Our trust is to be in the Living God

1 Timothy 6 v 17 – 21

I want to begin with a question, and the question is ‘What are you hoping for at this present moment in time?’ Are you hoping for better health? Are you hoping for promotion or a new job with better pay if you are in secular employment?

Are you hoping for any challenging personal or family issues to be resolved? Are you hoping to be financially better off than you are now? Or are you hoping for a more peaceful and calmer life? What are you hoping for?

The dictionary describes hope as ‘a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen; a strong feeling of trust’. Hope is a powerful emotion. Not only can hope help make a tough situation more bearable, but is can also help improve our lives because envisioning a better life motivates us to take the necessary steps to make it happen.

Everyone hopes for something. It’s an inherent part of being a human being, and as human beings, our hope often involves us desiring something positive and good to happen either in the present or the future to us, or to those we love.

In saying all that however, whilst it is good to have hope, the harsh reality is that many of our hopes in life are often disappointed. For example, people’s marriages and children do not always turn out the way they hoped they would. The new job or new relationship or new home is not all they hoped it would be. And in many instances, their overall life is not what they hoped it would be.

Our hopes are so often disappointed, which is why I think Paul’s closing words to his first letter to Timothy are so important. You see folks, there is only one place you and I as God’s people can put our hope and never be disappointed, and that is when we put our hope – our trust – in the living God.

If we put our hope in people, including our family members, they will at some point, disappoint us. If we put our hope in the church, the church will, at some point, disappoint us. If we put our hope in secular things like our work, they will at some point, disappoint us.

But if we put our hope in our God who is faithful; who is unchanging; and who is completely trustworthy, we will never be disappointed.

This morning then we are going to close our series of studies on Paul’s first letter to Timothy by thinking about why you and I are to put our hope in God, and Paul begins his teaching with a command to Christians within Timothy’s church who are rich. He writes:

‘Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment’.

Paul’s use of the phrase, ‘those who are rich in this present world’ is simply a reference to wealthy Christians who were living in the world at the time of Paul’s letter, and who had an abundance of resources both material and financial. They had all that they needed, and more. They had plenty for day-to-day living, and they had plenty stored away for future living.

‘Those who are rich in this present world’ then were wealthy 1^st century Christians who were able to live in great comfort and prosperity, and because ‘our present world’ is the 21^st century, Paul’s instructions also apply to wealthy 21^st century Christians who are also able to live in great comfort and prosperity.

Now when it comes to wealth, it’s important we understand that nowhere in the Bible does God condemn wealth or money. Contrary to what many people today believe – including Christians – God is NOT against wealth and people being wealthy, and He is certainly not against Christians being wealthy. In fact, if they are wealthy, then I would argue God has richly blessed them.

After all, God blessed Job and Solomon with great wealth, and there are many Christians around the world today who God has blessed with wealth. God is NOT against wealth. What He is against however, which Paul stresses in verse 17, is wealthy Christians becoming arrogant because of their wealth, and also putting their ‘hope’ in their wealth.

With regard to them becoming ‘arrogant’, the Greek word Paul used literally means, ‘to be high-minded; to be lofty of mind’. What Paul is saying is that wealthy Christians must not fall into the trap of thinking that because they are wealthy, they are above those who are not wealthy. That because they have more, they are better than those who have less.

As one commentator wrote, ‘It is the mistake of measuring our self-worth by our net-worth. We are not more valuable than other people because we have more, and we are not less valuable than other people because we have less’.

All too often we tend to measure our worth and our value by what we have or don’t have materially and financially. But as far as God is concerned, His value of us is based not on our wealth or lack of it, but on the fact that He created us, that He loves us, and that He sent Jesus to die for us.

Brothers and sisters, our value is NOT to be measured by our material possessions or wealth, but by what God did for us through the Cross of Jesus, and by the glorious future God has in store for those who believe.

Regardless of whether we are rich or poor, we are all of great and equal value to God, and for those who have been blessed with wealth, God is where their true value lies, and God is also where their hope is to lie – which leads me neatly onto Paul’s second command of how the wealthy are ‘not to put their hope in their wealth which is so uncertain’.

What Paul is essentially saying is that the wealthy must not fall into the trap of measuring their security by their wealth – which if we are honest, is something we all tend to do, not just those who are rich.

The more money we have, the more secure we feel. The less money we have, the less secure we feel. Money, especially a lot of it, helps us feel secure. But as far as God is concerned, we are putting our security in something that is ‘uncertain’. And the reason it’s so uncertain is because it can quickly disappear.

For example, the 1929 Wall Street Stock Market crash turned wealthy American businessmen into paupers overnight which led to some committing suicide. The 1987 Black Monday Global Stock Market crash saw billions of pounds and dollars disappear from investment portfolios and pension funds within the space of a few hours. And more recently, the global Covid Pandemic also led to billions being lost in a matter of weeks.

And how often do we hear of Lottery winners becoming broke a few years after winning the Lottery. When I was at Earls Hall, the brother of one of the church members won just under 2 million pounds on the lottery. But within the space of 3 years, he spent it all.

Most of it went on gambling, especially horse racing, and extravagant living, and he died a penniless lonely man.

In Proverbs chapter 23 verses 25 & 26 we read: ‘Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle’. Someone wrote, ‘Money talks. I heard it once. You know what it said? It said “Goodbye!”

Friends, if you are searching for true security and assurance, then put your hope not in wealth and material possessions that are so uncertain, but in our unfailing God and in the promises of His unfailing Word.

Now before we move on, there is one more warning Paul issues about putting our hope in wealth, and that is how true enjoyment is found NOT in wealth, but in God. At the end of verse 17, we are told by Paul that when we put our hope in God, He will ‘richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment’.

One of the things you often find with people who have great wealth is how unhappy they are. Money can buy you lots of things, but it cannot buy you happiness, and it cannot buy you love.

For example, the actress Elizabeth Taylor who, at the pinnacle of her career was the highest paid film star, married 8 times, and after years of il health, she died in 2011 of congestive heart failure aged 79.

Singer songwriter Michael Jackson died alone in 2009 of heart failure following him being given a fatal concoction of drugs by his doctor. He was 50. Singer songwriter Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 following years of drugs and alcohol abuse. She was 27.

Singer songwriter George Michael died alone in 2016 aged 53. The cause of his death was heart and liver disease which many believe was due to his immoral lifestyle which was dominated by alcohol and substance abuse.

The lead singer of Queen Freddie Mercury died of Aids in 1991 aged 45. And the film star Robin Williams committed suicide in 2014 aged 63 following years of alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and other mental health issues.

Friends, despite all their wealth, all their fame, all their accolades, all their achievements, they were unable to find true joy and happiness, which is desperately sad.

Their tragic and all too premature deaths are a powerful testimony to how joy and happiness does NOT come from wealth, possessions, and fame, but from God ‘in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore’ – Psalm 16 verse 11.

Friends, God is the source of true joy. If we therefore put our hope in Him, and if we spend time dwelling in His glorious presence, then true joy in all its fullness, is what we will receive.

Verses 17 & 18 are a continuation of Paul’s instructions to Timothy regarding wealthy Christians which contain 4 things they are expected to do. They are expected to do good, to be rich in good deeds; to be generous; and to be willing to share.

Now again, whilst Paul’s command is aimed primarily at wealthy Christians, it is of course something all of God’s people are to abide by. And what Paul is essentially saying is that as God’s people, whatever we have been blessed with by God, especially if we have been blessed with wealth, God expects us to use our wealth for the benefit of others.

The first expectation, ‘doing good’ is the most basic of our responsibilities. So, if we have been blessed with wealth by God, we have a responsibility to use our lives and our wealth to do truly good and decent things to the glory of God.

As Luke wrote in Chapter 12 verse 48 of his Gospel., ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much will be asked’. Friends, along with the blessings we enjoy, comes much responsibility. If you been blessed with wealth, how much of a responsibility are you willing to take?

The second expectation is to be ‘rich in good works’ which again is something we are ALL expected to do. Good works implies that we are to be personally involved in things that are good and helpful, so with regard to the wealthy, not only are they merely to give their money to good causes, but they are required by God to personally do something.

As the commentator John MacArthur wrote, ‘God does not intend for material wealth to be hoarded or doled out sparingly. Material wealth is to be used to PERFORM good works on behalf of others’.

The bottom-line folks, is if you have been blessed by God with wealth, and you see a brother or sister in desperate need, then God expects you to be ‘rich in good works’ by meeting their need. Instead of keeping your God given wealth to yourself, you are to be ‘rich in good works’ by using it to bless others.

The third expectation is ‘to be generous’, and the classic example of someone who was generous is the story of the ‘poor widow’ recorded in Mark Chapter 12 verses 41 – 44. Mark wrote:

‘Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling His disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on”.

Here was a woman who understood what it was to be generous in her giving. She had meagre resources, but instead of keeping what little she had all to herself, she freely and generously gave out of what little she had.

Now when it comes to our giving, at the end of the day, what we give is between us and God. But if have been blessed with wealth, we are in a far better position to give generously so that those who are less fortunate than us, can benefit greatly from our generosity.

Before moving on, there is one more thing I want to say about the story of the poor widow, and that is Jesus saw how much she gave, and he judged her on what she gave. Friends, God can see how generous we are.

He can see how generous we are with regard to the church offering or a brother and sister in need, and because He can see, He will also judge us on how generous we are. His judgment of what the poor widow gave was full of praise. May His judgment of what you and I give be the same.

And the fourth expectation is ‘willing to share’. As believers, we should all be willing to share with others what God has given us – which of course is a principle that began with the early church.

In Acts Chapter 4 verse 32 Luke writes, ‘All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they SHARED everything they had. There was no needy person among them’.

As I have said many times from this platform, what you and I have – our homes, our material possessions, our money – have all been given to us by God, which means we should be willing to share with others what God has given us, including our wealth.

Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew Chapter 10 verse 8, “Freely you have received, freely give”. Friends, may those of us who have much, be willing to share what we have with those who have little.      

After commanding the rich to ‘do good; to be rich in good works; to be generous; and to be willing to share, Paul turns his attention to what the wealthy can expect if they follow his command.

In verse 19 he writes, ‘In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” What Paul is saying is that by acting upon his teaching, not only are God’s people, especially the wealthy, storing up for themselves treasures in heaven instead of on earth, but they are also building a firm foundation for the future.

Put another way, the investment we make with our resources here on Earth should be done with eternity in mind – which of course is something Jesus also stressed to His Disciples in His sermon on the Mount.

In Matthew Chapter 6 verses 19 & 21 we read these words of Jesus. He said, ‘Do not lay 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 moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart is also’.

Friends, we need to keep an ‘eternity perspective’ in the way we use and handle our money and wealth. If we use our resources to invest in the lives of others and to advance the Gospel, we are storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven, whatever those treasures may be or look like.

Someday we will no longer live on this earth so when we have gone, it won’t matter how much money and wealth we have accumulated.

What will matter – which both Paul and Jesus stress – is how we invested our resources to advance the cause and Gospel of Christ. That is what our heavenly treasures will be based upon. I for one, want my heavenly treasures to be abundant, and I hope you do as well.

Finally, Paul closes his letter to Timothy by urging him to do two things. He is to ‘guard what has been entrusted to him’, and he is to ‘turn away from godless chatter’. In verses 20-21 he writes. “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.”

With regard to him ‘guarding what has been entrusted to him’, I read this was a common phrase in Paul’s day and that it referred to a person being given the high obligation of having in trust another person’s treasured possession, of keeping it safe, and of returning it in the same condition they received it.

When you entrust something valuable into someone’s care, you expect to get it back in the same condition in which you lent it. That is what Paul meant by Timothy guarding what has been entrusted to him, and the thing that was entrusted to him is the Gospel.

The gospel is God’s treasured possession that has the power to save everyone who believes. And because He has entrusted us with it as well, it is also our duty to keep it safe and to return it just as it was. In other words, we are NOT to replace it; we are NOT to change it; and we are NOT to damage it by misinterpreting it, by mishandling it; by compromising it, or by manipulating it to fit our own agenda.

Very simply, God has entrusted His Word and His Gospel to us, and we are to guard and protect what God has entrusted to us. And the second thing Timothy was urged to do is he was to ‘turn away from empty discussions and false teaching.

False teaching has been a theme all the way through the letter because it was a real problem at Timothy’s church in Ephesus, and 2000 years later it remains a real problem. There are many churches that do not preach the true gospel of Christ.

Whenever the church’s main emphasis becomes anything other than Jesus Christ and His Gospel, it has become distracted, and it has turned away from God’s main focus.

Paul describes these distractions as “godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge.” Friends, we must turn away from anything that sets itself up against the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter how loudly it may chatter, and no matter how attractive it may sound.

There are plenty of teachings out there that present themselves as knowledge and truth, but we need to be wise, we need to be discerning, and if what we are presented with as knowledge and truth is NOT rooted in the true Gospel and the truth of God’s Word, then we must rightly reject it.

We must do all that we can to ensure that we do not become like the false teachers who indulge in ‘godless chatter’, who embrace opposing ideas, and who ‘have wandered from the faith’.

Having issued his final instructions to Timothy, Paul closes out his letter with four simple yet powerful words – ‘Grace be with you’. Whilst Paul has written this letter personally to Timothy, it is actually written for the benefit of the whole church.

Paul always ends all of his letters with a benediction of grace, and the reason he does so is because for Paul, the grace of God in sending his Son Jesus Christ was central to salvation and to all of life.

We are all saved by God’s amazing grace, we all live by God’s amazing grace, we all serve by God’s amazing grace, and we all stand by God’s amazing grace. And so, as we end this series on Paul’s first letter to Timothy, let us especially remember God’s amazing grace.

As we apply all that we have learned from 1 Timothy, let us do so in constant awareness of the amazing grace that God has given to us in Jesus Christ. That is what is at the heart of the gospel. And that is and always will be our calling as the Lord’s church. AMEN