WEBVTT 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:13.500 All right. Morning, family. Oh, thank you very 00:00:13.500 --> 00:00:16.100 much. We're going to go through 1 Timothy chapter 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:19.820 6, verse 1 through 10. Are you guys ready for 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:22.179 a journey? All right. Father, I want to thank 00:00:22.179 --> 00:00:24.379 you so much for your word. Thank you that your 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:28.719 word is living and active, that you... have accomplished 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.859 all things, that the plan that you have set in 00:00:32.859 --> 00:00:35.759 place before time is fulfilled and completed 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:38.520 in Christ and that will ultimately come to its 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:41.899 pinnacle moment. But Lord, until then, may we 00:00:41.899 --> 00:00:46.039 be a people that are content in godliness. Godliness 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:49.659 with contentment is great gain. Help us to honor 00:00:49.659 --> 00:00:52.119 and glorify you in all that we do, that you are 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:54.960 loved supremely, that we love your word, love 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:57.899 your ways, love your things. And Lord, help us 00:00:57.899 --> 00:01:00.979 to walk with intentionality as your people. As 00:01:00.979 --> 00:01:03.700 we go through this next chapter, help us to understand 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:06.340 the importance of what it means to lead as men 00:01:06.340 --> 00:01:09.260 and to really understand. what true contentment 00:01:09.260 --> 00:01:11.540 truly is. We praise you and thank you for your 00:01:11.540 --> 00:01:14.579 faithfulness and goodness. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:19.219 I'm going to start off in chapter 5, verse 24, 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:23.420 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 24, and then we'll 00:01:23.420 --> 00:01:26.840 go right into chapter 6, 1 through 10. It says, 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:30.739 the sins of some people are conspicuous, going 00:01:30.739 --> 00:01:34.799 before them to judgment. but the sins of others 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:39.480 appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:43.260 even those that are not cannot remain hidden. 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:47.400 Let all who are under a yoke as a bondservant 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:51.640 regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.640 so that the name of God and the teaching may 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:58.060 not be reviled. Those who have believing masters 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:02.700 must not. Be disrespectful on the ground that 00:02:02.700 --> 00:02:06.620 they are brothers. Rather, they must serve all 00:02:06.620 --> 00:02:09.819 the better since those who benefit by their good 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:13.199 service are believers and beloved. Teach and 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:16.460 urge these things. If anyone teaches a doctrine, 00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:19.879 a different doctrine, and does not agree with 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:23.599 the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:26.719 the teaching that accords with godliness, he 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:30.300 is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:34.840 He has an unhealthy craving. for controversy, 00:02:35.099 --> 00:02:38.979 and for quarrels about words which produce envy, 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:44.139 dissension, slander, evil, suspicions, and constant 00:02:44.139 --> 00:02:47.840 friction among people who are depraved in mind 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.699 and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness 00:02:51.699 --> 00:02:55.120 is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:58.340 is great gain, for we brought nothing into the 00:02:58.340 --> 00:03:01.039 world, and we can take nothing out of the world. 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:05.439 But if we have food and clothing, these we will 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.900 be content. But those who desire to be rich fall 00:03:08.900 --> 00:03:12.840 into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:16.419 and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin 00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:20.639 and destruction. For the love of money is the 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:24.560 root of all kinds of evil. It is through this 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:27.419 craving that some have wandered away from the 00:03:27.419 --> 00:03:31.840 faith and pierced themselves with many. pangs. 00:03:32.139 --> 00:03:35.099 So when we think about this, there's a lot here. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.599 There's no possible way I could possibly even 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:42.280 get this whole chapter done in one day, and I'll 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:45.199 be, by the Lord's grace, be able to get through 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:49.180 these 10 verses. First principle, if you work 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:53.020 and have someone whom you answer to, you must, 00:03:53.139 --> 00:03:57.099 like a slave, honor all, especially those who 00:03:57.099 --> 00:04:00.300 are brothers, so that no one reviles the faith. 00:04:00.990 --> 00:04:04.509 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo 00:04:04.509 --> 00:04:08.150 one another in showing honor. Romans 12, 10. 00:04:08.409 --> 00:04:10.490 So what we see here is some very important things 00:04:10.490 --> 00:04:13.210 when it talks about the slave or the bond servant. 00:04:13.590 --> 00:04:16.910 How many of you guys work? That's okay. Don't 00:04:16.910 --> 00:04:18.949 be ashamed. How many of you guys have a boss? 00:04:19.529 --> 00:04:27.310 You're a slave. Yeah, mom. Okay. You're a slave. 00:04:28.509 --> 00:04:32.310 That's what you are. You get paid to do a job. 00:04:33.009 --> 00:04:35.529 But you cannot do anything you want at the job 00:04:35.529 --> 00:04:38.230 you have. You can't go into the job and say, 00:04:38.389 --> 00:04:41.889 you know what? I want to do whatever I want because 00:04:41.889 --> 00:04:45.370 it's my free will. This is what I want to do. 00:04:45.730 --> 00:04:47.970 You know what the boss is going to do? You're 00:04:47.970 --> 00:04:52.230 fired. So you are a slave. We just call it employment. 00:04:52.730 --> 00:04:56.329 Think about it. You get paid to do a job that 00:04:56.329 --> 00:05:00.100 I tell you you will do if you're a boss. That's 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:02.600 what it means to be a bondservant. One who is 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:06.519 rewarded, who is given something for the services 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:11.879 that he has to do. They owe a debt, and so as 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:14.980 a result of owing a debt, they have to work that 00:05:14.980 --> 00:05:18.839 debt off. Now, slavery in the scripture is a 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:21.959 very good thing. Slavery means that the person, 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:24.879 the master who is taking care of you, if he is 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:28.319 godly, takes very good care of you. provides 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:32.319 all your needs, gives you food, a home in some 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:35.000 cases. Those who are bond servants, those who 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.899 have to pay off a debt, at least they're not 00:05:37.899 --> 00:05:41.540 stoned to death or put to death because they're 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:44.019 allowed to work off the debt they owe. That's 00:05:44.019 --> 00:05:47.180 the point. We have a debt we owe, don't we? That's 00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:49.660 why we are slaves to Christ. We can't pay off 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:53.379 a debt that he's already paid. But as a slave 00:05:53.379 --> 00:05:57.839 of Jesus, I give him my life. The very breath 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:02.019 I have for his glory. The least I can do after 00:06:02.019 --> 00:06:05.420 what he's done for me. That being said, notice 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:10.779 what it says in verse 1 and 2. Let all, all people, 00:06:10.980 --> 00:06:14.120 if you don't own the business, if you're not 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:17.259 Elon Musk, then you're a slave. But you know 00:06:17.259 --> 00:06:19.800 what the crazy part is? Even Elon Musk is a slave. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:23.680 Because everybody has a boss. And the boss is 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:28.060 Jesus. He controls all things. Everyone answers 00:06:28.060 --> 00:06:33.120 to someone. Let all who are under a yoke of bondservant 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:37.600 regard their own master as worthy of all honor. 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:41.439 This is where one of the major issues, and I 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:44.000 apologize for all of our friends who are union. 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:47.240 It's not to offend you. This is where unions 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:50.319 fail. You see, because the scripture doesn't 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:53.639 say, let all who are under the yoke of bondservant, 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:59.759 an employee, regard their union as master. You 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:03.139 get that? The boss has a right. The owner has 00:07:03.139 --> 00:07:06.079 a right to tell you how he wants to run his business. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:10.519 You owe me the debt. You will do what I respectfully 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.959 ask of you. Now, in this particular situation, 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:16.639 there's some bad masters. Not all masters are 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.589 good. But God here doesn't give you the option 00:07:19.589 --> 00:07:23.290 of whether you should honor the bad boss or the 00:07:23.290 --> 00:07:27.050 good boss. He says honor all of them. Why? Because 00:07:27.050 --> 00:07:30.569 they are worthy of all honor. Why are they worthy 00:07:30.569 --> 00:07:33.509 of all honor? Because God has placed them in 00:07:33.509 --> 00:07:38.430 authority. All authority is given by God. All. 00:07:39.029 --> 00:07:41.870 Not the ones you like. Not the ones you dislike. 00:07:42.470 --> 00:07:44.750 Every last one of those authorities are given 00:07:44.750 --> 00:07:47.560 by God. Can you imagine if I said, Lord, you 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:49.779 know, I don't think you're running your church 00:07:49.779 --> 00:07:54.160 real well. I want to do it my way. You know what 00:07:54.160 --> 00:08:00.959 he would say? You're fired. So, let all honor 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:05.399 their masters. So that, here's why. Here's why 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:06.959 you need to honor your masters, whether good 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:11.000 or bad. So that the name of God and the teaching 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:15.079 may not be reviled. The word teaching here, the 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:19.899 logos, the truth of Christ. What kind of name 00:08:19.899 --> 00:08:23.699 do you present when your boss does something 00:08:23.699 --> 00:08:26.160 you don't like because he's not a good boss? 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:29.399 Do you go to the lunchroom with other employees 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:33.080 and complain and slander and gossip and murmur? 00:08:33.539 --> 00:08:36.320 Well, that's really godly. Scripture talks against 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:38.539 that, doesn't it? There should be no gossip, 00:08:38.659 --> 00:08:41.519 no slander should be named among you as believers. 00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:45.259 It's not an option as a believer, whether good 00:08:45.259 --> 00:08:50.139 or bad boss, for me to talk down about the person 00:08:50.139 --> 00:08:54.240 which God has told me I must give all honor because 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:57.659 he is worthy of that honor. Not because of his 00:08:57.659 --> 00:09:01.620 behavior, but because of his position. Why is 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:04.399 this important? One of the things I think is 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.000 important in our society today, and it's one 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:08.820 of the things I really love about our elders. 00:09:09.629 --> 00:09:12.789 is even though we are equal as elders, okay, 00:09:12.850 --> 00:09:15.809 we are equal in authority, different in responsibility, 00:09:15.929 --> 00:09:20.149 they still respect pastor. They understand the 00:09:20.149 --> 00:09:23.269 office. They understand the greater responsibility. 00:09:24.149 --> 00:09:27.070 They don't call me pastor because they're under 00:09:27.070 --> 00:09:30.649 me. They call me pastor as respect. How many 00:09:30.649 --> 00:09:32.610 times do we look at our president of the United 00:09:32.610 --> 00:09:36.409 States and respect the office of president? I 00:09:36.409 --> 00:09:40.440 may not like Joe Biden. I know him. Not like 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:43.460 really good, but he was my senator. He was not 00:09:43.460 --> 00:09:46.600 a good man, but he was the president. Remember 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.720 the office in which our president sits, the man 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:55.159 that God has placed in that position. He is president. 00:09:55.700 --> 00:10:01.139 The office demands worthy of all honor, whether 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:03.679 you like it or not. Same thing with your boss. 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.960 Who sits at a desk and runs and manages a particular 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:11.820 department or the owner of the company. They're 00:10:11.820 --> 00:10:15.500 worthy of all honor. God has placed them there. 00:10:15.580 --> 00:10:20.039 Remember whose name you carry when you sit and 00:10:20.039 --> 00:10:24.799 start to murmur and complain and slander. You 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:28.259 must understand that when people see us behave 00:10:28.259 --> 00:10:33.399 in that way, it brings revile against the teaching. 00:10:34.110 --> 00:10:36.929 of the Word of God. It makes the Word of God 00:10:36.929 --> 00:10:41.649 look worthless. Is it worthless to you? Or is 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:45.990 the law of God sweet honey, precious, more precious 00:10:45.990 --> 00:10:49.470 than gold? It's a question you need to ask. Verse 00:10:49.470 --> 00:10:53.830 2, those slaves who have believing masters, these 00:10:53.830 --> 00:10:58.309 are slaves whose masters are believers in Christ, 00:10:58.409 --> 00:11:02.820 must not be disrespectful. on the ground that 00:11:02.820 --> 00:11:06.220 they are brothers. Just because you have a brother 00:11:06.220 --> 00:11:09.139 who is a boss doesn't mean that you should take 00:11:09.139 --> 00:11:13.240 advantage of them. As a matter of fact, it says 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:18.779 the opposite. You should work so hard to outwork 00:11:18.779 --> 00:11:22.480 your boss, to show honor to your boss in such 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:25.860 a way that you are willing to outdo him in service 00:11:25.860 --> 00:11:30.409 to him so that others may see the name of God 00:11:30.409 --> 00:11:33.950 and the teaching be exalted. Look what it says. 00:11:34.610 --> 00:11:37.289 Those who have believing masters must not be 00:11:37.289 --> 00:11:40.610 disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers. 00:11:40.750 --> 00:11:46.429 Rather, the slaves, they must serve all the better 00:11:46.429 --> 00:11:49.950 since those who benefit by their good service 00:11:49.950 --> 00:11:55.149 are believers and beloved. What he means is that 00:11:55.149 --> 00:11:58.730 if you have a boss who is a believer, You should 00:11:58.730 --> 00:12:01.970 be working to the point to outdo him, to show 00:12:01.970 --> 00:12:05.070 him honor and glory, to make him look good in 00:12:05.070 --> 00:12:09.370 front of the one who owns the business in such 00:12:09.370 --> 00:12:14.690 a way that you are seen because he takes good 00:12:14.690 --> 00:12:17.669 care of you. One of the things I've, and for 00:12:17.669 --> 00:12:20.809 those who worked for me, my wife sitting over 00:12:20.809 --> 00:12:23.750 there at one time, this was one of the principles 00:12:23.750 --> 00:12:27.230 that as a manager, as a boss, was very important 00:12:27.230 --> 00:12:31.460 to me. One, I would purpose to outwork the employees. 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.840 The boss cleans toilets. You'll see that here. 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:37.899 The same principles that I did when I was working 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:41.440 in the secular world, I do here. I get dirty. 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:45.639 And the importance of that is that those who 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:49.340 are under me see the slave mentality, the servant 00:12:49.340 --> 00:12:52.940 mentality that a master should have, that one 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:55.799 who is an overseer should have. Jesus says that, 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:59.759 does he not? If you want to be a leader, you 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.519 must be a servant of all. And this is the idea 00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:05.740 here, in that my employees would work really 00:13:05.740 --> 00:13:08.940 hard for me, so much so that I would go the extra 00:13:08.940 --> 00:13:11.620 mile for them. I would want to give them more 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:14.720 money. I would go before the owner and say, listen, 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:18.299 they're killing it. They deserve so much better. 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:20.899 And the boss would go, well, you're the ones 00:13:20.899 --> 00:13:23.480 looking good. I'm only as good as the employees 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:27.570 are. That was the idea. And so they must serve 00:13:27.570 --> 00:13:31.269 all the better since those who benefit by their 00:13:31.269 --> 00:13:34.549 good service are believers and beloved. Notice 00:13:34.549 --> 00:13:37.149 what Paul says here. Teach and urge these things. 00:13:37.429 --> 00:13:41.610 Are you willing to outdo your boss to bring him 00:13:41.610 --> 00:13:45.070 honor and glory? Second principle. Godly men, 00:13:45.250 --> 00:13:49.389 do what we do not for our sake but for yours 00:13:49.389 --> 00:13:53.049 that you may grow in the full knowledge of our 00:13:53.049 --> 00:13:58.179 Savior King. For we are not like so many, peddlers 00:13:58.179 --> 00:14:03.879 of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:07.679 by God in the sight of God, we speak in Christ. 00:14:07.980 --> 00:14:12.259 2 Corinthians 2 .17. We don't do what we do for 00:14:12.259 --> 00:14:15.980 money, for gain. We do what we do for the kingdom 00:14:15.980 --> 00:14:18.960 and for our God. That's the problem with some 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:23.509 of these men I see, especially on TV. We will 00:14:23.509 --> 00:14:25.629 talk about a couple of those in a minute. I don't 00:14:25.629 --> 00:14:29.210 know why I have to continue to do this, but it 00:14:29.210 --> 00:14:32.250 says expose them. And here is one of those examples. 00:14:32.590 --> 00:14:36.710 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does 00:14:36.710 --> 00:14:40.549 not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus 00:14:40.549 --> 00:14:44.129 Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 00:14:44.289 --> 00:14:47.649 he is buffed up with conceit and understands 00:14:47.649 --> 00:14:52.350 nothing. This word, anyone, same word, tis. A 00:14:52.350 --> 00:14:55.169 certain one. Those who are not of the family. 00:14:55.470 --> 00:14:58.169 That's the idea here. They act like they're the 00:14:58.169 --> 00:15:01.490 family. They're in the group with the family, 00:15:01.549 --> 00:15:03.250 but they're really not part of the family. They 00:15:03.250 --> 00:15:07.070 teach different. They bring about heresy. And 00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:10.590 so this idea, if anyone teaches a different doctrine 00:15:10.590 --> 00:15:13.690 and does not agree with the sound words. This 00:15:13.690 --> 00:15:16.370 word, sound words, is the same word where we 00:15:16.370 --> 00:15:21.419 get hygiene from. Hygieno is the word here. Hygieno, 00:15:21.419 --> 00:15:23.840 can you imagine? It means to be clean. It means 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:27.879 to be without dirt. So hygienologos, the true 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:31.639 and incorrupt doctrine. So if anyone does not 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.740 agree with the true and incorrupt doctrine of 00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:37.460 our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:41.340 with godliness, this word godliness means doctrines 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:45.500 that promote Christ -likeness, he is puffed up 00:15:45.500 --> 00:15:49.600 with conceit, meaning this. He thinks he knows 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.799 better. What's interesting about this word conceit 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:56.620 is tufao. It means to render foolish or stupid. 00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:00.100 Now think about that. If someone teaches a different 00:16:00.100 --> 00:16:03.019 doctrine, doesn't agree with the true and incorrupt 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:06.039 doctrine of Christ, and does not teach in accordance 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:08.980 with the doctrines that promote Christlikeness, 00:16:09.220 --> 00:16:15.059 he is foolish and stupid. That's the word. I 00:16:15.059 --> 00:16:18.750 know. That's from the city. You can hear that 00:16:18.750 --> 00:16:22.289 in me. That's just the way it is. It's not stupid. 00:16:22.529 --> 00:16:28.570 It's stupid. Okay? Now think about that. They 00:16:28.570 --> 00:16:31.250 think they know so much that they actually look 00:16:31.250 --> 00:16:34.409 dumb. And they understand absolutely nothing. 00:16:34.809 --> 00:16:38.289 Give me some examples. Creflo Dollar? Stupid. 00:16:38.850 --> 00:16:42.830 Kenneth Copeland? Stupid. Stephen Furtick? Stupid. 00:16:43.330 --> 00:16:46.820 Why? The reason why you can say that without 00:16:46.820 --> 00:16:49.080 coming off slanderous, is because they're not 00:16:49.080 --> 00:16:53.139 teaching in accordance with sound doctrine. That's 00:16:53.139 --> 00:16:56.159 the point. The point is their teaching is foolish 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:01.039 and stupid. They're leading you astray. Can a 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:04.200 blind man lead a blind man and not fall into 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:08.180 a hole? That's the foolishness of bad teaching. 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:11.359 And we need to start to understand this as we're 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:13.299 living in the days we live in, because there 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:15.490 are a lot of teachers out there. As a matter 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:19.009 of fact, they teach such foolish and stupid things. 00:17:19.329 --> 00:17:22.809 They have no understanding whatsoever that they 00:17:22.809 --> 00:17:26.789 actually convince other people to give them $1 00:17:26.789 --> 00:17:31.349 ,000 for a jet. And then they promise that if 00:17:31.349 --> 00:17:34.170 they get the $1 ,000, that God will give them 00:17:34.170 --> 00:17:36.470 a hundredfold what they give. Now think about 00:17:36.470 --> 00:17:39.650 that. They go to the poor people, convince them 00:17:39.650 --> 00:17:42.430 to give $1 ,000, and the poor people just became 00:17:42.430 --> 00:17:45.099 more poor. That's called peddling the gospel 00:17:45.099 --> 00:17:48.200 for profit. And what do they keep doing? Feeding 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:51.299 these people. What do they keep doing? They keep 00:17:51.299 --> 00:17:55.900 funding these TV programs, TBN. They're not godly 00:17:55.900 --> 00:17:58.819 TV programs. They're not teaching the truth. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:01.019 They're not teaching what it means to be content. 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:03.579 They're doing the opposite. They're telling them, 00:18:03.619 --> 00:18:06.150 you can't be content in your poverty. What they're 00:18:06.150 --> 00:18:08.490 saying without even saying it is that Jesus is 00:18:08.490 --> 00:18:11.089 not sufficient for you. In order for you to be 00:18:11.089 --> 00:18:13.509 favored with God, you've got to give me more 00:18:13.509 --> 00:18:16.089 stuff so that God will bless you like he's been 00:18:16.089 --> 00:18:18.890 blessing me. As I've been convincing you stupidly 00:18:18.890 --> 00:18:21.390 to give me your money. Why? Because I'm giving 00:18:21.390 --> 00:18:24.509 you a stupid lie and you believe it. That's the 00:18:24.509 --> 00:18:27.930 idea here. Think about that. So he is puffed 00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:32.190 up with and rendered foolish and stupid. And 00:18:32.190 --> 00:18:34.680 he understands nothing. This is what it says. 00:18:34.779 --> 00:18:38.039 He, this false teacher, has an unhealthy craving. 00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:42.539 Nasao is the word here. An ailment of the mind. 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:47.200 He has a morbid fondness for controversy. Like 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:48.859 think about this is what God is saying here. 00:18:49.019 --> 00:18:51.660 God looks at these men and said, you are morbid. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:55.700 Your mind is so bent and broken that you will 00:18:55.700 --> 00:19:00.099 contrive ways to convince people to give you 00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:03.000 more. Jesse Duplantis is an example of this. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:08.759 So he has an unhealthy craving, a nasao, an ailment 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.299 of the mind, a morbid fondness for controversy 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:16.299 and for quarrels about words, the trivial and 00:19:16.299 --> 00:19:19.900 empty things. They say stupid stuff. What happens 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:22.339 to these kind of people? Think about it. This 00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:25.740 is what it says. These people produce, which 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:32.160 produces envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:35.960 and constant frictions among the people who are 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:39.720 depraved in mind and deprived of the truth. Isn't 00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:41.759 that what happens in their churches? Now think 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.140 about that. So when you look at T .D. Jakes and 00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:47.220 you see the complete and total destruction of 00:19:47.220 --> 00:19:50.180 his quote -unquote ministry because he was doing 00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:54.220 things in secret. You know. Why? Because he envies. 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:58.599 He has dissension. He slanders. He has evil suspicions. 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:02.170 He's in constant friction among the people. He's 00:20:02.170 --> 00:20:05.210 deprived of the truth, and they are. Imagining 00:20:05.210 --> 00:20:08.910 that godliness is a means of gain, like you could 00:20:08.910 --> 00:20:13.029 pay for it. No, you suffer for godliness. You 00:20:13.029 --> 00:20:16.829 want to be godly? Suffer well, is the idea. Third 00:20:16.829 --> 00:20:19.390 principle. We come into this world with nothing, 00:20:19.430 --> 00:20:23.789 we will leave it the same way. The lack of contentment 00:20:23.789 --> 00:20:26.470 breeds failure in a Christian's life. Here's 00:20:26.470 --> 00:20:29.289 a principle I talk about a lot with you guys 00:20:29.289 --> 00:20:32.569 about Christian victory. You want to be victorious 00:20:32.569 --> 00:20:35.250 in your Christian life? Be content in your suffering. 00:20:35.410 --> 00:20:37.390 You want to be victorious in your Christian life? 00:20:37.650 --> 00:20:40.089 Be thankful for the little you got. Because you 00:20:40.089 --> 00:20:42.089 know who gave you that little? God Almighty. 00:20:42.349 --> 00:20:43.890 And the reason why he gave it to you is because 00:20:43.890 --> 00:20:46.789 he loves you. Well, I want more. That's the problem 00:20:46.789 --> 00:20:48.970 in America. You know what real privilege is? 00:20:49.109 --> 00:20:51.470 Is expecting something greater than you deserve. 00:20:51.769 --> 00:20:54.430 You want more? Be faithful with the little. That's 00:20:54.430 --> 00:20:56.930 the story we learn about the men with the talents 00:20:56.930 --> 00:21:00.440 in chapter 25 of Matthew. Not that I am speaking 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.299 of being in need, for I have learned in whatever 00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:06.859 situation I am to be content. I know how to be 00:21:06.859 --> 00:21:10.700 brought low, and I know how to abound in any 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:13.839 and every circumstance. I have learned the secret 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:17.160 of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:20.420 I can do all things through him who strengthens 00:21:20.420 --> 00:21:21.720 me. I want you to understand this something. 00:21:21.859 --> 00:21:24.099 This is one of the most understood verses. We 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:27.230 plaster this everywhere. It's not that I can 00:21:27.230 --> 00:21:30.690 be the greatest this or the greatest that because 00:21:30.690 --> 00:21:33.869 in Christ I can do all things. It's not what 00:21:33.869 --> 00:21:35.990 he means here. When it says I can do all things 00:21:35.990 --> 00:21:38.549 through Christ that strengthens me is I can suffer 00:21:38.549 --> 00:21:41.789 because Christ gives me the strength to suffer. 00:21:41.950 --> 00:21:46.470 I can live in abundance and be a steward of the 00:21:46.470 --> 00:21:49.390 things that God has given me because Christ has 00:21:49.390 --> 00:21:52.789 given me the strength to do that. I also can 00:21:52.789 --> 00:21:56.039 learn to live with very little. only have food 00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:58.299 and clothes on my back. And I can do it with 00:21:58.299 --> 00:22:01.900 joy. Why? Because Christ has strengthened me 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:05.099 to do so. So let me give you a little story. 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:09.119 When I first started ministry, and I have my 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:12.059 family as a testimony of this truth, I made $400 00:22:12.059 --> 00:22:16.920 a month. Four kids, married, lived in a house 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:20.220 with two acres of land, which my dad owned, and 00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:23.000 didn't make me pay rent because I couldn't. And 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:25.730 I will tell you, in that one year, God had blessed 00:22:25.730 --> 00:22:28.470 us beyond measure to the point we never needed 00:22:28.470 --> 00:22:31.650 for a thing. Why? Here's why. The principle. 00:22:31.970 --> 00:22:34.710 You guys ready? Right? Seek first his kingdom 00:22:34.710 --> 00:22:36.349 and his righteousness and he will add all these 00:22:36.349 --> 00:22:38.809 things unto you. You see, here's the reality. 00:22:39.549 --> 00:22:42.910 Contentment and provision has a condition. The 00:22:42.910 --> 00:22:46.170 condition is him and his kingdom. You seek his 00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:49.089 righteousness and his kingdom and he will take 00:22:49.089 --> 00:22:52.170 care of you. We lived greater in that one year, 00:22:52.250 --> 00:22:55.390 two years almost. than we ever have. Have we 00:22:55.390 --> 00:22:59.750 not, honey? It was amazing. Why? Because we understood 00:22:59.750 --> 00:23:02.369 it meant to suffer well. We're okay with whatever 00:23:02.369 --> 00:23:06.009 God provides. And he taught us stewardship. And 00:23:06.009 --> 00:23:08.450 it's still a practice that we work hard at all 00:23:08.450 --> 00:23:12.130 the time. It's not easy. Now, that being said, 00:23:12.309 --> 00:23:16.069 verse 6 through 10, but godliness with contentment. 00:23:16.150 --> 00:23:19.509 I'll talk as the word here. Sufficiency of Christ 00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:23.220 in life. Godliness with contentment. Sufficiency 00:23:23.220 --> 00:23:26.819 of Christ in life is great gain. You want to 00:23:26.819 --> 00:23:29.740 have victorious living? Let Christ be your everything. 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:33.240 That is your victory. For we brought nothing 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.619 into the world, and we cannot take anything out 00:23:36.619 --> 00:23:39.759 of the world. You were born with nothing, literally 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:42.059 not even clothes on your back. You're going to 00:23:42.059 --> 00:23:45.200 leave the same way, though they bury you with 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:47.980 one and stick you in a box. Guess what gets left 00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:51.509 behind? The clothes. Our body is a temporary 00:23:51.509 --> 00:23:55.410 place of dwelling. Our spirit will leave the 00:23:55.410 --> 00:23:59.170 same way it came, with nothing but the source 00:23:59.170 --> 00:24:01.769 of life, Jesus Christ. And if you don't know 00:24:01.769 --> 00:24:05.309 Christ, you leave with absolutely nothing, not 00:24:05.309 --> 00:24:09.049 even Christ. So don't walk away today without 00:24:09.049 --> 00:24:12.289 knowing if he is calling you and has elected 00:24:12.289 --> 00:24:15.049 you into his family. Don't walk away without 00:24:15.049 --> 00:24:18.619 surrendering to that call. And I will give you 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:21.140 the gospel. I have to now. Christ died on the 00:24:21.140 --> 00:24:23.039 cross, was buried, and rose again on the third 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:25.720 day to give you life. We are sinners. There is 00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:28.640 no one who comes to God, no not one. No one desires 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:31.500 him. No one seeks him. If the spirit of God is 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:34.500 placed upon your heart today and he is present 00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:38.299 in you, you better respond. And you will. The 00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:40.119 scripture says, repent and believe the gospel 00:24:40.119 --> 00:24:43.799 which I just gave you. Come to him now. Confess 00:24:43.799 --> 00:24:46.940 him as Lord now. And you will. That being said, 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:50.700 Verse 8, but if we have food and clothing, with 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:52.819 these we will be content. How many of you guys 00:24:52.819 --> 00:24:54.960 got food and clothing? Is that enough for you? 00:24:55.079 --> 00:24:57.839 If you didn't have a house, would that be enough 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:01.059 for you? Would Jesus be sufficient for you? If 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:03.380 you didn't have a car, is Jesus sufficient for 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:05.819 you? If the kids didn't have all the toys they 00:25:05.819 --> 00:25:09.720 want, would Jesus be sufficient for them? If 00:25:09.720 --> 00:25:12.079 the only thing that you ever had was food and 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:16.849 clothing, would that be sufficient for you? Because 00:25:16.849 --> 00:25:18.910 Christ is sufficient. I'll tell you this. I'd 00:25:18.910 --> 00:25:21.730 rather have Jesus than the very breath that I 00:25:21.730 --> 00:25:24.769 have today. It's only by God's grace that I'm 00:25:24.769 --> 00:25:28.009 here. It's only by his mercy that he keeps me 00:25:28.009 --> 00:25:31.650 here. It's only by the very work that he is accomplishing 00:25:31.650 --> 00:25:34.950 through us as his people that we are here. We 00:25:34.950 --> 00:25:37.250 have one purpose and one purpose only. That is 00:25:37.250 --> 00:25:40.089 to live for him and him alone. He is sufficient. 00:25:40.289 --> 00:25:43.309 He is more sufficient than the very food, than 00:25:43.309 --> 00:25:46.240 the very clothing, and the very breath. that 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:50.059 we have. He does it because He loves us. But 00:25:50.059 --> 00:25:53.640 those who desire, those who have an affection 00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:57.839 to be rich fall into temptation and into a snare. 00:25:59.019 --> 00:26:02.259 Pagis is the word here. Allurements and seductions 00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:04.680 of sin. You want to be rich? I'm going to tell 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:07.180 you right now. That very desire to be rich will 00:26:07.180 --> 00:26:09.759 pull you into temptation. It will seduce you 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:14.339 and allure you to sin. Very few men who are millionaires 00:26:14.339 --> 00:26:18.450 are godly. Very, very few. And when you find 00:26:18.450 --> 00:26:21.130 the godly ones, you wouldn't even know that they're 00:26:21.130 --> 00:26:25.349 millionaires. They live as paupers, but they 00:26:25.349 --> 00:26:28.349 give everything away. Think about that. They 00:26:28.349 --> 00:26:30.730 are good stewards of the things that God has 00:26:30.730 --> 00:26:32.910 given them. Why are there rich people in the 00:26:32.910 --> 00:26:35.769 world? There are rich people in the world because 00:26:35.769 --> 00:26:37.890 they have understood the principle of stewardship. 00:26:38.490 --> 00:26:41.470 All of them. It doesn't matter which one it is. 00:26:41.869 --> 00:26:43.950 Do you know why Elon Musk is the richest man 00:26:43.950 --> 00:26:47.369 in the world? It's because he has stewarded his 00:26:47.369 --> 00:26:50.569 stuff. So much so that now he has to come to 00:26:50.569 --> 00:26:53.849 the government and force us to steward it. Basic 00:26:53.849 --> 00:26:56.289 biblical principles of stewardship he has to 00:26:56.289 --> 00:26:58.210 bring into our government because our government 00:26:58.210 --> 00:27:00.809 can't steward the money that God has provided. 00:27:01.210 --> 00:27:04.230 And this is what he says, and it's true. If we 00:27:04.230 --> 00:27:07.390 don't take care of the money that the taxpayers 00:27:07.390 --> 00:27:11.650 pay, there will be no country. I want you to 00:27:11.650 --> 00:27:14.609 get that. What better person to be able to do 00:27:14.609 --> 00:27:17.950 that than someone who has stewarded it so well 00:27:17.950 --> 00:27:21.130 that he's the richest man on the planet, and 00:27:21.130 --> 00:27:23.650 he's doing it at zero cost. He doesn't even get 00:27:23.650 --> 00:27:26.930 paid to do this. He volunteered it. That doesn't 00:27:26.930 --> 00:27:29.589 mean he's godly. It's far from that. But there's 00:27:29.589 --> 00:27:31.750 some things we can learn from the rich, and that 00:27:31.750 --> 00:27:34.190 is the understanding of stewardship. There are 00:27:34.190 --> 00:27:37.150 those who spend it a lot and spend it foolishly, 00:27:37.150 --> 00:27:39.450 but there are those who do take very good care 00:27:39.450 --> 00:27:42.539 of their money. Why are they poor? Why does God 00:27:42.539 --> 00:27:45.299 allow the poor to be here? Why can't all the 00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:48.740 rich in the world, I mean, we have like 20 -some 00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:51.900 billionaires, I think, or more than that. How 00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:54.680 come they can't make everybody come out of poverty? 00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:56.299 I mean, they have enough money to do it. Between 00:27:56.299 --> 00:27:59.920 all the billionaires, I mean, them alone, just 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:03.720 them alone is more than any country's GDP. Why 00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:05.680 are they poor? I'm going to make it clear for 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:08.859 you. Because Jesus said so. Jesus said there 00:28:08.859 --> 00:28:11.180 will be poor because he says they're going to 00:28:11.180 --> 00:28:14.140 be poor. Think about that. There's something 00:28:14.140 --> 00:28:16.119 about the poor that most people don't understand. 00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:18.359 They don't understand the principle of stewardship. 00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:21.140 One, they're poor because they haven't learned. 00:28:21.779 --> 00:28:24.380 Two, they're poor because the conditions and 00:28:24.380 --> 00:28:26.519 the environment in which they live, that's part 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:29.059 of where they live. You would go into some of 00:28:29.059 --> 00:28:31.420 the poorest countries and you would walk into 00:28:31.420 --> 00:28:34.299 some of those poorest tribes and you would go 00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:36.420 in and you would have a conversation with... 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:39.519 the leader of that tribe, and you would assume 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.960 he's poor because he has a dirt floor, but he's 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:44.259 the richest man in the village. What you conceive 00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:47.440 as poverty is not poverty. Just because he doesn't 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:49.980 have a three -bedroom house with two bathrooms 00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:52.859 and a half a bath, a dining room and a kitchen, 00:28:53.059 --> 00:28:55.720 doesn't have heat and air conditioning, doesn't 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:57.440 drive around in a car like we do in America, 00:28:57.500 --> 00:29:00.859 doesn't make him an impoverished man. But we 00:29:00.859 --> 00:29:02.940 as Americans think we can go in and take care 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:05.539 of their issues and fix their problems because 00:29:05.539 --> 00:29:08.440 their problem's poverty. This is what Jesus said. 00:29:08.660 --> 00:29:11.480 You will not always have me, but you will always 00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:14.220 have the poor. You know why I think God leaves 00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:18.319 the poor in the world? As a trust to you. To 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:24.200 teach you how to serve, care, give, surrender 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:28.680 your lives to the service of others. Because 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:31.680 without the poor, who do you serve? Yourself. 00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:35.900 It's a reminder of where God kept us from and 00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:39.240 a reminder of the work that we must do. You will 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:41.920 always have the poor, but you will not always 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:44.339 have me, Jesus says. So let's stop trying to 00:29:44.339 --> 00:29:47.839 fight to cure poverty. And how about if we deal 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:50.700 with ourselves in our own heart and start learning 00:29:50.700 --> 00:29:54.460 to give and serve and love in the needs of that 00:29:54.460 --> 00:29:57.619 community? Learning to adopt or adapt ourselves 00:29:57.619 --> 00:30:00.630 to the community in which we go. Don't go to 00:30:00.630 --> 00:30:02.509 try to fix something that don't need to be fixed. 00:30:02.849 --> 00:30:05.869 Kind of the idea here. That being said, when 00:30:05.869 --> 00:30:08.750 we desire to be rich, we end up going into these 00:30:08.750 --> 00:30:11.250 allurements and seductions of sin, into many 00:30:11.250 --> 00:30:15.289 senseless and harmful desires that plunge, the 00:30:15.289 --> 00:30:17.930 word plunger means to sink into the deep, like 00:30:17.930 --> 00:30:21.349 a ship sinking. Remember that? Remember in chapter 00:30:21.349 --> 00:30:24.640 one, it talks about the shipwreck? They plunge 00:30:24.640 --> 00:30:26.799 people into ruin, into death and destruction. 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:29.740 The word destruction means to perish with misery. 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.500 People like that, people who desire to be rich, 00:30:33.619 --> 00:30:39.579 bring death and perish with misery. Why? Because 00:30:39.579 --> 00:30:43.440 for the love of money is the root, the reason, 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:47.619 the cause, the origin, the source of all kinds 00:30:47.619 --> 00:30:51.680 of evil. The love of money makes you think you 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:55.009 are God. What does this all kinds of evil mean? 00:30:55.190 --> 00:30:59.369 It means crime, breaking of divine and human 00:30:59.369 --> 00:31:02.349 law. It is through this craving that some have 00:31:02.349 --> 00:31:04.250 wandered away from the faith. Now I want you 00:31:04.250 --> 00:31:07.210 to think about that. The love of money, the kinds 00:31:07.210 --> 00:31:10.369 of evil, the crime and the breaking of divine 00:31:10.369 --> 00:31:14.210 and human law. Doesn't that sound familiar? Doesn't 00:31:14.210 --> 00:31:16.730 that sound familiar? Just a little bit? And we 00:31:16.730 --> 00:31:21.660 defend certain people, certain politics. Certain 00:31:21.660 --> 00:31:25.079 ways when the very thing that they're doing and 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:29.180 practicing is crime. It's evil, as the scripture 00:31:29.180 --> 00:31:33.859 says. When is the church going to start calling 00:31:33.859 --> 00:31:37.539 all of them out for their evils? The breaking 00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:41.900 of divine and human law. Why? For the sake of 00:31:41.900 --> 00:31:44.779 money. I want you to think about that. You're 00:31:44.779 --> 00:31:48.670 30 -something years old, 40 maybe. and you seek 00:31:48.670 --> 00:31:51.569 a position on the House of Representatives, and 00:31:51.569 --> 00:31:54.410 your average salary is about $125 ,000 a year, 00:31:54.470 --> 00:31:56.569 but by the time you get done your second year 00:31:56.569 --> 00:32:02.069 of $125 ,000, which is $250 ,000, providing that 00:32:02.069 --> 00:32:04.690 you saved all that money and didn't invest it 00:32:04.690 --> 00:32:07.529 all, because you can't, you got bills, two years 00:32:07.529 --> 00:32:11.430 later, you're worth $5, $6, $7 million. I wonder 00:32:11.430 --> 00:32:14.430 how they got that money. They wrote a book. Corruption 00:32:14.430 --> 00:32:17.640 runs rampant. where money is the desire of all 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:20.799 things. It is through this craving that some 00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:23.519 have wandered away from the faith and pierced 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:25.859 themselves with many pangs, the scripture says, 00:32:26.019 --> 00:32:29.380 and all -consuming pain and sorrow. What they 00:32:29.380 --> 00:32:31.359 realize when it's all done and they're at the 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:33.940 end of their life and they're about to take their 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:39.319 last breath, all of this was for nothing. Nothing. 00:32:39.740 --> 00:32:42.400 Why? Because when you come into the world, you 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:43.799 come into the world with nothing, and you leave 00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:45.859 the world with nothing. So what was the point 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:49.059 for the future of your grandchildren? What kind 00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:51.779 of legacy did you leave? They shipwrecked their 00:32:51.779 --> 00:32:54.440 life. This is what Paul says to Timothy in chapter 00:32:54.440 --> 00:32:58.740 1, verse 18 and 19. This charge I entrust to 00:32:58.740 --> 00:33:01.380 you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the 00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:04.519 prophecies previously made about you, that by 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:09.450 them you may wage the good. warfare, holding 00:33:09.450 --> 00:33:14.049 faith and a good conscience. But, he doesn't 00:33:14.049 --> 00:33:16.910 use the word but, but I'm putting it there just 00:33:16.910 --> 00:33:21.089 so you understand. By rejecting this, some have 00:33:21.089 --> 00:33:26.730 made shipwreck of their faith. Some have plunged 00:33:26.730 --> 00:33:30.980 into the deep. Isn't that interesting? So the 00:33:30.980 --> 00:33:34.599 men who do not seek godliness with contentment, 00:33:34.619 --> 00:33:38.619 the men who just want to be rich, the men and 00:33:38.619 --> 00:33:43.859 women who teach a different doctrine and do not 00:33:43.859 --> 00:33:47.240 agree with the true and incorrupt doctrine of 00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:50.960 Christ, they refuse to teach what is in accord 00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:53.099 with the doctrines that promote Christlikeness, 00:33:53.160 --> 00:33:56.819 they shipwreck their lives, and they live defeated 00:33:56.819 --> 00:33:58.880 lives every single day. I don't want that for 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:01.700 you. Contentment is the answer. When we are content, 00:34:02.059 --> 00:34:06.380 when we know that our sufficiency in Christ is 00:34:06.380 --> 00:34:09.599 enough, you need nothing else. You'll want nothing 00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:13.139 else. You'll desire nothing else. That everything 00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:17.079 else that we get is a gift. My wife is a gift. 00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:21.699 My kids are a gift. My home is a gift. It is 00:34:21.699 --> 00:34:24.380 a temporary moment for me to have enjoyment in 00:34:24.380 --> 00:34:27.619 the life which God has given me. And it's a short 00:34:27.619 --> 00:34:31.940 moment. I'm 54. I'm really trying to be 104. 00:34:33.619 --> 00:34:35.699 I talked to John about that. I said, John, I 00:34:35.699 --> 00:34:37.260 want to be 104. And he says, I don't know about 00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:41.280 that. That was a good joke, John. I liked it. 00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:45.780 You never know. I don't know my day. So the question 00:34:45.780 --> 00:34:49.000 for me is, and the question for you is, do I 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:52.239 want to live life with contentment and live a 00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:56.119 life without undue suffering, suffering I put 00:34:56.119 --> 00:34:58.559 on myself? because I'm not taking good care of 00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:01.199 myself? Or do I want to live with contentment 00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:04.519 and godliness with a reduced amount of self -suffering? 00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:06.900 Because Lord knows, I am totally in the mood 00:35:06.900 --> 00:35:11.820 for a twist ice cream in a waffle cone. I can 00:35:11.820 --> 00:35:16.780 have one. It's been four years. And plus, it's 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:20.119 at Rita's, which makes it custard. No, it's not 00:35:20.119 --> 00:35:25.079 custard. It's frozen yogurt. It's better. Oh, 00:35:25.099 --> 00:35:29.699 come on. You guys are killing me. I'm going to 00:35:29.699 --> 00:35:35.159 go get one. So I hope you guys get the understanding 00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:37.500 of why contentment, godliness with contentment 00:35:37.500 --> 00:35:40.559 is great gain. Be thankful of what you got. Live 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:43.559 for him now. The Lord knows when he comes back, 00:35:43.579 --> 00:35:47.780 what we get as a reward because we have an inheritance 00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:50.119 is far greater than any of this stuff we could 00:35:50.119 --> 00:35:52.559 ever desire. Father, I want to thank you so much 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:54.199 for your goodness. Thank you, Lord, for your 00:35:54.199 --> 00:35:57.579 word. Thank you that godliness with contempt 00:35:57.579 --> 00:36:01.159 is great gain. To you be honor and glory, power 00:36:01.159 --> 00:36:06.360 and might. And may your people find all of their 00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:09.260 sufficiency in you and you alone. We praise you 00:36:09.260 --> 00:36:12.280 and thank you. You are enough, Lord Jesus. Amen.