Handling Treasure and Truth

Introduction:

Today we come to the close of our journey through the book of 1 Timothy. We’ve titled our study “House Rules” because in our time together we have seen how God expects the church to look and behave. We’ve seen areas where our local church is doing really well and I think we’ve seen some areas where we need to adjust course in order to become more biblical. Our final text in 1 Timothy will be no different. It contains another strong charge from the aged Apostle Paul to his young protege regarding how he is to instruct those in the church who are wealthy regarding the handling of their earthly treasure for God’s glory and how Timothy as a pastor should handle the truth he’s been entrusted with to God’s glory.

Paul ends his Epistle by giving Timothy three principles to teach the wealthy people in Ephesus how to handle their treasure and that he could apply to himself about handling the truth.

There is a :

Danger to avoid (v.17 & 20b)

Duty to Fulfill. (v.18 &20a)

Development to consider. (v.19&21)

1. A Danger to Avoid. (v.17, 20b-21)

Both in vs 17 and in the second part of vs. 20 we see Paul lay out a command to Timothy regarding his teaching ministry.

A.) Instruct the rich. (vs.17)

Before we get into the instructions that Timothy was supposed to teach the rich, we need to define just who the “rich” are.

Rich- ① pert. to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience.

② pert. to being plentifully supplied with something

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 831.

Those who are rich are not just those with expensive homes or the most possessions, but those who have more than the basic essentials of food, shelter, and clothing. In today’s world they are people who have discretionary dollars. I’d venture to say that applies to nearly all believers in the western world.

I also want you to notice that Paul doesn't tell Timothy that those who are rich are somehow sinning just because they have more than others. He doesn't tell them that in order to be right with God they should sell everything and go into poverty. No, what he does instead is caution them to have a roper perspective on the handling of their earthly treasure.

There are two dangers that Timothy was commanded to instruct those who were rich to avoid.

1.) Avoid being proud and arrogant.

Our world system values money above anything else. So much so that those who have an abundance of it are lifted up on a pedestal. The danger in placing a person on a pedestal is that if they are not careful they can be consumed with pride and arrogance thinking they deserve to be on that pedestal. They become high minded and begin to look down on those who have less in this world.

So, Paul tells Timothy to remind them to check their pride and arrogance and to practice humility.

Romans 12:3 NKJV

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

2.) Avoid trusting your riches over God.

Riches are always uncertain. Economies fluctuate, crisis develop and markets respond. Even things like disease or an accident can suddenly eat away at wealth.

Money can be here today and gone tomorrow. But God never changes.

Malachi 3:6 NKJV

6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Scripture tells us in James 1:17 that

James 1:17 NKJV

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

It is God who provides every good thing we have in this life so its on him alone where we must place our trust

B.) Turn away from false doctrine. (v.20b-21)

Notice the description he gives to false doctrine:

Profane- worldly, godless, irreverent talk.

Idle babblings- That which has no value. Empty meaningless talk.

Contradictions- Inconsistent.

He says these things are “…falsely called knowledge.”

He is instructing Timothy to stay away from the false knowledge of men. To stay away from those things that contradict God’s Word and the deity of Christ.

God’s people are not to have anything to do with the false knowledge of men, if it contradicts the truth of God’s word, we are not give it any credence. we are to avoid it at all cost.

2. A Duty to Fulfill. (v.18, 20a)

Not only do the rich believers in Ephesus and Timothy as their pastor have dangers to avoid, they both also have Duties they need to fulfill.

A.) Tell the rich to do good. (v.18)

It is far more important for those who have wealth to be abound in good works than to abound in account balances.

Far to often, those with the most give the least. But this is contrary to how God expects his children to live. Believers are to do our best to meet the needs of others, even if that means sacrifice.

If God has blessed you with wealth, and being born in the US, he has, he didn't give it to you to hoard or spend on self indulgence, He has given it to you to further his kingdom and serve others.

Galatians 6:10 NKJV

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

God has given to you in order that you may give to meet the needs of his church and other people. And there is a beautiful principle that works in your favor as we do so.

Luke 6:38 NKJV

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

B.) Guard the truth deposit. (v.20a)

The phrase “was committed to your trust” is one word in greek and it means to deposit or trust to another.

Paul is commanding Timothy to Guard the “truth deposit”.

Picture a a diligent banker who looks after the money deposited into his care.

There is a deposit of truth that has been given to every minister and child of God that we need to guard and look after.

The minister of God must never shirk from his duty to declare the truth that God has placed into his hands. We’ve been entrusted with the glorious gospel of God and his Son, the Lord Jesus.

Throughout history God’s church has clung to the truth amid persecution and attack. Countless martyrs have paid the ultimate price for us to have the truth today. We cannot abandon or compromise that deposit in anyway.

We must plant our flag on the truth of God’s Word and not waiver in anyway. It is the Job of the pastor to lead and teach his people in this endeavor.

3.) A Development to Consider. (v.19, 21)

Not only do the rich believers in Ephesus and Timothy as their pastor have dangers to avoid, and duties they need to fulfill. But, they also have developments to consider.

A.) The rich can store treasure in heaven. (v.19)

Matthew 6:20 NKJV

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Luke 12:33–34 NKJV

33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The only way we can lay hold of eternal life (live to the fullest) is to give life to those who are dying in the sins and deprivations of the world. When we use our riches as a tool to carry the Gospel we send treasure ahead of us into heaven in the form of souls. This is the only treasure we can take with us beyond this world.

B.) Apostasy is all to common. (v.21)

I said this a few weeks ago, but the saddest thing about those who go off into apostasy and turn from the truth, is that they are never happy to do so alone.

The only way to truly protect yourself from going into apostasy is to:

Believe God’s Word.

Honor God’s Word.

Love God’s Word.

Obey God’s Word.

Proclaim God’s Word.

Defend God’s Word.

Study God’s Word.

The only way not to give heed to false teaching is to know God’s Word through and through.

Conclusion:

Paul closes 1 Timothy with a phrase he uses over and over again,

“Grace be with you.” This is plural and goes beyond just Timothy alone and extends to the entire congregation in Ephesus/ All Christians everywhere have to avoid the dangers of pride, to guard the truth, to do good, to tell others about Jesus, and to know God’s Word through and through.