Creekside Church, Sunday, November 26, 2023
The Love of _________.
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Steering wheel
The routes we take, the places we drive to, are not just neutral activities they are shaping what we love.
The routes we take have a destination, a love, embedded in them.
They are taking us somewhere. To their version of the good life.
In this series we’ve been talking about the need to learn how to love.
To have habits, routines, liturgies, routes that shape what we love.
Because the routes we travel in life are shaping us.
---
What most competes for our hearts?
In writing to young Timothy, to close his letter, Paul writes:
1 Timothy 6:
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
---
How?
Practice godliness - earlier in the letter – "train yourself in godliness"
Practice contentment
1 Timothy 6:
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
New perspective on these commands. See them as disciplines. They are formative experiences that align our hearts with the kingdom of God.
When you give you are adjusting the steering wheel.
When you give you witness to the broken power of money in your life.
Transfer your love
Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.
---
"So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."
Why Jesus talked like this…why Paul talks like…because God wants us to take hold of the life that is truly life. Life that starts now and will never end because it is rooted in a kingdom that will never end.
Art Installation - Can't Help Myself
The routes we take, the places we drive to, are not just neutral activities they are shaping what we love.
The routes we take have a destination, a love, embedded in them.
They are taking us somewhere. To their version of the good life.
In this series we’ve been talking about the need to learn how to love.
To have habits, routines, liturgies, routes that shape what we love.
Because the routes we travel in life are shaping us.
---
What most competes for our hearts?
In writing to young Timothy, to close his letter, Paul writes:
1 Timothy 6:
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
---
How?
Practice godliness - earlier in the letter – "train yourself in godliness"
Practice contentment
1 Timothy 6:
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
New perspective on these commands. See them as disciplines. They are formative experiences that align our hearts with the kingdom of God.
When you give you are adjusting the steering wheel.
When you give you witness to the broken power of money in your life.
Transfer your love
Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.
---
"So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."
Why Jesus talked like this…why Paul talks like…because God wants us to take hold of the life that is truly life. Life that starts now and will never end because it is rooted in a kingdom that will never end.
Art Installation - Can't Help Myself