We’re living in a society of self.  We’ve talked about all those ugly “self” words.  "Self-ish" is one of the big ones, right?  "Self-indulgence, self-will," are others, and we could go on.  Would you say you’re more selfless this evening than you’ve ever been?  Would you be able to give the testimony that, “I am less full of myself today than I’ve ever been in my life.  I am so absolutely surrendered to the will of God, to my placement in the body of Christ, to my marriage, to where God has me," as it pertains to man’s measurements of success?

Do you allow yourself, or are you even guilty of comparing yourself by yourself?  Are you guilty of being disappointed in God because of what He’s made you, and how you relate to the rest of the world on their scorecard?  Trying to impress the world is “enmity with God.”  Trying to stay up with the Joneses makes you the enemy of God.  That’s the kingdom of the world.  That’s the flesh.  We have whole movements within the Christian realm, today, that make that their message, “We will tell you how to be rich, how to be successful, and how to become a head of a Fortune 500 company.”  If you have the blessing of God resting on you, you will be rich, and you will be blessed of God; amen?  But what does 1 Timothy 6 tell us?  We see the Holy Ghost, through Paul, speaking very clearly.  Beloved, gain is not godliness; amen?  We have a church out there trying to continually cause discontentment within the true church.  They try to cause a disappointment in God, because “If God was really in your midst, you would be living like us!  You must not be blessed!”

In 1 Timothy 6:5, the Holy Ghost speaks against this with such power and authority.  It’s just phenomenal that God speaks in this particular manner.  “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth,” verse 5, “supposing that gain is godliness.”  Then the Scripture says (what?), “From such withdraw thyself.”

We hear the guys in Africa talking about T. D. Jakes and Creflo Dollar, and whoever some of these other guys are, these voices out there on television.  They’re coming in and raping these nations, preaching the message, “Give to this ministry, and God will bless you.”  The Bible doesn’t say “Give to that ministry.”  The Bible says “Give to God,” amen?  If you want to be blessed of God, it has nothing to do with your giving, I’m talking about in the financial realm.  It has to do with the attitude in your giving, who you’re giving to, the spirit of cheerfulness.  Ultimately, you can work your way back to the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy and find out that it’s all contingent upon relationship and obedience to God.