Day 1
1 Timothy 6
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment
Verse 17th is a way of summarizing what Paul has been telling timothy for five chapters.
First, he says the words he is going to give are so important that they are not just for preaching; you are to command people to do them . In other words, tell people, if they are really Christians, it will be expected of them to do what Paul is teaching .
So, he starts by saying: if you are blessed materially, in terms of this present world’—because others may be richer spiritually than you’—number one, avoid arrogance. When we talk about arrogance, I think we are talking about people who look down on others and throw their wealth to their face.
Some people are accused that when they are rich and have started driving, they will come driving behind you, and while they are near you, they will splash the road water so that you are left wet and dirty. That’s what we call arrogance. Instead of slowing down’—because he is afraid of the water splashing on others he just drives carelessly. Going slowly cannot affect them much. He wants to splash them with water ?. That’s what we are calling arrogance. Brother Paul is telling Timothy: command those who are well-to-do in your congregation that that kind of arrogance does not show Christianity. You must command them or demand of them to be courteous to all.
But secondly, he is telling timothy, ‘”These people who are wealthy, and who put hope in wealth must change.'” In other words, when you are poor, much easier to trust in God. You have no where else to trust.
But When God has blessed you with worldly goods, you tend to feel like, Yeah, at least that risk can’t touch me. Like a friend of mine, because of having a medical cover that is without limit, he feels, ‘”Ah, I can’t fear diseases. If I have a disease, I simply go to the very best doctor in this country. Or Out of the country.'”
If they put their health hope on a medical cover, Paul is telling Timothy to tell them, they are lost. Because you see, doctors and hospitals can treat; only God can heal. God at times uses doctors to heal but can do it without them.So how would you trust an instrument that somebody uses, and he might decide not to use it? Why not rather trust the person themselves? If God is a healer, why are you going to trust yourself into something or somebody who can let you down? He is saying, ‘”Yeah, you are wealthy, but remember: wealth cannot do several things, including giving you health.'”
Day 2
1 timothy 6
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
I ask you another question: can wealth give you peace? No. In fact, many wealthy people are looking for even more wealth, and they are hurt that somebody else has become even wealthier than them. They can’t sleep at night. So, that is their problem giving them no peace. If you want to sleep, the Bible says He gives to His beloved sleep. Do not assume that because you are living in a better house, sleeping in a better bed, eating better food, then you lie in bed, that sleep automatically comes. Many, many people have to use medicine to sleep. That’s a way of God reminding us: it’s not wisdom to put your trust in wealth, or the things wealth can buy. So, don’t put your hope there. Hope in God, who can actually use your wealth or anything else to give you what it is you are looking for in life.
So, they are taught it’s not simply evil to be arrogant; it’s also in your heart to put hope on it. Because nobody else will know that if you actually put your trust in wealth, you will be misled on your own.
Thirdly, please remember why you should not put on wealth is because wealth is uncertain.
What does Paul mean when he says that wealth is uncertain? several things I think he might mean. One is that something could happen and, all of a sudden, your house burns down; and the insurance company itself collapses. Exactly what happened to Job of the bible. One moment he is the richest man the East; the next one is a pitiful sight. So, can you see why wealth is not something that can be trusted? It’s because it can get lost very easily. It’s like a bird landed on you, and when you are telling to admire it ‘—look at the bird! Now, it just flies away. That can happen to wealth. That makes it uncertain.
I think it’s also uncertain, not just because it can fly away, but because it may not give you what you were predicted to have given you. Maybe as you are working very, very hard, you are hoping that once you are wealthy, everybody will elect you, everybody will appreciate you, everybody will be talking great of you. But sometimes, because of the route you took to get rich, people envy you, but they don’t respect you. You can see how uncertain wealth is. You worked hard to get there, now you are there, but it’s actually not giving you what you hoped you could have.
Thirdly, why is wealth uncertain? Because you can’t prove that because you now have wealth, you will get all things you actually need out of wealth. Why is wealth uncertain? Because all you need is to make a decision about an investment’¦then the investment turns out to be a liability that clears all that you have ever owned. And it was your own decision, but it has backfired. So, Timothy has been told: please command them to know that wealth is uncertain.
Fourthly, they are told: instead of putting your hope in wealth, put your hope in God. That you feel tempted to put trust in your friends now that you have rich friends; or you feel tempted to put it on your properties. If you are wise, you will put hope in God. Why? Because all the things you are saying about wealth don’t happen to God. God is constant. He owns everything in the world. He created it.
Day 3
1 timothy 6
19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
And then he says, ‘”He richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.'” In other words, even if wealth was to run away and become poor, God, if you hope in Him, is able to provide you with what you need to live an enjoyable life. That’s why you find some poor people really enjoying their lives, really happy in their lives, yet they don’t have very much. Why? It is God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. So do you want to enjoy life? Put your hope in God. Whether you are rich or you are poor, whether you are short or tall, whether you are beautiful or ugly, put your trust in God. That will be very important to remember if you want to enjoy this life and the next.
So you can see the kind of things that Timothy is being told to teach and command are very important for us also today. He wants the Christians to live a life of enjoyment. But he wants them to know: you do not get it because I gave you money or I gave you wealth. Even when I have not given you wealth, I will still give you enjoyment.
Then in verse 18, he now tells them how to behave.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Yes ‘”Command them to do good.'” Now that you have wealth and you have many things others may not have, use it for good reasons. You should be happy that the things God has given you are proving very useful to many people elsewhere. Use your wealth for good. Use your time for good. Use your assets for good . Use your giftings to do good to others.
So you need to ask yourself, now that God has kept increasing your wealth, have you increased good you do for others? And here we are not just talking about your children and your wife or your husband. We are talking about people who cannot repay you. You are just being good, just like God is good to everyone.
So, you are being taught: if you really want enjoy the wealth, remember the enjoyment God is the one giving not wealth. He expects you to do good with your wealth as he helps you enjoy life.
Number two, He expects you to be rich in good deeds. In other words, you don’t just do good to others; but your behavior must be holy and righteous, and that it honors Him. So the way he put it, the language he uses is’—you are rich in good deeds. You don’t just do a few good deeds. You are a man of many good deeds. You are a woman of many good deeds. So we could say you are rich in good deeds. You are not helping just one or two people.do pople wonder ‘¦ Has he ever done anything good? No, there is plenty. You are rich in terms of the good deeds that you are doing for others to Gods glory. You are rich in good deeds. Could that be said of you? That you are rich in good deeds?
Then he goes on to say that if you really want this life of enjoyment, God is promising you, be generous. Generous means if somebody asks you for a pen, you might give a pen and a rubber. That way you are generous. Generous means sometimes you see people’s needs and they don’t ask you for anything but you just feel it in your heart you need to help. You want to be good to them and so you are generous. People call you generous because people don’t have to pry things out of you. You give freely and generously.
Day 4
1 timothy 6
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge
Then he goes on to say that what you would expect of you is that you are willing to share what you have. You are not just trying to amass wealth. You are also willing to share. So that means that people that are with you are likely to want to be with you because they know you are not mean. You are willing to share.
That is the list of what pastors must teach.Why is that long list of the things that should be taught? Why the long list? In verse 19 we are told the reason.
19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
When you live the kind of life you are living that has just been described, God is promising that your benefits are not just for this life. Although He has already promised in this life you will enjoy, He is also saying it’s like you are banking. You seem to be using money freely but in the process, it’s like you are investing for heaven. You are laying up treasure for yourself as a firm foundation for the coming age. Life after death will be richer because of what you did with your giftings.
the scriptures teach that going to heaven, is only by grace not works. But in heaven there will also be rewards for people who serve God. I think that’s the meaning of “you are laying your treasure for the coming age.” Yes, you are saved by grace by what Christ accompanied on the cross. But there will be rewards in heaven for those who performed well on earth. So you are being taught although saved by grace serve God with the giftings he has given you. Please, don’t be idle here on earth. There is a heaven to come. So use whatever gift God has given you as a way of laying up treasure for the coming age.
And you should always be thinking that this earth is not final, there is a heaven to go to. In that way, ‘”you may take hold of the life that is truly life.'” Paul seems to be saying when you are clear about heaven and you follow the thing he has been teaching you, you will enjoy even this life but also heaven. You will live real life here on earth. That’s the way he calls it. His ‘”life that is truly life.'” When you live for God, when you live to honor God, then you live a life that is real life. That means you can be alive but you are not living truly life.
Let me just repeat what Paul says: ‘”So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.'” Are you living a life that is truly life? A life that honors God is truly life. A life that is saving up for heaven is truly life. A life that is impacting other people generously because of the gift God has given you, I think, is what he is calling truly life. And you need to ask yourself: is that the kind of life you are living or not today? Life that is truly life.
I hear Jesus saying something similar in John chapter 10 when He is talking about life with abundance. That’s what He promises. Life with abundance. In other words, there are people who are living but not in abundance. When you truly are living a life that is truly life, then you are living a life of abudance… you enjoy yourself. You face challenges yes. I guess he is not saying you are not going to be facing challenges, but somehow because of your outward look,or heavenly look, you are able to see the few challenges of this earth are so minor that you still look up to heaven and you are able to have a positive look at the challenges you are facing in this life. that way they are troubling you. So is that what you are doing? Can you say you are living this life that is truly life?
Day 5
1 timothy 6
21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
Finally Timothy also is addressed with his fellow pastors.this is not just what you tell people, but for himself. And he is told several things.
‘”Guard what has been entrusted to your care.'”
Guard what has been entrusted to your care as a Christian. the mission you have been given, for example, as a pastor in Ephesus, as a bishop of the surrounding churches. Guard everything else which been entrusted to your care.
And I think the same thing he is telling all of us: think about the gift, live out the giftings of God in your life. Think about your calling,or your life’s purpose. Then Guard it. don’t be pulled aside by other attractions. No, no, no. Guard your calling. Take care of it.
Why should you guard it?
Because you can very easily be derailed. You need to guard it well intentionally. Guard what has been entrusted to your care with all you have . Who has entrusted it to you? God, who called you. That’s why we call it life’s calling. So it’s important for all of us to know our life’s calling, then guard it, stick with it. Don’t get attracted outside your calling.
Number two, Timothy is being told: ‘”Turn away from godless chatter.'”
Godless chatter? Yeah, you know we get involved in all kinds of funny discussions. When you ask yourself, ‘”Does this honor God?'”you wonder!!
We argue It’s a way of relaxing, but is there a way you can relax without becoming godless? Turn away from godless chatter is commanded to all Christian leaders. So when you are sometimes telling a few white lies and exaggerations, and it’s supposed to be just a joke’—I think that’s a godless chatter. Paul is saying, ‘”Hmm, Timothy, if you are going to set an example, the way I told you, to all people around you, then it doesn’t mean you don’t talk in a relaxed manner, but let it not be godless.'” Godless chatter is to be avoided . in other words, God is not in that talk.
Thirdly, you must be careful and ‘”turn away from the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge.'”
Don’t just be interested in new ideas’—one new idea after another new idea’—falsely called knowledge. No, don’t get interested in that idea of knowing even things that have no use to know and you call it knowledge. Turn away from it.
That means, keep off certain people… talking some theologies that don’t make sense biblically. YET they are debating it very strongly. They debate , ‘”How many angels can stand at the point of a needle?'” What are the consequences of that? How does it improve anybody’s life? How is it helpful to you and to others? That kind of thing is shown by others to be knowledge, but Paul saying, ‘”Please turn away.'” These are opposing… ideas of what is falsely called knowledge. What are they opposing? Opposing godliness, opposing what Timothy have just been taught. That’s what they are opponents of truth. There is a group like that in some churches. The instructions here is to turn away from them. Turn away from their discussions . And you need to ask yourself, are you involved in that?
Day 6
Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
You know the reason why you are being told to turn away from them: ‘”some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.'”
That attraction to discuss nothingness, godless chatter, false knowledge, will easily remove you from the truth, from the faith in Christ Jesus. That will subsequently give you a lot of trouble. so don’t think it is okay to just sit and discuss nothingness.
So finally, ask yourself: are you rich in this present age?
I think you think about the perspective where you are more interested in what you get now than heaven outlook. avoid’—haughtiness or arrogance’—yeah, we have to admit that pride is a constant danger, especially when you are doing well financially. Financially you start thinking, I am more important than others because I have more material things than others. then of course, like we saw earlier, you start trusting in these uncertain riches instead of trusting in God. God knows human beings have a tendency to trust in the things God has given them instead of trusting the God who gave them. you start trusting material things. That’s a danger you must be very careful to avoid.
So concentrate on being a giver, doing good with your resources, and that as you concentrate on being generous, you will not have time for materialism and trusting riches.
You know, many think the main reason for giving unto the Lord is because the church needs money. Giving helps you yourself to be relieved of self-centeredness or hoping in wealth. As you give it away, you are giving away your hope, and that forces you to trust in God.
So the most important reason we give money to God’s work is because you need to grateful for Gods gifts. It’s God who has given you. He expects you to also give it away. And that will help you every time you give to God’s work because you know He is not trading with you… you are not giving expecting that because you have given there must get something in monetary form back. But God gave you in the first place.
It helps you to trust in God. Actually, if you don’t give to God’s work, you are soon going to be storing up for yourself wrongly. But when you give to God’s work, you are storing up for heaven.
Day 7
James 5:3
Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days
And you know, in the process, like we saw earlier, you are aiming at eternal life. Leave the pursuit of money aside; instead, be content with your work as a minister of the gospel. This is what is derailing a lot of pastors, when they want to drive a better car than the church members who are working, who… who were bought the car by employer. Your hand is not big enough to lay hold of both … money and Mormon. So since you can only have one, why don’t you hold on to eternity one?
Someone has said..: ‘”It is evident that if he lays hold on eternal life, he will have to fight for it. And that if he has to fight, he can only fight by laying hold upon eternal life with tenacious grip.'”
Those are wise words that we need to follow. And both as the old paul, is teaching lovingly to his son, you must distinguish between what comes from God and what comes from this world. What comes from God is what God has entrusted you with. What comes from from man, is idle babbling. I think it’s important to then know: whatever God has given you, He expects you to guard.
But let’s be clear, Paul is not telling Timothy all these things because he doesn’t trust him, I believe. He mentored him well; he had confidence that Timothy would accomplish what was God’s calling on him. But Paul also knows how great a seduction power can be. Have you ever heard of Shakespeare who said, ‘”Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'”? paul is aware of this. That’s why he’s taking time to warn Timothy. He’s thinking of him having to struggle with wealth, having to struggle with fame, especially as a pastor, and its power of seduction. So be warned, even you. be warned about power and wealth attracting you away from Godliness. So guard it. Be careful. Once you know you can lose something, then you’re very careful how you put it. You even record where you hid it.
The gospel ministry is a trust committed to any one of us Christian leaders, just like it was committed to Timothy. And when that trust is broken, then Paul warns: some have broken that trust and ruined their faith. We must do all that we can to keep the trust that God has given us, rather than think that there are things we can do differently.
May the Lord help us to, like Timothy, understand the do’s and don’ts, if you want a life of enjoyment, in this life and in the life to come.