Proper vs. Improper Pursuits

INTRODUCTION:

Interest:

There are several studies that suggest that all of the wonderful social media that we now have available—Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Snapchat and so forth—that social media is lending to the deep social divisions that we have in our country. The argument goes, that because of social media, we now, more than any time prior in human history, can surround ourselves with voices of people who think like we do while isolating ourselves from voices of people who disagree. We simply do this by following friends on social media. We all tend to have as our closest friends people who share our worldview to a large degree. When we think alike, we tend to gravitate to each other as friends. But now with social media, we can fill up our information intake with these same people. We no longer spend time talking to the neighbors who think differently than we do; we don’t have time for that because we are checking our social media feeds of our friends. We no longer are forced to listen to dissenting views; we can unfriend those views or at the very least exclude them from our newsfeed. Without intending to do so, we naturally create an environment in which our own views about the world are rarely challenged.

Now, I don’t believe social media alone contributes to the great divisions that we have in our country. But it makes sense that it plays a role. That fact highlights how important it is that we take care who we follow on social media; we want to be exposed to people who will correct wrong thinking that we might have and challenge us to grow in our Christian life.

Involvement:

Really, though, the issue of being careful who we follow is not new. Social media has formalized it a bit, but the problem has been around for centuries. It even showed up in the church in Ephesus as we will see in our passage this evening.

Context:

As Paul wraps up his letter to Timothy, he turns back to two dominant themes one final time. He once again focuses on the false teachers who have been plaguing the church in Ephesus and he addresses Timothy’s role in dealing with them on his behalf. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus because the church had lost its ministry focus; the false teachers had so distorted its focus that the church was in danger of losing its gospel mission completely. This is as serious of an issue as a church could face. It isn’t surprising that Paul would leave his young protégé to deal with it.

Preview:

As we look at our verses this evening, we are going to break them into sections. These verses deal with some of the areas that should and should not be pursued in a Christian life. But they do so indirectly as they are really telling us who we should not follow. The way that we are to determine who we should follow is based on observing what potential leaders are pursuing. Applying the main concept of this section to us, we should recognize that We are to take care in choosing who we follow.

God has given leaders to the church. We saw that throughout this letter, with great attention to this truth given in chapter 3. Yet, the situation in the church in Ephesus makes it clear that every person who sets out to be a leader should not be followed—there are some who are false teachers who will lead the church astray.

Transition from introduction to body:

We are to take care in choosing who we follow. Let’s go ahead and read our passage this evening, 1 Tim 6:3–10…<read>

We are to take care in choosing who we follow. In the first part of these verses, verses 3-5, the guideline that we can observe that will help us make our choices about who to follow is that…

BODY:

I. We are to follow those who pursue godliness

Paul really states things in the negative here for Timothy; he gives a description of who should not be followed. We can look at what he says though and flip it around to identify those who we should choose to follow—people that we should accept as leaders. I have used the word “godliness” to summarize the characteristics of these people since that the problem that those Timothy was to warn people away from is summed up as not conforming to godliness at the end of v. 3.

Transition:

We are to follow those who pursue godliness. So…if that is the case, how can we identify who these people might be? Observing a couple of principles from the details that Paul provides in these verses will help. First, we can recognize that…

A. Godliness is developed by sound doctrine

Look at verse 3. The false teachers were defined as those advocating a “different doctrine.” Paul used the same word in chapter 1 verse 3 when he first brought up the false teachers. There was a distinct contrast between what they taught and what Timothy was to teach. What they taught did not agree with the words of “our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, the teaching that came either directly from Jesus or indirectly through His apostles and teachers was not the content of their teaching. Their teaching found it source elsewhere.

Application

Folks, this is another reminder to us that doctrine matters. We are to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what it means to be a Christian. Yet, the only objective thing that we have from our Lord to follow are the words that he left for us—this book. We need to know these words; that’s doctrine. It is only when our lives align to these words that we are conforming to godliness.

Illustration

When my son Daniel was in college, he worked as an intern with MDOT for a couple of summers. One of the jobs that he had was to take concrete samples of sections of highway that were being poured and then transport those samples to a lab where they would be tested. He told me about one area that did not measure up. The contractor had to come in and remove a fairly sizeable section of road and repour. It was important that the concrete met certain specifications, otherwise the concrete would be too brittle and not hold up to the strain imposed by traffic. The concrete had to conform to the concrete specifications in order to be sure that it would perform as it should.

We need to conform to the specifications that God has left us. Do you have a desire for doctrine? Do you seek out the classes that we offer that teach doctrine?

Illustration

I remember one time many years ago when a woman asked me when we were going to have a ladies class again on Sunday morning. I answered, “Why? There is very little in this book that pertains only to women and every class we are offering at the moment is teaching doctrine that women need just as much as men.” Now I will readily admit that my answer was not given in a very gracious tone, but then again, the question had not been worded very graciously; it was clear that she was more concerned about the social benefit of a class than the doctrinal benefit. Yet what we all really need is to learn sound doctrine if we are going to be godly—that is true for men and women. The people that we should be consciously choosing to follow are those who are pursuing godliness through sound doctrine.

Transition:

Godliness is developed by sound doctrine. On the flip-side, though,…

B. Godliness is destroyed by self-interest

The bulk of verses 3-5 is given over to negative examples that have arisen from the false teachings. At the core, though, their issue is one of self-interest; they are “conceited” as Paul characterizes them in verse 4. The term that Paul uses refers to an inflated ego. Think about it; they are claiming the right to teach something different from that which was given by Christ! That is arrogant! To say that they can deviate from or add to that which the Son of God Himself gave is incredible arrogance.

Now, arrogance may not immediately result in self-interest, but it does tend to lead there. Look at where it has led in the lives of these teachers. They have a sickening interest—the word that we have translated as “morbid interest” is a word that means to be physically ill—they have sickening interest in arguments. Rather than the healthy words of pure doctrine, they chase what is unhealthy—engagement in arguments.

Illustration

There is a real warning for of us right here. I believe many of us find ourselves drawn to controversial questions…you maybe even could say that it is a morbid interest. Right now the largest controversies are probably the topics of election fraud and conspiracies or COVID fact vs. fiction. Honestly, how many hours have you spent in the last week following the election questions…or for that matter listening to or repeating arguments for and against COVID policies since March…compared to the hours you have spent with the Word of God? But these are only the most recent examples that 2020 has given flight to. There are always controversial questions. Do you have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels?

You can easily spend your days disputing various questions with other people online. Yet, online is only the most recent platform for such self-indulgence. As soon as the printing press was developed there were tract wars where people would post pamphlets and tracks to dispute with one another. Prior to that, I sure there were gathering places in every village, much like coffee shops around the world still fill daily with people boisterously solving the world’s problem.

The problem is that, as Christians, we are to have a have a different focus—the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ are to be our focus. Undo attention to these endless controversies quite likely reveal a self-interest, we can figure out the truth whereas others can’t.

When this attitude is found in leaders, it quickly can crate all of these other negative outcomes: “envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction.” All of which destroy godliness rather than develop it.

The most revealing aspect of all that the leaders in Ephesus were governed by self-interest is Paul’s final statement tin verse 5 that they supposed that godliness was “a means of gain.” The idea here is that of financial gain. The point has come of several times that church leaders should not be motivated by financial gain. Apparently that was a serious problem when it came to the false teachers.

Illustration

Simon, the magician in Acts 8, wasn’t the only person who looked on Christianity as something that could be exploited for financial gain. The false teachers in Ephesus were as well. And so too are far too many of the big-name TV preachers of today. But this problem isn’t limited to the big-names; little-known preachers can be just as guilty.

Application

The lesson for us is one of caution. We are to be careful who we follow. We are to look for indications of self-interest and when spotted, clue into the fact this person is not someone that our Lord would have us follow. Attempts to achieve financial gain through the ministry is a huge red flag to stay away.

Transition:

Godliness is destroyed by self-interest. That is the flip side of the observation that it is developed by sound doctrine. We are to follow those who pursue godliness. We are to take care in choosing who we follow. Are you allowing godliness to guide you as to who you follow?

In verses 6-10, we see a second guideline is given that can help us determine who to follow;…

II. We are to follow those who pursue contentment

Verse 6 gives a quick clarification to the final statement Paul made in verse 5. He clearly was negative toward those who supposed that godliness was a means of gain—financial gain that is, as I clarified. Yet, the reason that I could clarify that is because of verse 6. We cannot think that godliness itself has no value; otherwise, why pursue it? Paul wants to make sure that we know that godliness itself is of great value, but its value is not financial. The value comes when it is married with contentment.

Illustration

In a lot of ways, I tend to be a rather content person. Yet, I will readily admit that there are a few areas in which I struggle with contentment. I know that because in certain areas I find myself grumbling about my circumstances—grumbling is pretty much the opposite of displaying contentment, by the way. I also find a few areas in which I find myself yearning for things that I don’t have. For example, I already own more books than I can ever read—I know that but that does not stop me for spotting books all the time that I really want to get.

Contentment is difficult. And I’m pretty sure that I am not the only one who struggles with it.

Transition:

Yet we are to follow those who pursue contentment. How can contentment be pursued? Well, again, we can spot a couple of principles in Paul’s instructions to Timothy. First, we can note that…

A. Contentment is developed by satisfaction in necessities

The core idea that Paul points us toward is to distinguish temporal from eternal. Struggles with contentment come when the two are confused, when the temporal becomes the focus. Now, that is not to say that the temporal is completely unimportant; we need things like food and covering to survive. Paul is not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned about necessities in life. But the simple fact of the matter is that we can take nothing with us when we die. That makes efforts to accumulate material things in this temporal life irrelevant. Greed becomes irrational then. It is ridiculous to seek to accumulate something that is fleeting.

Of course, Paul is echoing the same point that the Lord made when he told the disciples during the Sermon on the Mount, ““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)

This really isn’t a hard idea to understand, but that doesn’t mean it is an easy one to live out. Greed comes so natural to us. We want more and more. We fixate on what we want because not having reminds us that we are not the sovereigns of this world, we do not call the final shots in our life. We fixate on what we want because we have learned to indulge the pleasure that comes with feeding our greed. We want what we want because we are sinners.

That is why we must work so hard to develop satisfaction with bare necessities. Satisfaction with necessities will develop a spirit of gratitude within us for everything that goes beyond bare necessities. A spirit of gratitude feeds true contentment.

Application

So, how are you doing? Are you a content person? Are you satisfied with necessities? One way to develop such contentment is to follow those who already have learned such in their own lives. Who do you know that breaths contentment? Thankfully, there are many examples, I believe, within our church. Observe how these people respond to situations that cause you to be discontent. Learn from them how to be content with what you have.

Transition:

We are to follow those who pursue contentment. Contentment is developed by satisfaction in necessities. That is the first principle that can help. Again, though, Paul also shows us the flipside, what can destroy contentment…

B. Contentment is destroyed by the love of money

The love of money. Really, nothing can destroy contentment faster than the love of money.

I expect most of you have heard this before, but I will point it out anyway just to make sure that we are all aware of it. If you look closely at verses 9 and 10, Paul is not renouncing the possession of wealth. In other words, he is not saying it is a problem to be wealthy. The problem lies in the desire for such. The problem lies with the one who wants to get rich. It is the love of money that destroys, not money itself. As one commentator expressed it, “Riches can be the source of much that is good. But the desire for riches … is evil and only that.”

Illustration

Lately, I’ve been watching a documentary on the early capitalist titans of America: men like Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.D Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J. P. Morgan. These men had unbelievable wealth that they transformed into nearly unimaginable influence. Yet, the one thing that comes up consistently in all of their lives is that they never had enough. If they were not the richest man in America, they wanted to become the richest man. If they were the richest man, they wanted to increase their wealth by crushing nearby rivals so as to remain the richest. They were never content. In fact, they would have argued that the very idea of contentment was a weakness. And yet, each of these men have become known for various ruthless activities that they undertook in their pursuit of wealth.

Paul warns that the desire for riches and the pursuit of money will lead to “all sorts of evil.” It functions like a snare that traps people so that before they know it they “plunge into ruin and destruction.” Paul uses a picture there in verse 9 of a trap that causes someone to drown, except that the drowning was into both “ruin and destruction.”

The combination “ruin and destruction” at the end of verse 9 may well be pointing to both present destruction and destruction in eternity. After all, the most extreme fall, what Paul holds out as the crowning example of his argument, are the false teachers who have “wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Illustration

Success can be a very dangerous thing. Normally, I am very happy for people in the church when I hear of various successes that they are having in their work. Occasionally, though, I cringe. I cringe because there are a few people who have begun to wander from a steadfast faith already and I fear that a new success at work will be tempt them to wander further. Someone who begins to miss church or to decline opportunities to serve because they are busier at work, is someone being tempted by riches. I know that the temptation is there and pray that the person will not fall prey to the love of money. I also, sadly, can tell if the person is falling prey to the love of money because inevitably they will become increasingly discontent.

Application

This is probably one of the area where God is calling us a Christians to live most counter-cultural, in our view of money. That message of our culture is that more money produces more contentment. In that documentary of American capitalists that I mentioned, they are held up as heroes of America. Their drive and pursuit is presented as an ideal to aspire toward. We are to want to be like these men. We are to try to follow in their footsteps.

And yet, the Bible clearly tells us that the opposite is the truth, a love of money destroys contentment. We are to follow the example of men who do not love money. God may have blessed some people with money—the OT has many with examples of rich men who were also men of faith, think of Job and Abraham as two examples. God may bless people with money, but a godly person does not have a love for money.

As we prepare to conclude this evening, examine yourself. Where is your life aligned? Have you lined yourself up so that you are following the pattern of those who want more and more? Are you yielding to the temptation to want more money? More things? If so, you will find nothing but discontentment at the end of that path.

Transition from body to conclusion:

Contentment is destroyed by the love of money. We are to follow those who pursue contentment. Contentment is developed by satisfaction in necessities. It is destroyed by the love of money.

CONCLUSION

We are to take care in choosing who we follow. That is the main idea that we can draw from our verses this evening. Through Paul’s letter we can see two guidelines which should help us choose who we follow. We are to follow those who pursue godliness and those who pursue contentment.

Application

Maybe it is time revisit our social media again. We are likely surrounded largely by people who think like we do. Are we surrounded with people who are godly and content? Now, I’m not saying that you should go home this evening and unfriend everyone who doesn’t measure up, who isn’t pursuing godliness and contentment. We likely have several unbelievers who we are in contact with through social media. But…are there ones there who we can follow in a more active manner than just reading about what is happening in their lives? Are there men and women there who we should be following in the sense of allowing their lifestyle to be used by God to guide our lives? Are there men and women there who are truly pursuing godliness and contentment?

Even more importantly, are there men and women that we have relationships with in the real world who we allow God to use to guide us? We are to take care in choosing who we follow.