C’est, en Effet, une Grande Source de Gain que la Piété Avec le Contentement. 1 TIMOTHEE 6:6

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SERMON : THE GREAT GAIN OF GODLINESS MIXED WITH CONTENTENTMENT

LA PIETE AVEC LE CONTENTEMENT : UNE GRANDE SOURCE DE GAIN

BY PASTOR MARC E SIMEON

 

1Timothee 6:6-12

6 ¶ C’est, en effet, une grande source de gain que la piété avec le contentement;

7 car nous n’avons rien apporté dans le monde, et il est évident que nous n’en pouvons rien emporter;

8 si donc nous avons la nourriture et le vêtement, cela nous suffira.

9 Mais ceux qui veulent s’enrichir tombent dans la tentation, dans le piège, et dans beaucoup de désirs insensés et pernicieux qui plongent les hommes dans la ruine et la perdition.

10 Car l’amour de l’argent est une racine de tous les maux; et quelques-uns, en étant possédés, se sont égarés loin de la foi, et se sont jetés eux-mêmes dans bien des tourments.

11 Pour toi, homme de Dieu, fuis ces choses, et recherche la justice, la piété, la foi, la charité, la patience, la douceur.

12 Combats le bon combat de la foi, saisis la vie éternelle, à laquelle tu as été appelé, et pour laquelle tu as fait une belle confession en présence d’un grand nombre de témoins.

INTRODUCTION

• Back in the days, the sense of value of a person had a lot to do with his wisdom in the matters of life.
• A lot of wisdom and virtue used to come from the homes.
• A lot of wisdom and disciplines used to come from school.
• A lot of wisdom and precepts of life used to come from the church.
• A lot basic skills of life and character used to come from the culture in which we lived.
• Nowadays we are more trained and more skilful, more advanced in technology, yet we behave like dummies. Mankind has become the easiest preys to their fellow man more than ever before.
• Virtue, justice, truth, compassion, honor, righteousness, loyalty have been robbed out of the main line of society.
• We are bombarded by endless commercials to steer our decisions most of the times in the wrong directions.
• Before an election, people would campaign for your vote. Vote yes on #2. Vote No on #6
• Many of times, all one has to do to secure a vote is to show the voter how he can be benefitted personally for voting in such a way.
• All one has to do to win people these days is to prove to them that they are miserable. Once they accept to the predicament that they are miserable, now you forge a solution, a pattern for them to access happiness.
• While hiding your true motives, all you have to do is to diligently usher them to the pseudo happiness you created in their mind that they can only be accessed through you.
• In other words, you make them chose you as their new master without them noticing.
• Since humanity has gotten ever-increasingly egocentric and evil, greed has become the underlying motto of all our endeavors.

 

Greed is the hidden or open motive of almost every known war pass and present.

• Greed is the hidden or open cause of many divorces.
• Greed can be found in both men and women.
• Many people are working several jobs to satisfy their greed.
• Many women abandon their children at home working multiple shifts to satisfy their greed.
• People have become compulsive gamblers because of greed.
• People love all their possessions in the money market because of greed.
• While people are hunting for every method to accumulate more wealth, which in term should translate to joy and contentment, Paul is screaming out a formula in I Tim 6:6 that deserves the full attention of the child of God.
• Paul urges the Christian to mix two ingredients together. The first ingredient is Godliness and the second is contentment.
• Paul guarantees a great gain in life when these two elements are mixed.
• That means a more fulfilled life, a more worthy life, a more meaningful life, a higher quality of life, a more desired life, a more prosperous life, a more blessed life.

 

Today in the light of the Bible, we will consider the effect of contentment.

1Timote 6:5-12

⁵ Sa lakòz anpil moun ki gen lespri yo vire lanvè epi ki pa konnen verite a ap fè yon bann diskisyon ki pa janm fini. Pou yo, sèvis Bondye a tounen yon mwayen pou fè lajan.

⁶ ¶ Nan yon sans se vre. Sèvis Bondye a se yon gwo richès pou yon moun si l’ kontan ak sa li genyen an.

⁷ Nou pa t’ pote anyen lè nou te vin sou latè. Pa gen anyen nou ka pote ale non plis lè n’a kite li.

⁸ Se sak fè, si nou gen dekwa manje, si nou gen rad pou mete sou nou, sa dwe kont nou.

⁹ Men, moun ki vle vin rich, yo tonbe nan tantasyon. Yo kite yon bann move lanvi san sans pran yo nan pèlen. Se lanvi sa yo k’ap fè moun pèdi tou sa yo genyen, k’ap fini nèt ak yo.

¹⁰ Paske, renmen lajan fè moun fè tout kalite bagay ki mal. Gen moun ki sitèlman anvi gen lajan, yo pèdi chemen lafwa a nèt: se pa de ti soufrans ki tonbe sou yo.

• Example of the fisherman and the businessman

A contented person is a person who is satisfied, joyful, and grateful even with the least material blessing.

REACTION WHEN GODLINESS IS MIXED WITH CONTENTMENT

Godliness is to be:

• In good standing with God

• Being at peace with God with your conducts

• Being an upright person

• Being a truthful person

• Being a faithful person

• Being a just, loving, and godly person

• Being a Jesus like person

• Being a sweet and amicable person

• Being a pious person

• Being a person who practices the true religion

• A person of faith in God

• A person who lives a life beyond reproach

• A religious person inside and outside

Contentment has to do with:

• Quietness of heart

• Being poised, joyful, selfless

• Satisfied with life

• Pleased with God

• A sense of feeling blessed at all time

• An attitude of having no lack

• Being easily pleased

• A focus on the positive side of things

• A sense of being happy with what you get

• A sense of feeling complete, achieved, fulfilled.

• A sense of having enough

• An attitude of thanksgiving over the blessings of the now.

WHEN GODLINESS IS ADDED TO CONTENTMENT IT PRODUCES GREAT GAIN

Great gain because:

• It keeps the doctor away

• It keeps anxiety away

• It keeps worry away

• It keeps greed away

• It keeps envy away

• It keeps resentment away

• It keeps low self esteem away

• It keeps covetousness away

• It keeps jealousy away

• It keeps pride away

• It keeps prison away

• It keeps shame away

• It keeps anger away

• It keeps you from feeling victimized all the time

• It allows you to enjoy life

• It allows you to accept your lot in life

• It allows to be a positive person

• It makes you a pleasant person to be around all the time

• It makes you a generous person

• It makes you a role model for this generation

1Timothee 6:6-12

THE FUTILITY OF GREED

1Ti 6:6

7 car nous n’avons rien apporté dans le monde, et il est évident que nous n’en pouvons rien emporter; (LSV)

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (NKJV)

• We only make a foul out of ourselves like the squirrel that gets caught for trying to steal too many nuts at a time.
• Like the snake that could not escape because it ate a too large of a prey from the barn.
• We will ultimately be separated from our material possessions either before or after our death.
• A man got arrested for carrying a bunch of bottles of beach sand from Italy.

8 si donc nous avons la nourriture et le vêtement, cela nous suffira. (LSV)

8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (NKJV)

• God understands that we have basics needs for our survival.
• Paul named two: food and clothing. Food, because you would starve in the absence of it. Clothing, because you would be declared insane and blaspheme to walk around naked.
• Let’s add a few more since our society is more restrictive than back then. Let’s add shelter, security, peace.

9 Mais ceux qui veulent s’enrichir tombent dans la tentation, dans le piège, et dans beaucoup de désirs insensés et pernicieux qui plongent les hommes dans la ruine et la perdition. (LSV)

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (NKJV)

• The blind pursuit of money leads to all kinds of temptations.
• Many good people have turned bad in their pursuit of getting rich.
• False insurance claim
• Playing lottery
• Not returning debt
• Weak in the area of money
• Unable to support the work of God in fear of giving too much.

10 Car l’amour de l’argent est une racine de tous les maux; et quelques-uns, en étant possédés, se sont égarés loin de la foi, et se sont jetés eux-mêmes dans bien des tourments. (LSV)

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (NKJV)

• The love of money put a blinder on sin.
• Most of the contracts that the devil has with human beings are money contracts.
• People get voodoo to attract more overtime
  • To keep a job
  • To work non-stop like a beast

11 Pour toi, homme de Dieu, fuis ces choses, et recherche la justice, la piété, la foi, la charité, la patience, la douceur. (LSV)

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (NKJV)

• The Christian is advised otherwise.
• There is a higher expectation on the child of God because he is influenced with wisdom from above.
• The Christian to flee these things
• The Christian to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness

12 Combats le bon combat de la foi, saisis la vie éternelle, à laquelle tu as été appelé, et pour laquelle tu as fait une belle confession en présence d’un grand nombre de témoins. (LSV)

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (NKJV)

• The Christian is here advised fight on the good fight.

• Lay hold of your eternal life which is your greatest possession

• Forget not how you have begun the race and how far you have gotten thus far.

• And press on in the right direction.

CONCLUSION

The Bible adds up to say:

• 1Timothe 4:8 car l’exercice corporel est utile à peu de chose, tandis que la piété est utile à tout, ayant la promesse de la vie présente et de celle qui est à venir.

• Psaume 37:16 Mieux vaut le peu du juste Que l’abondance de beaucoup de méchants;

• Proverbes 15:16 ¶ Mieux vaut peu, avec la crainte de l’Éternel, Qu’un grand trésor, avec le trouble.

• Proverbes 16:8 ¶ Mieux vaut peu, avec la justice, Que de grands revenus, avec l’injustice.

• Hébreux 13:5 Ne vous livrez pas à l’amour de l’argent; contentez-vous de ce que vous avez; car Dieu lui-même a dit: Je ne te délaisserai point, et je ne t’abandonnerai point.

• Mt 6:33 Cherchez premièrement le royaume et la justice de Dieu; et toutes ces choses vous seront données par-dessus. (LSV)

• 33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)

Amen !