well good evening and we welcome you to the Divine encounter uh midweek Bible study we are just glad and blessed to be here and to have an opportunity to look into God's word uh here at Divine encounter uh what we are into is we're into the word of God we love God's word we study it we meditate in it we look into it and we try to just grow grow grow in God's word and so that's what we're here to try to encourage in all of you that view uh this broadcast uh our web address is www. divine encounter church.net so if you want to look us up on the Internet just go there and you can find us our address uh and meeting location for our Sunday service is at the Wasa Community College an Arbor Michigan uh we meet in the Morris Lawrence building uh that's room m L 150 4800 East hon River Drive that's an Arbor Michigan 48105 again that's Sundays at 3 pm do come by and visit us at your earliest convenience uh and so we are blessed to have this opportunity to study God's word and we we we love the word of God we love the word of God I am making a strong effort to cultivate in my children a love for God's word uh God's word is valuable is precious and sometimes we just take it for granted here in America uh we take it for granted because we got Bibles everywhere we got multiple Bibles in uh each home often uh it's so easy to get a Bible here in America that we just we tend to just take it as something as small and unimportant but the truth is that God's word is very valuable and that there are many places in the world that you just can't get a Bible you can try to get one but you just can't get one so we we got to recognize the blessing of the Lord we got to recognize that everybody doesn't have it as good as us so we are going to go into God's word on tonight we're looking at a passage in first Timothy First Timothy uh chapter 6 is what we're going to be studying tonight 1 Timothy chapter 6 starting at verse number six and we're going to be dealing with the topic of are you content with God Alone are you content with God Alone this has to be something that we as Believers pursue and go after contentment contentment in God and so let's open up with a word of prayer dear heavenly father in Jesus name we thank you for your holy word and we thank you for the opportunity that you've given to us and afforded us uh to look into the word today we ask that you would bless us in our Bible study open up our understanding give us insight into your word anoint my head with oil oh God and an abundance so that I can effectively teach the word I need the anointing I need the power of God give me revelatory Insight that would be a blessing to your people let your will be done and all of these rich blessings we ask in Jesus name amen so uh first Timothy chapter 6 and we're going to start at verse number six uh First Timothy chapter six and we're going to start at verse number six and gather some nuggets of wisdom uh from this passage today okay uh 1 Timothy 6 and6 says and having food and rment let us be therewith content 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 ption For the Love of Money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have ered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows praise God for his word uh so the question is are you content with God Alone have you grown in your walk with God to the position and the place that you find contentment in God alone have you grown in your walk with God to the place that you just delight in God so much that you won't let anything get in the way of your walk with God get in the way of your simple devotion to Jesus Christ are you at that place where that you have found contentment with God Alone this is what the Apostle is dealing with In this passage of scripture the importance of being able to have contentment he says godliness with contentment is great gain yep godliness with contentment is great gain it's a great gain if you can somehow get to the position and the place in life where that you have genuine godliness and you have genuine contentment that's a that's a great place to be according to this passage of scripture that's a very valuable place for you to live as a Believer where that you are content and you're not worried in any way about uh anything else you're just concerned about your walk with the Lord first and foremost and your focus is not on accumulating uh more and more but you are content with what you have see content with what you have the Apostle says that godliness with contentment is great gain the world says having great great riches a giant bank account uh being Filthy Rich that's great gain according to the world when you got enough money that you'll never have to work a day in your life they say that's great gain that's great gain when you get to the place where you got all this money and you can just sit back on that money and Trust in that money as though it is your provider you don't have to be concerned about anything else because you got money this is the deception that many people have fallen into they are trusting in riches Paul the Apostle said charge them that are rich in this world that they be not highminded nor trust in uncertain riches Paul made it very clear that rich people can fall into the Trap of trusting in their riches the Bible talks about in The Book of Proverbs how that a rich man's wealth is his Strong City he thinks that that money is going to protect him from anything everything he thinks that that money gives him Total Security but when you get to the place where that you think that your money gives you Total Security you've fallen into the deceitfulness of riches riches have deceived you there's many people who have been deceived by their money we say well money is something that's inanimate money has no life of its own doesn't have a personality can't talk to you can't speak to you how how can money deceive you it's the spirit behind that money this is something that the devil does in order to mess up our lives he tries to get us over into the realm where that we trust in our money we trust in our finances uh as our savior money is my savior rather than Jesus Christ Our Focus can get to the place where that it's all on our money our finances and we get to the place that we are just trusting that instead of God we got to be careful to make sure that our faith is in the Living God and that we trust him totally uh with our lives uh your money money is a blessing from God nothing wrong with you having money okay the Bible says money anth all things money is a blessing if you have money and God has made you rich you've been blessed okay that's a blessing from God the Bible doesn't condemn you for being wealthy the Bible doesn't say anything negative about you accumulating money it doesn't say that's bad that you were able to accumulate some wealth but what the Bible does teach is that you make sure that you are uh rich in good works and you're willing to share your money it says willing to communicate that means to be willing to share okay willing to share willing to help others out and things like that uh that's what the Bible emphasizes and that you don't trust in your money don't trust in it okay we that's the that's the key okay nothing wrong with having money but you got to put money in its right place it's about having the right priorities is your money more important to you than your walk with God has your money become an idol you know are you getting to the place uh where that you idolize it and you put it in too lofty of a position in your life you can put money on too high of a pedestal you can make it uh too important in your life and you can fall into bowing the knee to the almighty dollar we don't want to do that and what happens is that if we're not careful we can love our money so much that we can decide you know what I've been blessed to have a million doll and I'm excited because I got this million dollars and instead of being content with that million dollars I'm going to run out and Chase more I'm going to run out and try to get more and more and more I'm GNA keep on heaping it up often times people that have a lot of money in this world uh that are at the top of the socioeconomic totem pole and they're they're rich and famous they fall into the Trap of constantly trying to add more and more money to their bank account they got more money than they can spend in in multiple lifetimes and they're still looking for more they're still trying to find a way to get more money how can I get more you see the difference between a person that genuinely loves God and fears God and a person that loves money is this a person that loves money when he gets a large amount of money when he has a windfall and a lot of money comes his way you know what that person is g to do they're G to get excited and their eyes are going to get bigger time to go after even more money I want to get even more this is what happens to people who uh love money more than they love God when they have that kind of mentality that's what happens they say you know I've been I've been able to have this big windfall and I got all this money I'm GNA take this money I'm gonna go and just uh get more and more and more I'm going to Heap it up I'm gonna get to the place where I got so much money that I that I'll finally found find contentment this is what they think but the sad reality is they never find contentment the richest man in the world Elon Musk works much harder than uh many many poor people he works 100 plus hours a week he's always busy he's the richest man in the world net worth of aund and I don't know maybe $130 billion dollar all of that money but Elon Musk is still working like a poor man over a hundred hours a week busy busy busy hustling to get more and more money we see this with many people who have acquired vast amounts of wealth they're not sitting back enjoying that money they're trying to figure out how can I get even richer how can I take my wealth to that next level and then that that next level and that next level but a person who fears God and genuinely loves God is different when they get a windfall a big chunk of money comes their way they don't say H I got to go out and get more they take that money they make wise decisions they pay off their house they pay off their cars they get rid of debt they put some money into the bank for savings and they say great I can now focus on the Lord more I can seek God even more because I've been blessed with this financial windfall and so when you have a financial windfall it can reveal things about you it can reveal things about your heart do you love money or do you love God the most okay you can't serve two masters it's not possible for you to serve God and to serve money you you can't serve both not possible you can't serve God and money you got to learn to have contentment with God you got to learn to have genuine contentment with your walk with God and you got to get to the place where that when money comes your way you get excited because I'm going to have more time to focus on the Lord I'm going to seek God even more I'm going to spend more time in prayer I'm gonna spend more time in the word see we got to wake up and realize that we don't have forever all we have is our short lives and then we're going to be cut off all of us are going to be cut off the healthiest of us are going to be cut off one day if the Lord does not delay his com all of us we're going to die it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the Judgment we got to wake up to the reality that we are in preparation for eternity that's what is about it's about eternity wake up don't allow yourself to get caught up on the riches of this world don't let the deceitfulness of riches deceive you the spirit of Mammon can deceive you the spirit of Mammon uh is this is the spirit behind the love of money and you can't serve two masters Jesus said you can't do it you you can't serve Manon and serve God because what will end up happening is that you end up uh loving the money and hating God okay so let's wake up let's focus uh on what is genuinely important we got to find contentment in Jesus alone so godliness let's define what godliness is godliness is walking in the divine nature you walk in God's nature you live in the very nature of God you don't live according to human nature which is fallen and sinful but you live according to the higher nature which is the divine nature you live out of your Born Again Spirit which is made new uh and has been recreated that's the part of you that's been recreated it's your spirit man your spirit is new in Jesus Christ This is why Paul says 2 Corinthians 5:7 therefore If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away and behold all things are become new all things are become new in Jesus okay what is what has become new on the inside of you your spirit man has become new your Spirit man has been made a new creation that's what happens when you get born again your spirit man becomes a new creature your spirit is made new and so you are enabled by this act of being born again to walk above the plane of mere Humanity you're enabled to walk above the plane of just being a normal human and you're allowed to walk in the Supernatural plane the supernatural plane of the divine nature that's what God wants you to learn to live by live by walk by and take pleasure in the divine nature what is contentment content contentment is finding peace rest and satisfaction that's what it is with your current life situation you got to get to the place where that you find satisfaction with your current life situation and you're not waiting for some future time when you get wealthy and Rich to be content but you're content now with your present life situation you got to get to the place where that you love God so much that you just you don't need a whole lot in this life you don't you don't just have to have wealth you don't just have to have riches but you're content with the minor basic necessities of life and I'm not telling you that that that's all that God has for you I'm not telling you that that God doesn't want you to do well and to be a success not telling you that but what I am telling you is that God wants you to learn to have genuine rest and satisfaction in whatever state that you're in whatever state that you find yourself are you there with content have you learned that secret of being content in whatever state that you're in just I'm content content because the Lord is with me I'm content because God is on my side I'm content because I I know Jesus and I'm walking with him I'm tent because I know that I can uh have fellowship with the one that my heart genuinely Delights in and takes pleasure in the one that I genuinely take pleasure in uh is not my bank account the one that I genuinely take pleasure in is not my fine house the one that I genuinely take pleasure in is not my fleet of cars the one that I genuinely take pleasure in is not my fancy neighborhood no but the one that I genuinely take pleasure in is Jesus Christ and my Bel longing of my heart this is where you ought to be the longing of my heart is that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death that's where you want to be content with Jesus alone and so that's what it is you got to be content and have satisfaction with your current life situation wherever it is if I'm in the richest of rich neighborhoods I'm content if I'm in the poorest of the ghetto neighborhoods I'm content I'm content not saying that that's all that God has for me but I'm still content I'm not worried I'm not I'm not afraid and I'm not fearful and I'm not uh fretful nope I don't fret but I'm looking into the Risen uh Savior for my help and all of my help comes from him not trusting in my finances uh okay so you got to be content with your current life situation many people they fall into the Trap of valuing wealth as great gain they say that's my great gain my great gain is my money my great gain is my finances you know uh being wealthy this is what people fall into in this world the world is has been tripped up by this you're gonna ask people which would you rather have a million dollars or eternal life I think that many people would choose the million dollars because they're so deceived they're so mixed up they're just that mixed up so uh we've got to be careful that we don't value our wealth and put it on a pedestal above Jesus Christ many people they value their wealth as great gain but how many many people value godliness as great gain how many people see that godliness is the real treasure godliness is much more valuable than wealth in this world it's just much more valuable godliness can give you a place in heaven godliness can give you uh peace in the day of judgment when you stand before a holy God godliness can give you genuine peace godliness can give you genuine Joy godliness can give you a sense of contentment godliness can direct you and and show you how to live your life godliness can uh can show you how to Triumph can direct you to be victorious in every area of life that's what godliness can do for you it can cause you to Triumph and be highly Victorious but money on the other hand and wealth it can't give you a place in heaven it can't give you genuine Joy can't give you genuine satisfaction lasting satisfaction if money could give could give you lasting satisfaction and genuine Joy then there wouldn't be suicides among the rich we hear about it all the time suicides among the the elite the ultra wealthy they commit suicide it's like H how in the world are they committing suicide all the money that they have they simly at are on the top of the world and they're committing suicide if if money was the answer rich people wouldn't be getting high uh stuck on drugs and alcohol the rich and the poor alike have this in common both of them are addicted often to drugs and or alcohol that happens in the rich Community as well as the poor Community What a Sad reality it's a sad reality that some of the children of the richest people in the world are lost to drug addiction the children of the rich give themselves to heroin and other opioids as though they are the answer it's a sad sad uh situation trusting uh you see you can't be deceived into thinking that that money is the answer is not is not the answer it gives you uh can help you out can be a tool is really a means to an end but it's not the answer Christ is the answer he's the answer for this world that we are live living in and all of its troubles you wonder how you can have genuine peace and how you can have genuine joy and how you can have genuine rest the answer is Jesus Christ Jesus Christ he is the Living Water that satisfies the longing of the human heart and puts us in a place where that we can have rest genuine peace and contentment is Jesus Christ he's the answer so uh we shouldn't be deceived verse seven lets us know that all our wealth ends up ultimately being left behind when we leave this world look at what verse seven says says for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out you didn't bring anything into this world naked you came into this world and naked you will depart brought nothing with you the baby the newborn baby and the person that is near death they have that in common they they're bare they have nothing they they're they're empty the newborn has nothing and the person who just died has nothing from this world nothing from this life no physical thing do they have so uh we got wake up to this basic truth all your money and all the treasures you accumulate in this life you you can't take it with you you just can't take it with you uh let's read verse seven for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out you just can't take anything with you verse eight having food and reignment let us be therewith content now verse eight seems like a very drastic statement doesn't it seems like a very drastic and you know it just seems like an extreme statement in many ways like wow having food and reignment let us be therewith content that's it just food and clothing he doesn't even bring up a house he doesn't say food clothing and a and a home to live in he doesn't even bring that up he just says if you just have food and clothing just learn to be content with that amazing what a what a powerful statement a powerful statement when you really think about it food and reignment just be content with that wonder how many people have grown in God to the place where they've learned to just be content or just food and clothing food and clothing let us be therewith content verse n says but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare you have your heart set on being rich this is what can happen to you you can fall into temptation and a snare okay Temptation and a snare is what you can end up falling into because you uh are going after riches going after it okay so obviously there's nothing wrong with riches themselves but the problem that this verse is addressing is when you're going going after that as though it's your quest in life my quest in life is to get as rich as possible you know there's a saying that has been popularized by some rap artists and it is get rich or die trying get rich or die trying there's many people that have fallen into that trap the Trap of the evil one that hey go after riches and make that your highest priority and if you don't get the riches just die trying to get rich you know when you really think about what that is saying is what is saying is make an idol out of riches that's what that's really saying it's saying make an idol out of it make riches so important that you're willing to die for it if you're willing to die for something that that's become an idol to you if it's not uh according to God's word if it's not according to the principles of God's word and the principles of Jesus Christ if you're willing to die for it you've made an idol out of that thing it's too important in your life get rich or die trying this is what the rap artist would say get rich or die trying say that's a sad sad life uh for a person to live chasing riches this verse is letting you know that craving riches Desiring riches longing for riches this verse is letting you know that's where the real danger is the danger is when you long for riches and you you allow it to get into your heart it gets down into your spirit it gets down into your heart and you you long for money you long for wealth you long to be rich see when it when you get to that place you get to that place where that you you're longing for money and money is on your mind you get like Snoop Dog who said I got my mind on my money and myone Money On My Mind meditating on his money is what Snoop Dogg was saying in Sone my mind on my money and my money on my mind you may you you're taking it to a level that is dangerous longing for money longing for more longing for wealth longing for greater riches this verse is letting you know that it's dangerous when you are longing for for money you're longing for more and more and more and you're not content with Jesus Christ alone you're not content you don't find contentment with Jesus alone so it's the craving the longing for riches that is dangerous and you get to the place where you just love money that's that's the where the danger really is and verse nine lets us know what the devil tries to do to us when we long to be rich what the devil tries to use that for what is his attack and what is his plan by getting us enamored with wealth and money and riches what is his plan well the enemy's plan is this you're gonna fall into temptation and a trap that's the enemy's plan is to cause you to fall into temptation and a trap a snare a snare as a trap the Love of Money sets you up for Temptation and a trap this is how the devil tempts people and traps people this is one of his traps one of the things that he uses to tempt you and to trap you he gets you over into the love of money he gets you over into the dimension where that you long for it you focus upon on it you dream about it you meditate upon it it's it's it's more important to you than your walk with God that's what the devil that's what he really really likes to see happen is when we get to that place where that our money is just is just so important to us that uh we just we got to have it we got to have it is it has become an idol it's become too important in our lives and so uh this is what happens uh if we're not careful the devil can tempt you he can tempt you bring you into temptation because you're longing for money you're Longing To Be wealthy he can bring you into temptation because of that is what this verse is telling you can bring you into temptation you can find yourself being tempted okay and uh Jesus taught his disciples watch and pray that she enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is is weak so we got to watch and pray so that we can stay away from Temptation I believe that prayerlessness the lack of prayer is one of the doors that the devil uses in order to tempt us bring us into temptation he finds us prayerless he finds us in a situation where we're just we're not praying like we ought to pray we're not seeking God our attention is not on God in the things of Heaven our attention uh has been swayed in another direction we're not focused on the things of heaven we got to be careful that our focus is on God and our our longing is for God who is your first love is your first love God or is your your first love what you possess your possessions can take the place of your first love if you're not careful the riches that you have the blessings that God gives you can become too big because they become so big in your life you you just you don't have time to pray no more you don't have time to seek God and study his word no more you used to pray consistently when you were you didn't have as much when you were poor and you were struggling and you were trying to make it from check to check you were humble then and you prayed and you sought God but when God began to bless you and you and the prosperity came and the wealth came you say well you know what I don't need to I don't need to pray as much now things are going good Let the Good Times Roll see this is what we can fall into doing look the good times roll time to sit back and relax because God has blessed you but whether you are uh rich or poor it doesn't matter you still should have a passion for God you still should be longing for God David in the Bible was a king and you better believe he was wealthy kings were wealthy and David had all that wealth as king of Israel but he still was a man after God's Own Heart he still longed for God he said as the heart panteth after the water Brooks so longth my soul after thee he longed for God he wanted to walk with God fellowship with God uh and just have a NeverEnding relationship with the lord always growing in that walk with God always growing in his fellowship with God that's what David that's what his heart was like even with all that money that he had as king of Israel all that he had he still longed for God he still uh took out time to seek the face of God he still fasted and loved and delighted in God we got to get to the place where that God is our first desire and that we don't allow anything else to come in his place so God has to be number one money cannot take his place your wealth what God has blessed you with you can't take God's Place uh we got to remember that we're just pilgrims we're pilgrims passing through this world we're sojourning this is this is not our uh Everlasting home no it's not we are sojourning you're passing through okay and God's desire God's desire for us is that we uh make sure that our attention is on the Eternal what is your life the the uh James says in his epistle for what is your life it is it is even a vapor that appear for a little time and then passeth away that's all your life is you got a short time window where you're going to be in this world you're a pilgrim passing through this life is not forever and this world is not your home you're just passing through and so Temptation that's what the devil likes to bring upon us when we love money he sees it as an opportunity to bring Temptation our way Temptation Temptation that would trip us up cause us to stumble Temptation okay and then what else does he bring our way he also brings a trap a snare a trap the enemy brings a a snare and a trap in our Direction he wants to entrap us he wants us to uh fall victim victim to him and his clever Antics his clever schemes his clever Strate gims he wants us to fall victim to those things and you can easily fall victim to those things if you allow your heart to be defiled with a love for money that love for money gets down in you and next thing you know you're uh entrapped the devil has trapped you he has deceived you and he got you in his trap got you in his clutches if you're not careful so we look we got to be careful about longing for the riches of this present World it opens you up to Temptation and a snare according to verse nine a tempt Temptation and a snare and then what else does it open you up to it opens you up to to many foolish and hurtful lusts there's many foolish and hurtful lusts that you can fall victim to lust evil passions foolish and hurtful lust you know what I'm gonna move to L Vegas and I'm gonna uh make millions and millions of dollars you know what I'm going to move to New York and I'm going to become a billionaire in the music industry see these are foolish and hurtful lust these are the type of things that people go after and they find their lives in ruin they find their lives in a total ruin because they went after the wrong things uh foolish and hurtful lust and these what's the devil's ultimate goal according to verse nine you he gets he gets you into temptation and then he gets you into his snare okay then he brings you into many foolish and hurtful lusts and then ultimately he wants to drown you in destruction and ption he wants to drown you is what he wants to do in destruction and miserable perishing that's what predition speaks of it speaks of perishing miserably that's what the enemy wants to bring about in your life you got to be careful you got to watch watch and pray that you enter not into temptation and then so we got to be aware of these things verse 10 says For the Love of Money is the root of all evil it's not money money is not the root of all evil but the love of money is the root of all evil he says you get love the love of money down in your heart it will cause you to make a lot of errors and a lot of mistakes it'll ruin your very life the love of money is the root of all evil which while some covet it after some saints fell in the day of Paul he says some saints they fell into coveting after money lusting after money which while some coveted after they have aired from the faith the danger of loving money lusting after money is that you can actually air from the faith end up falling away getting deceived because of the Love of Money many people have been tripped up and Fallen away from Christ because of the love of money they just love money and they they can't see themselves living without uh riches they just can't see themselves being content without riches so it's the root of all evil when you love money and caused some to ER from the faith and then what else happened to them they pierced themselves through with many sorrows and cause you to have a sorrowful life when you fall in into the Love of Money can Pierce yourself through Pierce yourself through in other words it's by your own doing is not somebody else pierced you you do it to your you pierce your own self is what this verse is telling you you can pierce your own self through with many Sorrows so we don't want to fall into that and uh and Pierce yourself with many Sorrows he says verse 11 says but thou oh man of God flee these things flee means to run as though you are in horror of something is this means that you run from it as though you you're you're terrified by it that's what it means to flee flee these things run from this this is dangerous flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness Faith love patience meekness that's what we should be following after these things will never cause you to ER if they're in you you won't you won't go off and fall into sin or anything you'll do right and you'll hold fast to the end you got to realize the devil is playing hard ball he uses the love of money to take you out he uses it to cause you to fall by the wayside and fall away from Jesus Christ that's the vision of the wicked one he uses this as a trap to mess up people's lives he says flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness Faith love patience meekness verse 12 tells you what you ought to be doing what's worth fighting for verse 12 tells you what's really worth fighting for he says fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on eternal life eternal life is worth fighting for eternal life is worth a battle that's what that's what we we ought to be fighting for is eternal life eternal life that's what we should be battling for the blessing the blessing of eternal life so we must pursue that see the value in it see just how great it really is the blessing of eternal life don't miss out on heaven for the world fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on eternal life where unto Thou Art also called and H has professed a good profession before many witnesses let's focus on eternity let's get our mind off of uh the treasures of this present life let's focus on eternity if we we we keep that Focus then we're going to have contentment we got to get to the place where that we're content with God Alone are you content with God alone and let me just pray a prayer over us dear heavenly father in Jesus name thank you thank you thank you for your word now help us Lord God to absorb these things and to utilize them in our lives and to remember these words in Jesus name amen praise God thank you for joining us on this week for the Bible study uh please like the video after viewing it like it subscribe to the channel if you have not and come by and visit us at Divine Encounter Church at your earliest convenience thank you for joining us may God bless you in Jesus name