In April of this year, Erika Greene - a 20 year old warehouse worker - Erika walked into a Texaco gas station just north of Atlanta, Georgia and did something she’d never done before. Erika bought two lottery tickets. One ticket she chose the numbers for. One ticket she let the Quick Pick computer choose the numbers for her. What the computer chose for her were the winning numbers of the second largest lottery jackpot in United States history. Split with the other 2 winners - Erika’s ticket was worth over $110,000,000.

Now, it would be interesting to know how many of you are saying to yourselves, “Wow, I wish I could be that lucky.” Some of you may be saying, “I hope nothing like that ever happens to me.” The passage we’re looking at this morning will help us decide which group we’re in.

Beginning in verse 3 Paul goes straight to our hearts. What motivates us - drives us - to pursue the things we give importance to in life?

1 Timothy 6:3: If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid - deadly - interest in controversial questions and disputes - battles - about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Paul is pointing to a real life situation in the Ephesian church - using that situation as an example for us. In verse 3 Paul writes that there were those who were teaching what was contrary to what Jesus had taught. In verse 4 Paul focuses on their motivation - what’s going on in their hearts. He writes that they’re “conceited and understand nothing.”

Years ago I was scuba diving off the coast of Mexico. Floating around there under the water the guide I was with handed me this small fish - a pretty little fish with little spikes sticking out of it. As I held that little fish gingerly between my fingers - avoiding the spikes - that little fish swelled up to this ball shape twice the size it was before. That’s a puffer fish. They inflate their bodies to make themselves look more impressive than they are.

That’s conceit - acting like we’re something that we’re not. With these false teachers - acting like the knew something when they really had no idea what they were talking about - getting recognition they didn’t deserve.

Paul writes - out of that conceit comes a deadly interest in controversy and questions and disputes.

There’s a saying, “An Irishman doesn’t know what he believes but he’s willing to die for it.” Some people enjoy a good fight - a good controversy or dispute or battle over doctrine or theology. Some people enjoy pointing out how they disagree with others. Soon they’ve got people calling up and emailing each other. It strokes their egos. Makes them feel important - like they’re knowledgeable - an important part of something.

Paul writes, “This is a morbid - deadly disease.” All this only leads to “envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, constant friction.” In a battle someone looses. Resentment builds - a malignancy - a cancer in the church. Words get said - slander - tearing at reputations - openly or in secret. Every action - every word is suspect - interpreted - examined. The anger and hurt builds - boils beneath the surface. People choose sides - can’t stand to be in the same room together. Ever experienced this? Conceited - empty people - focused on themselves missing the joy of brotherhood - of sisterhood - in the Body of Christ.

Then in verse 5 Paul focuses on their motivation - the deeper issue of the heart that’s driving their actions. “Men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth - literally, men whose minds have been corrupted by their own desires. Their actions show that - in their hearts - in what motivates them - the truth of God and life in Jesus - inside they don’t know the truth. Something else is driving them.

Verse 5: these depraved and deprived men think that godliness is a means of gain.” That’s the motivation - selfish greed - winning the lottery - filling the emptiness within by their own means and effort and accomplishment.

In Acts 8, we’re told that in Samaria there was man by the name of Simon who was a magician. He was amazing the people there with his tricks. He had a large following. People had given Simon the nickname, “The Great Power of God.”

About that time the Apostle Philip arrived in town and began preaching the Gospel. Many people believed in Jesus and we’re baptized - including Simon. When the news about all these conversions got back to Jerusalem - Peter and John came up to Samaria to pray for the new believers and to lay hands on them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit - a sign of unity - connecting the believers in Jerusalem with the new believers in Samaria.

When Simon - “The Great Power of God” - saw what Peter and John were doing - the laying on of hands and the receiving of the Holy Spirit - the God given authority and recognition that Peter and John had in the community - Simon offered the Apostles money. He said, “Give this authority to me so that everyone I lay my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit. Give me the secret to this magic trick so I can amaze the people too.” He saw godliness as a means to gain something for himself.

Peter says to Simon, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! Repent - ask for God’s forgiveness for this attitude in your heart.” (Acts 8:9-24)

Godliness is not for purchase - not to be used for our own personal gain. People do this all the time today. People are in the church because it gives them a place of respect and honor in the community. It shows a concern for moral and religious values. It sets an example for the kids. It enhances business opportunities. They think God will bless them if they act Godly - doing acceptable religious acts.

It all works to build up their egos. The motivation is their selves. Paul says, this is morbid - depraved. A self-destructive motivation that has nothing to do with true godliness.

Going on in verse 6: But - in contrast - godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

One of the best definitions of contentment that I’ve heard is, “not having all you want but wanting only what you have.” Satisfaction with what we have. The Greek word here for contentment “autarkeias” means sufficiency - satisfaction. Having all we need and wanting only that much. Contentment comes when what motivates our hearts is true godliness.

Thinking about that - what motivates us - selfish greed or contentment in God - in verses 7 to 11 Paul gets very practical. There are four principles of contentment here that we want to look at.

First: You Can’t Take It With You. Verse 7: For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

A millennia ago the Egyptian pharaohs built huge pyramids with large vaults filled with riches that would make Bill Gates envious. They had themselves mummified - prepared and preserved for the next life. Today we have museums filled with rotting mummies and Egyptian artifacts.

Jesus told a parable of a rich man who had a bumper crop. He’d harvested so much grain he didn’t know what to do with it. He was rich. So he decided to expand his business. He began to dream of how he was going to enjoy life and his retirement. Something like the dot com gold rush. Expansion - wealth - no end in sight. On the night he was dreaming about all this - this upward mobile rich man died. (Luke 12:16-21)

Job put it this way, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there.” (Job 1:21)

Yet, somehow in our deluded way of thinking - when we get our eyes off of God and onto ourselves - we think we can take it with us. So many people today are working very hard at producing nothing of lasting value. Trying to obtain contentment through the accumulation of wealth and things and reputation and experiences.

First principle of contentment - Recognize we can’t take it with us. Second principle of contentment: God Takes Care of His Own. Verse 8: If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

During the Exodus - about 2½ months after the Hebrews had left Egypt - the people began to grumble against Moses and Aaron. They said things like, “We wish God would have killed us back in Egypt. At least there we had plenty to eat. There was bread and meat. But, you - Moses and Aaron have brought us out into this wilderness to kill us with starvation.”

God - being very merciful - God told Moses what He was going to supply the needs of His people and what the people should do. Do you remember this? God was going to rain down bread from heaven - manna - each morning the people were to go out and gather up whatever bread they needed only for that day. Every sixth day the people were to gather enough bread for 2 days - the seventh day being the Sabbath - when God wouldn’t send bread and the people weren’t suppose to work or bake anyway. That’s pretty basic - gather only as much bread as you need for one day. No more - except on the 6th day.

Let’s not miss the point - which is not about bread and which days to collect it. Through all of this God is teaching His people something about Himself.

When God sent the bread the people gathered it up. True to human nature - some people kept more bread than they needed for just that day. Maybe they thought, “What if God doesn’t send bread tomorrow? How will we have enough to eat.” So they kept extra bread. The bread they kept - by the next morning - became filled with maggots and smelled terrible. So, the people learned - gather just enough for today. God will provide for us tomorrow.

On the sixth day - the bread they kept according to God’s instructions - gathering enough for two days - stayed fresh - even though it was kept over night. So, the people learned. God is in control. Remember - honor God on the Sabbath. Trust God for your daily bread. (Exodus 16:1-36)

Jesus said this, “Don’t worry about your life - what you’ll eat or what you’ll wear. There’s more to life than food and clothing. Look at the ravens. God takes care of them. Look at the lilies. God takes care of them. You can’t add a single day to your life. So why are you trying too? Don’t worry. Seek God’s kingdom first. Make that your priority. And God will take care of everything else.” (Luke 12:22-34)

If we could get a hold of this principle it would transform our lives. God takes care of His own.

Then the third principle of contentment: You Can’t Buy Happiness.

Verses 9: But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

How many of you remember Jack Benny? Putting it mildly, Jack Benny had a problem letting go of money. There was a sketch where a robber comes and points a gun at Jack Benny and the robber says, “Your money or your life.” After a long silent pause, again the robber says, “Your money or your life.” And Jack Benny says, “I’m thinking. I’m thinking.”

We need to be honest with ourselves. Its hard to live believing in God’s provision. Its easy for us to think that we can have control over what happens around us. We’re constantly bombarded with powerful unending appeals to invest - to accumulate - to take charge - because we deserve so much better. Money represents security - investment - influence - control. There’s prudence to the wise use of money. There were a number of wealthy men in the Bible who were blessed by God. Wealth is not the problem. Motivation is.

Jesus - in talking about birds and flowers - Jesus is asking, “Where is your heart? In what or whom are you trusting?” Our attitude towards wealth and material things shows us the priority of our hearts - the priority of our character - our will - the inner core of who we are. That’s why Paul uses wealth as an example for us.

We need to be very careful with the priorities of our heart especially when it comes to wealth. Longing for money - and all that that represents for our own self-preservation and ego - that longing is a trap - a mirage. Enticing. Yes. But, still a trap. Paul warns us - its the beginning of a plunge into a bottomless pit of ruin and destruction. Trusting in money we open ourselves up to a host of sins - pride - selfishness - covetousness - greed. Our very faith - our eternal destiny - is in jeopardy.

You can’t take it with you. God takes care of His own, You can’t buy happiness. And the fourth principle of contentment: Choose God. Verse 11: But flee from these things - all of these other motivations - flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

A while back in the pocket of a rich man who had just committed suicide they found $30,000 in cash and a note. The note said, “I have discovered during my life that piles of money do not bring happiness. I am taking my life because I no longer can stand the solitude and boredom. When I was an ordinary workman in New York I was happy. Now that I possess millions I am infinitely sad and prefer death.” (1)

Its reassuring to see that there is a choice - an alternative to flee towards. God gives us that ability to live differently. Godliness rises above sin and the temptation to trust the empty promise of wealth and our own selfish egos and attitudes. The pursuit of godliness brings contentment.

As an essential of the church - the world needs to see that contentment lived out in our lives. Men - like that man with $30,000 in his pocket - alone in death - people need to see the alternative found in Jesus Christ. They need to see churches and believers in Jesus Christ that trust in God and not the size of their endowments. Churches that believe in God’s promises not the bottom line in a budget. Churches that are learning to pray together - study together - worship together - believers in Jesus Christ who are learning to listen together to the voice of God for direction and not the shifting winds of the economy.

Ultimately all this has to do with our hearts. Which is the contrast that Paul makes - men who have set their hearts and lives upon the on the empty pursuit of pleasing themselves versus those who have focused their hearts and lives on God. This morning we’re being given an invitation to examine our hearts by the principles of contentment. Is what motivates you winning the lottery or something much greater found only in Jesus Christ?