Sermon Tone Analysis

Dupe, Con, and Manipulate

What can get you?

An investment strategy?

An infomercial for . . .

Kitchen utensils

Vitamins

Diet hack

Exercise miracle?

A charmer?

Read:

False Teachers

This is a core theme in Paul’s letter to Timothy

What is a false teacher like?

Teach different doctrine

Devoted to myths, genealogies, speculations, deceitful spirits, teaching of demons

Vain discussions, False Godliness through Legalism.

Wander or Depart from the faith

What we are to be like:

Practice Godliness and Stewardship from God.

What Paul writes to Timothy in our passage today is a reminder, that all that was discussed in the previous section of the letter, from appropriate worship, offices of leadership, and our roles in church community, can be led astray by false teaching that draws on our desires and distracts from our walk of faith.

Let’s look at our passage as Paul continues to warn Timothy about these false teachers.

A selfish motive

First off they have disagreed with Jesus.

That means that their life is not in line with but is opposed to the things of God.

They are proud and in their pride they bring destruction and disunity.

We see this warning earlier in the qualifications of an elder.

What was the condemnation of the Devil?

He thought he knew better than God and God cast him out of his presence.

So, along with ungodly teaching and pride, we have Greed.

Now this greed is broader than desire for financial gain.

Although our passage will get into that.

This is the person who wants to use God to get power, recognition, wealth, influence, and the list goes on.

Godliness with Contentment

Paul repudiates this way of thinking in the following verse.

What does this contentment look like?

In the Lord’s Prayer:

Give us this day our daily bread.

I am concerned with my God’s provision of my needs, not my wants.

In Jesus Teaching:

I have a God who is trustworthy so I can seek him and his kingdom and not be trapped by the desires of the world.

In Paul’s Teaching:

In seasons of abundance and in seasons of struggle, we are content because we have Christ.

Look at what Paul said again.

It is not about just contentment alone.

I am not to willpower my way into a false ascetic holiness.

It is not just about the appearance of godliness for the sake of getting something out of it.

It is godliness with contentment that is gain.

I think these verses describe well the gain of godliness with contentment:

A Warning

This desire is linked back to the false teachers.

They decided to use “Christianity” as a means for selfish gain.

This desire to be wealthy is a desire that supplants ones desire for godliness.

It is a question of masters.

As we talked about last week, are you a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness?

Please note that this verse does not say that money is the root of all evil.

You do not need to run away from money, burn money that’s given to you or otherwise refuse to participate in the economy.

It says that the LOVE of money is the root of all KINDS of evil.

As we discussed last week, human trafficking is a prime example.

Gambling away God’s provision for your family.

Manipulating the church by threatening to withhold giving.

Spending all you have on pleasure.

None of these keep God’s kingdom first.

Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount:

This implies a clear choice to seek God’s kingdom first in everything.

It is not teaching that wealth is bad all by itself.

But the pursuit of wealth and the clinging to wealth, in the place of godliness with contentment, will lead to destruction.

Godliness with contentment is gain.

It is not a means to gain.

Have you bought into any lies about false godliness?

Have you added anything on top of your walk with God.

When you read those words of Jesus and think about taking up your cross . . .

What is it that God is asking you to put down so you can?

As we turn to communion . . .