WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.459 When my granny died some years ago, she left 00:00:03.459 --> 00:00:07.259 me a stack of Charles Dickens books, of which 00:00:07.259 --> 00:00:09.820 this is one, and they all look like this. And 00:00:09.820 --> 00:00:13.539 I felt they were lovely, a beautiful bit of the 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:16.519 past. And then last Christmas, I realised I'd 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:20.120 never read A Christmas Carol. I'd seen it on 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.219 screen. I knew the story about the grumpy guy 00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:26.899 and the family and the greed and all of that. 00:00:26.980 --> 00:00:28.980 But I thought, I have to read it. So I got this 00:00:28.980 --> 00:00:31.800 book. These old books are so heavy, they're really 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:34.119 hard to read in bed because you're trying to 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:36.859 hold it above your head. So they weren't designed 00:00:36.859 --> 00:00:40.140 for that. But I thought, it's a beautifully drawn 00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:42.479 picture. If you've read the story, you've seen 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:47.990 the story. Scrooge. is a disgustingly greedy 00:00:47.990 --> 00:00:50.509 man isn't he only such a guy is there is there 00:00:50.509 --> 00:00:52.590 another portrait of financial greed in all of 00:00:52.590 --> 00:00:56.729 literature or film as good as him he's so well 00:00:56.729 --> 00:01:00.289 drawn you know he's he his business partner Marley 00:01:00.289 --> 00:01:01.950 is dead but it doesn't seem like he ever liked 00:01:01.950 --> 00:01:04.989 him anyway he is a nightmare to work with he's 00:01:04.989 --> 00:01:07.390 got the one employee Bob Cratchit who's a nice 00:01:07.390 --> 00:01:10.269 bloke but um Scrooge sits next to this little 00:01:10.269 --> 00:01:13.140 coal fire which Dickens says is quote a very 00:01:13.140 --> 00:01:15.519 small fire because he's too stingy to put more 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:18.540 fuel on the fire. But then Cratchit is only allowed 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:21.599 a smaller fire than Scrooge. So Cratchit is allowed 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:25.719 one lump of coal on his fire. He is so greedy, 00:01:25.780 --> 00:01:28.780 this man. Everybody is glad when they hear Scrooge 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:31.180 is dead in his vision of the future, even his 00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:35.799 distant relatives. And then Dickens draws the 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:39.420 contrast with the Cratchit family, which is utterly 00:01:39.420 --> 00:01:42.700 beautiful in my mind, especially Tiny Tim. Scrooge 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:44.780 gets this vision of the Cratchit family on Christmas 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:47.620 Day. They live in a humble home. There's Peter 00:01:47.620 --> 00:01:49.500 who's hoping to get a job and he's practicing 00:01:49.500 --> 00:01:51.659 being a man of business. So he's got a big collar 00:01:51.659 --> 00:01:53.579 and stands up really tall and he's practicing 00:01:53.579 --> 00:01:56.140 what he'll say and everybody laughs at him. And 00:01:56.140 --> 00:01:58.319 then Martha has a job as an apprentice milliner 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.299 and she's just got one day off on Christmas Day 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:01.700 and she's really looking forward to a lie -in. 00:02:02.060 --> 00:02:04.340 They pass the chestnuts and the jug round and 00:02:04.340 --> 00:02:06.519 everybody is happy and Mrs. Cratchit's made this 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:08.379 tiny little Christmas pudding which she's so 00:02:08.379 --> 00:02:12.180 pleased with and everybody gets a spoonful. And 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:14.759 then Tiny Tim comes in with his crutch and he 00:02:14.759 --> 00:02:19.780 sings a song in his little voice. There you go, 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:22.120 there's a picture. Then Dickens says, thank you, 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:24.319 let's have the quotation. There was nothing of 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:27.080 high mark in this. They were not a handsome family. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:28.900 They were not well -dressed. Their shoes were 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.500 far from being waterproof. But they were happy, 00:02:31.620 --> 00:02:35.099 grateful, pleased with one another and contented 00:02:35.099 --> 00:02:38.120 with time. Scrooge had his eye upon them and 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:45.849 especially on Tiny Tim until the last. How can 00:02:45.849 --> 00:02:50.949 we be a tiny Tim for our generation? How can 00:02:50.949 --> 00:02:54.229 we be aware of money but unspoiled by money? 00:02:54.830 --> 00:03:01.250 How can we, in other words, be content? I was 00:03:01.250 --> 00:03:03.150 asked to preach on 1 Timothy chapter 6 for a 00:03:03.150 --> 00:03:05.889 church last Sunday. They needed help and they 00:03:05.889 --> 00:03:08.169 needed 1 Timothy chapter 6. So I preached, I 00:03:08.169 --> 00:03:10.180 agreed to preach the whole chapter. I basically 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:12.759 regretted it because there's so much in 1 Timothy 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:16.020 chapter 6. And I thought, oh, goodness. So thank 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:18.840 you for the opportunity to have me this lunchtime. 00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:20.219 And I just thought, well, let me try and just 00:03:20.219 --> 00:03:23.759 do it shorter and better and hone in on the one 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:25.680 paragraph where I really felt the Lord was speaking 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:27.300 to me. And I hope this might be a blessing to 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:32.520 you. 1 Timothy 6, 6 to 10. 1 Timothy is a pastoral 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:34.879 letter. It was written to a junior leader. And 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:36.539 although it covers many topics and there are 00:03:36.539 --> 00:03:39.460 many... topics that young leaders need to be 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:43.560 addressed with. The focus on money in 1 Timothy 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:46.379 chapter 6 is striking. We have it there in front 00:03:46.379 --> 00:03:50.400 of you, just money services in verse 5. It talks 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.360 about godliness being a means of financial gain 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:54.659 to some people. It runs into the next paragraph, 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.439 6 to 10, where we'll focus. But then it repeats 00:03:57.439 --> 00:03:59.360 again at the end of the chapter in verses 17 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.860 following. It's as if the apostle couldn't conclude 00:04:01.860 --> 00:04:04.539 his pastoral letter to his young pastor in training 00:04:04.539 --> 00:04:12.460 without saying, Tim, look out for money. I know 00:04:12.460 --> 00:04:15.280 ministry brings its own pressures and trials 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:18.980 with money. So I'm speaking to myself as much 00:04:18.980 --> 00:04:21.339 as to you when I say, should we just come back 00:04:21.339 --> 00:04:25.620 to this issue of greed and money and search and 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:27.639 ask God for contentment such that we could say 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:32.699 in every season of life, I have God, I have his 00:04:32.699 --> 00:04:37.310 gospel, I'm okay actually. I don't need anything 00:04:37.310 --> 00:04:41.129 else. If you're interested in that, then I'd 00:04:41.129 --> 00:04:43.269 love to speak to you. Because it's financial, 00:04:43.490 --> 00:04:45.209 it's quirky, but I'm going to try and do this 00:04:45.209 --> 00:04:48.910 in two financial equations. Okay, so the first 00:04:48.910 --> 00:04:53.209 one goes like this. Godliness plus contentment 00:04:53.209 --> 00:04:59.370 equals great gain. This is verses six to eight, 00:04:59.410 --> 00:05:01.389 first of all. Godliness plus contentment equals 00:05:01.389 --> 00:05:05.839 great gain. Let's begin in verse six. But godliness 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:10.120 with contentment is great gain. Do you see how 00:05:10.120 --> 00:05:12.519 the apostle deliberately reaches for a financial 00:05:12.519 --> 00:05:16.379 word to describe a non -financial thing? Gain 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:21.540 is a profit word, it's a financial word. So he's 00:05:21.540 --> 00:05:24.600 saying, you actually are rich if you have godliness 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:28.420 with contentment. I think the way he contrasts 00:05:28.420 --> 00:05:30.660 it with verse five means you are richer if you 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:32.759 have godliness with contentment than if you had 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:37.920 it. A bank account bursting with cash. Godliness 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.040 is a key word in 1 Timothy. It comes up in chapter 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:43.319 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, several times in chapter 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:47.040 6. Let me just show you one which I think helps 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.839 inform this. If you have a Bible there, chapter 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:56.759 3, verse 14. Chapter 3, verse 14. Here you find 00:05:56.759 --> 00:05:58.899 the author's purpose in 1 Timothy, as you may 00:05:58.899 --> 00:06:02.180 know. Paul says, although I hope to come to you 00:06:02.180 --> 00:06:05.490 soon. I'm writing to you with these instructions 00:06:05.490 --> 00:06:08.569 so that if I'm delayed, you will know how people 00:06:08.569 --> 00:06:10.410 ought to conduct themselves in God's household, 00:06:10.470 --> 00:06:13.230 which is the church of the living God, the pillar 00:06:13.230 --> 00:06:16.189 and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, 00:06:16.290 --> 00:06:20.730 the mystery from which true godliness springs 00:06:20.730 --> 00:06:25.350 is great. And then he goes on to talk about the 00:06:25.350 --> 00:06:27.009 Lord Jesus Christ. He appeared in the flesh, 00:06:27.089 --> 00:06:29.610 was vindicated by the spirit, was seen by angels. 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:31.879 was preached among the nations, was believed 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:34.279 on in the world and was taken up in glory. So 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:38.180 godliness for Paul springs from Christ. It's 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:40.500 this deep appropriation of the mystery of God 00:06:40.500 --> 00:06:42.959 the Son incarnate, the risen and reigning Lord. 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.800 Okay, can you come back with me to chapter six 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:51.060 and you just use that to flesh out our statement, 00:06:51.139 --> 00:06:54.519 godliness plus contentment is great gain. Can 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:58.089 I... Can I therefore fill in that word godliness? 00:06:58.110 --> 00:07:00.970 I think what he's saying there is I have Christ 00:07:00.970 --> 00:07:03.370 in everything that comes out of him, Christ in 00:07:03.370 --> 00:07:07.889 all the gospel, and I'm content with that. That's 00:07:07.889 --> 00:07:14.230 great game. That is enough for me. I think I 00:07:14.230 --> 00:07:16.709 would say if I could have that godliness and 00:07:16.709 --> 00:07:21.750 contentment, then that is a warm -hearted evangelicalism 00:07:21.750 --> 00:07:25.209 that I can spend my life in. By implication, 00:07:25.269 --> 00:07:27.310 I think it's possible, would you say, to have 00:07:27.310 --> 00:07:31.209 godliness without contentment? I think the apostle 00:07:31.209 --> 00:07:34.110 is implicitly saying, you could have godliness, 00:07:34.170 --> 00:07:36.269 you could have the gospel, you could know doctrine, 00:07:36.509 --> 00:07:40.110 but not be content. And that, to my mind, is 00:07:40.110 --> 00:07:42.129 a kind of miserable orthodoxy. Like, oh, I know 00:07:42.129 --> 00:07:44.329 the truth, I'm just not happy with it. I'm not 00:07:44.329 --> 00:07:49.329 content. I'm not interested in that. I am interested 00:07:49.329 --> 00:07:51.230 in that, but it just didn't go far enough for 00:07:51.230 --> 00:07:58.000 me. I was here as a student 10 years ago and 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:02.560 graduated nine years ago from Oak Hill. I feel 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:05.040 now my Oak Hill friends' main ministry to me 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.560 is to pick me up off the floor when I'm very 00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:10.060 weary and discouraged and saying stupid things. 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:13.399 And they say to me, come on, Pete, you have Christ. 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:15.600 He is enough. Go and tell them about Christ again. 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:20.420 So if you feel you might need that today or at 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:23.019 some point, then can I say to you, Godliness 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:28.560 with contentment is great gain. Let's continue. 00:08:28.660 --> 00:08:31.699 Verse 7. We brought nothing into the world and 00:08:31.699 --> 00:08:36.179 we can take nothing out of it. When a baby is 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:38.059 born, they don't come with luggage, do they? 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:43.000 As their life goes on, they acquire clothes and 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:45.220 books and appliances and all sorts of things. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.139 We brought nothing into the world and we can 00:08:48.139 --> 00:08:50.580 take nothing out of it. Yesterday, I phoned up 00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:54.009 a removal company. And I said, this is going 00:08:54.009 --> 00:08:55.649 to sound crazy, but you actually moved me last 00:08:55.649 --> 00:08:58.590 time I moved house. Could you just tell me, I'm 00:08:58.590 --> 00:09:00.690 a vicar researching a sermon. Can you tell me 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:03.629 how many boxes on average does a person move 00:09:03.629 --> 00:09:05.669 with? And the woman on the end of the phone, 00:09:05.809 --> 00:09:08.690 she was so nice, but she said, you're crazy. 00:09:09.250 --> 00:09:12.330 But since you ask, it's between 100 and 150 boxes, 00:09:12.450 --> 00:09:19.590 she said. 100 and 150 boxes. I said, okay, here's 00:09:19.590 --> 00:09:22.289 another question since you're so nice. do you 00:09:22.289 --> 00:09:24.049 think that over time people are acquiring more 00:09:24.049 --> 00:09:26.210 possessions so you need bigger removal lorries 00:09:26.210 --> 00:09:28.429 and they are getting more and more boxes she 00:09:28.429 --> 00:09:31.129 said yeah absolutely that is happening she said 00:09:31.129 --> 00:09:32.669 i was speaking to one of our removal men last 00:09:32.669 --> 00:09:35.450 week he's been doing this job for 30 years he 00:09:35.450 --> 00:09:37.590 says people have more stuff than they used to 00:09:37.590 --> 00:09:40.009 have and not only that they have more valuable 00:09:40.009 --> 00:09:42.230 stuff so in the old days when he started in the 00:09:42.230 --> 00:09:44.549 90s people basically had white plastic garden 00:09:44.549 --> 00:09:47.750 furniture kind of what everyone had And nowadays, 00:09:47.870 --> 00:09:51.990 he says, she says, that they all have these heavy 00:09:51.990 --> 00:09:54.690 metal garden furniture, like statement furniture, 00:09:54.950 --> 00:09:56.649 and people have an outdoor kitchen that also 00:09:56.649 --> 00:09:58.649 needs moving and all sorts of stuff. So we have 00:09:58.649 --> 00:10:00.509 more stuff and we have more valuable stuff that 00:10:00.509 --> 00:10:03.190 we're like dragging around with ourselves. 100 00:10:03.190 --> 00:10:07.909 to 150 boxes. And yet, do you know how many boxes 00:10:07.909 --> 00:10:12.429 we all end up with? Right, it's one box, isn't 00:10:12.429 --> 00:10:15.919 it? Because... However much stuff you accumulate, 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:17.659 there's one box that you're going to get buried 00:10:17.659 --> 00:10:19.960 in. You get taken to the crematorium or you get 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:25.000 taken to the cemetery in one box. It doesn't 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:26.980 matter how many things you accumulated into your 00:10:26.980 --> 00:10:29.159 life. We brought nothing into the world and we 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:32.019 can take nothing out of it. Could the church 00:10:32.019 --> 00:10:35.559 not stand out in the years to come by being content 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:39.889 with a simple life? As the West just accumulates 00:10:39.889 --> 00:10:42.389 more and more staff and the removal lorries get 00:10:42.389 --> 00:10:44.490 bigger and bigger and bigger to accommodate it, 00:10:44.529 --> 00:10:47.990 could we not stand out simply by saying, are 00:10:47.990 --> 00:10:51.629 you okay? I shouldn't have got God in the gospel 00:10:51.629 --> 00:10:55.990 and I'm content? Maybe that's a more radical 00:10:55.990 --> 00:10:58.230 thing than we ever thought it might be. Stick 00:10:58.230 --> 00:11:00.230 with your white plastic garden furniture and 00:11:00.230 --> 00:11:02.110 you'll be like the counter -cultural guy in your 00:11:02.110 --> 00:11:07.340 neighbourhood. Verse 8, let's carry on. If we 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:10.700 have food and clothing, we will be content with 00:11:10.700 --> 00:11:14.200 that. I found this a useful principle for thinking 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:17.460 through social action and giving. I think the 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:20.340 implication of verse 8 is it is hard to be content 00:11:20.340 --> 00:11:24.659 if you don't have food and clothing. It's hard 00:11:24.659 --> 00:11:27.539 to actually genuinely be content if you're hungry 00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:32.799 or cold. So why don't we work to feed and clothe 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:37.549 people the world over. Aren't we keeping a sort 00:11:37.549 --> 00:11:39.470 of Christians who can see orphans and widows 00:11:39.470 --> 00:11:41.789 and foreigners and say, you don't look like you 00:11:41.789 --> 00:11:44.250 had enough food or you look like you need to 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:49.350 be warm or sheltered. Can we help you? One in 00:11:49.350 --> 00:11:51.250 12 people in the world don't have enough food 00:11:51.250 --> 00:11:58.470 today. Chronic hunger is increasing. So now I 00:11:58.470 --> 00:12:00.490 try and say to my own church, if God has given 00:12:00.490 --> 00:12:03.610 you enough food and clothing, if you are blessed 00:12:03.610 --> 00:12:06.549 to be above like a basic. poverty line, then 00:12:06.549 --> 00:12:08.509 please consider giving some of your excess away. 00:12:09.429 --> 00:12:12.129 I'm trying to challenge myself and them to give 00:12:12.129 --> 00:12:15.590 away 10 % because I think although that is a 00:12:15.590 --> 00:12:18.450 principle that's out there, it's not often attained 00:12:18.450 --> 00:12:23.610 by our brothers and sisters in the church. I 00:12:23.610 --> 00:12:25.549 say to them, please give some of your giving 00:12:25.549 --> 00:12:27.990 to the local church and then just give some away 00:12:27.990 --> 00:12:30.070 to other people who need it or don't mind where 00:12:30.070 --> 00:12:33.769 you give it. Just be generous. And when I see 00:12:33.769 --> 00:12:36.269 people thinking, they don't always say it out 00:12:36.269 --> 00:12:37.769 loud to me, when I see them thinking, do you 00:12:37.769 --> 00:12:39.470 know what you're asking? 10 % of my income is 00:12:39.470 --> 00:12:42.610 such a lot of money. Do you know what that means? 00:12:43.370 --> 00:12:45.129 I'm going to try and gently say back to them, 00:12:45.230 --> 00:12:51.509 do you know how rich you are? If you type how 00:12:51.509 --> 00:12:55.509 rich am I into Google, there is a wealth calculator 00:12:55.509 --> 00:12:57.649 that will tell you how rich you are in global 00:12:57.649 --> 00:13:02.539 terms. Have you ever done this? Here's some statistics 00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:05.559 that I did so you can tell it, okay, my household 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:08.779 income is £25 ,000 a year and I live in the UK. 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:11.519 It will tell you this answer. You are therefore 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.259 in the top 5 % of the global population. Isn't 00:13:16.259 --> 00:13:18.480 that something? £25 ,000 because you're in the 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.559 top 5%. You are eight and a half times richer 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:26.769 than the median person in the world. Or if you 00:13:26.769 --> 00:13:30.330 say, next slide, my annual income is £45 ,000, 00:13:30.529 --> 00:13:32.490 which if you have a stipend and an accommodation 00:13:32.490 --> 00:13:34.649 package, you're blessed to have that, then I 00:13:34.649 --> 00:13:38.370 think that's basically where that puts you. Then 00:13:38.370 --> 00:13:40.629 you are in the top 2 % of the richest people 00:13:40.629 --> 00:13:47.269 in the world. That's me. I am 15 times richer 00:13:47.269 --> 00:13:51.789 than the median person in the world. And as Richard 00:13:51.789 --> 00:13:53.889 Garnett used to say when he was here and you 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:55.909 got him onto the subject of money, if God wanted 00:13:55.909 --> 00:13:57.509 to talk to the rich people in the world, he would 00:13:57.509 --> 00:13:59.730 come and talk to us. And he would say, could 00:13:59.730 --> 00:14:05.669 you help out those other guys? So godliness plus 00:14:05.669 --> 00:14:13.789 contentment is great gain. There's one other 00:14:13.789 --> 00:14:17.250 mathematical equation I want to give you, and 00:14:17.250 --> 00:14:21.379 that's the second one. greed plus time equals 00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:26.679 many griefs paragraph starts off with these positive 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:28.919 statements about contentment and then it finishes 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:31.700 with these negative statements about greed so 00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:33.820 let me try and put it this way greed plus time 00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:38.580 equals many griefs versus nine to ten those who 00:14:38.580 --> 00:14:41.769 want to get rich Okay, it doesn't use the word 00:14:41.769 --> 00:14:43.570 greed, but you recognize the concept of greed. 00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:46.289 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation 00:14:46.289 --> 00:14:48.669 and a trap and into many foolish and harmful 00:14:48.669 --> 00:14:51.149 desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 00:14:51.850 --> 00:14:55.509 For the love of money, the love of money is a 00:14:55.509 --> 00:14:58.370 root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:00.549 for money have wandered from the faith and pierced 00:15:00.549 --> 00:15:03.289 themselves with many griefs. You see how the 00:15:03.289 --> 00:15:06.149 last statement in the paragraphs, many griefs, 00:15:06.149 --> 00:15:08.389 it actually negatively parallels the opening 00:15:08.389 --> 00:15:09.990 statement in the paragraph which talks about 00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:13.220 Great gain. Great gain? I draw on many griefs. 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:15.360 I don't know which one I can say. Thank you very 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:19.379 much. The apostle has seen greed often enough 00:15:19.379 --> 00:15:22.460 to generalize in these verses. Greed is such 00:15:22.460 --> 00:15:25.379 a boring trick of the devil, but he just is such 00:15:25.379 --> 00:15:28.399 an effective one. He keeps using it. Make people 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:32.320 greedy. Trap them in their love of money. Of 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:34.120 course, he would love to trap us with other things, 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:37.080 sex, power, other boring tricks of the devil 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:39.500 that he continues to use on us. But how many 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:41.120 Christian leaders have been led astray by a love 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:47.659 of money? I say greed plus time because greed 00:15:47.659 --> 00:15:51.480 is shy. It's a shy vice. It doesn't get out there 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:54.620 and go, whoa, sexual temptation is like, I'm 00:15:54.620 --> 00:15:56.179 just going to grow quietly. You're going to be 00:15:56.179 --> 00:15:57.980 too embarrassed to say that you're greedy, but 00:15:57.980 --> 00:16:00.820 I'm going to grow quietly in your heart. It takes 00:16:00.820 --> 00:16:03.460 time to show itself. And when it says it is a 00:16:03.460 --> 00:16:07.000 root of all kinds of evil. You don't see roots, 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:09.039 do you, until they put forth a shoot and they 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.299 put forth growth and produce bad fruit. But it's 00:16:11.299 --> 00:16:14.799 there. It also causes people to wander from the 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:16.700 faith. And wandering takes time, doesn't it? 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:21.539 That's not a quick word. It's a slow, tragic 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:25.360 word. Until you pierce yourself with many griefs. 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:31.820 Ebenezer Scrooge, I think he was pierced by many 00:16:31.820 --> 00:16:35.200 griefs. If you know the story, he is so lambly. 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:39.679 Even his distant relatives hate him. His employees 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:42.039 despise him. The people down the street know 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:46.940 how greedy and obnoxious he is. He is discontent 00:16:46.940 --> 00:16:49.419 despite having all the money and he is filled 00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:52.019 with regret. His working relationship is actually 00:16:52.019 --> 00:16:55.039 brittle and difficult because of his greed and 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:57.820 the way he treats people because of it. So don't 00:16:57.820 --> 00:17:02.360 end up like a Christian version of Scrooge. Greed 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:07.569 plus time equals many griefs. Okay, let me try 00:17:07.569 --> 00:17:10.630 and wrap this all together. How could we be like 00:17:10.630 --> 00:17:13.130 Tiny Tim? How could you be like the Christian 00:17:13.130 --> 00:17:16.849 Tiny Tim in your generation? Because that's what 00:17:16.849 --> 00:17:19.769 I'm interested in. That is, how could we be content? 00:17:20.490 --> 00:17:23.569 Well, fascinating in the story, Tiny Tim had 00:17:23.569 --> 00:17:27.650 a family and particularly had a dad. And there's 00:17:27.650 --> 00:17:29.349 a bit near the end of the story where Tiny Tim, 00:17:29.450 --> 00:17:31.930 his dad just comes really close to him and he 00:17:31.930 --> 00:17:38.059 holds his hand. he pulls him close. And I think 00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:41.099 we're given to understand that Tiny Tim knew 00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:43.960 he didn't have lots financially, but he knew 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:50.680 that he had a father who loved him. In New Testament 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:53.660 terms, of course, you have a father who loves 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:57.779 you. You have the assurance of his undying approval 00:17:57.779 --> 00:18:03.069 and his never -letting -go love. You could say, 00:18:03.069 --> 00:18:04.890 I may not be financially rich, but I have everything 00:18:04.890 --> 00:18:10.809 I need. And the thing the apostle goes on to 00:18:10.809 --> 00:18:18.170 say is verse 17, flee from greed and flee, if 00:18:18.170 --> 00:18:20.509 I can put it simply, to God. I mean, he lists 00:18:20.509 --> 00:18:22.890 a bunch of virtues. Flee towards righteousness 00:18:22.890 --> 00:18:25.430 and godliness and holiness and truth. But he 00:18:25.430 --> 00:18:27.710 goes on to give this doxology. So I think he 00:18:27.710 --> 00:18:29.849 is saying flee to God and all that comes with 00:18:29.849 --> 00:18:33.680 it. Flee, keep fleeing from greed to God again 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:35.599 and again and again, taking with you a knowledge 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:39.119 of your own insignificance. But you, man of God, 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:44.359 speaking to a pastor, but can we say to any Christian, 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:49.799 to any leader, flee from all this and flee to 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:53.839 God. I say taking with you a knowledge of your 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.920 own insignificance, because as Christians, we 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.619 go to God knowing we're not that big a deal and 00:18:57.619 --> 00:18:59.319 we're going to die soon. I'm basically a one 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:03.500 box person. And I've got nothing, Lord. I'm going 00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:05.640 to come to communion today. I've got absolutely 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:07.660 nothing to bring you, Lord. But can I come back 00:19:07.660 --> 00:19:12.779 again? But I know you're a big deal. And I know 00:19:12.779 --> 00:19:16.819 your gospel will never die. So to be content 00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:19.319 with God and his gospel while I live is huge. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.119 Wealth. Unlike all other investments, God's stock 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:26.160 will not decline. He will remain valuable forever. 00:19:26.700 --> 00:19:29.299 Unlike all other variables, God is unchangeable. 00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:32.680 He will remain certain forever. Unlike all other 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:35.180 possessions, you don't need boxes or a moving 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:37.819 lorry for God. He's just with you wherever you 00:19:37.819 --> 00:19:40.579 go. Unlike all other Christmas presents, God 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:43.140 will never get boring. You won't get to next 00:19:43.140 --> 00:19:45.380 year and think, ah, that was last year. I remember 00:19:45.380 --> 00:19:48.059 when I was excited about that. But he's endlessly 00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:51.609 fascinating. Unlike most other economic realities, 00:19:51.890 --> 00:19:54.450 God's gospel will not diminish if you share it. 00:19:55.150 --> 00:19:56.630 Because if you share something around, you've 00:19:56.630 --> 00:19:59.609 got less of it. But God and his gospel just increases 00:19:59.609 --> 00:20:02.509 in value as you give it away. And unlike all 00:20:02.509 --> 00:20:04.450 finite things in the universe, you cannot get 00:20:04.450 --> 00:20:06.490 to the bottom of God. You can't complete him. 00:20:06.589 --> 00:20:09.230 You can't fathom him. You can't master him. You 00:20:09.230 --> 00:20:11.730 definitely can't possess him. In fact, he possesses 00:20:11.730 --> 00:20:18.839 you. Amen? Amen. I think closing thought, I don't 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:21.079 know how long I've been talking for. Can I do 00:20:21.079 --> 00:20:27.220 a couple more minutes? I think it would be good 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:31.500 for us to learn generosity. Verse 18, command 00:20:31.500 --> 00:20:33.160 them. I think I picked the right verse. Verse 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:37.279 18, command them to give generously, to learn 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:40.819 to do good, to be generous and share. There's 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:42.859 a very rich Christian businessman called Jonathan 00:20:42.859 --> 00:20:45.210 Ruffer. who I found inspiring on this. He was 00:20:45.210 --> 00:20:46.809 interviewed in the New Statesman and he said, 00:20:46.910 --> 00:20:51.789 what a lot of money does is poison you. Quote, 00:20:51.789 --> 00:20:54.210 it's like the digestive system. Okay, this is 00:20:54.210 --> 00:20:56.630 kind of gross, but please, if you could bear 00:20:56.630 --> 00:20:59.509 with, I found it's a helpful thought. It's meant 00:20:59.509 --> 00:21:02.569 to flow through you, he says, not stop flowing. 00:21:02.809 --> 00:21:05.630 Okay, told you it was gross. But money is supposed 00:21:05.630 --> 00:21:08.089 to flow through you, not get stuck inside you. 00:21:09.390 --> 00:21:11.289 I find that a helpful way of thinking about it. 00:21:11.349 --> 00:21:14.250 Money flows through my hands. It flows through 00:21:14.250 --> 00:21:16.170 my bank account. It's not supposed to get stuck 00:21:16.170 --> 00:21:18.589 there. I can channel it. I can say, oh, thank 00:21:18.589 --> 00:21:19.970 you, money. I'm going to send you over there 00:21:19.970 --> 00:21:22.390 to a really useful end, but it's not supposed 00:21:22.390 --> 00:21:26.910 to stop with me. And if Christians actually tithed 00:21:26.910 --> 00:21:29.250 10 % of their income, just to circle back to 00:21:29.250 --> 00:21:34.630 that idea, it would change the world. According 00:21:34.630 --> 00:21:36.849 to Stewardship, they published a generosity report. 00:21:37.349 --> 00:21:40.349 just earlier this year, the average UK adult 00:21:40.349 --> 00:21:45.230 gives £65 per month to charity. But then they 00:21:45.230 --> 00:21:49.210 said, the average UK Christian adult gives £124 00:21:49.210 --> 00:21:51.349 per month to charity. That's encouraging, isn't 00:21:51.349 --> 00:21:52.789 it? That means that the gospel changes people 00:21:52.789 --> 00:21:54.910 and Christianity influences their generosity. 00:21:55.630 --> 00:22:01.630 However, that's 5 % of people's income. So we're 00:22:01.630 --> 00:22:07.569 not tithing as a UK church. But they said, The 00:22:07.569 --> 00:22:10.730 average UK Christian adult, if they gave 10%, 00:22:10.730 --> 00:22:15.089 would give £236. That alone, if the Christians 00:22:15.089 --> 00:22:20.130 in this country tithe and gave 10%, that would 00:22:20.130 --> 00:22:24.049 change so much. Feed and clothe and evangelise 00:22:24.049 --> 00:22:28.089 so many people. We could change the world if 00:22:28.089 --> 00:22:32.569 we embraced generosity from a standpoint of contentment. 00:22:35.720 --> 00:22:38.099 If you feel poor in ministry and discontented, 00:22:38.140 --> 00:22:40.799 then why not figure out, do I have enough money 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.660 for food and clothing? Why not establish clear 00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:45.859 expectations with your church or the church that 00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:48.099 you're going to so that they understand what 00:22:48.099 --> 00:22:53.920 enough is and cultivate contentment? If you're 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.400 leaving this college soon, then please just be 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:58.799 aware of greed. It's one of the tricks the devil 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:02.859 will try and pull on you. He would like to trip 00:23:02.859 --> 00:23:04.460 you up with it. But if you practice generosity 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:07.319 now and cultivate contentment, it could keep 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:11.559 you. And if you have any influence over Christians 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:14.160 in the years to come, would you just encourage 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:18.599 them in contentment and generosity? Like verse 00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:22.200 18 says, be generous and willing to share. I 00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:24.880 wasn't giving away 10 % of my income until embarrassingly 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:28.039 recently. And I wish I'd got there sooner. So 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:30.720 maybe you won't be as slow as me learning these 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:34.230 things. My friends, God is the one thing worth 00:23:34.230 --> 00:23:37.250 fleeing to forever. Moths can't eat him, rust 00:23:37.250 --> 00:23:40.809 can't corrode him, thieves can't steal him, fire 00:23:40.809 --> 00:23:43.710 can't touch him, floods can't destroy him, and 00:23:43.710 --> 00:23:47.730 death can't stop him. Amen? Hallelujah.