But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.but having food and covering we shall be therewith content.
7 sermons cite this verse
… have all been fed. Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Those few verses there in 1 Timothy 6 were the focus of our study this morning in verses 6, 7, and 8, and now we turn to verses 9 and 10. This morning we introduced the concept of contentment, and this evening we look now at the contrast that he gives to us with this picture of contentment. Let me read to you from Philip's paraphrase once again. For men who set their hearts on being wealthy, expose themselves to temptation. They fall into one of the world's traps and lay themselves open to all sorts of silly and wicked desires which are quite capable of utterly ruining and destroying their souls. Now, as we said this morning, it is important that we recognize that he is not addressing here people who are rich. He is not addressing rich people. He is going to address the rich, or he has done, and we'll come to that in the 17th verse, those who are rich in this present world. At the moment, though, he is addressing individuals who …
… we can take nothing out of it. Principle. Understood. But he says, if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. There are certain things we need to get through life. One is shelter, and the other is food. So that's what he's talking about. The word that is used for clothing speaks not only of the stuff that we would put immediately on our bodies, but speaks of the shelter in which we might live as within a dwelling place. And he says, So if we have food and we have clothes, there is the basis of contentment. It's essentially what you have worked out so masterfully in the Jungle Book. Right? You're all thinking of it already, aren't you? Bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. That's what he's saying. Oh, you were thinking, I'm the king of the swingers, the jungle VIP. Sorry, that was the wrong one. No. Bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. Is that what he's saying here? If we have food and clothing, here is the basics for contentment. Now, loved ones, you've got to get this. I have to get this. This is absolutely pivotal. Here, in verse 8, is the level at which our expectations and consequently our contentment should be pitched. …
… think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 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. Amen. Now, before we study these verses, let's go to the Lord, in prayer. Father, grant that you will enable us to hear your voice through your Word. As we listen to the voice of a mere man, we recognize that you choose to make your voice truly heard when your Word is truly taught. And so we pray that that might happen. Free us from every distracting influence, we pray, because of the seriousness of what we do, that we, the mere children of men, would listen for the voice of the living God. …
… He says, for we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we had food and clothing, we will be content with that. When's the last time you praised God for food and clothing? Oh, come on. Let's not be bougie in here. Did nobody wake up this morning like, God, I'm going to eat. And thank you for this shirt. That might tell us that we are outside of the flame that God wants us to work in. What are you saying, Pastor Mike? You want us to live broke and ashy around the mouth and messed up? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not saying that. I'm just trying to check our heart motives. because many times there's things in our heart that do not line up with God's word. And so when God asked us for time, when he asked us for a job, when he asked us for our finances, when he asked us to sacrifice something, we act like we got it ourselves. …
… your life will head toward ugliness. in 1 Timothy 6 verses 8 through 12. But if we have food and clothing, we'll be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people. The word that's translated plunge there is often translated drown. That drown people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith, pierced themselves, that's, I've run out of fingers on my hands. So go to the next one, have pierced themselves with many griefs. God has, there's actually 12 things that are in this passage. warnings about what will happen to us if we are lovers of money, if we desire to be rich more than anything else. If that's our driving motivation, then we're going to have disastrous consequences. But then turn it around. Eight verses later, in 1 Timothy 6, 18 through 19, Paul urges the rich, quote, be rich in good works, be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasures for yourself as a good foundation for the coming age. And obviously he's thinking of Matthew 6, what Jesus said about storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Now, the thing that's so encouraging about that is that if you look at James, weep and howl, you rich, for the judgment that's going to come down on you. …
… For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 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. 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. But you, and this is Paul speaking to Timothy, but you, man of God, flee from all of this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 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. Command those who are rich in this present age, 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. …
… hearse with a U-Haul behind it. And having food and raiment as just something to eat and something to wear, let us therewith be content. That's all you have to have. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after, there's our word, They have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Now that doesn't say that they that are rich. The Bible is not against riches. Abraham was rich. David was rich. Solomon was rich. Joseph of Arimathea was rich. But it says they that will be rich. What does that mean? They're putting things first. And when you put things first, you know what that is? It's idolatry. Anything you love more, serve more, desire more, fear more, value more than God is an idol. Now, folks, when you are guilty of idolatry you are guilty of something terrible. Listen, Jesus said in Luke chapter 16 and verse 13, No servant can serve two masters. Well, that's wrong. No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. And if you're wondering what two masters he's talking about, he said, you cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is just another word for things. And then Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33, Seek ye first …