28 December 2008 10AM

Apostle Andre Pelser

Offering message

1 Tim 6:5,6 – godliness with contentment is great gain.

Gain: passing a river or a narrow part of the sea, passing through a porous substance like the pores of the skin.

In Paul's mind, the word, gain, means to pass through to another state of being, to achieve, to accomplish, to discover a new dimension. If something passes through the pores of your skin, it goes into another state of being. It also means: the ways and means into revenues, riches, and financial provisions. But there is more to it than that.

Contentment: happy and content with what one has, we brought nothing into this world and we are certainly carrying nothing out.

As a consequence, godliness with contentment correctly directs man into pursuing the spiritual and eternal rather than the material and passing things. Godliness with contentment becomes the opening through which man is blessed with great spiritual riches.

What Paul is trying to tell us is that godliness with contentment is greater gain than just money. We tend to pursue money. Money is part of life, but we shouldn't just pursue that. We shouldn't think of God as a means of getting rich. In some sermons one cannot distinguish between whether the preacher wants to know God or whether he wants more money.

3 Jn 2 – … prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.

Prosper: to have a safe, effective journey through life. When he says this verse, he is saying: “I wish you an effective, safe, and good journey through your life. John wishes Gaius, the recipient of the letter, to have a good, blessed course in all the things in his life, and to be healthy even as his soul is thriving. It includes all the spiritual things.

To have a prosperous journey: Rom 1:10 – to have a free passage, to arrive safe.

Godliness is not a way of trying to get rich quick. It is far beyond that. The concept of prosperity and gain that Paul and John is trying to put forward to us means to have a good journey through this life, an effective life, a safe life in God, and also be healthy and also be prosperous. When we say prosperity or wealth, in the western world, all we can think of is just money. Money is such a small part of that. To have a good journey through this life with everything that you need. Isn't that more than just money? Yes, money is included in that, but God wants to give us to much more.

There are certain things that wealth cannot buy. Money can't buy peace. And how do you buy contentment? We are not born content. Have you ever seen a contented baby? They are always screaming for everything they want, and some people just never grow up. They're still screaming today for what they want. Contentment is something that you must learn. Godliness with contentment is incredible gain, incredible wealth, and it'll give you a prosperous journey through this life.

As you give unto God, God gives unto you far above what you could give to Him. No one can out give God.