DON’T TUNE ME OUT

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (KJV)

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;

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

One has to wonder what was racing through the mind of the Apostle as he approached the end of his letter to Timothy.

There isn’t yet an urgent sense of his own departing, as we will see in his second letter to Timothy. But he is in prison and he must be aware that, unless the Lord does something very amazing, his time on earth is fast reaching its end.

He may have had the plans in place for the second letter before he penned his name to this one.

But I rather think every word is urgent and his final instructions in this letter are as important to him as the last word he wrote before his execution.

If that is the case then, do you consider it is interesting as I do that he chose these as his final two subjects:

• One last warning for the rich
• One last word about vain babblings

I want to address the first of these this week and begin with the title for the lesson, “Don’t Tune Me Out Yet”.

It’s a message to the rich.

I don’t think there is anyone in this room who thinks of ourselves as rich.

At least not the kind of rich that we would have to be warned about the dangers of being so rich.

So just don’t tune me out too soon in this lesson.

I am the first one to admit that wealth is a comparative standard.

It may be true that I have more than ¾ of the world’s population.

But I also live in a society and culture that requires I maintain a certain level of wealth in order not to lose my standard of living.

There are enough homeless people in our area to remind us that it wouldn’t take that much to lose almost everything we have.

But one of the problems that we have is that, because we live with so much wealth all around us, we forget that passages like this one apply as much to you and to me as it does to the Donald Trumps and Bill Gates of this world.

So please don’t tune me out just yet.

Notice with me, 

*I. A WARNING ABOUT ATTITUDE

Vs 17

“..be not highminded…”

The word has to do with arrogance. 

Those who are rich in this world need to guard against thinking themselves better because of their status.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary says that it is, “….that species of pride which consists in exorbitant claims of rank, dignity, estimation or power, or which exalts the worth or importance of the person to an undue degree…”

I don’t often quote from the dictionary but I loved the phrase, “that species of pride”.

The dictionary goes on to say that it is, “a proud contempt of others.”

We have all seen it, if not in person we have at least seen it represented in stories of “the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”

• The Vanderbilts’s
• The Rothschild’s

Those who have their own column in the newspapers.

• They gossip about one another and
• They snub their noses at the rest of us

The same attitude can be found in people who are not snooty maybe, but they still think they are

• Smarter or
• More athletic or
• Harder working or
• More motivated

Bottom line is they still think of themselves as better than people who have less than they do.

*The right attitude is to see our blessings as being given to us by God so that we can help those who are in need.

There is secondly

*II. A WARNING ABOUT FAITH

Vs 17

“… nor trust in uncertain riches…”

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 speaks to this,

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

Here’s the thing,

When we understand that God gave us those “riches” we understand that he can just as easily take them away.

During the Great Depression the number of suicides among those who had once been “rich” but who had lost everything in the Stock Market crash was huge.

These were people who did not know how to cope with life in the without camp.

I suggest that those who are living in the bushes behind Haggen’s are better off than someone who can’t live without money.

Paul told Timothy to warn them to put their trust in the living God.

Notice the description of the living God,

“who giveth us richly all things to enjoy”

*A person who trusts in the living God is rich no matter how little of this world’s goods he may have.

Thirdly I find,

*III. A WARNING ABOUT CHARITY

Vs 18

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

This takes us back to,

2 Corinthians 8:13-15 speaks to this,

For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

We ought to view our advantages as opportunities to do good.

We will be focusing on missions all the month of March. One of the chief reasons to plan, promote and provide for missionaries is that the Bible teaches us to use our advantages for good.

Helping missionaries take the gospel around the world is doing good on the highest order.

Finally there is

*IV. A WARNING ABOUT ETERNITY

Vs 18

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

The word warning may not seem like the most appropriate but don’t these words of the Lord Jesus sound like a warning to you?

Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV)

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

The Bible warns us not to put too much stock in this world. 

• Our hearts
• Our hopes and
• Our homes

are to be in heaven.

Conclusion:

So Paul has almost finished this letter to Timothy, but he is far from finished with his message to Timothy.

Don’t tune him out just yet.

Hear him out to the end.