Some people dislike other people just because they’re Republicans, and they can tolerate each other except for every four years, and then they go to war, and then the war’s over, and the winner’s happy for four years, and then they fight again.  We see it over our nationalism.  I have never seen greater prejudice than I’ve seen in Africa, and it has nothing to do—it’s not racial; it’s tribal.  I mean the oppression of another tribe.  The mockery of the customs of that tribe, the names that they come up with to demean one another.  It’s amazing the schisms that come.

And in the church here in Ephesus, they’re dealing with that issue.  In First Timothy 6:4, he says, “You’ve got all this contention going on among yourselves,” but he said, “I have this wisdom for you to teach, and if any man teaches anything other than this and does not consent to these wholesome words that we’ve given unto you, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, that man—who will not humble himself and submit to this doctrine or these traditions as to how we are operating in this local church—he’s proud, knows nothing, and creating strife just—through many times—just words.”  And he said, “I want your hearts to be ready to seek sound doctrine.  Purge this strife out of your midst.  All it does is bring death as a community.  Put away envying and strife,” he says in the fourth verse, “and these perverse disputing that you’re having among yourself between the rich and the poor.  And those that are propagating this doctrine that gain is godliness, from such withdraw yourself.”  So, we see within that community, this message that says the richer you are, the Godlier you are, the more favored of God you are, somehow you are elevated to a position greater than the rest of those in the body of Christ.  He said, “Don’t engage yourself in this false doctrine, but know this:  Godliness with contentment is great gain.  We brought nothing into this world; it’s certain we can take nothing out.  Having food and raiment let us therewith be content.” 

We don’t hear as much about this, but those that will to be rich, those of you that are down here that are not content at whatever realm or status you find yourself in.  If you will to be rich, if you’re driven to advance yourself, you’re not content with where you are, you’re looking for greater status, you’re looking for more things, “You will fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (verse 9).  That word “perdition” means “total loss of well-being.”  What a tragedy is that discontentment, that need to have more, which will often cost you everything.  One of the reasons is because God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.  We are so blessed, but are we content?  We have such abundance.  “What should I give or should I build bigger barns?”  The advice is: be rich toward God.  Amen?  What are you doing with what you’ve got?  Because if you’re not faithful in the small things, God’s not going to give you more.  Many of us that want more and think that’s the solution—this isn’t always the reason—but very often it’s our lack of faithfulness; it’s our lack of character; it’s because we don’t trust God that we hide what we have in the ground, and we don’t let God bless us through faithfully investing the gifts that He’s given to us, the opportunities unto His glory.  That was the reproof He said, “You’ve robbed Me and My glory!  You hid this thing in the ground; you could have at least got some interest for Me, but it was not about Me.  It was about you and your false image of Who I am, My love for you, My desire to prosper you.”