Truth For Life

Guest (Male): God blesses some Christians with wealth. So how can they glorify God with the resources they've been given? And how are they to balance having money without being held by it? Today on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg considers this challenge as well as the distinct responsibilities that fall to those who are rich. We're studying 1 Timothy chapter 6 looking at verses 17 through 19.

Alistair Begg: You just think for a moment that all that you have is only in the frame of this present world and the present world is not all the world because there is eternity to face. Then if you can grab a hold of that, if you can turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face, then it will help the proclivity that is part and parcel of wealth to arrogance and to misplaced security. It's why Jesus says in Luke chapter 12, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. That's the baseline in verse 7 of this same chapter.

We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. Naked in, naked out. It's hard to hide stuff on your person when you're naked. Well, so what is the Christian to do? To go around saying, I'm such a poor person. I'm such an ugly person. I'm such a poor, ugly, wonderful Christian. Well, you may be a poor, ugly Christian and we can talk about that afterwards, but no, that's not our posture. That was monasticism. That was hair shirts. That was beds of nails. That was live your life in a closet time.

That was one attempt at dealing with it. The real challenge, it would seem, is to have it and not be held by it. Is to be entrusted with it and not be bombastic. And how will we be prevented? By realizing number one, the currency is only good here. Soon as you cross the border, it doesn't mean a thing. Well, I have a lot of dollars in my pocket. Well, tough. We take kroner here. Oh, we do. What's a kroner? See? Hello. I'm so glad to be up here in heaven. I brought quite a quite a stash with me.

I'm sure we'll be able to put it to good use somewhere. Don't be ridiculous. It's for the present age and it's so uncertain. And also we will be corrected by learning to trust in the giver rather than in the given. To put their hope in God who richly provides, not to put their hope in what he richly provides. To put their hope in the one who gives, not in what is given. And the reason that we can enjoy this, and we should enjoy it, is because we've learned to recognize that everything, including one's wealth, is a gift.

It is the expression of God's gracious generosity and this kind of enjoyment, loved ones, is legitimate enjoyment. You see the ascetics in chapter 4 were teaching that you couldn't marry, that you had to abstain from certain foods, that you weren't allowed to enjoy this and you couldn't enjoy that and so on. And they gave the impression that austerity was a synonym for godly. And Paul says with a with a glance, as it were, to these folks as he gives them a a jab in the ribs going past, he says, you know, God gave us all these things and we can enjoy them.

And the enjoyment of them does not have to be illegitimate. This kind of enjoyment does not necessarily have to be self-indulgent. He's already addressed the issue of self-indulgence in verse 6 of chapter 5 where he says the the widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God, verse 6, but the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. See, that's the distinction. The person who lives for pleasure has no notion of the provision of God. The person who understands that all of this is a gift from God is able to take it as from his hands.

Now, loved ones, do you understand this? Are you Is this making sense to you? Because there is so much confusion about this. Over 50% of the marriages that end in divorce are on account of arguments about money. And in a significant number of disruptions and declensions amongst the people of God, the issue is also money. Because people do not come to a biblical understanding of money. So we either regard it as some horrible thing that we're to stay away from or we regard it as the very apex of everything we can enjoy. So we find ourselves running from it or are are running to it.

And Paul says, listen Timothy, tell these folks, the ones that the folks who have been given resources, financial resources, give them give them this warning. Tell them there's a couple of dangers they need to face. Danger number one, that they end up being arrogant. Danger number two, that they that they misplace their security. You'll help them if you confront them with the fact that the currency is only good for a very short time with the fact that the currency itself is is liable to go away in a moment in time. And also when they realize that their focus should be on the giver rather than on the things he gives.

Well, those are the dangers and then he comes to the duties to the duties. In this further direction which comes in verse 18, you will notice that it begins again with the word command, command. You notice that the pastor is directive. It's interesting how many times he's told to tell people things. He's to command certain men in verse 3 of chapter 1. He's to point things out in verse 6 of chapter 4. He's to command and teach these things in verse 11 of chapter 4. He is to command the rich in verse 17. He is to command them again in verse 18.

Where do we get this idea of the pastor being some weak need little fellow who sits in a corner waiting for somebody to think up bright ideas or being a non-directive counselor? So you go to the pastor and you say, well, I don't know what I'm supposed to do about this. And the pastor says, well, you know, I don't know what you're supposed to do about it either. Tell me how you feel about it and I'll tell you how I feel about it. It's just absolutely pathetic cluelessness. The pastor, the spiritual leader is to listen, is to care, is to pray, but is to teach and is to lead.

And the guidance, the framework that prevents that individual from autocracy or for domination is the instruction of God's word which he teaches to the people so the people will know the Bible, so they will know if he tells them wrong and is protected by the plurality of leadership so that such an individual who has the awesome privilege of teaching the people the word of God is held in check by his brethren. But the pastor must lead, must teach, must warn, must guide. It's the job. Do you want it? Dangers to be faced, duties or as you would say, duties.

I can't say that. I just can't. I'm sorry. I can't say that. Duties to be fulfilled. Okay, duty number one, to do good. Command them to do good. What's your immediate reaction to that? Nobody commands me to do good. I'll do good if I feel like doing good. I mean, you don't get commanded to do good. Doing good is something you just do if you feel like doing good. If you don't feel like doing good, you don't do it. No, says Paul, you better tell them do good because the temptation is that they won't do good.

Now, what they need to do good with is their money. So you're going to have to tell them, listen, there's a lot of good things you can do with this money. Don't hoard it. Don't sit on it. Don't stick it under your bed. Don't hide it away because you're only here for a very short period of time and you really ought to be making an investment in eternity, not an investment in time. So I've got to tell you, start doing good. Quite striking, isn't it? James chapter 4 and verse 17. The individual who knows to do good and doesn't do it sins.

Anyone then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it sins. You go back and read the whole of James for your homework, James chapter 2 verse 24. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Who made that up? That's not supposed to be in the Bible. How in the world does that mean? Are we constantly saying by faith alone, sola fide? And James says a person is justified by what he does.

And not by faith alone was the key word. Alone. Doesn't say so a person is justified by what he does and not by faith. Says a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Because the person who says, I'm a Christian, I hear the Bible, I read the Bible, I do these things, but I don't do good. I hoard my wealth. I lay up treasure for myself on earth. I don't care about heavenly treasure. Paul says the Bible to that individual, you better be very careful because a man's life does not consist in the abundance of what he possesses.

You better be very careful that you're not like the rich fool who tore down his barns and he built bigger ones and he says, now let's see what I can do with the things that I have prepared for myself. You see, it is faith alone that saves. But the faith that saves is not alone. And that's why earlier on he uses this wonderful picture in chapter 2 and verse 10. He says, I want women to dress modestly with decency and propriety and not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive jewels. What should they be dressed with?

He says with good deeds, with good deeds. Are you wearing your good deeds this morning, ladies? Your husband may be wearing his good duds, but are you wearing your good deeds? Now, he actually piles it up. He says, I command them to do good. In fact, I want them to be rich in doing good, to be rich in good deeds. In other words, don't be going around asking the question, what's the minimum amount of good that I have to do? Rather he says, if you want to be rich, be rich in kindly actions. If you want to be known as being rich, don't take the haughty approach which demeans people on account of the absence of their resources, but rather take the humble approach which blesses people by the use of your resources.

Command number one, do good. Command number two, rich in good deeds. Command number three, be generous. You see wealth is a responsibility, is it not? It's a responsibility. It will ruin those who hoard it. It will ruin those of us who use it to our own pride and to enrich ourselves. There is no question about this. That's the parable of the sower. That's what Jesus was saying. Some seed fell on the ground. The birds came and picked it up. Some fell on rocky ground. It was instant bloom and instant fade. And some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it.

Now, when the disciples then asked Jesus for an explanation of the parable, he said the first group are those who hear the word of God and the devil snatches it away before they can do anything with it. The second group are those who when they hear the word of God say, sign me up for that. And within two weeks they have gone who knows where. And the third group are those who appear to make a good beginning, but as they go through the journey of their lives, a preoccupation with riches and with the cares of life squeeze and constrict and restrict the good that they might be.

And they do not, he says, go to maturity. In fact, there is no category in the parable of the sower with which we can speak concerning with conviction regarding the reality of faith except the fourth category, the good soil. So our generosity is going to be an indication of the fact that we are prepared to view what we've been given as from God to be used for the well-being of others. And that's the final command, that they are to be willing to share, willing to share, willing to take that which has been given to them and use it to sympathize with others who are distressed by their inability to meet their needs.

Okay, danger number one, arrogance. Danger number two, misplaced security. Duties, do good, be rich in doing good, be very generous and be willing to share. Now, is it not interesting to you? It's certainly interesting to me that when we think about people's gifts and resources, we don't have any difficulty exhorting them, do we? We say to them, you know, I think that you have an ability with children and we would like you to serve in children's ministry and you can hardly walk around this building at the moment without somebody grabbing hold of you and going, children's ministry, which is fine.

It's a good thing. The the the little blue things are everywhere going, I'm going to get you. I am going to get you. Someone comes to you and says, I heard you. I was sitting next to you and I heard you singing. You have a wonderful voice. You can hold a tune. Don't you ever consider using your gift in the ministry of music? Someone else says, you know, I have seen you have such a selfless spirit. Have you ever thought of using your gift to enable our care ministry here in the church? Someone says, I have observed the fact that you have a just a a heart of generosity.

Have you ever considered taking a significant chunk of your money and using it in this direction? The person says, excuse me, did you mention money? Yeah. How about we have tables up out here with little signs beside them? So it says like instead of it says uh zero to six months and then uh six months to a year and a half. It says zero to 5,000 and then 5,000 to 20,000 on the next side. And you just go up to your little sign and then you make a contribution of your money to whatever it is God has called you to do.

So I don't know why I'm going to do that. Why not? Why is it if everything we have is the gift of God including our money? We can ask everybody, exhort everybody about every other manifestation of giftedness vis-a-vis leadership. If it is in leading, let him lead. If it is in serving, let him serve. If it is in hospitality, let them show hospitality. If it is in giving, let them excel in giving. Now, why are we so backward about that? I'll tell you why. Because more than any other thing that we regard as our own prerogative and our own concern and our own private issue is our money.

And I speak for myself. I can't speak for you. Don't go looking there. Don't go pressing there. Don't go asking about this. That's mine. For once I can say this is mine. You can take it. Long as I know I got love, we can make it. For once in my life, for one thing in my life, for my business, for my statements, for my resources. Hey, I did it my way. You fool. Don't you realize that tonight your soul could be required of you? We say, well, is this is this a new departure for church?

We're now going to have booths at which you go and give money? Absolutely not. No, that would be horrendous. I can't think of anything worse. The point I'm making is that it would not be illegitimate to do so because if it's right to ask people to use their giftedness vis-a-vis serving, leading, guiding, caring, cooking, whatever it is, why is it not legitimate to come up and somebody and say, listen man, you got a pot of cash. I mean, don't give me that. No, I don't. Yes, you do. You're stinking rich. Now, what are you going to do with this?

Say, well, it's none of your business. Well, it's as much my business as you can come and say to me about my preaching because maybe if I didn't preach, then I'd have what you have. Then you could preach and you could come to me and say, hey, what are you doing with your money, smart guy? But you think you can just come to me and I can come to you? Where did we get that? See, every breath we take, every move we make, it's all God. It's all his stuff. Well, I should stop. Augustine in addressing this issue, he says from the goods which they distributed to others and so placed in greater safety, they derived more happiness than they incurred sorrow from the goods which they anxiously hoarded and so lost more easily.

Nothing could be really lost on earth save what one would be ashamed to take to heaven. There once was a man they said was mad. The more he gave away, the more he had. At the end of the day, when we reflect upon it, we will be forced to say what I kept I lost. What I gave I have. It is incumbent upon those who are wealthy to realize that if they will conduct themselves in this way, they will become richer and not poorer because the ultimate investment security is the bank of heaven. And it's real hard for us to believe that.

But believe it we must. You better take care of business, Mr. Businessman, before it's too late.

Guest (Male): Everything we have is a gift from God. You're listening to Truth for Life with Alistair Begg. Alistair returns in just a moment. Here at Truth for Life, we are passionate about helping people everywhere understand what the Bible says, what it means, and why it matters. We believe that God works through his word to do his work in and through his people at all ages and stages of life. And this is the last day we are recommending to you a book called Not Old, Not Young, Not Done following Jesus in your 50s and 60s. So if you've not yet requested your copy, be sure to do so today.

Longtime pastor Christopher Ash explains how God can make these years among your most productive for serving Christ through prayer, discipleship, and service to others. You'll also learn how the gospel can help you enjoy peace with God as you look back on unforgiven hurts, regrets for past choices, disappointment over past failures, and concern for unbelieving family members. Each chapter in this book ends with practical questions to help you think through and apply the teaching to your life. Not Old, Not Young, Not Done is yours today when you donate to support the Bible Teaching Ministry of Truth for Life.

You can give online at truthforlife.org/donate or call us at 888 588 7884. And if you're already thinking ahead to next year's vacation, make it one that deepens your understanding of Scripture. Join Alistair for the Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise from August 28th through September 4th. Find out more when you visit deeperfaithcruise.com. Now, here's Alistair to close with prayer.

Alistair Begg: Oh God, our Father, take our lives and let them be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take our moments and our days and let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take our silver and our gold, not a mite would we withhold. Take our intellects and use every power as thou dost choose. Take my life, oh Lord. I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself and let me be ever only all for thee. For Jesus' sake, we ask it. Amen.

Guest (Male): Thanks for listening this week. If you have the opportunity right now to share the gospel with someone, could you do it clearly without going off on rabbit trails? Monday we'll learn why it's imperative to know and guard the gospel. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the learning is for living. *