Flee, Pursue, and Take Hold

In one paragraph

This message from 1 Timothy 6 called the church to be honest about what we are running from, what we are craving, and what we are actually pursuing. Pastor drew a straight line between the warnings Paul gave Timothy and the pressures people in Jackson face today. It was, as he put it, more of a preaching message than a teaching message, and he meant it that way. the preacher opened by dropping...

Read together

1. Psalm 103:2-5 opened the service: 'bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity...'
2. 1 John 3:1 read before the offering: 'see how very much our Father loves us for he calls us his children'
3. 1 Timothy 6:5 starting point for the passage: imagining that godliness is a means of gain
4. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 godliness with contentment is great gain; love of money is a root of all kinds of evils
5. 1 Timothy 6:11 flee these things; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness
6. 1 Timothy 6:12 fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of eternal life
7. 1 Timothy 6:13-14 charge to keep the commandment until the appearing of Christ; Christ's testimony before Pontius Pilate
8. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 God the blessed and only sovereign, king of kings, who dwells in unapproachable light
9. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 charge to the rich not to be haughty; to be generous and store up treasure as a good foundation
10. 1 Corinthians 6:18 flee sexual immorality; every other sin is outside the body
11. 1 Corinthians 10:13 no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man; God provides the way of escape
12. 1 Corinthians 10:14 flee from idolatry; speaking to sensible people
13. 2 Timothy 2:22 flee youthful passions, mentioned briefly as covering materialism, sexual immorality, and idolatry
14. Amos 5:24 let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream
15. Amos 7 Amos tells Amaziah he was not a prophet nor the son of a prophet but the word of the Lord came to him
16. Amos 5:18-19 warning about the day of the Lord; as if a man fled a lion and was met by a bear
17. Micah 6:8 what has God required: act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God
18. Genesis 39 Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife as an example of fleeing sexual immorality
19. Isaiah 43 theme verse for VBS: when you pass through the waters I will be with you
20. Matthew 6:33 seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added
21. Matthew 6:24 you cannot serve both God and money; lay up treasure in heaven
22. Titus 2:11-12 closing: the grace of God has appeared offering salvation; teaches us to say no to ungodliness

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about Amos delivering an unpopular message to people who thought things were going well for them. When has God's word confronted you at a time when life felt comfortable, and how did you respond?
2. Paul tells Timothy to flee materialism, and the pastor applied that directly to life in Jackson. What does fleeing materialism look like in practical terms where you live and work?
3. The sermon listed three things Scripture tells us to flee: materialism, sexual immorality, and idolatry. The pastor described idolatry as anything that takes God's place in a person's life. What are some things that can quietly move into that place without a person even noticing?
4. The pastor read the Oswald Chambers question: 'Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble as I get older, or am I getting more self-assertive?' How would you honestly answer that question about yourself right now?
5. The sermon closed by asking what you are desiring, what you are craving, what you are fleeing, and what you are pursuing. Which of those four questions is hardest for you to answer honestly, and why?