Jesus Christ is the Center | 1 Timothy 6:8-21
Paul gives a final warning about money. Money is a big issue in our world. It drives the world, we need money to exist, we need money to buy goods, to have food and shelter. It is something we need. Satan likes to take things we need and distorts them into something greater than they are—God is speaking through Paul to remind church leaders to not rely on money. Don’t let money become your first love—it will lead to comprise, it will lead to a lack of biblical convictions and teaching—people twist God’s word because they are too worried (or in love with) about money.
- Don’t Love Money. Love Christ and Christ will take care of you—it all belongs to Christ.
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
--1 Timothy 6:6-8
Who is your master? In Paul’s final commission, instruction and warning to this church (and Timothy) he reminding them of their place before God, of who their true master is. This will help them endure in the gospel, endure in obedience to God and His commandments—it will keep them accountable to make sure false teaching doesn’t influence the church again.
“The earth is Yahweh’s, as well as its fullness, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who may ascend into the mountain of Yahweh? And who may rise in His holy place? He who has innocent hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to worthlessness and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall lift up a blessing from Yahweh and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
--Psalm 24:1-5
God is the founder of earth! He is the founder of this world. Remember, God created everything we see, everything we do, everything around us, in us, about us—it all came from God.
“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.” –1 Timothy 6:7
Paul’s writing to the church in Colossai reminds us of this truth found in Christ—so God is the founder of this world, and if Christ is God, then Christ is also the founder of this world—everything belongs to the author.
“…just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf…Who rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, And in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
--Colossians 1:7, 13-18
Paul isn’t inventing a divine Christ—He is reiterating a truth that Jesus Himself taught. Jesus is “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) Jesus is The ALPHA and the OMEGA (Rev. 22:13-15). Jesus is sovereign, the king, the saviour of ALL of creation.
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’.. So the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.”
--John 8:57-59
Look at what Jesus, God, says about the love of money and ministry:
“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…No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
--Matthew 6:19-20, 23-24
You cannot LOVE Money and Love God—You cannot Love earthly, temporary pleasures while loving Jesus, you cannot serve two masters you must pick ONE master. Mammon, wealth, is what God provides for His people. It is how He takes care of His people—but it is simply a tool. It shouldn’t replace God.
“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, gentleness.”
--1 Timothy 6:9-11
“Do not trust in oppression and do not put vain hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.”
--Psalm 62:10
- Stop grasping in the darkness for the temporary, defend, stand and take hold of the eternal through Christ.
“Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords…”
--1 Timothy 6:12-15
Paul often tells the early church to keep fighting, to keep enduring in the faith, God speaks through many people in the New Testament to remind the church so they may stand firm in the faith.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
--Ephesians 6:10-13
This is a reminder for this church in Ephesus, stand in the doctrines of Christ! Stand strong together in Christ, in His teachings, in His gospel—remember to worship, preach and teach about the one true God, the one true Gospel. This is why he says
“and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
--1 Timothy 6:13
Remember, this is a church that was once off the rails and Paul is reminding them of Jesus Christ’s amazing power, amazing sovereignty, it is both a comfort and a warning. Stand on the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal might! Amen.”
--1 Timothy 6:15b-16
An interesting part to note here is that Paul doesn’t tell the church to stand on the miracles, the signs and wonders, the spiritual gifts, rather he commands Timothy and the church to stand on the good news of God, of Jesus Christ.
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”
--1 John 2:15-17
This is one last charge to the church in Ephesus, to those who have wealth, to not give into the lusts of the world—to not love money more than Jesus, to use money as a tool for the ministry, not as the focus of worship itself.
“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
--1 Timothy 6:17-19
When Jesus isn’t our centre. When Jesus isn’t our Lord, then the church will go off the rails. False teaching will creep into the corners of the church, then comprise with the world’s values will come next, then slowly, day by day, the church will start to justify disobedience to God, His word, and His commands.
“What a Jesus community believes will directly shape how that community lives and behaves. Allowing the Scriptures and good news about Jesus to form you will lead to a life of integrity and good works.”
--The Bible Project
We can’t waste our life worried about such temporary things, about insecure things, about the world, riches, lusts and pleasures—cast your cares on Christ! Christ isn’t temporary, Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, Christ is the rock, the cornerstone whom the Jews, romans and gentiles rejected, our life is fleeting, His life is fulfilling.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.’ Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
--Matthew 7:24-29
- Guard your relationship with Christ. Devote your entirety to Him, worship Him, listen to Him, Obey Him.
“O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning aside from godless and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge—which some, while professing, have gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”
--1 Timothy 6:20-21
“Paul had confidence in Timothy and he did trust him. Yet Paul also knew how great the power of seduction is, and how high the stakes are – so he warned, and warned, and warned again.
- Guard what was committed to your trust: The gospel is a trustcommitted to pastors like Timothy; but also, to all believers. And when that trust is broken, some have strayed concerning the faith. We must do all that we can to keep this trust.”
--Enduring Word Commentary
About 3-5 years later Paul will write a second letter to Timothy beginning with this very message—keep going! Enduring suffering for the sake of the gospel—this will pass but Christ is forever. Live according to God and His commands, this is how the church ought to look, the church according to God.
“For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and self-discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of either the witness about our Lord or me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity…”
--2 Timothy 1:6-9
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.”
--Hebrews 12:1-3
The Church is God’s community. The church who is living according to His word is receiving God’s blessing and thanking Him. A church that doesn’t listen to God’s commands, that twists God’s word to fit a certain personal need or cultural conviction, then that Church does not have God at their center. That Church is not fearing God rather they are fearing their church culture, or their congregation’s opinion. At this church, we will strive to please God, to love God, to then love each other and point each other to God’s holy word, holy commands, because He is the center.
“The vast majority of mankind never gives a thought of gratitude towards God for all His care and blessings.”
--Donald Grey Barnhouse