Shalom everyone, please open your Bibles today to 1 Timothy chapter 6. We are continuing to move forward in the study of the book of Timothy. We are drawing near to the end of the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to Timothy. And today I would like to cover, by the Lord's help, 1 Timothy chapter 6, verses 1 to 10. And I'm reading: "Let us many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service, but rather do them service because they are faithful, and beloved partakers of the benefit these things teach and exhort.

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about question, and strife of words, "of cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men, of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation and 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, forced themselves through with many sorrows." The Apostle Paul is just about to conclude this letter that he wrote to the younger brother by the name of Timothy. Timothy is in Ephesus. An assembly of believers that came out of the pagan world. They have been brought in to be part of the body of Messiah. They became believers in Yeshua. They have accepted Him and embraced Him as their Lord and Savior. But always challenges rise up as we walk with the Lord. Problems rise up in every local assembly, whether it is in Ephesus or whether it is anywhere in this world.

The instructions are constantly given to the believers in every local assembly. And it is such a blessing for us because we also have been saved from, whether it is Jewish or non-Jewish, we have been brought in to be part of the people of God. And we also have an inclination to shift and to move and not to continue to be steadfast in our walk with the Lord. We need those instructions, beloved brothers and sisters, as well. Now, we haven't read it in this chapter as yet, but the Apostle Paul is speaking in a sense like a military man. He is here giving commands to Timothy.

And in return, Timothy is to give this command to the believers at Ephesus and elsewhere. You notice how many times he uses words such as fight, or lay hold, or charge, or guard. He is using almost like a military terminology. For example, if you just go a little bit further down, you will notice that he says in verse 12, "Fight a good fight." In verse 12b, "Lay hold on eternal life." Verse 13, "I give thee charge," He is saying to him in this verse. And verse 20, He is saying to him, "Oh, Timothy, keep, O God, that which is committed to thy trust." You see, when you become a believer, when you and I became believers in our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, in a sense of enter into a battle.

And we constantly have to watch ourselves. Why? Because the enemies seek to attack us. We have Satan desiring to attack us. We have the world desiring to influence us. We still have this old nature that constantly draws us away from the things of the Lord. And so, Paul is now encouraging this younger brother just before he concludes this letter that he wrote to him. And I want in these verses to notice that he gives Timothy additional counsel for various believers that are still there at Ephesus. He gives them counsel. How do you handle challenges and problems among the people of God? And so, here you notice verses one and two, he instructing Timothy on how believing slaves or servants to behave in the assembly.

And then in verses three to ten, he instructing Timothy to discern and to know the marks and the motives of those who teach that which is God. is not in accordance with the will of God. Timothy, I want you to know how to guide the slaves who became believers. And I want you to know how to watch and be aware and find out what is marking and what is the motives of those who do not instruct the people of God in the right way in the local church at Ephesus. So let's look over those verses. So let's just look over those verses again and look at the first two verses.

Notice how it began here. It's very interesting. It says, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honor that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. Now, when you read that word, let as many servants, I would like to remind you that that word for servants 2,000 years ago really applied to slaves. You know, in the Roman Empire, some 2,000 years ago, many are telling us that every second person was a slave. In other words, you really have almost 50% one free man, one slave man, one free woman, one slave woman. Almost every second. And some believe it's 30%, 40%.

But can you imagine the Roman Empire, as it expanded through the battles that they were taking over nations and countries, the Romans made those that they captured their own slaves. And you imagine you live in a Roman home and you have one, two, three, four, five, not servants who once in a while work for you and you pay them. But they were slaves. They were literally have no liberty for freedom. They didn't work eight hours for eight hour wages. Now, they were slaves in the homes of many of the Roman citizens. They were slaves there and their responsibility is to do the bidding of what their masters tell them.

But you see, the gospel went forth. The message of the Messiahship of Jesus, Yeshua, had been proclaimed all throughout the Roman Empire. And in addition to regular individuals who accepted the Messiah, many slaves became believers. Like Onesimus, who was a slave who ran away from Philemon, in the book of Philemon we read. And many others who were simply slaves, they were not free. And now they became believers because they've embraced the work that the Mashiach, the Messiah, Jesus have done for them. Now, what happened when you are a slave and you have accepted the Lord? And you are a free man and you have accepted the Lord.

How do we handle the relationship between a slave believer and a free man believer? And apparently, there was already issues that rising up among the brothers and sisters at the city of Ephesus. Remember, after all, 1 Timothy 1 and verse 3, Paul said, "I be sought thee to abide still at Ephesus." In Ephesus, there were already many who became believers, but there were slaves. How do we handle a situation such as this? Will a slave become a believer? He could not come to his master and say, "Hey, I'm a believer in Yeshua the Messiah. Please, could you please free me? I'm no longer a slave because after all, I'm a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, just like you." But apparently, the apostle teaches us something that is very important.

You see, throughout the Brit HaChadasha, the New Testament, he again and again gives instruction to believers who are servants and slaves and they are still part of the family of God, but yet they are to be faithful in their relationship to their masters. Let me just show you a couple of verses. If you turn to Ephesians chapter 6, the apostle Paul writes in verses 5 to 8 to believers who were slaves, who were servants. He says in verse 5, "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto the Messiah, Christ, the Messiah, not with eye service, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will, doing service as to the Lord and not unto men." In verse 8, "That whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he is bound or whether he is free." Paul is saying to the Ephesians, Listen, if you are a servant and a slave in a home of one of the people of the Roman Empire, you are to be faithful in your service there as unto the Lord.

You are to be obedient. You are the one to do to your masters according to the flesh, to do things with fear and trembling and not in pretension, but do it from the heart as you are serving our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah." Turn to Colossians chapter 3 and verse 22. Again, Shaul Paul writes to another local assembly and he is saying to these brethren in the local assembly at Colossae, he is saying to them in verse 22, "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men's pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men." Again, Paul is writing to servants, to slaves, beloved brothers and sisters.

These people were not free, they were slaves. They had to do what God had instructed them and they were slaves and they needed to be faithful to what the Lord had called them to do. Turn to Titus chapter 2 and verses 9 and 10. Again, Paul writing now to a younger brother by the name of Titus and he says, "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters and to please them well in all things, not answering again, not robbing but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God and our Saviour in all things." Again, beloved brothers and sisters, you will notice that in the Roman Empire there were so many slaves so when the apostle is writing a letter, whether it is to the Ephesians, to the Colossians or to Titus, he is writing to them those instructions because after all, they are part of the body of Messiah.

But they have never lost their position as slaves. They still remain to be slaves at that and then time under the Roman Empire. So the encouragement here again and again is the servants, the slaves to be faithful to their own masters. Let me get you one more verse in 1 Peter chapter 2. Not only Paul wrote about it, but Peter also wrote in verse 18. Again, he is writing, he says, "Servants." In Hebrew we call them avadim or slaves. Avadim. Slave, servant, be subject to your masters with all fear. Not only to the good and gentle, but also unto the wicked or the unfair one. For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief and suffering wrongfully.

And he just continued to tell them how important it is to submit to their masters. Now here's one thing that I would like us to mention that is very important. When a slave man and a free man became believers, they became part of the same body. Both of them have the same relationship to the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. Both of them enter into the body on the basis of the work of Yeshua the Messiah. Both of them have received the Holy Spirit of God to indwell in them. Both of them receive a new nature. Now they have a new life, a new nature. So how do you handle the fact that a slave, imagine here in our meeting today, if we were here 2,000 years ago, and some of us would have been slaves, and other ones would have been free.

Imagine all day long, you have been commanded by your boss or by your master, and now you are coming to the meeting, and together you are called to worship the Lord. It must have been extremely difficult to gather together as believers and have an inclination to know how to handle the situation among the believers in the body of Messiah. That's why Paul gives this instruction to Timothy in chapter 6. He says, "Let as many servants that are under the yoke." Notice he used the word "yoke." It's like a load. The pressure that they have had because they are servants. Notice verse 1. "Let them count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his teaching or his doctrine be not blasphemed." Now when I read that passage about the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed, and those thoughts came into my mind.

What does that mean that the name of God and the doctrine or the teaching of God will not be blasphemed? You see, one thing is for sure, that our Lord Jesus the Messiah has taught his own disciples that when we became part of the family of God, when we have accepted the Lord as our Lord and Savior, we belong to a different home. We belong to a different country. Heaven is our home. We are heading towards glory. We are going to be one day in heaven. And when we are going to be with the Lord in glory, all the things that are going on here in this world will end.

No longer will we have these sadness and sorrows and conflict that come here in this world. Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, taught his disciples already when he was here on earth. That they are to learn from him. That they are to submit to him. That they are to be those that are a good example here in this world that reject him. He became the greatest example for the people of God. And so while we are all members of the same body, while we are all part of this company called the Ecclesia, still these situations that we find ourselves here do not change. For example, you and I may work for a boss today.

You and I also are working for someone. Somebody is working in a store or in an office. Well, we also are exhorted, even though we are not slaves, we are exhorted to be faithful on the job. We are called to submit to what our boss is telling us. Just the same like here. Those servants that are under the york, count their masters worthy of all honor. Imagine if a person go to work at eight o'clock, and you take a break for two hours, and then you don't do the job that your boss is expecting from you for us. What kind of a testimony that would be?

What kind of an example would that be? And therefore the lesson is, of course we are not slaves today, but we also to learn from that to be faithful on the job because the world is watching us. Oftentimes people say, call yourself a follower of Yeshua the Messiah. Look at the example that you set. That's why the apostle is saying, listen, your boss might not be a believer, yet you are to honor him, to respect him, to recognize that he is still your boss, and you are working for him. In this case, he is still your master. You are to honor him. Only because the name of God and his teaching ought not to be blasphemed.

What a testimony it is when a believer goes to work, and you can see he or her faithfully executing the responsibilities that they have received. And what a testimony it is to the one that is their superior, their employee. What a great testimony it is. So these individuals can actually be such a blessing and perhaps to be used to lead that person to the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. Now, just turn with me to 1 Corinthians 12, verse 12 and 13. The apostle Paul said, "For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ the Messiah.

For by one spirit, we are all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are slaves or bond or free. And we all have been made to drink into that one spirit." Notice that? A bondman and a freeman. A Jewish person and a non-Jewish person. All of us have entered into the body of Messiah in the same way. But the interesting thing is that the bondman doesn't stop to be a bondman. The slave doesn't stop to be a slave because he became a believer. And the free man doesn't stop to be a free man when he became a believer. Just the same as when a Jewish person becomes a believer, he doesn't stop to be Jewish.

And when a Gentile person becomes a believer, he doesn't stop to be a Gentile. Though we all enter in on the same ground. The bond remains a bond. The free remains a free. The Jew remains a Jew. The non-Jew remains a non-Jew. And yet together we are part of the body of the Messiah. And so now, look at the second verse in 1 Timothy 6. Now he is speaking about the fact that they that have believing masters. See, in verse 1, they have an unbelieving masters. But in verse 2, some of those slaves might have believing masters. And that's why he's saying to them, in verse 2 he says, Do not despise them, because they are brethren, but rather do them service, because they are faithful, and beloved, and partakers of the benefit.

These things teach and exhort Timothy. So while in verse 1 we have an unbelieving masters that those slaves have had, but in verse 2, you have those slaves, those bondmen, those servants, that they have believing masters. Now how do you handle a believing master? You know, you come to the meeting, and you are now, both of you believers, the slaves and the master, are believers, and the slave can say to the master, Hey, master, you know, listen, we are brethren. And therefore, you are to change my situation. Maybe you should free me. And I don't want anymore to be your slaves. After all, we are brethren, you see.

Well, the apostle Paul said, well, listen, you are still responsible to maintain, to be faithful, even though this individual is your master, is a believer in Yeshua the Messiah. He's telling three things. Number one, do not despise them, because they are brethren. Number two, give them proper service, because they are faithful and beloved. And number three, remember that both of you, the servant and the master, are partaking of the blessing from the Lord, because they both will benefit from what the Lord has in mind for them. And it's so beautiful to see that a servant is exhorted to be faithful, because he, as well as his master, will be partakers of this benefit.

What is the benefit? When everyone takes his rightful place as before the Lord. You know, one of the most wonderful examples that we have in the word of God, is our blessed Lord Yeshua, who became a servant, who became in Hebrew, Eved Adonai, Eved Yehovah, the servant of Jehovah. He was a faithful servant. He constantly submitted to the authority of his father from heaven. He submitted to the authorities here in this world. And he became such a great example for us all. And you know, it's not easy. What happens if the master is not treating one well? What happens if your boss doesn't treat you well?

How do we handle? What kind of a response we are going to have when our boss or our master treating us wrongfully? That's why Paul said in Ephesians and Colossians and Titus, that we are not only to be submissive to the good masters or the good boss, but even to the one who treats us wrongfully. The servant is to submit to the authority of his master. That's the way that those servants were exhorted. All together, why is that the name of God? And the doctrine of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah may not be blessing. Because the world is watching. And the world is looking and he says, well, how those believers, oh yeah, they say that they believe in this Jesus from Natseret.

Well, let's see how they conduct themselves. Do they follow their master? Do they learn from our Lord? Now, of course, it is easily said. They know in reality it's not easy to practice. And yet, beloved brothers and sisters, the exhortation is very clear here in the scripture. And we need to ask the Lord to help us because that's going to give us a great testimony in the world that is around us. Now, turn with me to Philippians 2, just to make some connection with the person of Yeshua. Jesus the Messiah was an example to us as a servant. In chapter 2 and verse 5, at the end of verse 5 we read, Christ Jesus, Christ Jesus, or in Hebrew, Mashiach Yeshua, who being in the form of God, verse 6, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but he made himself of no reputation.

And he took upon him the form of a servant. And he was made in the likeness of man. And being found in a fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And what an example we have in our Lord. He didn't have to do what he did on our behalf. And yet he gave us a great example because here we see what he became in order to bring us to be part of this great company of redeemed people. He humbled himself and he became obedient. Took upon himself the form of a servant. And he was made in a likeness of man.

And as a servant, think about the Lord. What an example he was. He said in Matthew chapter 11, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And ye shall find satisfaction. You will find a blessing because we learn from our blessed Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. He is the great example, beloved brothers and sisters. So you and I think of, for example, you remember there was a man by the name of Onesimus. I mentioned his name in the book of Philemon. Onesimus was an unbeliever.

He was a slave. And you know what he did? He ran away from his master. And he went all the way to the city of Rome. When he got to the city of Rome, they captured him and put him in prison. And in prison, the apostle Paul, Shaul, preached to him the gospel. And when Onesimus heard that Yeshua was the Messiah and he embraced him, then the apostle Paul asked him, where do you come from? Oh, he said, I was a slave. I was a runaway slave. And Paul told him, you know what? I want you to go back to your master. I know your master.

His name is Philemon. You take this letter that I'm sending you. You take it back to him. And tell Philemon what I'm telling you. That Philemon should accept you. And bring you back into his home. And you can continue to serve with him because now you are brothers. You are part of the family of God. Continue faithfully in the situation that you find yourself in. And lo and behold, Onesimus took that letter. It's amazing. And he went to his master and he gave him that letter that we have called Philemon. And there the apostle Paul beseeched Philemon to accept Onesimus back and to treat him as a brother.

And then Onesimus continued to be a slave, a servant. The master continued to be his master, but yet they were brethren. And they continued faithfully in the service that the Lord had called them. One was a slave. The other was the master. Now when we live in our life as today, not every one of us is a boss. Some of us are workers. Other ones are bosses. What do we do when our brothers are bosses over us? Are we going to treat them differently? We're going to say to them, Hey, listen, you are my brother. Therefore, you know what? I'm going to come. I'm going to do my job part-time.

I'm not going to do the job faithfully because after all, we are both believers in Yeshua. Paul says no. The opposite. Because your brother or your boss is a believer, he says really you need to realize that and verse 2 tells us of 1 Timothy chapter 6. If you have believing masters, let them not despise their masters because they are brethren, but rather do them service because they are faithful and they beloved and they are partakers of the benefit that you're both going to benefit if you are rightly treating each other. You and I might say, well, how could a person remain slave and how can his master keep him as a slave?

Well, beloved brothers and sisters, in the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, a slave was a slave and a master was a master and when a slave becomes a believer, he doesn't ask from his master, please free me. His master could if you wish, but nevertheless, he still remains as a slave and he is called to be faithful as a slave. Of course, his master is to treat him well. Of course, his master is to recognize this is my slave, I will treat him in the right way. But nevertheless, both are to realize that everyone is in a position where the Lord has allowed them to be.

So I just want to apply this to our lives together today. If you're working for a boss that sometimes is not so kind to you, still the exhortation is to be faithful, to be a good testimony. And even if he is a brother, a believer, we are to even, in addition to that, to show him what an example it is, to treat him well, to recognize that he is a fellow brother and not to abuse the fact that he is our boss because he is a believer. So verses one and two, the instruction to believing slave as to how to maintain, to be faithful, even though they are slaves, including slaves to believing masters.

Now, the next verses, three to ten, the instruction that Paul gives to Timothy about how to discover the marks and the motives of those who do not teach the right thing in the local assembly. And this is also very important. Brothers and sisters, remember, already in the beginning, as I mentioned in chapter one, in verse three, he says, I want you to charge some that are there that they teach no other doctrine. I want you to observe, to make sure as a responsible brother to make sure that sound doctrine will be taught in the local church, in the local assembly. So, here is the thing.

Verses three to five is what are the marks of one who teach wrong teaching? And then verses six to ten, what are the motives of this person if he teach wrong teaching? So, let's talk about verses three, four and five first of all. Number one, we find out that the marks of them that teach false teaching or wrong teaching, they consent not to sound words of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. It says in verse three, if any man, teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strife of words, thereof cometh envy and strife and railings, evil suspicions, verse five, perverse disputings of men, of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, opposing that gain is godliness, from such, Timothy, withdraw yourself.

So in other words, first of all, in verse three, that the apostle Paul is saying to Timothy, listen, one of the marks of those that teach false things, things that are not sound, is very clear because they don't hold on to sound words, to the words of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and to the teaching that he taught us. It is the teaching that teach us godliness, the right way in which the people of God are to follow through. And so one of the marks of someone who is not teaching the right thing, is they don't want to hold to sound words. You notice that he is using the word wholesome here.

Another translation used the word sound words that are clear, that are based upon the written word of God, what the Lord has already given to us. the words of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, that have taught us. The apostle Paul says, of course, Paul didn't see him in his life. He didn't know the Lord in his life. He knew him after his resurrection. He knew him on the way to Damascus. But nevertheless, he has already received the revelation from the Lord. And he has already understood what the early disciples have taught. and he says, listen, sound words are very, very important for the believer to hold on.

And you have to be careful from those that do not teach us or present before us sound words and sound doctrine. Look at 2 Timothy 1:13. Paul said to Timothy in the second letter, confess to form of sound words, which thou has heard of me in faith and in love, which is in the Messiah Yeshua. Now, sound means right and balanced and biblical. And if somebody come and give us words, teach us things that are not wholesome, we have to be aware of it. This is one of the marks that immediately tell us, ah, ah, wait a minute. It's not based upon the words of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

It's not based upon the doctrine, the teaching that he taught us. And that's why Paul is saying the words and the teaching of the Lord Jesus the Messiah was according to godliness. It was that which draw us closer to the Lord rather than drive us further and further from Yeshua the Messiah. Look at verse 4. The second thing that we find out about the marks of those who teach us falsely is they are proud and they do not know things but they are obsessed with questions and strife. Look, brothers and sisters, again, it's what Paul said to Timothy in verse 4. He is proud, knowing nothing but doting.

That word for doting is obsessed with questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy and strife and railing and evil surmisings. See, how do we discern this when somebody is constantly coming and producing, you might say, friction among the people of God? Causing one to doubt the word of God. And obsessed about questioning and strife and words and so on. and it leads us and it leads us to envy, strife, railings and evil suspicions. Now, you might say, well, why is it so important to be watching over everything? Well, beloved brothers and sisters, 2,000 years ago, the enemy already began to creep in among the people of God, to teach them false teaching, to scatter the flock, to sow a seed of discord among the people of God.

And God, through Paul, telling this younger brother, Timothy, here is some marks of those that are not there because they want to build up the body of Messiah, but actually to lead after them those that will be drawn after them. It's not after godliness. And Timothy, you have to discern this among the people of God. Notice the word, he is proud. You know, pride is something we all are in danger of all the time. Pride come before a fall. Pride dies last. We constantly fight because we have this nature in us which is so proud. And God will humble humble the proud. He resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.

And so, Paul is warning Timothy or giving this indication of the one that he is teaching, false teaching, the marks. One of them, of course, that he doesn't hold to sound words. The second one is that constantly this person brings about questioning which leads to strife and also envy and eventually railings and ultimately evil suspicions among the people of God. Now, it's so wonderful to come to any local church, a local meeting and not to have this fear about some false teaching creeping in. And you know what? I don't think any one of us can say, oh, we do not need to be careful about it.

We all need to be careful about it. Timothy was now sent by Paul as a responsible individual in the local church, the local assembly at Ephesus. And Timothy was exhorted to discern those things. And he did so. He was faithful in doing it. And then, notice in verse 4 and 5, those things now causing all the problems that have occurred in the city of Ephesus. And by the way, in every local church, local assembly, look at the list that we have here. I already began to read in verse 4b, envying, strife, railing and evil suspicions. But notice what it says in verse 5. It's continued. It says, useless disputing of men, men of corrupt mind and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.

He says, from such withdraw yourself. And I don't have to tell you, especially today if you just open the TV and you have many who is telling you, listen, if you will give us something, I'm going to pray for you, the tenfold prayer. I'm going to get the gain from it and I'm going to pray for you, so you are going to be blessed tenfold. Well, how many people have ended up to support ministries and to support individuals that at the end they found out that they have been taken by them. And Paul is warning Timothy, he says, listen, those individuals thinking that gain from God's people is really considered to be godliness.

He says, watch it, Timothy. Be careful, Timothy, because this is not right. You know, the servants of the Lord who teach the word of God do not teach the word of God for gain, but they teach the word of God because God has called them for this ministry. And they are to serve the people of God not for gain, but for being a blessing to the people of God. And everyone that has served the Lord has to always watch himself. That when he ministered the word, he doesn't minister the word for gain, but he does it because God has called him for that service. And what a blessing it is to do this unto the Lord because then it becomes a sincere service unto the Lord.

And the servant of the Lord is to discern that he, when he observes over the people of God, he is to do so out of love for the Lord and love for the people of God and to watch because things that are not right and false teaching causing envy, strife, railing, evil suspicions, useless disputation and all these things only bring about a destruction of a local assembly. Paul said to Timothy, from such, turn away. Timothy, turn away from those. Why? Because he is not going to help the brothers and sisters of the local church, the local assembly. Turn to 2 Timothy again, chapter 3, verse 5. He uses this expression again.

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such, turn away, Timothy. Because it is not going to help you. And you know, you and I have to realize that. And we need to be a help to each other when we learn, when we see, there is all kind of things that are being brought into our midst that brings about envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, or evil suspicion, perverse disputing among the people of God. He says, you have to be very careful. You have to realize that it doesn't help. That doesn't build up the people of God. That doesn't edify the believers. From this, you have to be so careful because you have to turn away from that.

You know, sometimes we think we can fix every problem, but we can't. The Lord has to work in hearts. We have to commit this to the Lord and we have to ask the Lord to help us because this is not leading the people of God forward in their spiritual walk with the Lord. And so, this person, apparently, in verse 4 and 5, supposing that gain is godliness, he says, from such turn away. this gain in godliness does not speak about true godliness. In fact, it is the professing of faith, but it's really not godliness. It's not a true service for the Lord. And therefore, he says, watch it and turn away from that.

Now, it sounds to be so sober and may the Lord just help us to be discerning when situations like that arise in our lives. And also, to search our hearts because we are not exempt from that. Our hearts are just as capable as anyone else if we are not careful to evaluate our hearts and to ask, "Lord, why am I doing the things that I do? Am I doing it as a service for you? Do I want to build the people of God? Do I want to serve the people of God? Do I want to see the body of Messiah growing spiritually? Do I want to honor you, Lord?" This is a question that we all have to ask ourselves in our own hearts.

In a time when the enemies successfully attack us and succeed in some ways, we need to repent and to turn to the Lord and say, "Lord, I confess my failure and my sins before you." But now, in verses 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, we find out the motives behind those that teach us wrong. Now, we do not know motives, but you can see from this passage that Paul somehow touched a motive. And so, verse 6, he says, first of all, he is pointing to what is true godliness. It says here, "But godliness with contentment is a great gain." To be content, it's such a great gain. Contentment is so important.

You remember the writer to the Hebrews said in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5, "Be content with such things as he had." For he had said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." The Lord promised to be with his own. He said, "Be content." In Philippians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul said, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content therewith. I have learned to abound, to have a lot. I have learned to abase, to have nothing." In every situation, I have learned, it is something that we learn as we walk with the Lord. We don't have it naturally, but we learn as we walk with the Lord to be content as the Lord helps us.

So, godliness or godlikeness with contentment is such a gain. It is not a loss. It is a gain. Then, verse 7, Paul reminds Timothy that we brought nothing into this world and we are not going to take anything out with us. I think all of us need to learn this. Isn't it amazing? You know, when we were born, we came into this world empty. Naked. And when we are going to leave this world, we are not going to take anything with us. And Paul is telling this to Timothy in verse 7, "For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we will carry nothing out." The problem, of course, with us, we think we are going to take some things with us when we leave this world.

But in reality, no one that left this scene have taken anything with him. everything they left behind. Turn to Job 1, verse 21. Here is a man that was wealthy, you might say, one of the wealthiest men on earth. In Hebrew, we call him Iov. Job said, after everything was taken from him, naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. What an example. He was a wealthy man. He was a wealthy man. And yet the Lord allowed Satan to take everything away from him. He took away from him his children, his wealth, his health, everything he took away from him.

Can you imagine to say something like that? As a man that is with all the wounds that he had on his body, he says, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." It's amazing to think about it, beloved brothers and sisters. Paul is saying this to Timothy, "We brought nothing into this world and it is for sure, it is certain, that we carry nothing out." To develop this in our mind and to say, "Lord, help me to develop in my heart an attitude of godliness with contentment." How often we are not content with what the Lord had given to us, with our jobs, with our health situation, with the means that the Lord provided for us, with many things, with the places that the Lord has allowed us to be, with the family that the Lord has placed us into, even in the local Bible studies and fellowship at times we are not content.

And I'm speaking for myself. And Paul says, "You want to be godly? You develop contentment in your heart." You see, Job one day was a wealthy man and a few days later he was the poorest man on earth. And we are all taken away from him. Paul teaches us this amazing lesson. Look at Psalm 49 verse 16 and 17. This is the psalms of the sons of Korach who wrote, "Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased." Don't worry if the Lord gave them and blessed them and they become rich and they have been increased. Don't be afraid of it.

If the Lord blessed them, God blessed them. But then he says in verse 17, "For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him." Notice he doesn't say ascend, but descend. Why? Because he is not going to take anything away from him. Even the glory that he had here in this world is going to remain behind. You see, there is a great lesson for all of us. This is an amazing lesson. To learn to be so thankful to the Lord for what he had given to us and the places he placed us and the position he had given to us so we will seek to be godly but with contentment in our hearts.

I want to read one more verse in the book Ecclesiastes, chapter 5, verse 13. Listen to this. "There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun." King Solomon, Shlomo HaMelech, he was a wealthy man. There was no one as rich as him. He said that there is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun. Namely, riches kept for their owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail. And he begetteth a son and there is nothing in his hand. Verse 15. As he came forth of his mother's womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labor which he had carried away in his hand.

See, all these writers whether it is in the book of Job or Psalms or Solomon wrote and now the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 6. One thing we learn from all this is that godliness with contentment is a great gain. We need to ask the Lord to help us to be content with where he placed us, what he had given to us and to be satisfied with that because really we brought nothing into this world. we are going to leave everything behind when we are going to pass away out of this scene and contentment is something that is a real need in the life of us all.

Then back to 1 Timothy 6 verse 8 Paul emphasizes the importance of contentment and so he says in verse 8 having food and having raiment let us be there with content. He emphasizes this again and again here in this chapter and I think it is applied to us all that the Lord has to help us to be content where he placed us and what he had provided for us in our life. Unfortunately we are not always in that condition and that is why at times the enemy attacks us and is successfully and we feel discouraged and dismayed. Well, let me conclude here. In verses 9 and 10 here is the wrong motives that the Apostle Paul discerned about those who teach falsely or false teaching and he is saying in verse 9 but they that will be rich they 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 they pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

See Paul now zero in on the motive. He gave us the marks in the previous verses verses 3, 4 and 5 but verses 6 to 10 he zero in really on the motive of many who taught false teaching because what happened really at the end they that will be rich it's not the Lord provide for some wealth and thank God for that in fact talking about the rich in verse 18 but now he's speaking about those that are willful that's the only purpose the only motive in their life is to gain and more gain and he says for this he says those that will be rich they ended up falling into temptation snare many foolish hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and ultimately perdition why?

because the love of money notice he doesn't say money but the love of money there's two different things you leave a pile of money on a table there's no problem but the moment there is the love for that and the lust for it what does it do in verse 10 for the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and they have pierced themselves through with many many sorrows in other words what the apostle Paul is saying to Timothy listen there is an instruction to slaves who became believers in Yeshua the Messiah but also Timothy there is an instruction of how to mark

those that serve among the people of God to know what is the marks of them but also how to mark and to know the motive of those who don't and teach false teaching what is behind it Timothy just be aware of it because because death ultimately lead to erring from the faith pierce themselves through with many sorrows and ultimately it cause so much sadness and sorrows among the people of God and so beloved brothers and sisters this not only apply to Timothy and those that live at Ephesus it's also applied to us we need to search our hearts and so if there is any word of exhortation and encouragement for us all today is this

statement godliness with contentment is a great gain may the Lord help us to be content in our life to be thankful for what the Lord have given to us and then to serve him among the people of God to seek to build the body of Messiah for the blessing of God's people and for the glory of the Lord