Sermon: Everlastingly Rich

This morning we're closing out. First Timothy chapter 6 And looking at verses 17 through 20. So we close what it's been. Oh joy for me to go through this book. It's been one of my favorite books to preach through so Let's pray before we open up these last verses together.

My father we thank you. For this written word word that was breathed out by you. Thankful that you carried along men. prophets and apostles to write this in their inherent this inherent unstained efficacious word We're thankful that the church has preserved it over the generations by your grace and by your strong right arm. we pray that even this morning that would go forth and that it would not return void. We would find that our hearts are being

stirred. That our souls are being rebuked where there is need. They're being exhorted and encouraged where there's need. Not in the midst of this room that you are high and lifted up. On the throne the hearts of your people. We pray all this and strong name of Christ. Jesus our lord our savior. amen Pristemity chapter 6 verses 17 through 20. This is the holy inerrant sufficient word of God. As for the rich in this present age

charged them. Not to be haughty. Or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches. but on God The richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good. To be rich and good works. To be generous and ready to share. Us or an up Treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future. So they may take hold of that which is truly life. Oh Timothy guard the deposit and trusted to you. Avoid the irreverent Babble and contradictions of

what is falsely called knowledge. Or by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you the grass withers flower Fades the word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

It's may seem. like a little bit of an odd close to the end of first Timothy and And it is in many ways. But let's see if we can make a little bit of sense of it as he kind of does this PostScript. He had already entered into the doxology there in verse 16 and then he erupts into this. Just as the kind of PostScript at the end you remember that throughout this book. Paul has been taking to task the false teachers. And part of what he has been taking them to

task about is that they are wrongly motivated by riches and so as we look at the book Paul points out in chapter 6 verse 5 that they sought godliness as a means of gain in this world. He makes the warning about about the desire to be rich in chapter 6 verse 9, he tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil in 16. He already mentioned and chapter three that a man is not eligible to be an elder in the church if he is quote a lover of

money. He did something very similar in chapter 3 when he spoke about deacons saying that they are not to be quote greedy for dishonest gain. And so what he has been doing throughout the book is he has been attacking these false teachers who desire to be rich to make some kind of prophet in this world and who truly loved riches. Had their minds set upon Earthly things as Paul will say in another book. As we said in previous weeks as we

tackled some of this it's not wrong to be rich. Timothy is going to be ministering to some people who are rich they're in the congregation. Now most likely most of the church was not this way as we discussed in previous weeks. The early church was really made up of mostly the poor. It will often be brought as an accusation of opponents to the Christian church and those early decades and early first centuries that the church really is just a

gathering of the poor and of slaves and of women, And it will be mocked because of that. But there were rich in the church in the early Church. In fact, the Lord will use the rich in the early church because there were no church buildings. There were no public places together. And so it was often in the homes of the rich whom the Lord had blessed for the good of the congregation that the church would meet. in these little house churches

so after all this talk about the dangers of Rich's pole clearly feels a proscript is necessary in this letter to address those who are rich and so Paul has them in mind when he says as for the rich in this present age

I think it may also be. The Paul is telling Timothy to charge the rich at the end of this letter. Because he has been going through this letter instructing Timothy how he is to pastor this church how he is to lead this church how he is to put the household of faith in order and how he is to care for it in a Biblical way and it's often the rich that are the most intimidating among a group of people. when someone is Rich when they have wealth

they are often given deference. They are often given respect. They are often given weight within a group that may make sense in the world, but it doesn't make sense. in the church remember watching Oprah decades ago. This was not a habit. But it was because she had Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan on there together and I always find Barkley entertaining and I'm always fascinated by Jordan. And she is interviewing them and Barclay makes

the comment while they're in the interview and he says all kinds of people say Jordan is handsome. He's not handsome. and Oprah says debarkly. She says Charles you really don't believe Jordan is handsome. And Barkley is trying to answer and Jordan is talking over the top of him and Barkley says no, he's not handsome. I think when you get 300 400 500 million dollars you all of a sudden become handsome. That is often the case.

Timothy don't shy away from warning the rich. And allow them to receive undo respect and honor don't be intimidated by them charge them. He says our first point What the rich are to refrain from with the rich or to refrain from and just to be clear. I want to be crystal clear here every single one of us in this room by worldly standards and surely by biblical standards is rich. You all have a roof over your head. Most of you own your own home almost every single

one of you and I could say almost categorically every single one of you lives in some place where you have more than one room. You have food on your tables. You're not scared about whether you're going to eat today. You have food in your refrigerators. You all have multiple. We all have multiple changes of clothes.

This is not true for most of the world. Surely not true for most of the world in the history of the world. You are rich. I am rich. So when Paul writes this he is speaking to us. He's given this charge to us. And pose a physician of the heart. He understands the Temptation for the rich the rich are to refrain from these two twin Killers pride of our riches and Reliance Upon Our riches pride and reliance. Refrain from Pride why because

we have no right to be proud. We have nothing that we have not been given. It is so silly. a gift the gift that we have been given begins to be a source of Pride and then Pride will lead to destruction charge them. Timothy not to be proud because they are rich.

written account recently of a Young Man Who was raised by Godly Christian parents and these? Christian parents would take him to church weekend and week out and there was an Awakening of sorts in their local church. And this young man a teenager was affected by what was happening the church and he was apparently converted to saving faith and and he was on fire for the things of Christ and he would go to every single service that the

church offered he would go to every prayer meeting and yet what marked him was there was just a humility about him. he wasn't puffed up with pride or with self-assurance like a lot of young men or it was meek. He was strong but he was meek. and when He would go to a meeting. He would often be silent. He wouldn't talk and people barely noticed him. But there was a night where there was a prayer meeting and they were gathering at

a house and there was inclement weather and so a lot of people couldn't make it and so the owner of the house and this young man were there and the owner of the house decided he would begin in prayer and he looked around and didn't want to be the only one to pray and so he said to this young man, would you close us in prayer this evening? and after he prayed the young man began to pray and he had a fluency in prayer. It was a Majesty in the way that he prayed it just kind of

flowed off of his tongue. It was rich it was deep. It was theologically sound and everybody in the room were absolutely Amazed by this teenage young boy. After that, almost every prayer meeting the church had they would call upon this young man to pray and they would often talk about how astonished they were how the Bible would just kind of pour off of his tongue. It wasn't forced. He always had the right passage to pray at the right time and it was

never Force. He seemed to have an intimacy with God that most of us would give a right arm for And so they began encouraging the young man. To go to Seminary and train for the pastor and that wasn't hadn't been his plan. But he decided so many had said that to him that he would go and so he went off to Seminary and they did well. Studying theology seemed to have an aptitude for it. But he also seemed to have a failing.

That was he began to get puffed up and proud. He began to be a contentious young man. He argued with everyone he refused to ever be corrected. He stopped showing any kind of humility before authorities whether in the church or in the classroom with his teachers.

Eventually graduated from Seminary and he went before his Presbyterian his Presbytery refused to approve him for Ministry. Instead of that humbling him. It made him more proud and angry. And so we marched off and he began another profession. And he fell into bad company and he became a man whose life was given over to sensual pleasures. He died an incredibly early death.

It'd been given a gift.

That gift became a source of Pride and pride destroys. Charge them Timothy to refrain from Pride. Charged them also to refrain from Reliance that is setting their Hope on the uncertainty of riches riches are very precarious Paula saying uncertain they are not a stable Foundation. You can have it today and you can lose it tomorrow. You can lose it today.

I've read an account this week of a meeting in 1923 of the nine wealthiest men in the United States and possibly the world at that time Phil reichen mention it then I went off searching for it and read all kinds of articles about it yesterday and last night one from Forbes Magazine these nine wealthiest men met to discuss the future and the meeting included these people the president of America's largest steel company. The president

of America's largest utility company. The president of America's largest gas company the president of the New York Stock Exchange the president of the bank of international settlements the nation's greatest wheat Speculator the nation's greatest Wall Street Tycoon and head of the world's greatest Monopoly and a member of President Harding staff who was president at the time and within 25 years. The president of the largest steel company Charles M. Schwab

died a bankrupt, man. The president of the largest utility company Samuel insole died penniless the president of the largest gas company Howard Hobson suffered a mental breakdown ending up in an insane asylum the president of New York Stock Exchange richer Whitney was sent to prison the bank president. Leon Fraser took his own life the wheat Speculator Arthur Cuttin died penniles the head of the world's greatest Monopoly. I've been Kruger called the match

King because he dominated the match industry also took his own life. The member of President Harding's cabinet Albert full had just been given a pardon from prison so he could die at home and the Wall Street Tycoon, Jesse Lewiston Livermore had two drinks at a New York Hotel walked into the cloakroom where he sat on a stool and took a gun to his Temple because he just lost 95 million dollars.

all of them all nine of them. The richest men in the country of not the world at that time. And all lost it.

Charged them not to rely upon it Timothy. If that's what we are to refrain from pride and Reliance, the second point is the remedy. What is the remedy for this for the rich? How do they combat? How do we combat pride and Reliance? We are too Paul says quote set our Hope on God not unriches, but on God not on the savings account not on the 401K not on that inheritance that we hope to get not on that government back student loan

being forgiven. Not on these things not the future selling of our business not the equity in our home not that raise that I long for no set our hope. on God on God

now God gave us all these things to enjoy as we'll discuss. Your gifts from his hand. But it's silly to rely upon the give rather than The Giver. We are to enjoy but not reliable. We rely upon him.

and him The gift is precarious. It can change. It can diminish like Bitcoin. It can crash like the stock market.

Equity in your home can give way but the giver does not. And he's the one that gave all the gifts.

This Giver is the most sure Foundation there can be. is unchanging he is unaffected by anything. He Remains the Same forever. He is unfailing what he promises to be he is he is unstained. There is no corruption in him. He does not shift like the markets. He is always true. He is always right. He is always strong. He is always lasting has has been said one with God is a majority if you have God you are rich rich and stability

God seems like the least firm thing in this concrete world and yet when you have him or more rightly said when he has you. You realize that there is nothing more solid depend upon than the entire universe.

You rely upon God.

Does the height of foolishness to put our hope in anything else?

Set our Hope on him. Now does that mean that the gifts themselves are to be ignored in despised? No, Paul says it here. It is God quote who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Have you thought about that? Do you live like that? That God is you all of these things to enjoy.

enjoy

many Christians walk around with them. and undo and an unright false guilt thinking that they're not to enjoy the things that God has given

And we're literally robbing ourselves. When we do this. We're literally stealing from ourselves. The joy that God has gifted to us. He has given us things to enjoy. And when we allow that joy to be taken by undue and misplaced skilled. It's an air.

Now listen enjoying the gifts of God. What he has been to us too much and join it too much can be sin. But here's what I want you to understand and what I want to be very clear about as well this morning enjoying the gifts of God too. Little can also be sin. Have you thought about that?

Because enjoying them too little shows a lack of gratitude for the gifts that he has given.

But even more than that, it can show a wrong view of God. As if he is not the giver of good gifts. As if he doesn't want you to enjoy thing. As if he isn't concerned about your happiness and joy in this world. It's a wrong view of God.

Christians aren't to be prudes. You'd enjoy the summer. or to enjoy the beach it enjoy going up north. Enjoy a barbecue with friends. You're to enjoy sex with your spouse. You're to enjoy sitting outside underneath the stars with friends around a campfire to enjoy playing games with your kids and not feel guilty for a second.

Good gifts given to you.

We give honor to The Giver of good gifts by enjoying the good gifts. He has given

if I gave my wife a beautiful diamond necklace on her upcoming 24th anniversary here. I didn't so don't get your hopes up. But if I gave it to her. And she said how thankful she was for it. And then she put it in a safety deposit box and after a year or two. I didn't see her wearing it and then Now Lee, aren't you you thankful for the gift that I gave to you? So yeah, I love it. I'm thankful for it's a bit. You're not enjoying it.

but I'm thankful for but but you see not wearing it not enjoying it that. doesn't appear you're thankful and that Frankly is an insult. Enjoy what he's given. Don't hide it. We don't run away from it. Christians are not prudes. Of all the people in the world. We know the giver behind the gift and we count these gifts as an act. Of absolute Divine love we aren't prudes. But we also aren't pleasure home. There's some who spend every waking moment seeking

amusement and fleshly gratification. They're like a bee flying from flower to flower. They're just going through life flying from one fleshly Amusement to the next. And seriousness and thinking about eternity and living for something other than just this momentary fleshly happiness seems like a distraction to them. What no part of that. Gets in the way of pleasure. And even some Christians get Swept Away by Earthly pleasure

seeking as Neil Postman said years and years ago. We will just seek simply amuse ourselves to death. there's danger there, especially in the country and affluence and the culture that we live in being a pleasure Hound is a deadly Pursuit. As Christians we are not proves. But neither are we pleasure him. Rather we are pilgrim. Or pilgrims suppose Timothy that there are things required of the the rich what's refrain from he gives them the remedy and now what

they are required to do he's not making this optional these are not optional things for you and I Verse 18 they are to do good to be rich in Good Works to be generous and ready to share and he says that by doing so you have this Pilgrim mindset because you realize that you're storing up Treasures for yourselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that which is truly. life This is what's required.

Christians Are to be the most giving people in the world Bar None, this is required. This is not an option. you give and you give joyfully and willingly

want to give you three reasons why? first We give much. Because it was all it was all given to us.

All that we have is simply a gift we're stewards. We know that what we have. We have as ours because he gave it to us. It's not all. It's not mine. When you begin to look at your possessions and your riches and you're savings accounts as not belonging to you when that mindset changes, it changes all of life.

And that more than anything else will prick Your Heart To Be A Generous Heart. a giving heart it's easy to give when you know, it's not yours. It's easy to give when you know, you just hold it in stewardship for God.

And you know, I begin to see our homes and our clothes and our time and our bank accounts and the food and refrigerators and our cars and on our own pride and Reliance quickly disappear in generosity will emerge we give much because it was all given to all second. We give much because we have been given much We have received the greatest of gifts. What makes you truly Rich? It is not your stuff. Paul says in second Corinthians for you know the

grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich for your sake he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich Why are you rich Beyond Rich because you have received the greatest gift.

If you are Christian, it doesn't even matter if you can rub two nickels together. You are the richest of people on the face of the Earth. This is why that Widow could give all that she had.

Because she had received the greatest of gifts.

Our Lord and savior the very Son of God. Who had all? the glories of Heaven humbled himself by becoming a servant and he was born in a cattle stall. Became poor for your sake that you might become rich. everlastingly rich

the greatest of gifts at the greatest of cause and therefore were to be marked by that gift. It's a shape us from moment to moment. To shape all of our life we give much because we have received much.

It's been interesting phenomenon in recent years May last 10 15 years. Call Pay It Forward. and where you will go through the drive-thru at local fast food chain and the person in front of you drive through ahead of you and they pay for your meal before you get up there and then because your meal was paid for it encourage you to Pay something forward maybe the meal of the person behind you. Maybe something else later in the day or the week.

You see even the world understands this.

You received a gift you were blessed. And so that will lead to you blessing others. If they can understand it as a result of common Grace and by getting an extra value meal for free in the McDonald's line. You can understand it at the foot of the crows. You have been given so much. You're to pay it forward.

third we give much because we know eternity is impacted. He says in verse 19 that by giving those who give in Christ or quote the storing Treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future what future future Glory we are not prudes, but neither are we Pleasure hounds we are pilgrim. And we're to understand that he says quote taking hold of that which is truly life. What we give is never lost. What we think is life here is but a flicker of

a match compared to the Brilliance and brightness of the sun there. We live ultimately for there. not for here and Paul's contrasting that for us verse 17. They who are rich in this present age Verse 18 storing up Treasures for themselves as a good foundation for what for the future. The Christian even the rich Christian lives for the future in the present, especially the rich Christian must do so. You live in light of Eternity.

Refrain from pride and Reliance the remedy rely on God. And the requirement be rich and good works. And then Paul ever the mentor and ever the pastor wants to remind Timothy finally. It reminds him one more time. Before it closes out the letter. Guard the good deposit and trusted to you. See, this is the greatest of riches. You received it Timothy from Lois and Eunice. You received this good deposit the faith the Christian faith.

To people that were busy themselves about the world and they will be so busy in the church with different things and so busy in their family with different things. No, this is the very thing Timothy. This is the great deposit. This is the great riches that we possess. It is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you dare get involved? in these false things don't argue about words. And get caught up in controversies.

Stick close to the gospel.

live in light of it Keep it. And pass it on.

The goods and Kinder go this more to life also. Body, they may kill but God's truth abideth still.

We're almost home my friends. And so we labor as those who are almost home.

I thought this morning just about taking 15 minutes. In reading through the whole book of First Timothy just recall these things to remind that we've studied over these last months. Has been a joy for me. It's been a joy for me because I love the bride of Christ. Really love the church and I love. This particular manifestation of local manifestation of the church. My Hope Is this is that we guard this good deposit as we

go forward and that we go forward as pilgrims We go forward being generous with one another and generous with the world around us. and living in light of Eternity we do that together as a church as Paul's pointing out for Timothy. Let's do so together. Let's pray.

Great father we exalt you this morning The Giver of all good gifts. Thank you for the many good gifts that you've given to us. Thank you food. We shall eat later today the clothes that we're wearing. Thank you for friends to walk through this life with we thank you for children and for spouses. We thank you for the good news of this week of Roe verse Wade being overturned. Thank you. That later will be an air conditioning today. Thank

you. Most importantly for your exceeding kindness to us. Giving us the gift of your son. We might know fellowship with you now and for all of eternity. Want to give you praise with all that we are. And to live as pilgrims in light to be eternity. Remind us that this is not our home. And remind us of the home to which we go. Christ's name we pray. amen