The Book of 1 Timothy - Step Away!, Part 2

Imagine with me for a second year in heaven standing before the God of the universe and we ask you what did you do with the life that I gave you. How would you answer, let me remind you this isn't hypothetical.

We will all answer this question today I want to help you give a good answer today with thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges and international discipleship helping Christians live like Christian just a minute, you will wrap up this new series with two of his message from first Timothy chapter 6, last time Chip unpacked for us the importance of knowing your weaknesses guarding against false teaching in this program is on one major issue that often poisons her motives and pulls us away from God.

If you're ready to learn what that is.

Let's join Chip as he begins his talk in first Timothy chapter 6 verse 15, he was blessed and the only sovereign the King of Kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see him be honor and eternal dominion forever and then almost like an afterthought. He said okay Timothy you understand right member my coaching to Timothy you need understand your opponent is a pastor 10 years when I thought there was God against Satan. That's how the Bible teaches going to Jesus, there's two gods me and Mammon. Materialism, wealth, money, and Satan uses that to save money will make you secure money will make you famous money will give you happiness money will make you significant and what he saying to Timothy is poor. There is a trap because the other God. Money is always screaming money changes how you view and think about life, the future and yourself and especially other people and and money can give give you the sense that there are other people and then there's you. We all want to be really really pretty well really only be rich. We all really want to be famous so liar the prettiest people in the richest people in the most famous people behind large, they can't have a happy sustained relationship.

They find themselves putting white powder up their nose and and living for a group of people and fans that tomorrow.

It'll just be someone else and they don't care but he doesn't throw wealthy people under the bus. What he does is address the desires behind unhealthy wealth. The pierces and ruined your life, so he ends it in such a positive way.

He says instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy and if there weren't wealthy people in the world, we would not be sitting in this room who under right tremendous amounts of things for ministries who employ hundreds of thousands and millions of people because of their business acumen and their hard work and the companies and the things that have come about as wealth. They just have a level of challenge and temptation and responsibility that most of us don't have and just like God hold me accountable for my teaching God hold you accountable for your life and your God holds them accountable for the judgment seat looks like this.

It's just you and Jesus. What did you do with the time I gave you what did you do with the money I gave you what did you do with the opportunity that I gave you life is a stewardship and when we stand before God. It won't be mean, thank heavens, you don't get like compared to other people and he doesn't grade on the curve. He's the revealer of hearts. He knows the spiritual gifts in the passions and the abilities and the intelligence he wired you in a certain way and the judgment seat of Christ, for believers will not be for our sin. Jesus took that judgment force. It'll be for what did you do with what I gave you and so he says to rich people just instruct them.don't be proud. In other words, don't trust in you riches but on God and don't trust you riches because they're unreliable. But he says instead instruct them to do good to be rich in good works to be generous and ready to share storing up. I love this for themselves. Treasurer of a good foundation for the future purpose clause so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. I love the translation of the life that's really life Timothy protect what's been entrusted to avoid worldly chatter.

The opposing arguments what's falsely called knowledge were some have professed, and thereby have gone astray from the faith he started there, he ends there, and I think the truth I mean the just screens coaching nugget is keep the commandment without stain or approach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which she will bring about the proper time. He is coming back. He who is blessed the King of Kings bowl Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light.

Live your life in a way that pleases him in a way that pleases him in one word.

If you trace it to this whole book is be godly right in our response is the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many Greeks might just circle all the negative things in their and so will you do flee from these things you man of God put a box around pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness and put another box around fight the good fight of faith take hold of eternal life to which you were called and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses point goes are strong, strong words pursue site take hold Paul's coaching the subject is God and money.

False true teaching. The issue is, is at the core is motives and loyalty to Christ, to the very end. He's raised the issue of the other God and his tactics money Mammon promise all the things of God says your securing me your futures with me your significant because of who I made you in your position with me and the underlying question is am I willing to be content with what I have at any given time and make decisions based on God's will, not the world's values and there's different seasons and by the way it works two ways. I my parents were schoolteachers were on call as lower middle class and you buy the little ranch house that you know like 900 ft.� and then after few years you get a 1500 square-foot house and then coming out of seminary.

Read didn't have anything and in a little by little by little, I found myself in multiple different economic worlds and and then when my my three boys were done with college.

I found myself for the first time in my whole life with my oh my, I live in Atlanta and a nice housing development, and I have I have more coming in.

Then I need and you know we were on the journey of generosity. So we were gosh we were getting to do things we thought only quote rich people could do with their money and I never forget we were driving back home I picked up my my daughter she went to our less high school years in Atlanta went to a really really good public school and one of her friends lived in a country club of the South probably know what that is is a beautiful golf course.

She said hold that you know what you know we have a few the little prince in our house. They have actual world paintings and even some of those famous people in yet. She named a few artists they have actual pain is hanging in there house that there really rich, but that they have a chat and we pull into our house and development which I was very nice and then my my cute little daughter said they had a really rich and I remember having just been on my first thought was, well, if country club of the South is rich no were not. And that's how most of us identify wealth. We always find someone richer and say I'm not and in a moment of I think Holy Spirit I said Annie, yes we are rich. This house is it's the nicest house I've ever been in, and we have no pressure financially whatsoever were rich and she said will what's that mean I says it means we have a lot more responsibility than most people because it doesn't matter how old you get Annie money changes how you think and if you don't constantly choose to put yourself in places of being dependent on God. You will were just human.

We all will trust in money, I member San Annie you know I realize is I was way better be in content when I was poor than I am being rich. I don't how to work through it. I feel guilty a lot and you know we got where we tie and that was 15 and 20 and then 30% and more of our income and I think the apostle Paul was right. He had learned it's a process it's a learning to be content with little or much.

And then I think, in one of those rare moments. You know when your father and you get it right, you can realize plot, unaware that came from. Thank you Lord I said honey, here's the deal. If God decides to shift our world and it sure could happen we gotta be just as content so that's where you gotta keep the equilibrium the action here is to step away and let me get really practical to wrap things up. I don't know that there's anything more helpful because your money always reveals your heart. Do a personal inventory of your finances by me just to clear this is exactly how much comes in. This is what goes out.

This is my level of debt. This is how much if I have anything on credit cards.

This is how much equity I have my house if I have a house, I mean just do an absolute personal inventory of your current finances read or take a course on biblical finances, whether it's crown or Dave Ramsey or but get where the some excellent excellent books and courses you can take where.

How does God view money and then align your money with God's principles that sort of the general game plan. The unspoken need, I think, is to develop a spiritual, financial plan and and I put that person a spiritual financial game plan about why some of you have a financial planner or people who help you. Some of them are Christians, some are not Christians.

Let me just let me just pause to say some people that will help you with your financial game plan think that security is the only issue you should consider and how do you make sure you can take care of you and they have built into it ideas about retirement that you need to think through for your own self to say is it really God's will to stack up as much as I can. So in case I do live 200. I can live at X level thinking. I think we have to really start asking ourselves some really hard questions. So that's why for me. I think it's important to have someone who's helping me with my finances that has the freedom to speak into my life and has also the same biblical worldview that I seek to have know what the Scripture teaches about money. Let's let's read just follow along.

This is this is Jesus because it's so important.

Matthew chapter 6. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, why, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. This is a prohibition about money it's about being smart. If you store stuff up or someone can get it or destroy it is not good, but store up for. If you have if you watch it for yourself, something most people believe in heaven or a new heaven or a new earth were all that's coming you can actually store up for yourself treasures in heaven were neither moth and rust destroy and where thieves can break in and steal. Four. Here's the principle where your treasure is, there your heart will be also is just axiomatic and in fact I have often flipped it the other way when I wanted my heart to be somewhere and I know it wasn't a good place.

I started giving money to that. And over time. My heart caught up. I was reading to the Psalms arena to the Psalms and Proverbs it keeps talking about the poor the poor the poor and the orphan orphan, the poor and the poor, and I just realized in a moment of truth. I don't think I care about orphans and I just thought God cares about orphans and I had a buddy that I done.

He started these orphanages throughout Zimbabwe and I had to teach in South Africa. I said Glenn, can I come and visit and we did a little pastor's conference and I went to all these orphanages and this little girl her actual name was was blessed she would not leave and I walked with her on my hip and they heard about Jesus, and they had little chickens and and we went home and we started getting a little little bit more than little bit more than some big chunks and then I had a big contract, encumber book and leave a really big chunk. Guess what I really care about orphans. I really love orphans and I didn't give a rip about in probably 15 years ago. Not that I didn't want to. Once my treasure started caring about orphans. Then my heart moved second is start with the 10 1080 principle give the first 10% of what comes into the Lord save the next 10% to live on the 80%. All I can ever do that.

Now I know yes you could. You have to have a budget you need help and you have to make hard decisions and but don't don't get thinking.

But now that I've given 10%. God's got his and I've got mine he owns everything. I'm going to give an account for the 10 or 20 or 30 or 40. Whatever percent I ever get to and all the rest that he lets me keep to do other things with which gotta start somewhere and and what what happens is giving forces you to live by faith that the member the Manna gift ever understand. Like the very first thing God did with the Israelites was manna and it was daily. Why he wanted the goal wasn't food.

The goal was will you trust me one day at a time and so the best. Just a great way to start and Luke 638 given to be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over back in your lap. For whatever measure you give this by the way, is a nonfinancial passage. It applies to finances, but this is life. If you are miserly with your time miserly with your money miserly with your gifts, you will be as that word fully comes out you will be miserable and if you are generous with your time and generous with your gifts and generous with your money, you will find great joy axiomatic and then finally share your entire financial plan with a mentor. Matthew 1322 is the parable of the seeds in the sewers and it's the third seed that falls into the earth. He grows up and the thorns are the desires for other things and deceitfulness of wealth. The chokes out the word of God our life is so this� This is a journey I mimed my experience in the research says that most of us as men. Most of us as Christians our finances are not good shape and if your finances are not good shape. You may not know it but your soul is not good shape there was a man and some of you that are older.

Can I encourage you maybe to do this for your pastor or do it for maybe one of your sons or grandsons.

A guy named Jack Cowles came to me he was in the church. I did know very well is a chip I like to do something for you and will let's say because I like to like to pay for the first year of a financial planner single check. I am in a financial planner as I don't have any money so he said well you not even if you don't have money having a plan is really important. I know this group is called Ronald blue and company and they do a great job in their biblical and they would really help you, please let me pay for that and I said well I mean if you want to. I mean gosh thanks but I don't think I really need it and then he said lightly.

I learned that you got a book coming out soon. I said yeah he said saluting into the money and this is probably why that I don't know enough to be anybody to truth. I found that I don't know the money author on this. Jeff did want you and your wife pray and come before God and decide in advance what you're going to give out of that because right now it's really easy you have anything right thing be a spiritual you want.

If you have anything you know it can remind me know your weaknesses better. All man on that kinda likes to gamble on that guy likes to this is from God. So my wife and I prayed in and we were probably a little more spiritual than wooded and so we designated this big big big chunk of anything that ever comes into the Lord what you did great.

What is given what you know and I'm not sure I could have ever done that. If I would've known some that might look like 20 books and we started with the tip of the tip is know your opponent well, you do not have a more formidable opponent in your life than the temptation and the deception around wealth and money and stuff. Second, know yourself better.

How do you structure your life around the areas of money to protect your heart from being deceived because this this sounds really funny and it will every leave when I said I almost laughed. You do understand that when you deceived the person that doesn't know it is you, I mean a lot of pastors and all talk like this to them as well. You know I work so hard at the church and you do have some dad in this and that. I don't really give because I'm thinking your deceived my brother. Lots of that lots of stress.

Lots of pressure. If you continue in the truth. The truth will set you free and money is a hard one to get our arms around may take a few years to get out of debt may be an incremental journey to begin to find the joy that I will tell you what, and you know why I got right really big checks orphans because when it came in it already gets set aside over here. Good guy would want to do with it. You know, we have a ministry, we have lots of people of all levels are given some people just give her rent asleep generously that allows us to do things all around the world. I mean we've got a couple 3 million books that we been able to put in China translated with training means millions and millions of dollars to me. I was just the little donkey that went in and did the teaching and training that I could never afford to do any of that. I would never dream that I can get to be a part.

You know what that is. He was faithful in a very little thing.

Be faithful also in much. And he that's unrighteous in a very little thing will be unrighteous also in much. And Jesus was talking about money and that passage in Luke 16 guys. God loves you so much father, thank you for the privilege of being with your sons. These good men godly Jesus right back with his application. This message step away from his series. The book of first Timothy life coaching from the apostle Paul know if you look up that word coach in the dictionary might see phrases like one who teaches, gives instruction or provide special training. The question is who's coaching you and who are you coaching in this new 12 part series chip dives into one of the most well-known mentor mentee relationships in the Bible will unpack what we can learn from Paul and Timothy's bond and how to apply these lessons to our lives and pass them on to others. If you've missed any part of this series.

Chip Ingram map is a great way to catch up anytime well before we go any further, I'm joined now by our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram and Chip.

I understand you have a special word for listeners.

Absolutely Dave what I want to share now is really important.

There's about 8 billion people in the world today, but there's only one you and you know God has wired you with specific gifts and talents, your life experience in your story are unique knew exactly who you'd become long before you took your first breath and he's got a purpose and a plan for your life but you know what it is well here, Living on the Edge we've created a brand-new resource called the real you.

It's an online questionnaire design provide insight into how God wired you. This is more than spiritual gift test, you identify the patterns in which you think what motivates you and white teams need someone just like you to take about 20 minutes to complete and it won't cost you a thing. Then, based on your responses.

The real you will offer suggestions about how you can practically live out God's purpose for your life. Whether that's at home in the office at church or in your community as a Living on the Edge partner. We want you to be the first to access this resource. Head over to the real you.org to learn more. That's the real you.org most Christians don't how to leverage their God-given wiring and experiences for the kingdom. We want to change that bikes tip well as you can tell, we are really excited about this new resource. We hope the real you will help you not only discover who God made you to be. But how he made you think, act and live as Chip said, you can sign up for this reassessment by going to the real you.org or if it's easier text the word real to 741 41.

That's the word real REAL27 4141 Listeners, special offers, or that giblets get to your application that we promised. As we close today's program and close this entire series. I can't move on without just encouraging you to do something that is a pain that you know you need to do the are not motivated to do, but it will be of such great value your money reveals your heart, your money reveals your relationship your money and your debt level and your spending and your giving or your lack of it. All those things will tell you more about your genuine heart relationship with God that almost anything and here's the principle and this is why am so emphatic year life will never be in line with God into you get your money in line with God. The reason that Jesus spoke more about money than heaven and hell combined.

Isn't in any way to get our money.

It's that it's our priority a meter. It shows us where our values are and so can I encourage you to do an inventory.

I mean, for 30 days to just track where your money goes I can.

I encourage you to find you know one other person that I would help you get a biblical view of finances. Take a course.

There's so many good resources and then third could I encourage you to take a step of faith and to do the very simple acts of giving the first portion of your finances to God. With each paycheck to next save, even if it's not a lot actually save something and then to live on less than what's left rather than continue to go into debt. It will be hard it will be challenging, it will change the course of your life, you will have to trust God, you have to make hard decisions. Are you have to say no to some expenses but I will tell you, you will never ever regret it. Paul was saying to Timothy, you gotta step up.

You gotta step down. You got a step in. You gotta step out. You gotta step into and then he got a step away from the things that draw you away from the Lord and that's our prayer for you. I hope you'll take this coaching from the apostle Paul in a really serious way, it'll produce great results in you and through you, keep pressing ahead thanks to, as we wrap up this program just a quick but important thought Living on the Edge depends on listeners just like you to help us continue to encourage Christians to live like Christians. So, would you consider partnering with us on a monthly basis so others can benefit from the ministry of Living on the Edge, you can set up a recurring donation by going to LivingontheEdge.org or via the Chip Ingram map or text the word donate 741 41.

It's so easy. Text the word donate to 741 41 thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do. Until next time, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge