TRUE CONTENTMENT

We have been in the first letter of Paul to Timothy – learning about our Faith’s Foundation. (1.) Learning of how to prevent the practice of false religion by teaching no other doctrine – 1:3, (2.) Learning the power of God’s grace – 1:14, (3.) That we must be a people of prayer – 2:1 and all according to the will of the Lord – 2:8,
(4.) How to be good leaders and servants – chapter 3, (5.) Exercising ourselves toward godliness – 4:7, (6.) And living honorably toward all – 5:3.

All these lessons require that we are members of the body of Christ, that is members of one another, and that we love God above all, then we love one another before all. In our lesson today we first want to see what doesn’t bring True Contentment and then what does.

Notice with me then in verses 3 through 5 as Paul explains where we don’t find true contentment, or what robs us of true contentment…

AFTER THE HEART OF GOD

In Paul’s sermon at Antioch, he recounts the history of Israel, and refers to the statement made by God concerning David: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” – Acts 13:22. God removed Saul, and raised up David. I have little doubt that if a local congregation is doing the work God has called them to do, that God will bless them, and just the same if a local church does not fulfill its duties, God will remove it. 

What a beautiful hope we have, being upheld by God for walking in His ways, for seeking after His Heart! And this beautiful compliment FROM GOD, “a man after My own heart”, is one that should characterize every soul who wears the name of Christ: a. For David was not only the ancestor of Christ according to the flesh… b. But he possessed many of the attitudes that Were later perfected by Christ, And should characterize all those who are disciples of Christ…

All of chapter 5 through chapter 6 and verse 2, is about living honorably before God.  We have already considered two, how we are to honor widows who are truly widows, and how we are to honor others, older men as fathers, women as mothers and the young as brothers and sisters.

In this lesson First, Paul teaches how we are to act honorably toward those who are elders, overseers of the local church. (5:17-22). Secondly, how we act toward false disciples (5:23-25), and Third, how we act with our employers (6:1-2).

Always in every way to act honorable as God desires in these various life areas. Honoring Your Elders “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine”  (1 Tim. 5:17)…

REASON FOR OUR HOPE
Many today, and over the centuries have dismissed Jesus’ resurrection as a fairy tale or just another story, like Robin Hood, or King Arthur.

And many have been conditioned just not to believe—and there best defense is to remain uninformed.
That is to say—unwilling to look into the subject. But our hope of the resurrection is not without proofs. And these – “proofs” if the subject were anything other that Jesus would be more than sufficient in any court of law.

As Christians we need to be ready to share the proof of the resurrection to any and all people—willing or not world. Here is the proof….

LIVING HONORABLY

1 Timothy 5 is a chapter about Living Honorably. Verse 3 speaks about honor, verse 17 speaks about double honor. Throughout this message I want us to think about the importance of living honorable lives. Today, more than ever, we need to honor others, teach our children and grandchildren to live honorably. 

 Honoring doesn’t stop at the door of the building—God wants us to live honorably, and to extend honor to all. So then, with that under our belt, we begin at verses 1 and 2 with the idea of Honoring Each Other – “1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.” (1 Tim. 5:1-2)

 I don’t know about you all—but when was young speaking to my father or my mother in a disrespectful tone—was met with a severe and immediate rebuke—which included a corrective rod. Consider the significance, and the warnings in these two scriptures as we expound on the idea of living honorably. “You are to rise in the presence of the elderly and honor the old. Fear your God; I am the LORD.”  (Lev. 19:32, CSB)…

YOUR WONDERFUL WORKS

Years ago, when I was a younger boy, I would camp in the mountains of California. Gazing up into the infinite and deep night sky, without lights from the city, the glory of God’s handy work is expressly seen.
I remember the stars, and how they moved me to marvel. It wasn’t for another 20 years before I understood, God Made this, and God made me.

David wrote: “Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Psa. 40:5).

Paul told the church at Rome, “so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:5), so then, as “members of one another”, we all need to strive to strengthen one another daily as much as we can. Brethren, if we break that connection we have—the church falters and over time if not corrected the church dies. It is critical that we understand we are saints and members of the household of God. (Ephesians 2:19). We must search the scriptures our whole life time and what you will not find is any teaching of isolationism.

Exercise Yourself – Timothy, don’t waste time with pointlessness rather train yourself in godliness. That requires exercising our minds – in the word of God. Notice the pattern: V.6 Paul says, “Instruct”, then v.7 “Reject and exercise”. Teach them, reject their foolish talk, and make yourself strong in the word of God. Most certainly needed in our time as well. There are so many who teach false things, wasting so much time in pursuit of endless speculations. Let’s consider some…

Consider verse 6 where Paul says, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.” (1 Tim. 4:6-7).

Exercise Yourself – Timothy, don’t waste time with pointlessness rather train yourself in godliness. That requires exercising our minds – in the word of God. Notice the pattern: V.6 Paul says, “Instruct”, then v.7 “Reject and exercise”. Teach them, reject their foolish talk, and make yourself strong in the word of God. Most certainly needed in our time as well. There are so many who teach false things, wasting so much time in pursuit of endless speculations. Let’s consider some…

The life of a Christian in the Bible is often described as a walk.

In Paul’s writing to the church at Ephesus one key word is the word “Walk”. Walking suggests our daily manner of behavior, or the mannor in which we live from day to day. In Ephesians 5:1-3 Paul wrote, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;” (Eph. 5:1-3).

Therefore the following are some ways that Christians are to walk. We begin with we are to, walk in good works…