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Sermon Outline
Text: 1 Tim 6:3-21
March Madness
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Only reason I watched – looking for sermon illustration
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Mercer
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David and Goliath
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Jabari Parker lost, Andrew Wiggins lost
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Kevin Canevari – Mercer dancer extraordinaire
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Bball – bench player – they are not that good
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Christian – bench player – playing the role of Christian vs. actually playing in the game
Thesis: Paul’s exhortation at the end of the letter – brothers and sisters, it’s time to get into the game. This is not March Madness. This is life and death. Eternity hangs in the balance. We need to fight for what is real.
True Doctrine vs False Doctrine
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v3 – true doctrine promotes godliness
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v4-5 – what is godliness? 1 Tim 3:16
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What does false doctrine promote?
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v5 – “godliness” as a means for material gain
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v6 – godliness with contentment – godliness is an end in itself
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True gospel – being with Jesus and becoming like Jesus in the process is the end goal of your life
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False gospel – uses “godliness” as a means to some other end
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In this case, using godliness as a means to material gain
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Pastor of largest Pentecostal church in the world in South Korea (one million members) – accused of embezzling $12 million from his church
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v6-8 – food + clothing = contentment
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Do we live this way?
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Were babies born with smartphones in their hands? When we die, will we take our 401K with us?
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No mention of American Dream
2 Masters
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Matt 6:24 – God or Money
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Money is a neutral word – you can have a lot of it or a little of it
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v9-10 – love of money is the problem
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v10 – “Craving” – eating foods – craving outweighs actual experience
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Think of your favorite meal: starve yourself all day, so hungry, eat a few bites and the law of diminishing returns hits.
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Longing for food is better than food itself.
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At the end of the meal, you feel nasty and you think, I don’t need to eat that for another year.
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Psalms – hunger and thirst for God
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Dangerous to crave money over God
What does love of money lead to?
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v10 – worst possible outcome – wandering away from faith
How does a love of money lead to a wandering away from the faith?
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It happens very gradually. Small steps.
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v17 – arrogance
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v17 – transfer of hope
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v17 – forget the Giver of money
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It’s my money, I earned it
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Kids – it’s mine – technically not true – parents paid for it
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Teach kids to say thank you
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Teach adults to say thank you to God
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He gave you your parents, gene pool, IQ, opportunities – everything is from God
Two wrong attitudes toward money
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Loving money is wrong
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Another wrong attitude is to say, money doesn’t matter at all
You have both attitudes in 1 Tim 5
First, loving money
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1 Tim 5:3-8
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Question arose – which widows should get supported by the church?
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Context is financial support for the widows – married women who are now single
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Times have changed, but back in the first century, men were the primary breadwinners
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Husband dies – surviving widow suffered greatly financially
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A genuine widow – no surviving family, not just husband, no children, no grandchildren
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Their attitude toward money – it’s my money, unwilling to share with their own family – Paul says, these guys are worse than an unbeliever
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Our attitude toward money is a big deal
Second, in 1 Tim 5, you also have the attitude of those who say, money, who cares?
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1 Tim 5:9-16
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If you are a widow who is at least 60 years old AND v10 – you have raised kids, shown hospitality to strangers, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted and you have a proven track record of doing good works, then and only then you are eligible to receive money from church.
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Who should NOT be on the official support list of the church?
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Younger widows
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Why? They lack a proven track record of good works. Character.
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Instead, their behavior reveals a questionable character. Idle, gossips, busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say. Slander. Cause disunity.
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Same thing happened at the church at Thessalonica
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What’s their attitude toward money? Irresponsible. Money is not important. God will provide.
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They burdened others. Let them work so that you can sit at home and lounge around.
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If you are a younger widows, don’t be a burden to the church.
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Go get a job, if possible, get married, learn how to sacrifice and deny yourself by raising kids, be well known for good works even toward those outside of your immediate family.
Testimony
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Used to think that money doesn’t matter
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Easy to say when you have none
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Graduated before the dotcom bubble burst – Onflow, Caregiverzone, Kivera, missions was hard, what could have been
What should our attitude toward money be?
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Thank God, the Giver – grace
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v17 – “uncertainty of wealth” – God may take it away
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Don’t put ultimate hope in money
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v18-19 – Since it is a gift, money is not something to be hoarded but it is a God-given tool to bless others
How should we use our money?
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v18 – do what is good
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v18 – be RICH in good works
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v18 – be generous
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v18 – willing to share
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v19 – storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come
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v19 – take hold of life that is real
Real life vs. false life
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v17 – loving money, craving money – produces arrogance
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v19 – take hold of life that is REAL – odd phrase
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v19 – “age to come” – In a deep and profound way, this life is a dress rehearsal for the life to come.
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A love for money is just one indicator of a person who is living a false life
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Why is the issue more than just money? Because v11 – run from THESE things (plural)
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Run from disputes and arguments over words (v4), envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions (v4) and constant disagreement (v5)
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v4 – conceited person understands NOTHING
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Deeper issue is pride
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What do you take pride in? What do you hold onto in order to feel proud? It doesn’t have to be money. Intelligence. Degrees. A title of “doctor” in front of your name.
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Luke 1:46-55 – Mary’s Magnificat – Luke 1:51- imaginary world of pride
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Spiritual life vs physical life
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Real life vs false life
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False life or physical life – earthbound, hope is here and now, imaginary, based on one’s pride
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Real life or spiritual life – heavenward, living for the age to come, true, based on humility, hungers and thirsts for godliness/Jesus and becomes increasingly godly or like Jesus
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Real life – godliness with contentment is great gain
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Jesus plus nothing is everything
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You have everything but no Jesus and you have nothing
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Scary – start in faith and end in sight
Need to fight for what is Real
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v11-12
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Fight for your soul
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Satan is trying everything he can to trip us up
What does it look to fight for your soul?
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Two steps: 1) run from and 2) run to
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What are we to run from? Run from disputes and arguments over words (v4), envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions (v4) and constant disagreement (v5)
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Run from the love of money.
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Love from anything that may cause you to be proud.
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A proud life is a false life. Run from these things – step 1.
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Step 2 – what are we to run to? Pursue godliness. Pursue Jesus. Run to Jesus.
What are our weapons? Prayer and God’s Word. Fight to keep these things as the main things of your life.
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Invest in the age to come.
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Your spiritual life is more real than March Madness, grad school admission, finding a spouse, how much you make
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Every day we are battling for souls, starting with our own
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Take hold of eternal life, life that is real
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Hunger for Jesus.
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Crave for Jesus.
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Thirst for Jesus.
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Let Him satisfy you.
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He won’t disappoint you.
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Don’t settle for counterfeits.
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Godliness with contentment is great gain. Only Jesus.
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This is real life.
End with Prayer from 1 Tim 6:13-16