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Sermon Notes

The Formula for Great Gain // Blueprints For Building The Church

1 Timothy

– Godliness and Contentment are the two ingredients for great gain

5 Principles To Live By:

1. The Gospel isn’t a product that fixes life’s problems.

1 Timothy 6:3-5

³ If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, ⁴ he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,⁵ and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

• Prosperity Gospel

• It’s all about our desires, not our possessions.

1 Timothy 6:6-10

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

• Remember the location of our true home and riches.

1 Timothy. 3:11-12

¹¹ But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

• We can’t take it with us, but we can invest eternally.

1 Timothy 6:10, 17

¹⁷ As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. ¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

• Scarcity Gospel

• It is a daily battle under a generous Father

¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

¹⁷ As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

-“Self Made” people worship their perceived maker, themselves”

Making It Real

• Is you identity and security found in what you have, or don’t have?
• How do you use what you have for the Kingdom? 

Weekly Discussion Questions:

*Read 1 Timothy 6:3-21*
QUICK REVIEW:
Was there one point from this week’s sermon that particularly caught your attention, challenged you or confused you more than the others?

START THINKING. Ask these questions to get your LifeGroup thinking.

• We live in a society where most people enjoy many material possessions. What would be a non-essential material possession that would be easy for you to give up?
• Name one that would be more challenging to give up besides your residence or vehicle.
• Can you think of any ways people have positively invested in your life that they may or may not know?

START TALKING. Ask these questions to get your LifeGroup talking.
Paul, the writer of 1 Timothy, understands the tension we experience between balancing our pursuit of being rich in good deeds versus rich in material possessions. That is why he writes “Fight the good fight of the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12) Part of the dilemma is that our pursuit of financial gain tells us the lie that its return is more rewarding than the pursuit of God and making an eternal investment.

• What do the following verses tell you that you gain in the pursuit of God that no material possession will give you?

*Psalm 112:1-9*
*Matthew 5:6*

Throughout our study of 1 Timothy, we have talked about having personal significance and significance in the lives of those we know. As you go back and re-read 1 Timothy 6:11, look at the definitions below and discuss an example of how it might look when it is lived out in the workplace.

• “Righteousness” means personal integrity and godly character lived out.
• “Faith” might better be translated faithfulness. It has well been said that the greatest ability is dependability.
• “Love” is the agape love that sacrifices for the sake of others. It seeks to give, not to gain.
• “Endurance” carries the idea of sticking with it when the going is tough. It is not a complacency that waits, but a courage that continues in hard places.
• “Gentleness” in this context might be seen as “power under control.”
• How might living out these principles make an impact on others?  Is there one that challenges you more than the others?

*Read 2 Samuel 9:1-13*

• We saw this weekend that God wants us to develop a mindset of generosity. How do we see generosity expressed specifically by King David in this passage?
• How is Mephibosheth’s situation and David’s treatment of him similar to God’s treatment of us?
• How might this story expand our generosity?

START SHARING. Ask these questions to get your LifeGroup sharing.

• What from this week’s teaching and/or study helped you the most for developing godliness, contentment, or generosity?

START PRAYING.
God, help me today to think of your generosity and how I can be generous towards others and your Kingdom.  Help me to pursue godliness and contentment this week.  – Amen