Morning Message Text: 1 Timothy 6: 6-19
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you
14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
17 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.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19 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.
Morning Message:
Last week I challenged you to find a stone and put your name on it so that we can put them together and rebuild our altar of worship to God. This would only be a symbol, but I believe that it could be a very important sign that we here at Marion are willing to rededicate ourselves to worship. The first step in re-dedication is admitting that we have been wrong. This is not easy, especially for those who have been coming faithfully most of the time. This is about more than your presence in worship; it’s about our attitude toward worship. I believe that there is room for each and every one of us to improve how we approach the worship of our Lord and Savior, the only King of this universe. I watched as many paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II and the question that came to my mind is: How can we show such reference for an earthly monarch who has passed away and such little reference for our heavenly Father who lives eternally?
It doesn’t take that much effort to find a stone, write your name on it, and bring it to worship. And it will not have any significance in our lives unless it is accompanied by true commitment and dedication. God is not fooled by our irreverent actions. God knows the condition of our hearts and how sincere our intentions are. Rededication must come from the heart, and we can’t rededicate ourselves if we have never made the good confession. Once we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have access to the Holy Spirit and the ability to confess our sins and rededicate ourselves to the Lord as often as needed. In other words, friends, you cannot dedicate yourself to the worship of God unless you have first accepted His Son, Jesus, as your Lord and Savior. I want you to participate in this dedication, but first you must make Your Good Confession. Maybe you’re not sure if you have truly made that confession. Let’s examine our lives in the light of scripture. Who are you more like, Lazarus or the Rich Man? I’m not going to read you the story. You should read it; maybe you know of it. If you are truly a disciple of Jesus, you are affected by the pain and suffering of others. The rich man could casually walk by a sick and starving Lazarus and not feel the impulse to help him. Like many today, he was self-centered, selfish, and uncompassionate. He lived life for himself and when his life was over, he finally knew what it was like to suffer. He wasn’t in hell because he didn’t give to Lazarus; he was there because his heart was unchanged, and it showed in his lack of compassion.
Godliness and contentment is great gain. We worry so much about what we have and what we think we need, but we came into this world naked and when we leave it, even if we are dressed in our finest clothing, nothing else goes with us. None of us will admit to loving money, but have you ever chosen making money over worshiping God? Come on, am I the only one who chose to work on a Sunday rather than go to worship? Believe me, when you belong to Jesus and you make that choice you feel it, sooner or later. If you belong to Jesus and you choose to do other things instead of worshiping God, the Holy Spirit will point it out to you, and you might not like the results.
“But you, man (or woman) of God, flee from all of this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” Now listen: Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. This is what I am asking you today. Have you done this? Did you mean it? Have you ever taken the bold step of confessing Jesus as your Lord and Savior in the presence of witnesses? This is not a secret faith. True faith and commitment happens in the light of day, before God. Even Jesus gave a good confession of who he was in the presence of Pontius Pilate. Listen, this is of eternal importance today. This could be why you don’t feel called to worship. This might be hard to admit to ourselves, but maybe we need to examine why other things are more important to us and worship is not a priority. The good news is, it’s not too late. You do not have to end up like the rich man. Maybe God is calling you today to complete your salvation. Maybe it’s time for you to make your good confession.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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