GODLINESS AND CONTENTMENT SERMON

CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION
SUNDAY APRIL 14^TH  2024
Sermon by Pastor Marc E Simeon

THE GREAT GAIN OF GODLINESS MIXED WITH CONTENTENTMENT

1Timothee 6:6-12

6 ¶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

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

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

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.

 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.

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

 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.

INTRODUCTION

• Today I would like to talk about two disappearing virtues of our time.
• The first one is godliness and the second one is contentment,
• Back in the days, the sense of value of a person had a lot to do with his godliness and his wisdom in the matters of life.
• Before people talked about the education or the social status and accomplishment of a person, the first interest used to be on character.
• A lot of virtues used to come from the home education people received from their parents.
• The schools used to be another advocate for good moral values.
• The churches used to be the powerhouses for higher ethics and godliness.
• Even the norms of the culture and society at large used to foster a standard of godliness.
• Although we are nowadays more trained and more skilful, more advanced in technology, yet our behaviors have taken a huge plunge toward anarchy and lawlessness.
• The sense of virtue, justice, truth, compassion, honor, righteousness and loyalty have been robbed out of the mainstreams of society.
• We are bombarded by endless commercials to steer us in the wrong directions, yet no one seems to be indifferent about it.
• Look at the beer commercials; look at the gambling commercials, look at the promotion of homosexuality in most of the advertisements.
• If you look for the definition of the word pride, it is now synonymous to homosexuality.
• If you look for the definition of choice, it is now synonymous to abortion.
• An ambitious person is viewed as a career oriented hard working person.
• A greedy person is viewed as a person with good drive for success.
• The word contentment is almost non-existent.
• Contentment is synonymous to lack of vision, shallow minded, and laziness.
• Godliness is now viewed as lame duck, the attitude of an ineffectual or unsuccessful person.
• Since humanity has gotten ever-increasingly egocentric and evil, greed has become the underlying motto in most of our endeavors.
• Greed is the hidden or open motive of almost every known war past and present.
• Greed is the hidden or open cause of many divorces of our days.
• Greed can be found in both men and women.
• Many people are working several jobs to satisfy their greed.
• have become compulsive gamblers because of greed.
• People lose all their possessions in the money market because of greed.
• While people are hunting for every method to accumulate more wealth in aim of achieving joy and contentment,
• Paul is flashing out a formula in I Tim 6:6 that deserves the full attention of the children 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 ingredients 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, and a more blessed life.
• Today in the light of the Bible, we will consider the effect of contentment.

1Tim 6:6-9

• 6 ¶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
•  7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
•  8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
• 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.
• 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

  THE FUTILITY OF GREED 

• 1Ti 6:7
• 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.
• 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
• 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.
• 1Tim 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.
• 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 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.
• The love of money put a blinder on sin.
• 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
• 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 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.
• 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:
• 1Ti 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 
• Ps 37:16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
• Pr 15:16 ¶ Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.
• Pr 16:8 ¶ Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.
• Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
• Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 
• Amen !
• CONCLUSION
• The Bible adds up to say:
• 1Ti 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 
• Ps 37:16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.
• Pr 15:16 ¶ Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble.
• Pr 16:8 ¶ Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.
• Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
• Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV) 
• Amen !