are short on patience it stands to reason we may be low on being filled up with the Holy Spirit. Patience is to be pursued so that we might deal with one another effectively and lovingly. Patience is to be pursued so that we might faithfully wait on our God to answer and act.
- Pursue Gentleness We live in a rough gruff kind of world where a sharp answer is often received. May I remind you we are not of the world (John 17:14-16) and our speech is to be seasoned with the salt of grace (Col 4:6) and gentleness. Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Faithfulness is the result of a life spent pursuing the things of God.
3. The Call To Fight 1Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
We as Christians have become complacent with our walk with God. Covetousness has too much overtaken our hearts, our lives, our families and our friendships.
The words and titles have been changed so that they are less offensive to the Christian community. These hymns are simply new renditions of the old hymns. Here are some of the titles in that new hymnal:
"A Comfy Mattress is Our God" "All Hail the Influence of Jesus Name"
"Above Average is Thy Faithfulness" "He's Quite a Bit to Me"
"I Love to Talk About Telling the Story" "I Surrender Some"
"I'm Fairly Certain that My Redeemer Lives" "It is My Secret What God Can Do"
"Joyful, Joyful, We Kind of Like Thee" "Just as I Pretend to Be"
"My Hope is Built on Nothing Much" "Oh for a Couple of Tongues to Sing"
"Oh How I Like Jesus" "Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me"
"Sit Up, Sit Up for Jesus" "Spirit of the Living God, Fall Somewhere Near Me"
"Take My Life and Let Me Be" "When Peace Like a Trickle"
"Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following"
The Christian life will take some dedication. It will take dedication so far as our money is concerned. It will take dedication so far as our priorities are concerned. It will take a fight concerning getting a hold of our own hearts. It will mean you have to expend yourself to bring your heart into line. You must have a content heart, not a covetous heart, or you will fall into sin.
Will you flee covetousness? Will you follow after godliness? Will you fight the good fight, right there in your heart? And in your family? And in your friendships? Will you fight the good fight? Will you take hold of that which really counts? eternal life is what really counts. being rich in eternity is more important than the passing wealth of this earth which will oon pass away. One day it'll all be burned up down here. What will you have then? And of you have the stuff down here... what of it really?
Clovis Chappell wrote in his book of sermons “Feminine Faces:” “When Pompeii was being excavated, there was found a body that had been embalmed by the ashes of Vesuvius. It was that of a woman. Her feet were turned toward the city gate, but her face was turned backward toward something that lay just beyond her outstretched hands. The prize for which those frozen fingers were reaching was a bag of pearls. Maybe she herself had dropped them as she was fleeing for her life. Maybe she had found them where they had been dropped by another. But, be that as it may, though death was hard at her heels, and life was beckoning to her beyond the city gates, she could not shake off their spell. She had turned to pick them up, with death as her reward. But it was not the eruption of Vesuvius that made her love pearls more than life. It only froze her in this attitude of greed.”