Sermon – “Godliness with Contentment”

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings[a] of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.[b] 6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain[c] we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

7 Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): 8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ[b] who strengthens me.

Godliness with contentment First him at the three six chapter of Chapter six verses three thru sixteen. Hear the word of the Lord if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to the doctrine which accords with Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come envy strife reviling evil suspicions useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain from sets withdraw yourself now godliness with contentment is great gain meaning great riches So if we have God in this with contentment that is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lust which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil for would some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and peers themselves through with many sorrows but you man of God fully these sayings and pursue righteousness godliness faith love patience gentleness fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life to which you you were also called and have confessed a good confession in the presence of many witnesses I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilot that you keep this commandment without spot. Not blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ appearing which he will manifest in his own time he who is the blessed and only potentate THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS who alone has immortality welling in unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see to whom be honor and everlasting power Amen and Amen May God had His blessings to the hear it in the reading of His Holy Word you know as I was going over this again. Verse twelve kind of jumped out there at this service I mean the good fight of faith we are to fight the good fight of faith what’s that mean I’m telling you what put your spiritual boxing gloves on and knock the devil out of our lives. That’s what discounted jumped out at me this morning as I was going that wasn’t planned that’s extra put our spiritual boxing gloves on Be prepared be prayed up put those gloves on and just the devil has no power no authority over you or each out of the Living God Amen so fight the good fight of faith but remember it’s going to be a fight. This no cakewalk walking with the Lord it is not a cake walk there’s going to be trials there’s going to be temptations there’s going to be things that come against us but put those spiritual boxing gloves on and knock him out of yours and get behind me say amen that was all X. terrible Jordan extra for that so I want to begin with the question I’m going to talk about doctrine is it important that we follow a right doctrine of course it is it’s an obvious question right but the most important thing is that we make sure that the doctrine that someone is teaching or the doctrine that we are following lines up with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul said that if anyone teaches a doctrine that is not consent to wholesome words or does not teach godliness it is wrong doctrine. Verses three thru five said if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which accords to govern this that person is proud they’re proud you know they’re thinking well I know more than God I’m going to twist this around to make it well along what I believe so they’re proud. They know nothing is what Paul says if they’re not teaching the right doctrine of Jesus Christ you know they’re filled with disputes in arguments over words useless wrangling it’s were to stay away from those. There was a pastor name Stevie but Linsky and whenever he would have confirmation classes he would begin every class with a jar full of beans and he would ask the students to guess how many beans are in the jar and on a big pad of paper he would write down all their estimates air each one guess this many beings that may be injured write it all down the next to those estimates he helped them make a second list their favorite song when the list are completed he reveals the actual number of beans in a jar so the whole class looks over the list and they see how they did on their guess they want to see who was closest to being right when the number of beans in a jar so then burlesque it turns to the list of favorite songs well which one of the songs is closest to being right he asked while the whole class erupts and says wait a minute wait a minute they protest they said there is no right answer a person’s favorite song is purely a matter of taste and that is true it is a matter of taste but Bill Ischia who holds a Ph D. in philosophy from the ER Dame asked. When you decide what to believe in terms of your faith is it more like guessing the number of beans in a jar or more like choosing your favorite song he said whether is alder young he always gets the same answer like choosing your favorite song he always gets the same answer young and old you know there are many people out there in the world today who feel that as long as they are sincere and what they believe that they’re OK that they’re OK with the Lord. They believe that they are C. Ters eternally secure we’ll share a little bit of a experience. That I’ve had at work here well it’s been a while. I’ll change the names to protect the innocent a supervisor named Geo a manager named Gypsy pretend named Jim let’s assume he’ll be Jim. When he’s around me he watches his language. He does He draws and watches language but I know that sometimes he has a hard time controlling his language so here last week week four Whenever we were down at the service center. Yesterday yeah we were down at the service center and there’s a big long L. shaped counter there and I was in underneath sanding some dry wall he didn’t know I was there he comes in the door and cry he’s let in some very colorful language fly and I poke my head out he goes always says I’m sorry I didn’t know he was there he says apologized Well the same week I was up in his office for a safety call and I was already in a there was no one in there yet so he come around the corner another supervisor was in there we’ll call him Bob Jim Bob Jim Bob Jim and Bob So Bob’s in there while Jim comes in as he’s coming through the door there some more that colorful language he goes oh no again he said that’s twice and this way he said I’m sorry says I did mean that I’ll drive try to do better and I just simply said Jim almost as in a gym it’s not me you have to answer to. I said you know I’m not the one you have to answer to for that well Bob speaks up you know Bob says well he said I believe that the God that I believe in doesn’t care about our language he says I don’t think he really cares what kind of language we use he said that’s just our society has said this is the ad language of filthy language you know he may be very sincere in what he believes but is what he believes right doctrine Let’s see what the Scripture says if he just for twenty nine says Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification that it may import grace to the hearers then how about kolache is three now this is more to the point cautions three eight but now you yourselves are to put all know who’s he’s speaking to when he says you yourself he’s speaking to believers he’s speaking to the church Amen he see you are to put off all of these anger do you struggle with anger wrath malice blasphemy a filthy language out of your mouth the right doctrine tells me put it out of your mouth the way does not say and speak it maybe that’s where he’s confused us maybe where he’s confused yes keep it out of your mouth but spew it out of your mouth right. That’s what is what’s what right doctrine tells us our society yes. God doesn’t speak our language but he knows our language and we know our language and we know what is still the language in our language. I don’t know what filthy language speech sounds like in Spanish. But I know what it sounds like in English I know I have or town thing we sometimes I know what they’ll think language sounds like and we are not to speak it out of our mouth out of the same spring should not come cursing and bitterness or and salt water and fresh water. These passages promote godliness do they not so that means they are right doctrine the key to right doctrine is that it promotes godliness godly living. Now you can sincerely say. Two plus two equals five. And you can be sincere if you want to be but that’s not gonna change it it’s still for. Right kids. Two plus two spot I mean for. You know Paul was sharing the importance of doctrine because even in his day in the early days of the church there were those who were teaching false doctrine there were those that had doctrine all twisted up they was using it for many things and some are using it for financial gain. F. assists in that day was a very prominent in very wealthy city prior to and during the early church. The reason for its wealth was that central location along the coast of Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey now they are not as coastal was they once were you know we have the problem down of the Outer Banks that the coasts keep common in further well their coast got further away because the silt and stuff a little research on emphasis there the rivers deposited silt so the sure got further away from Memphis than it used to be. You know some people might think that some of the ancient cities of the early Bible times were very primitive in crude but that’s not totally true because they’ve actually do archaeology archaeology will digs at that right they have uncovered some of the ancient houses in cities of emphasis and they have some that they call terrorists cities that they built into the sides of the mountains and so I mean because I had pictures and stuff that I was slipping as I did his research you know the be like part of the house cut away and you see part of it it’s on an angle so they they were Yeah they were primitive but yet they had beautiful most a house on the floor with inlaid pictures on them and on the walls most a towel and they had they go they found terra cotta pipes that they had running water imagine that the early church they had running water. So they’re not as they weren’t as crude as what we kind of think they were you know man has a creative mind. Why is that. Because we is created after the image of God we’re not to God not create all things so man is very creative you know when it comes to building things even our ancestors way back the. We’re very creative. You know I have the creative nifty creativeness when it comes to building stuff now I’m not that creative when thinking of things you know other things but building things I have a little bit of a creative mind but there are some that are very creative when it comes to songs I mean open up this hymn book. Look at some of the creative songs in here and some of the praise and worship songs in the contemporary Christian songs you know can be very creative so there are wonderful things man or men are very creative look at writings look at books I know we have a creative mind in here for writing books and will apologize for those or to come in because we’re starting early today and apologize. Yeah we’re starting we started we switched them today so I’m sorry we didn’t know who was going to be here so anyway the message is titled content holiness with contentment. I want to read read. The heart of this passage for me is Verses six through ten now godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and in too many foolish and harmful lust which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money make sure we get that clear it’s not money that is evil the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil for what some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and peers themselves through with many sorrows any one who would preach that gaining wealth is the purpose we should be striving after after is a fool. Because that’s not what we’re to strive after you know we’ve all heard that sermon illustration that you’ve never seen an armored truck following a hearse correct so that’s a no when it’s already War Now I found a new one. Imagine that you’re alive at the end of the Civil War You’re living in the south but you’re a Northerner. You plan to move home as soon as the war is over while in the south you were able to accumulate lots of Confederate confer currency Now suppose that you know for a fact that the North is going to win the war and at the end is imminent. What will you do with your confederate money what would you do with your confederate money. If you’re smart there’s only one answer you should immediately cash in your confederate currency for U.S. currency. The only money that will have any value wants to war is over is a Confederate or the U.S. currency so keep only enough Confederate money to meet your short term needs so my friends as Christians we have inside knowledge of eventual worldwide up evil calls by Christ return this is the ultimate insider trading tip erst currency will be worth absolutely nothing when Jesus Christ returns. I don’t care if you have a billion dollars in the bank it will be zero or if you only have ten dollars in the bank it’s still going to be zero so whether it’s when Christ returns or out is all at our death death is a great equalizer isn’t it because the passage just told us naked we came in naked we will go so again I don’t care if you had a billion dollars when you die you don’t take it with you if you had ten dollars when you die you don’t take it with you death is a great equalizer. That’s why the apostle Paul says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil not that money is evil but the love of money when we make the pursuit of money the main focus of our lives we are fooling ourselves because in the end all this stuff is high in stubble. That’s all it is I know there’s a lot of prosperity preachers out there it’s like the more rings you have in your fingers the more spiritual you are. But they’re full in themselves and are full in your congregations because we are to pursue God first. With all of our hearts with all that is within us yes God may bless us with many things but the key is that we do good things with what he has blessed us with that we bless others that we bless the church. And we all know that there were many men in the Old Testament many men of God that were very well off but the key is their hearts were still right with God they didn’t pursue money they pursued God and God bless them. Matthew six thirty three says But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things I shall add on to they are seeking Him first is the key not the things but him. Verse eleven said oh you a man of God flee the sayings and pursue righteousness pursue godliness pursue faith pursued love pursue patience and gentleness that’s what we are to pursue. When we believe in Jesus Christ God’s not commanding that all rich people go just throw away your riches but what he’s telling us is to put our trust in him. Use our riches for good rather then our own pleasure I’ve found a wonderful little illustration that really just sums this whole thing up on contentment. It’s called the attorney in the fisherman. A hard driving corporate attorney so a fisherman that he knew from church one afternoon there he set with his legs dangling off the pier as he helped his two young sons catch crabs he says why aren’t you out there fishing. Because I’ve caught enough fish for today. Well why don’t you catch more fish then you need well what would I do with them asked the fisherman or you could earn more money and buy better boat so you could go deeper in cash more fish then you could buy fleet of boats soon you’d be rich like may well what would I do then as a fisherman Well then you could sit down and enjoy life. So you probably already know the punchline fisherman ask what am I doing now. He’s enjoying life we chuckle but we could use that same illustration and know that there’s probably many fisherman no matter what you want to make the career. That would have pursued that fleet of boats while their kids grew and they didn’t spend the time in the dock with them I don’t remember the name of that old song. Of the dad that didn’t have time for the boy. Cats in the cradle cats in the cradle. See that’s the most important thing in life not the pursuit of the things but relationships most important a relationship with God Then relationship with family. You see having more is not always what’s best contentment is what’s best. And it applies to many areas of life not just the size of our bank accounts but many areas they were content husbands be content with your wife wives be content with your husband. Be content with the home you have I now realize things where. You know when I was be content with the car you be content with that eleven year old car that you have but there are no there comes a time when those cars were out we do have to get new ones. I was for women going about a car but you know Yes things do wear out and we do sometimes eventually begrudgingly have to go get a new car but that’s not the pursuit of our pursuit of our hearts. And I should say that’s not the pursuit of my heart anymore. Because up probably would take me a long time to stand here and think of how many vehicles we’ve had because I’ve pursued a lot of them you know. That’s a better truck Well that’s a better car oh I want this one I want that one but you know what comes along with that is you got to work harder work longer hours to make more money to be able to buy that better car so be content with the one you have. That’s right Proverbs thirty. On your place on the dog Proverbs thirty seven through nine says two things I request of you deprive me not before I die remove falshood and lies far from me give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with the food allotted to me lest I be for one deny you and say who is a lord or lest I be poor in steal and profane the name of my God I know I know it can be so hard to resist the desire to want more to want better. Because we are really today living in an age when the makers of said products they are very creative in tried to trying to feed that desire so that unquenchable desire to have more Today’s advertising this is displayed you know here’s how advertising works today you know we all like a bargain right I know my wife likes a bargain. Well how are they able to give you that bargain. Well these manufacturers are able to pass along some savings to the purchaser by advertising open up your favorite magazine what are you going to find you’re going to find all kinds of black glossy there’s a glass of glossy articles in there for for clothes for cars for beer for this that and the other all kinds of articles Well they sell that advertisement that man magazine does because. They know did you’re going to be looking at that you know if you’re a sports enthusiast you’re going to Sports Illustrated they’re going to have all kinds of ads in there to appease you know to to draw with that desire. Then television again you turn on the television you’re going to see all kinds of smiling faces trying to sell you anything from soup to toothpaste to Candy and again cars and trucks and most of us think that we can just tune out that advertising. But they’re pretty smart they have figured out what they call effective conditioning they’ll take a look that’s to say for example a detergent. Would just pick on Todd because that’s when it comes to my mind you know in so tides going to their claim is going to be that they’re going to get the stains out better they’re going to leave your clothes smelling so fresh and feeling so good right so when they’re advertising on T.V. they might place in that advertise some things that we already have positive attitudes or thoughts about they might place cute little babies in that advertisement and some pretty flowers on the stand in lots of sunshine so with all these other things that we have positive feelings about well we’re going to feel so good about using that time now I’ll just use that for the women because I’m not allowed to do the laundry in my house. So then now US guys don’t worry now they have ways to get us to some of us they know we like the great outdoors they know we you know we like outdoors an adventurous stuff so in order for us to be able to go as that Goll now T.V. and climb that rugged old mountain to get to the top of that hill to go to go fishing and whether fishing or hunting for us to be able to do that we’ve got to have a nice G.M.C. truck like that one they just advertise right because we’ll feel really good about that because we love the outdoors like that guy that advertisement so they play on our desire all I’ve got to have that A.T.V. to be able to get there right on it I mean I’ve got to have that so I’m going to have to work some extra be able to get some money to buy that. They play on or want but we’ve got to learn what is or need and what is or want. The Apostle Paul said of Libyans for ten through thirteen but I rejoice in the war greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again though you surely did care but you lacked opportunity not that I speak in regard to need for I have learned in whatever state I am. To be content. I know how to be abased I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me we can only be content we will never be content until we learn to completely trust in Jesus Christ to provide for our needs he knows what we have need of he knows before we even ask but are we going to trust in him to provide Are we going to trust that he will provide the food that we need it said to be happy with food on the table and roof over your head are we content with that you know if you think about wealth if someone is very wealthy if they had a million dollars they going to be content with that no they’re going to want to if they had ten million dollars But they’re going to be content with that they’re probably going to want twenty. It’s kind of like the the not not speaking of all there are many that are very generous. But some will never be content there are some miserable people out there that are extremely wealthy but they’re miserable and they’re miserable because they don’t know Jesus Christ. Because when you seek after things a world after the things of the world you’re never going to have fulfillment some will say well I would like to have a million tried. I could have fun trying to. One hundred to you have more fun serving the Lord Jesus Christ. And more satisfaction because golly miss with contentment what did it say is great game. Because naked we came into this world and naked we will go out of it because our gain. Is that eternal kingdom and that is where our heart should be where your trader is where your heart is where your treasure is so words our hearts that’s a question today Are we content we content with what the Lord has blessed us with because if we are content then we can live godly lives holy lives Amen.