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a. 1 Timothy 5:17 to 19, Paul instructs Timothy to give a charge to the rich Christians.
- Paul brings Timothy’s attention back to godly living by undermining lavish living. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (18) That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; (19) Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1) The charge to the rich. “Charge them that are rich in this world…” vs 17 - This charge is given to Christians who are already rich. - This communicates that being rich is not a sin, but the attitude and purpose for the riches is what matters. _ i. “…that they be not highminded…” vs 17 - The rich Christians are not to be lifted up in pride because of their riches. - If you are not careful, riches can get to your head. There is a great temptation to confuse riches for wisdom. Proverbs 28:11 - To be high-minded impacts Christian character in a huge way. James 5:1-6, Leviticus 19:13, Jeremiah 22:13, James 2:6 ii. “…nor trust in uncertain riches…” vs 17 - The rich Christians are not to put their trust in their money. There is a great temptation to be independent (Instead of God-dependent) when one is rich. Proverbs 30:7-9 - Riches are “uncertain”. This means a person’s fortune could be taken away at any time. - This is one of the traps of being wealthy, it can give rich people a false sense of false security and power. When their money is taken away they then become weak. Proverbs 23:4-5, 27:24 iii. “…but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;” vs 17 - The rich Christians are to put their trust in the “living God”. In other words, riches ought not to be their focus and priority. - They ought to trust in God who is the main giver. He is the one who provides us with all the things we need. - God is the one who blesses us richly (abundantly) with everything we have to enjoy. This includes the spiritual blessing that we have in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7. - We should trust in the one who blesses, and not in the blessings. Ture riches without heartache come from the Lord. Proverbs 10:22 - It is a blessing that we can still enjoy the blessings of God in a sin-cursed world. - William McDonald “This latter statement does not condone luxurious living, but simply states that God is the Source of true enjoyment, and material things cannot produce this.” 2) The command to do good works – “That they do good…” vs 18 - Paul now gives specific instructions to the rich Christians in how they should use their riches. i. Rich in doing good – “…that they be rich in good works…” vs 18 - They are to be wealthy in seeking to do good works. Galatians 6:9-10 - John Wesley once said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” ii. Ready and willing – “…ready to distribute, willing to communicate;” vs 18 - The rich Chirstian must be ready and willing to meet a genuine need when they hear or see one. - Hebrews 13:16 “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” - This also indicates to us that they must be sensitive, alert, and eager to give to the needs of others. - 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 3) Storing up treasure in heaven – “Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation…” vs 19 - Trusting the Lord, doing good works, investing in the work of God, and being a benevolent giver is laying a good foundation for eternity. - John Phillips “The rich person has a tremendous potential for doing good. Jesus told the rich young ruler, "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven" (Luke 18:22). The more wealth we have, the greater is our responsibility to help others.” i. Investing in eternity. “…against the time to come…” vs 19 - Our obedience to the Lord and what we do with what we have will impact our eternal future. - Matthew 6:19-20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” ii. A great motivation – “…that they may lay hold on eternal life.” vs 19 - Paul uses this term again in the life of the rich Christians. They are also encouraged to keep their charge with their “eternal life” in view. As they trust and serve God they are to lay hold to what they have in Christ. - John Phillips “Happy is the rich person who breaks the bondage of materialism imposed by his wealth and sees beyond time to eternity and beyond earthly riches to eternal rewards.”
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Beginning from Psalm 90 and reading through to Psalm 100, we see clearly that David was meditating on the character of God and praising Him accordingly. He rejoices in what God has done, is doing, and will do. Arriving then at Psalm 101, David penned down what I like to call, “The Psalm of Separation,” or, “The Psalm of Commitment”.
This Psalm is David’s commitment to God that he will walk with integrity in all godliness and uprightness. Verse one presents the theme of his praise (mercy and judgment) and the object of his praise (unto thee, O LORD). Verse two records David’s commitment to the Lord. The remainder of the Psalm, then, goes on to elaborate with specific detail what he meant by verse 2. In verses 1-4, David is focusing on dealing with himself before God. In verses 5-8, David is focusing on dealing with others before God. The purpose of making any commitment to God is so the committed one will always resort back to what he ‘officially’ promised to do. Being committed is not a bad thing – it’s a good thing, but it must be a commitment to God and His ways, not ours. Commitment is good, but what we commit to may not be so good; therefore, we must be careful. When we sing “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” what some of us actually mean is “Give Me My Way, Lord”— it doesn’t work that way. Commitment is on the basis of what God says and wills for your life. Commitment is when I consciously acknowledge the Word and will of God, and pledge before God to walk in that way. An illustration that comes to my mind is an anchor. Just as one, at the command of his Captain, would let down the anchor of the ship to keep the ship from drifting, so ought we in like manner, in response to the commands of God, let down our anchor of commitment in order to keep ourselves from drifting. If the Captain, or even others on board, notice the ship is drifting in any way, the anchor must be checked and re-committed to keep the ship from drifting. Though we at times might wander off in our own ways, we must always come back to our anchor of commitment to keep ourselves from drifting. We all have an anchor, but we all have not let down our anchor. Our anchor of commitment is God’s Word, and unless we let down the anchor we will be drifting. Some have let down their anchor, but have been drifting and don’t care to return to their anchor to check it and re-commit it; till then, you will continue to drift. Have you offered up a psalm of commitment to God ? Have you let down your anchor? Is your anchor still holding or are you drifting? Consider David’s commitment: Psa 101:1 A Psalm of David.
Buddy Zaatini How can a Christian Spiritually Grow into Christ-likeness
To continue to desire the Word of God To passionately pursue the Knowledge of the Lord To seek to have an eternal Focus To endeavor to live the Mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” It is an amazing thing to have the mind of Christ. As Christians, our minds are renewed by God through His Word and by His Spirit. It is one thing to know the mind of Christ, but it is another thing to Live it. It is one thing to know the Will of God, but it is another to fulfil it. It is one thing to hear the Words of Christ, but it is another thing to observe them. Do you know we can be entertained by the truth of God’s Word by being heavily convicted, but doing nothing about it? As growing Christians we must endeavor to have the mind of Christ and live it. Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” As we have the mind of Christ revealed to us by The Word of God and by His Spirit, we must live it out. By the Way, there are so many blessings that come from submitting to what we know we ought to do as Christ-Followers. Note: When we live the mind Christ:
What kind of life did He live before us that we might follow? TURN TO: Philippians 2:1-8 Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Paul is now going show before the eyes of the Philippians the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:6-7 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:VS 7But made himself of no reputation…” Jesus Christ – God, is the perfect example of someone who was selfless. He had others on His mind. The next verse before us describes what it means when Jesus “…made Himself of no Reputation…” Philippians 2:7 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” 2. SERVING MIND - “…and took upon him the form of a servant.”
4. SUBMISSIVE MIND Philippians 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. He obeyed even though it cost Him His life. James 4:13-15 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: vs 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Vs 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
The Bible likens life to a vapour. A vapour is the mist or fog that you see in the morning that disappears soon after. Life is just for a moment. Here are some reasons why life is but for a moment: 1. Death is Certain a. Old age If any of us lived to see a hundred years that would still be a very short time. When you view life in the light of eternity, life is only a vapour. b. Sudden death No one is guaranteed that they will live to their full age. The news is full of tragedies such as car accidents, murders, and heath issues (Cancer); and all these things can come upon us like a thief in the night. 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” c. God can cut our life short if He chooses Luke 12:20 “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” We must remember that God gives life and God can take it away at any time. If God decides to cut our life short, then that is totally up to Him. That is why it is important that we live surrendered lives to Christ. 2. Coming of Christ is soon James 5:8 “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Death is not only certain, but the coming of Christ is very soon. Many things around us are happening that the Word of God predicts that prove the end time is near. Life is a vapour because Jesus is coming very soon. Because life is only for a moment the Bible instructs us to live according to the will of God. It a sad thing when a Christian chooses to live life as if they are going to live forever on earth. James 4:16 “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” We have a limited time on earth, but the flesh continues to fight against God’s will and desires to live for self. Notice what the Word of God states. Ephesians 5:15-18 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, vs 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Vs 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Vs 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” a. Do not be foolish but walk with wisdom. b. Do not waste time but make every opportunity count for God’s glory. c. Strive to know and to do what God wills and do not seek to do what you want to do. d. Be controlled by the Holy Spirit, and do not be overcome with the lust of your flesh. In other words, do not just live for yourself. We must live with eternity in view. Someone once said, “For a little reward men make a long journey; for eternal matters many will scarce lift a foot once from the ground.” Notice what Moses said. Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
Likeminded As we serve the Lord and one another, the Lord desires us to be in the “same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” This love and mindset is not self-seeking, but rather it is to be other-esteeming; it is unconditional. It expects nothing in return. We never ought to serve to get gain, or do a good deed to be praised. We should never keep a list of what we have done for others to use it against them. Romans 12:9 “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” We must love and serve without hypocrisy. This love is to be genuine. We are to serve others for others. Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” God’s Glory Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; Frustration and resentment will start to build up in a person’s life when they serve to be seen. Some will only serve to be seen or they will not serve at all. The Bible mentions that this is vain. Remember, we are all servants of the Lord, and we must seek to serve for God’s glory. If we have God’s glory in mind when we serve, we will be able to serve others better and esteem them better than ourselves. Colossians 3:22-23 “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: vs 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Others Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” We all have a specific part to play in the body of Christ. One person is a foot, another a hand, and another is an eye, etc. We are to seek to help each other become all that God has planned to be in the Body. I have never seen any of my body parts not willing to help each other. When I have an itch on my leg, I use my hand to scratch it to bring some relief. I use my eyes to help me see what happened to my sore arm. When I seek to serve others with love I fulfil the Law of Christ. We are to have a heart that rejoices to see others used and blest by God and for God’s glory. How can this be done? How can we esteem others better than self? The Mind of Christ! Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” If we are to have the mind of Christ we are to maintain a close walk with God and His Word. Jesus is the greatest example to us; He lived a life that was fully submitted to the will of the Heavenly Father. No Reputation/Humility (Philippians 2:6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Philippians 2:7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Jesus Christ (who is God) was willing to become a servant in the likeness of a Man. What an amazing testimony! God demonstrates what it truly means to esteem others better than self. God was willing to be poor so we could be rich in Christ. God was willing to be a servant so we could be joint-heirs with Christ. Obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Jesus submitted to the Heavenly Father’s divine plan; however, with that submission came sacrifice. To esteem others better than ourselves means we must sacrifice. Dr. J.H. Jowett said, “Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.” If we want to have a ministry toward God and others that truly matters, we have to be willing to make sacrifices and pay the price. This is having the Mind of Christ.
God’s desire is that all His Children grow in His Grace. The Christian’s conversion is the start of God’s grace, but the Christian life is growing in God’s Grace.
David Livingstone once said “I’ll go anywhere provided it is forward”. G = God’s Gift Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: vs 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” God’s grace is His unconditional love toward us. He has demonstrated that love by giving us gracious gifts that are so amazing and undeserving. We have a God that is too good to us, and His love is better than anything this whole world can offer. The Psalmist said “…thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” AW Tozer said “Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving. Its use to us sinful men is to save us and make us sit together in heavenly places to demonstrate to the ages the exceeding riches of God’s kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” 1. God’s Gift of Love – Romans 5:8 This amazing love is found in Jesus Christ. Through His love, He grants us forgiveness of sin and eternal priceless treasures that fade not away. a. Jesus – Romans 3:24, 2 Timothy 2:1 b. The Gospel – Acts 20:24 c. Salvation – Ephesians 1:7, Acts 15:11 d. Eternal Life – Romans 6:23 e. Divine Royalty – Romans 8:6-17 f. Repentance – Titus 2:11-12 Note: For God to give all people everywhere the opportunity to turn back to Him is great grace. 2. God’s Gift in Prayer – Hebrews 4:16 It is an absolute privilege to be able to talk to God through prayer and cast our care upon Him. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” 3. God’s Gift in His Calling – Ephesians 3:7, Philippians 3:14 There is no greater calling in life than to have the Creator give us various abilities to use for His glory! Ephesians 3:7 “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.” 4. God’s Gift in His Service – 1 Peter 4:8-10 1 Peter 4:10 “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 5. God’s Gift of His Strength & Power 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
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