You Cant Take It With You!Or Can You?

In order to achieve contentment we must have a correct theology concerningwealth.

The health and wealth gospel is not in keeping with sound doctrine.

Godliness is not to be seen as a way of obtaining material or physical prosperity.

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 6:5 (ESV) and constant friction among people who aredepraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining thatgodliness is a means of gain.

This brings a unique perspective to many different cultural attitudes towardwealth and poverty not the least of which is oppression.

Just because a person was a slave holder did not make him/her godly.

Just because a person was a slave did not make him/her ungodly.

Just because a person is wealthy does not mean that he/she is godly.

Just because a person is poor does not mean that he/she is ungodly.

1 Timothy 6:3 (ESV) If anyone teaches a different doctrine and doesnot agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and theteaching that accords with godliness, 1 Timothy 6:4 (ESV) he is puffed up with conceit and understandsnothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and forquarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evilsuspicions, 1 Timothy 6:5 (ESV) and constant friction among people who aredepraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining thatgodliness is a means of gain.

Godliness with contentment is a huge return on ones investment.

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1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV) But godliness with contentment is great gain,

Wealth does not profit in the life to come.

1 Timothy 6:7 (ESV) for we brought nothing into the world, and wecannot take anything out of the world.

Nor does wealth make us more spiritual now.

1 Timothy 6:8 (ESV) But if we have food and clothing, with these wewill be content.

Theme: The desire for riches does not produce true godliness, quite thecontrary. Nor does the desire for godliness necessarily producephysical and material wealth.

I. The desire for riches does not produce godliness.

A. The desire for wealth leads to many harmful situations.

1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV) But those who desire to be rich fall intotemptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desiresthat plunge people into ruin and destruction.

1. The desire to be rich can lead to an enticement to sin. That isto obtain wealth in a Biblically unlawful manner.

1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV) But those who desire to be rich fall intotemptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmfuldesires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

2. The desire to be rich can lead to situations that peoplebecome entrapped in.

1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV) But those who desire to be rich fall intotemptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmfuldesires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

3. The desire to be rich can lead to ambitions that run contraryto our new found faith in Christ.

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1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV) But those who desire to be rich fall intotemptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmfuldesires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

4. The desire to be rich can lead to suffering.

1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV) But those who desire to be rich fall intotemptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmfuldesires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

B. The desire to be rich can result in destruction.

1. The desire to be rich can result in moral ruin.

1 Timothy 6:9 (ESV) But those who desire to be rich fall intotemptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmfuldesires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

2. The desire to be rich can result in a wasted life.

1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV) For the love of money is a root of allkinds of evils. It is through this craving that some havewandered away from the faith and pierced themselves withmany pangs.

C. The love of money has resulted in all kinds of bad things happening.

1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV) For the love of money is a root of all kinds ofevils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away fromthe faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1. It has caused some to abandon the faith.

1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV) For the love of money is a root of allkinds of evils. It is through this craving that some havewandered away from the faith and pierced themselves withmany pangs.

2. It has caused others to experience a lot of trouble in life.

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1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV) For the love of money is a root of allkinds of evils. It is through this craving that some havewandered away from the faith and pierced themselves withmany pangs.

II. The desire for godliness is not a means to obtain earthly riches.

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

A. Negatively stated a godly person is not to have as their goal theobtaining of riches which will have all the negative results describedabove.

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) But as for you, O man of God, flee thesethings. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness,gentleness.

B. Positively stated the godly person is to seek the things of God whichwill produce beneficial qualities in ones life.

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) But as for you, O man of God, flee thesethings. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness,gentleness.

1. Righteousness as opposed to sinful temptations.

2. Godliness as opposed to enslaving ambitions.

3. Faith as opposed to those desires that run contrary to ourfaith,

4. Love as opposed to profiting at the expense of others.

5. Steadfastness as opposed to wandering from the faith.

6. Gentleness as opposes to suffering destruction and ruin.7.

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C. It is these qualities that produce an enviable quality to life orstandard of living now and into eternity.

1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV) But godliness with contentment is great gain,

1 Tim 4:8 (KJV) For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness isprofitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is,and of that which is to come.

III. Conclusion:

1 Timothy 6:7 (ESV) for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannottake anything out of the world.

Revelation 14:13 (ESV) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Writethis: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessedindeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for theirdeeds follow them!

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