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How to Feel Rich

David Sorn

Nov 2, 2025

1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19

Plenty of us chase after material success thinking it will make us feel happy, but there is a greater joy that comes from a higher place.

MESSAGE TRANSCRIPT

  1. NEW LOCATION
    1. (Renovation Church Slide)
    2. Good morning!
      1. My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor here at Renovation Church
        1. For the last 6 or 8 weeks, we’ve been talking about how we are growing so fast here that we are running out of room, so we are going to be starting additional locations of Renovation Church.
          1. Locations that will carry our DNA, culture, and ministry programs (like House Church, weekly gospel presentations, and Bible Teaching)
            1. BUT, will have live pastors teaching and leading there
      2. And we are excited to announce today the location of our 2nd location of Renovation Church.
        1. You ready???
          1. We are going…to the city of…Shoreview!
            1. (Shoreview – Turtle Lake Elementary slide)
              1. It will be at Turtle Lake Elementary School.
                1. Which is actually on Lexington ironically, 16 minutes South of here.
      3. And so if you live south of this building, we want you to start praying about if God would have you go.
        1. After Christmas, we are officially going to start signing people up for the new location, then that group will start meeting together some in February, do practice services in March, with a Grand Opening pegged for March 29th
    3. And I said to start praying about it if you live SOUTH of this building…BECAUSE…just 6 months later, in September, we are going to be launching location #3…NORTH of here.
      1. So if you have a heart for this, but live north, we want you to wait.
        1. We actually just hired another location pastor for location #3, and you’ll get to meet him in the coming months.
    4. So, we’re excited about what God is doing!
  2. THE PASSAGE
    1. Okay, let’s jump into our Bible Teaching for the morning
      1. Go ahead and grab a Bible.
      2. 1 Timothy 6:6-8
      3. Page 812
        1. Today’s passage is about money.
          1. Who here just got really excited?
    2. Here’s the thing: We almost never talk about money here.
      1. We just teach what’s in front of us in the Bible, and for whatever reason, we just haven’t run across a passage about money I think even in the past 2.5 years or so.
        1. But today, in 1 Timothy, that’s what our passage is about, so I am indeed going to teach what’s in front of us
    3. (1 Timothy 6:6-8) - NIV
    4. 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.
  3. #1: FIND CONTENTMENT
    1. (Series slide)
    2. Look at verse 6 again.
      1. Paul says, “Godliness with contentment (to have joy & satisfaction no matter what you have), Paul says is great gain.”
        1. He’s actually contrasting against the false teachers he mentioned in verse 5 who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
          1. These are prosperity gospel teachers (who unfortunately, are still around today), that say, “If you’re good and Godly, God will make you financially rich”
    3. But Paul is saying, “Whoa whoa whoa. Hold up, “It’s actually godliness with contentment that is great gain.”
      1. Now this is interesting. He does still care about “gain”
        1. And by “gain” he’s talking about you being blessed, finding joy, experiencing the life that is truly life.
          1. So he says, you can all live that sort of life, but it’s not necessarily found in financial riches.
    4. (How to Feel Rich)
    5. And so I’ve entitled this message, “How to feel rich”
      1. I didn’t say, “How to get rich”
        1. But “how to feel rich,” meaning, how to really deeply enjoy what God has given you in this life…no matter how much you have
    6. But what are the steps to feeling that way?
      1. Paul gives us 4 steps…here’s the first one:
      2. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
      3. #1: Find contentment
        1. Boy, easier said than done in modern America
          1. This passage is significantly harder to live out for us than it would’ve been for someone 200 years ago
    7. We are absolutely bombarded with ads, reels, commercials that tell us: You will not be happy…until:
      1. You get that iPhone 17 (pro max!)
      2. Until you get a new car…
      3. Until you travel to this great destination.
        1. Although, as an aside, I do feel like in MN, most of the travel commercials aren’t that tempting.
          1. I’ve never been particularly tempted by Great Faces, Great Places, South Dakota. Ha
    8. Let me ask you a question:
      1. How much more money would you need to be happy?
        1. How much more a year?
      2. For a lot of people, it’s just $5,000 more. Maybe 10.
        1. But what happens when you get it?
          1. The novelty of our change of circumstance wears off.
            1. Our baseline for what we said we needed to be happy…changes…and now we need more.
              1. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon, who scholars say was one of the richest people to ever live, once said this:
                1. (Ecclesiastes 5:10) – NIV
                2. Whoever loves money never has enough;
                      whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
                      This too is meaningless.
        2. Now let me hit “Pause” for a second: There is no Biblical command against being rich.
          1. Abraham was rich, Job was rich, David, and even some of the supports of Jesus’ ministry
            1. And they were all Godly people too.
          2. Paul is not praising poverty nor is he saying it’s a sin to be rich.
            1. He’s merely saying that experiencing the real richness of life, can’t come from your material blessings
      3. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
      4. #1: Find contentment
        1. So listen, if you truly want to feel rich…like Paul talks about…
          1. Then what you should be striving towards is contentment
            1. Some of you, you’re missing out on life (hanging out w/ friends (cuz you’re studying), your kids games, another meal at home, you name it)…
              1. …all while you’re chasing after something that can’t give you the satisfaction you want even if you catch it.
          2. And so what would it look like instead to strive after contentment?
            1. To come home from work early this week, “Look around you, and look deeply at the people in your life and say, ‘”I’m the most blessed person on earth”
    9. And my Christian friend… think about what you have…even beyond friends or family
      1. You have Christ.
      2. You have forgiveness
      3. You have the Holy Spirit
      4. You have eternal life
        1. How can you get richer than that?
    10. And look at how this eternal perspective really matters:
      1. Look at verse 7 again
      2. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
        1. There is no Uhaul behind the hearse.
      3. I once heard John Piper give this illustration, and I thought it was really helpful.
        1. He said: Imagine someone goes into a big art museum, and they start taking the famous paintings off the wall.
          1. And they begin carrying them under their arms.
            1. And they’re saying, “Look at me! I’m an art collector! All of these paintings are mine!”
            2. And let’s say another person sharply said back to them, “They’re not yours. And honestly, you’ll never get out of here with them. They’ll stop you. You’ll have to go out of here, just like you came in…empty handed”
          2. And imagine the person with the paintings under arm said, “Don’t bother me with thoughts about what’s going to happen in the future. Don’t be a killjoy. I’m trying to enjoy this right now”
            1. Piper says, “We would call this person out of touch with reality.”
              1. And he says, “And likewise out of touch is the person whose main aim is financial success or comfort in this short life”
                1. Because you are going to go out of this life the same way you came in…empty handed
                  1. So find contentment in what you have…
                  2. …and look for deeper meaning in things outside of your possessions
  4. #2: DON’T FALL INTO THE MONEY TRAP
    1. Okay, let’s keep reading
    2. 1 Timothy 6:9-10
    3. Page 812
  5. (1 Timothy 6:9-10) – NIV
  6. 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.
    1. And here we get our second principle for how to feel rich…
    2. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
    3. #1: Find contentment
    4. #2: Don’t fall into the money trap
      1. Paul says if you’re always striving to get more… you will fall into temptation…and a TRAP
        1. And the Bible says this is a bad trap.
          1. It will lead to foolish & harmful desires.
          2. Pierce you with grief
          3. Paul even says, “It can plunge people into ruin and destruction”
            1. So this is not a trap that anyone in this room should take lightly.
  7. And yet most don’t take it very seriously at all.
    1. You want to know the biggest obstacle I’m facing in teaching this passage to you
      1. Most of you don’t think this passage is about you
        1. And yet we are, in America, collectively, a highly unsatisfied with what we have (even though we have more than what 99% of people in human history have had)
          1. We are a people who love to chase happiness through money and possessions.
    2. When we moved into our house back in 2011, I was really proud of our OAK cabinets. I thought they looked really nice and modern
      1. I remember even feeling a little guilty, thinking, “Are these too nice?”
      2. But then, what happened?
        1. All of a sudden, somebody (I don’t know who) decided that oak isn’t beautiful anymore.
      3. It was like America collectively woke up one morning and said, “You know what we really need? WHITE Cabinets!”
        1. And so maybe you even started to think, “I gotta get rid of these oak cabinets!”
          1. “White will make me feel good, and modern, and better than those backwoods people still with oak”
        2. And so one day you finally get the money, and you finish changing to white cabinets and you sit down in your chair to sit back and admire them…”
          1. …And it makes you happy for 12 seconds…
          2. …but then… you start scrolling on your phone and what do you see?
        3. A new article that says, “BREAKING NEWS: White cabinets are out…now in warmer tones! Natural wood! Cream!”
          1. And so you gotta get started on it again! Warmer tones it is!
        4. This is why Paul says, “It’s a trap!”
          1. So if you’re trying to find your worth, your status, and your identity in your money…or what your house looks like
            1. …it’s a trap (that’s really hard to get out of)
        5. So personally, my goal is just to stay out of the trap.
          1. I’m just going to wait until some day, some will come over and say, “When did you upgrade to those cool oak cabinets?”
        6. Now I’m not saying you can’t renovate your kitchen…or be successful in you career.
          1. You just always want to check your heart along the way, and ask, “What is this really for?”
  8. And remember this too (cuz some of you are still excusing yourself from this message):
    1. You’re saying, “Pastor, this message isn’t for me…I don’t have any money…I’m a young adult (or I got young adults in college!)
      1. But here’s the thing: You don’t need to have a lot of money to love money
    2. …this passage isn’t so much about how much money you have…but what do you look to money for?
      1. And if you’re looking for it to bring you what only God can give you…then you better beware of its trap
        1. Because history is full of people who have traded their integrity for money
          1. That’s why Paul said that the love of money is a ROOT of all kinds of evil.
  9. #3: PUT YOUR HOPE IN THE RIGHT THING
    1. 1 Timothy 6:17
    2. Page 813
    3. Okay, let’s actually jump down to verse 17…as Paul is going to continue his thoughts about money there…and then I’ll come back to verses 11-16 next week
    4. (1 Timothy 6:17) – NIV
    5. 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.
      1. This is the 3rd principle of feeling rich
      2. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
      3. #1: Find contentment
      4. #2: Don’t fall into the money trap
      5. #3: Put your hope in the right thing
    6. Paul actually tells Timothy to COMMAND those who are rich (which is all of us) to not put our hope in our bank account, or investments (which are so uncertain), but to put our hope in God.
      1. In other words, again, the real issue where your trust is
        1. Let’s do an interesting thought experiment: “If something happened in the next 6 months, and 6 months from now, your bank account is zero, could you still say that God is good?”
          1. Cuz if you couldn’t, your hope…the place where you feel “rich in life” probably isn’t Christ…it may be your bank account.
      2. And for many of us, we put “our hope in money” because wealth gives an illusion of control.
        1. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t be smart with your money and save, but I am saying, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring.”
          1. One economic recession, or hyper-inflationary event, or medical crisis, or accident, and it can be all gone
            1. And so when the storm comes, you want your house to be built on Christ, not the sinking sand of money.
      3. Look at the end of 17: Paul says, “Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment”
        1. He’s not talking about material things here…but the good and God-given things of life: Family, faith, friendship, nature, creation.
          1. When you can learn to find your deepest enjoyment in those God-given things…that’s when you start to FEEL rich.
  10. #4: BE GENEROUS
    1. Let’s read the last two verses
    2. 1 Timothy 6:18-19
    3. Page 813
  11. (1 Timothy 6:18-19) – NIV
  12. 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.
    1. So again, we see this idea of how to feel rich.
      1. This time Paul calls it “taking hold of the life that is truly life!”
  13. And how do you do that?
    1. This is point #4
    2. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
    3. #1: Find contentment
    4. #2: Don’t fall into the money trap
    5. #3: Put your hope in the right thing
    6. #4: Be generous
      1. And so Christians should be generous with their money…as a discipline.
        1. My favorite Bible Commentator, David Guzik, in talking about generosity and giving to the church, says it this way:
        2. “Many think the main reason for giving unto the Lord is because the church needs money. That isn’t true. The most important reason to give is because you need to be a giver. It is God’s way of guarding you against greed and trust in uncertain riches. God will provide for His work even if you do not give; but what will happen to you?” -- David Guzik
          1. That’s good!
    7. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
    8. #1: Find contentment
    9. #2: Don’t fall into the money trap
    10. #3: Put your hope in the right thing
    11. #4: Be generous
  14. And that’s part of why we encourage people to follow the Biblical tithe, and give 10% to their church…
    1. And listen, if you’re worried that I’m talking about money just because I’m a pastor and want your money or something like that…
      1. First of all, we never talk about this, so we must not want it that bad
      2. And secondly, if you’re really worried that’s our motivation, then just come here and tithe to a different church.
        1. But listen, we’re going to teach you what the Bible says…and urge you to walk in obedience to God’s Word
      3. And also, I think true generosity is more than just Sunday morning.
        1. We should be above and beyond generous to people in need, to missionaries, and so on
    2. Now practically, if this is your home church, and you haven’t started giving yet, start today…in obedience and trust in God’s Word.
      1. If you’re going, “We could never do 10%,” then start with a percentage that you could do…and start working towards it.
      2. The important thing is just to start.
        1. Pick one of those giving methods that’s always on the screen during announcements, and just start
          1. (Giving Methods Screen)
          2. Start trusting these principles from the Bible.
    3. And Paul says in verse 19 that your giving will lay up a treasure for you in the coming age.
      1. Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 6 when he says
      2. (Matthew 6:19-20a) – NIV
      3. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
  15. HOW TO FEEL RICH.
  16. #1: Find contentment
  17. #2: Don’t fall into the money trap
  18. #3: Put your hope in the right thing
  19. #4: Be generous
  20. And those treasures, in many ways, are people!
    1. In 3rd service last week, we had a student baptized who talked about how his family had now been Bible-believing Christians for over 4 generations
      1. And I know that family, so I was thinking as he was talking about how God has been a beautiful blessing to that family tree as so many have been richly blessed from a great-grandparent choosing Christ almost 75 years ago.
        1. And in the very next service we had two new believers get baptized…and 6 people gave their lives to Christ that service.
          1. Some of which knew almost nothing yet of the Christian faith…they were just here for their friend getting baptized.
    2. But they too now will share:
      1. Not only in the blessing of knowing Jesus…
      2. Not only in the blessing of eternal life
    3. But think about this:
      1. Someday, in the 22nd Century, someone’s going to be giving a baptism testimony (like that student), and they’ll say, “You know, back in the last century, my great-grandpa walked into Renovation Church, and gave his life to Christ…and it changed the trajectory of our whole family”
        1. And what could any of us give our resources to that would be better than that?
          1. That’s also part of what make you feel truly rich…to know that your resources are making an impact that will last forever.
  21. GOSPEL
    1. And let me say this too: Because there are some of you in this room that you haven’t found this life in Jesus Christ yet.
      1. You’re dealing with a phrase that is often called
        1. Destination Sickness
      2. Destination sickness is when you finally arrive at that place you always thought would make you happy.
        1. You finally graduated
        2. You got married
        3. Finally had a baby
        4. Got your dream job you’ve been working a decade to get
        5. You’re in that nice home you picture with a spouse and 2 ids
          1. You arrived at the very destination that you always thought would make you happy once you got there, but now that you’re there, you’re not happy.
    2. And my friend, look at me: The reason you don’t feel happy…is because no amount of money…no amount of educational or vocational success…or family milestones…can touch the place in your heart that provides the deepest satisfaction.
      1. Only God can fill that hole in your heart.
        1. And He came to fill it years ago…when Jesus came to earth
  22. (GIVE GOSPEL)
  23. (Ask them to stand)
  24. Dear God
    1. I confess to you, that I have sinned against you.
    2. But God I believe, that you sent your Son Jesus, to take my place
      1. And God I thank you, for forgiving my sins.
    3. And now I commit, to following you, with my life.
  25. Meet me in prayer room

Copyright:

David Sorn

Renovation Church in Blaine, MN

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