Remember my dad listening to that song a long time ago, and I didn't get what it was talking about. But anyway so if you're looking for doves to come down to give you a sign, that's probably not the what the song is encouraging. But what it is incur one, on when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of what? In the form of a dove. And it's not a dove that brings us all the blessings of God, it's the Holy Spirit.

And then the the part about Noah, Noah sent out a raven and raven just came back, and then the raven disappeared and all this. But but then he sent out a dove, and the dove came back with a what? With an olive branch with a branch in its in its beak, which told them that the waters were subscribing and land there was land somewhere because because a a tree tree grew. Grew. It had a branch and a dove got a hold of it and brought it and brought it back.

So just a sign there of God's care and provision for Noah. Alright. First Timothy chapter six. First Timothy chapter six. First Timothy chapter six.

And we're gonna read verses six through 10. Again, the apostle Paul is giving instructions and encouragement to Timothy on dealing with different groups in the church, different issues within the church. This one is more or less concerning the wealthy And not just the wealthy, but those who were inclined to seek after wealth and riches more than the righteousness of Jesus Christ, more than the contentment and peace that comes through a growing relationship with Christ. And so money isn't bad. Money isn't evil.

That's not what Paul is saying. What Paul is saying is the love of money, the deification of money, the pursuit of money more than the pursuit of God is the trouble. And it is a big trouble. Where? When?

Here and now. We live in a wealthy society. We live in a society that's constantly constantly enticing us with things that we must have if we are going to be happy. We are surrounded by people who believe that the only pursuit in life that counts is climbing the ladder and gaining more and more money to put in your bank account. We sometimes need to be reminded there's something more important than money.

And sadly, there's a lot of genuine believers out there who are not bearing the fruit that they should because they have allowed money and the pursuit of money to distract them from the pursuit of that which is of greatest value, laying up treasure where? In heaven and not on earth. So first Timothy six verse six, but godliness with contentment is great gain. K? This is one of the simplest verses in the instructions in all of scripture.

Godliness plus contentment equals what? Great gain. K? Very easy. Godliness with contentment equals great gain.

I like math in school. So every now and then I sneak math or science in there. I think that's really cool. Okay? So godliness plus contentment equals great gain.

We'll come back to that in a second. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. It's been said you've never seen a hearse pulling a what? U Haul. Somebody had to find a picture on the Internet and send it to me of a hearse pulling a U Haul just to prove me wrong.

Okay. But you don't normally see that. Why? Because you can't take anything with you. Verse eight, and having food and raiment, two most important things, let us therewith be what?

Contempt. No. That is a really foreign concept in The United States Of America. So but they which but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into 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, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

So let's go back. Let's look at two things from this passage, the principle and the warning. The principle and the warning. The principle is this, godliness plus contentment equals great gain. According to Paul, true lasting gain is not found in silver, gold, or the pursuit thereof, but in true faith, piety, and godly living coupled with contentment in life.

When Peter and John came to the man at the beautiful gate, the lame man who was the beggar there who had been brought out every morning to sit and wait and everybody knew him, and he looked at him and said, sirs, what can you give me? They said, gold and silver, have we none. But we have something what? We have something of greater value. In the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk.

Stand up and walk. And he didn't just walk. He leaped around and jumped up and down and praised the Lord, and everybody saw him and, boy, it sparked a revival because there is something of greater value than silver and gold. Much greater value than silver and gold. They could have given him some silver and gold if they had it on him.

It wouldn't have done him one millionth as good as what they gave him in return. And what they gave him was not only the ability to stand up and walk, but the knowledge that there is a God and a savior who can change your life and change my life, forgive our sins, and heal us, and make us whole. And they took that opportunity to share that message with not only him, but the others that were gathered around that day. What is godliness? Godliness is genuine faith and practice, sometimes called piety.

Genuine faith and practice. It starts with genuine faith and it leads to genuine what? Practice. It starts with a conversion on the inside which leads to a conversion on the what? On the outside, that's godliness.

Godliness is genuine faith that leads to good works which glorify our father where? In heaven. That's what godliness is. And contentment is satisfaction with the current situation. Satisfaction with what we have.

Not being obsessed with needing more and more and more. Just be content, happy with what we have and where we are. Jesus said to Satan, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. In scripture, contentment is satisfaction specifically in Christ. You see, I can be content in Christ Because no matter what it is that I don't have that somebody else does, I have something that they don't have if they don't know Christ.

And that is worth a million times more than whatever they have that I don't. Because I have Christ. I have eternity. I have forgiveness. I have a father who'll never leave me nor forsake me.

I have a home in heaven reserved for me. I have the Holy Spirit. I have the word of God. I have peace that passes what? All understanding.

I have the invitation to come boldly before the throne of grace. They may have a lot I don't, but I have so much more than they don't. And I have every reason to be content, and we should. It doesn't mean we're happy with every little bump in the road that we hit, but but the joy and the peace that comes from knowing Christ smooths out the bumps in the road, And we find contentment in Christ, which is great what? Which is great gain.

If you have contentment in Christ, then you have far greater gain. I could hand you I could bring in a a wheelbarrow load of gold and pour it at your feet. Would you trade it for your salvation in Christ Jesus? If you're a genuine believer in Christ, that that doesn't take any thought because the gold, they can't buy happiness. They cannot buy happiness, and it cannot buy joy.

Godliness with contentment is indeed great gain. Micah's echoes this in Micah six eight. He has showed thee, old man, what is good. What is good? Have a big family and a big house and a fancy car and a high up position and a lot of power and prestige.

That's not what the verse says, does it? He has showed the old man what is good. What is good? What is what is beneficial to you? What what is great gain?

Sometimes we we think of good as good versus what? Bad. But often the word good isn't in reference to what is right and what is wrong, but what what is beneficial and good for for us. Matter of fact, I think most often in scripture when the word good is used, it's used in that in that manner. What is good?

What is beneficial? What is a blessing to us? What is good? And what does the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Or you could say, to be godly and content.

It's basically those two are saying the same what? Same thing. What is good? Be godly. Thank God for what you have, which of course takes humility.

Do justly love mercy and walk humbly with thy God. Godly living itself is great gain. Godly living itself is great. Just living a godly life is great gain. I don't have to worry about the police showing up at my door.

I don't have to worry about that. I I don't have to worry that I'm going to get drunk and do something I wish I hadn't done. I don't have to worry about eternity. There's a great many things I don't have to worry about that a lot of other people out there have to worry about. Simply by living how?

Godly. Living godly is is great gain because having peace and joy and security is worth far more than having a bunch of money in the bank and worrying who's going to take it or if you're going to get caught for what you did to get it. Sadly, that's the way a lot of people live From the from the young people in the ghetto that are making money by dishing out drugs or by the tycoon on Wall Street that has cut a lot of curve, cut a lot of the corners, and deceived a lot of people in order to get the money he has. Godliness with contentment is indeed great gain. No better way to live in light of eternity and in fellowship with our God.

Quite the opposite of the worldly mindset whereby the ongoing pursuit of more and more climbing the ladder is the measure of success and gain. What does Christ say? He said to his disciples, but seek ye what? First. Seek ye first the kingdom and his righteousness.

And then all these things shall be, what? Shall be added unto you. You don't have to worry about these things. Worry about serving me and the other things will come. But if you worry about the other things and you leave God out, then all you're gonna have are the things, and you're going to spend all day and all night worrying about the things, figuring out how to hold on to the things and not having the Lord there to give you the peace and joy and purpose in life.

Wealth versus spiritual growth, which is of greater gain? You tell me. Which is of greater gain? The apostle Paul makes a point when he says we didn't bring anything into this life and we won't take anything, what, with us when we go. All the stuff we get in this life, we didn't have it when we came and we won't have it when we go.

It serves its purpose. Serves its purpose. You you need a house. It's good to have a car to get around. It's good to have a little bit of money in the bank.

Case things go awry. We need those things. But we don't need to live for those things because those things are passing away. And they get old, you know. I bought this phone a couple years ago.

It's starting to get old, you know. Eventually, I'll have to get a new one. They slow down. They get bugs in them. I mean, not literal bugs, but, you know, computer bugs.

You know, and you gotta go get a new one. And it's really cool for a month, and then it's it's just a phone, you know? That stuff's passing away. Job Job, under duress from Satan, who took it all away, said this, naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return hither. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. You know, I I came in this world with nothing. I'm going out of this world with nothing. God gives and God takes away. He's God.

I'm not. Praise the Lord. I get to live on this earth he created. I get to enjoy days and family and and things that he lets me have for time, but it's it's all part of a journey that takes me from the place I had nothing to the place I actually have everything but nothing of this earth. And praise the Lord, there's better things waiting me than this phone.

Alright? Wonderful thing. In Matthew six nineteen through 21, Jesus said, lay not up for your treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, thieves break through and steal, but lay it for your treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves do not break through or steal. For where your treasure is, what? There will your heart be also.

Your heart's going to follow what you treasure. And if you start treasuring the things of earth or the things of heaven, your heart's going to fall follow. Where'd my cup of drink go to? I put it down here. And then what's going to happen when the treasure goes away?

Your heart's going to be what? Your heart's going to be empty when it should have been full of the love of Christ and the things of heaven. Thus, as citizens of heaven and children of the king, we should have every reason to be content and satisfied with the necessity of which God has promised to provide. Philippians four. Philippians four, Paul writes to Philippians from where?

The city of Rome. The magnificent city of Rome. Boy, he is in the most opulent, the most powerful, the more splendid capital of the world in prison. He is in prison in Rome. Okay?

He's now out on a vacation. He's not enjoying all the sights. He's not hobnobbing with all the important people. He is in prison. Now granted, his prison was next to the palace.

And he did actually get to hobnob with some people that you would not have imagined. He would have got to speak to, maybe about the gospel. People in Caesar's own household, the soldiers that were watching him every day while he was under house arrest. Nonetheless, Paul was in prison, and he was going to have his day before Caesar. And when that day came, he might lose his head, literally, for the sake of the gospel.

And what does Paul write? Well, he writes a letter to the Philippians in which he encourages who? He encourages them. Don't be concerned about me. I'm getting along just fine.

I'm concerned about you. Be grateful for what you have in Christ. We take advantage of the privilege of prayer in Jesus. Remember that no matter how bad things get, you can be content in Christ Jesus. He says in Philippians four ten, but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me hath flourished again wherein you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity.

He's talking about the gift they sent him. Not that I speak in respect of one, for I have learned in what so ever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased. I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me. And we so often take that verse out of context as though God is saying, you can be Superman, you know, and no. Paul is saying, I can endure. And I can handle anything that Satan throws across my path that life brings me because I have who? I have Jesus.

And Jesus brings me contentment. And I have learned in Christ, it's great to have abundance. It's okay to not know where your next meal's coming from. It's great to be free, and it's okay to be in prison. Now, that'd be a hard one for me.

I just can't I just tried to imagine myself in prison, and it just isn't a it just isn't a good pretty picture. But but Falk Paul found contentment even in prison because there was no such thing as solitary confinement because you can't keep Jesus out of the cell. You can't keep the Holy Spirit. You can't kick the Holy Spirit out. So Paul said, I've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.

He reminded the Philippians in verse 19, but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. What does that mean? That means the needs that you genuinely have, like he told his disciples, Matthew Matthew six thirty three, he has the ability to meet them all. And he's gonna take care of you. You might not be famous.

You might not be rich. In the eyes of the world, you might have to wear hand me down clothes. You might not get to live in the nicest part of town in the biggest house with the fanciest car. But you know something? The fanciest car is nothing but a tool to get you from point a to point b.

That's all it is. And if it's anything more, well, then you're probably going to get distracted by it. The biggest house is just a place for you to dwell in so you have a roof over your head. You can keep yourself warm in the winter and cool in the summer. And I stress the cool in the summer.

I know it's cold at the moment, but I I I would trade a dozen days in July and August for a couple of these here and there. So praise the Lord for air conditioning. But godliness with contentment is great gain because all those other things, they're they're good, they're useful, but they're not what life is about. Life is about Jesus. Life is about serving the Lord.

Life is about family and relationships, and it's not about wealth. That is a lie. And how many people ruin their lives and some their entire eternity for the love of what? For the love of money. Thus, we come to the warning.

The principle and the warning. What is the warning? Verses nine and ten. But they which be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts hurtful lusts. Things which do them hurt, not good, but the opposite, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Essentially, enslavement to sin and wickedness, perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, or it could be translated the root of all kinds of evil. It's not saying that all evil comes from the love of money because there is evil that comes from the love of other things besides money. What Paul is saying is there are many kinds of evil, many evil, hurtful, foolish things we can do out of a love for what? For money.

The love of money is the root of all kinds, all kinds of evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. The warning. While the possession of wealth is not always a snare or a sin, the vain pursuit of riches in life most definitely is both. That is a snare and a sin. In Paul's admonition here, we sense a downward spiral ending in eternal destruction for those who choose the God of riches.

Matthew six twenty four says, no man can serve, what? Two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, else he will hold to the one and despise the other. We cannot serve God and mammon. You have to make a what?

You need to make a choice. You need to make a choice in your life. Who will be your Lord? Choose you this day whom you will what? Serve.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. You have to make a decision. Who is your Lord? Is it Jesus who died on the cross for your sins and will forgive them? Is it the pursuit of wealth and money?

Is it power? Is it pleasure? Which would you choose? What is the God of your life? Choice number one.

Choice number two, which one are you going to follow this morning or this evening? When you get up tomorrow and you gotta make a decision, is the pursuit of God going to guide your decision or is the pursuit of something else? And as Christians, sometimes we choose which. We choose to something else, and then we always regret it after we do. Because we know we know who the Lord is, and we know who the Lord of our life is.

And then sometimes we still we we choose today to serve the wrong what? The wrong master. Because you can't be serving money, serving pleasure, and serving God at the same time. And sometimes, we choose the wrong one. We're not going to accomplish much for God if the reason we make our decisions today all have to do with money and not with godliness.

So you say this message is for the lost? No. This message is also for the Christian because sometimes we make the wrong choice in the moment. You cannot serve both masters. There's a illustration a camp counselor had that we used to take the youth group to, and it looked like a y.

It came up like this and then had a a y in the road. And it said there's just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self. Yeah. Just two choices on the shelf when you come to a decision, pleasing God or pleasing self. When you please God, do you regret it?

No. When you please self, you're gonna likely regret it because there's a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of what? Death. Okay? Don't choose self.

Self leads you the wrong way. Choose God. Choose him for your eternity and choose him tomorrow morning when you have to make a decision and you won't have regrets. Those who desire riches above righteousness will continue to fall over and over again headlong in temptations and snares that is traps to their own hurt, of their own making, and by their own greed. If money is their pursuit, if money is their God, if money is the foremost guide in their decision making, then they will continue to trip their own selves up over and over and over again.

And it won't get better. It'll just get, what, Worse. You might make more money, might have more in the bank, you might get more pats on the back, you might get more fame in the world, but in your heart, it doesn't get better, just gets more doesn't get more full, it gets more what? It gets more empty. And how many of those wealthy people are on their fifth marriage?

How many of those wealthy people are not happy? They're just not happy. And they're not content. And they're not full of joy because they keep getting tripped up over the same thing, falling flat on their face, and after a while, face hurts because they keep falling on it. Think remember Lot.

Lot had an immense amount of wealth. He had immense amount of security in his wealth. And he knew the God that provided that wealth. But when given an opportunity to make the what? The decision pleasing God or pleasing self, which one did he choose?

He chose to please self. He didn't. Abraham gave him the first choice. He he didn't he didn't, out of respect for his uncle, leave the best land for Abraham. He took the best land for who?

For himself or so he thought. He just he wanted more. He needed the best and he ended up in Sodom. The Bible says his soul was vexed by what he saw in Sodom. But now his family was tied to it and his life was tied to it.

And then when they came to the angels came to deliver him out of the city, he he he hesitated. He questioned. Are you sure about this? When he sent to his sons in law to tell him we gotta leave, they laughed. They laughed at him.

So he took his family and the angels led him and his two daughters and wife out of the city. But his wife looked back because her heart was where? Her heart was in Sodom. And as she heard the fire and brimstone raining down, she couldn't help herself. She had to look back, and he lost his wife.

And in a way, he lost his daughters. They got him drunk and he had two illegitimate children. He lost it all because he wanted it all. How sad. Continuing to be driven out of control by these most foolish and hurtful lusts, their lives went into destruction and perdition.

How did Lot's wife end? As a pillar of salt. The rich man, in Luke 16, he woke up and he was in what? Torment. In Luke chapter 12, Jesus told a parable about a man.

He was wealthy, had a big harvest. What am I gonna do with all this stuff? He didn't think about, you know, actually helping other people with it. He said, no, I'll I'll tear down my barns and I'll build bigger barns and I'll sit back and relax and say, I got it all. And that night he died of a heart attack.

Then Jesus said, what good was all that stuff that he built those barns for? How foolish it is to gain the whole world and lose your own what? And lose your own soul. Thus, the pursuit of riches, thus choosing the God of riches over the righteous God of mercy and grace. Paul's warning continues with the declaration, the love of riches is the root of all kinds of evil.

Again, not money itself, which is to a point a necessity of life and can be a valuable tool in the service of Christ, but the love or veneration or insatiable appetite for money is an evil, which leads one into wickedness to make unrighteous decisions and incur the wrath of God, and one which brings upon yourself much, what, hurt indeed. I don't know why somebody thought it would be a good idea to make the lottery legal in Florida. And I don't know how many times I've gone to get to the gas station to get gas, and I had to go inside to get the receipt or I wanted a a cup of something to drink. And I go in and I stand in line and there's person in front of me, and there's only one person there to serve them. And I stand there for ten minutes while they sit there and they take off all of them.

And you know something? That lottery makes nobody rich. And when it does, what does it do? It destroys them. There is hardly ever a person who wins the lottery that it does not literally destroy them because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

And some having coveted after, sacrificing the things of heaven for the things of earth have swerved, strayed, Paul says, from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Remember the seed that fell among what? The thorns and the wealth pleasures of the world wrapped itself around it, snuffed it out so that it was unfruitful indeed. And that is what the pursuit of money will do. Paul spoke of Demas in second Timothy four ten, a a close friend of his.

It says that he has chosen the world over the things of the Lord. Remember the rich young ruler? Jesus said unto him, if thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away, what? Sorrowful for he had great possessions.

What had his heart? Possessions had his heart, and they weren't gonna let him go. And so he walked away sorrowful because his God was the money rather than the one standing in front of him who could offer him living water and the bread of life. Be careful, Christian, that we don't get led astray into many hurtful things by getting our eyes off of Christ and on the ways on the on their possessions as though they are what makes us happy. You have in Christ.

You have in Christ what will make you happy. Godliness with contentment is great what? Great game. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you for all that you've given us and all that you've done for us, forgiving your son, for promising to provide for us in ways far greater than a fancy car and a big house, to the righteousness of Christ and the Holy Spirit that you've given to us and a place that you've reserved for us in heaven.

And, Lord, I pray that we would take the things that you have given. We would be grateful, and, Lord, we would use them to the best of our ability to bring glory to our God and make a difference in this world that you have placed us in as we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Lord, help us to keep our eyes on the prize and not be distracted by the things of the world. For the world and the lust thereof are passing away, but he that doeth the will of the father endures what? Forever, Lord.

Thank you. Remind us of that every day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.