That verse particularly touched
me, and how blessed we are if we can sing this. Riches I heed
not, nor man's empty praise. Thou, mine inheritance, now and
always, Thou and Thou only, first in my heart. High King of heaven,
my treasure Thou art. Isn't that beautiful? Turn back to first Timothy six,
if you would, please. I've entitled this message partakers
of the benefit. It says in verse two and they that
have believing masters, let them not despise them because they're
brethren, but rather do them service because they're faithful. and beloved partakers of the
benefit. And the word benefit is literally
the good work. You know, salvation is the Lord's
work and it's a good work. We read in Ephesians 2 10, that
we are his workmanship. created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God had before ordained that we should walk
in them. Jonah said in Jonah two nine,
salvation, the work of salvation, salvation is of the Lord. He that has begun a good work
in you, Paul said to the Philippians, he that had begun a good work
in you, We all perform it into the day of Jesus Christ. Now,
God purposed this good work. Ephesians 1 11 says being predestinated
according to the purpose of him that worketh all things after
the council of his own will. What a glorious God. He works
all things after the counsel, after the will of His own will. Whatever takes place, it's His
will taking place. This good work is the work of
His mighty power. Now unto Him that's able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according
to the power. that worketh in us. And I think of the power involved
in salvation thing and the power involved in the putting away
of sin. And this boggles my mind because I'm conscious of my sin. And yet I have no sin. There isn't any. Christ put it
away so that it is not. Now that is power. Only omnipotence could do that. What mighty power is displayed
in his work in us, for it's God that worketh in you, both to
will and to do of his good pleasure. It's all his work. What mighty
powers involved in making a man to believe the gospel. Must we do that we might work
the works of God? He said, this is the work of
God. This is God's work that you believe on him whom he hath
sent. Now the salvation of a sinner
is a good work because it tells us who the divine being is. I can't really know God. The
divine being, the transcendent glorious being, the uncreated
being, the mighty God of the universe. I can't know him apart
from his work of salvation. You see, his work of salvation
tells us who he is. He said, I am that I am. And
I've read where that could just as easily mean I save in the
manner, which I save who God is, is seen in how he saves. I won't really know the living
God unless I see how it is. He saves. And let me show you
a passage of scripture in John chapter one, John chapter one. Verse 17. For the law. The thou shouts
and the thou shout knots. For the law was given by Moses. Holy, righteous, just, and good.
God used Moses to write the law, but God gave the law. The law
was given by Moses, but. Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. Now this is so important and
this is so glorious. The law is true. There's no error
in God's holy law, but it's not the truth. Grace and truth came
by Jesus Christ. Now, why does the Bible make
this distinction? Well, God gave the law, but if all we have is
law, We can't get the true character of God. We see a part of his
character. I see his hatred of sin. I see his love of righteousness.
I see his requirement of absolute perfection. I see his unflexible
unbending justice. I see that in his law, but if
that's all we had, where would that leave you? It would leave
you in despair, and it would leave you in hell. But oh, grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ. You see, in the gospel of God's
grace, we have the truth of God's character. Not only do we see
his justice, not only do we see his righteousness, not only do
we see his sovereignty and his holiness and his unapproachable
justice, but we also see that he delights He delights in forgiving sinners. He's full of compassion and grace. Grace is poured into his lips.
We see the whole character of God, how he is just and he is
gracious and he is merciful. God is love. We wouldn't see
all that if all we saw was the law, but in the gospel, the law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Now the cross, is a display is
the display of the whole character of God. That's how glorious the
cross is. The cross tells us who God is.
Every one of his attributes on display in the cross of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We see his Justice, true. He's not going to let sin go
unpunished. We see his mercy. He gave his son. We see his holiness. We see his righteousness. We
see his wisdom. Every attribute of God is manifest
in the cross of Christ. I like what one person said.
He said, the cross is the whole counsel of God. You remember that statement?
The cross is the whole counsel of God. And what it is a blessing
it is to be a partaker of that good work. Do you see how this
good work of salvation is for the glory of God? It tells us
who he is, but it's a good work in that. And I want to say this,
right? It's a good work in that it makes bad men. Good. That's
a good work. It makes bad men good. It makes
men who are guilty to be not guilty. And that's a good work,
isn't it? It makes men who are condemned
to be justified without guilt before God. That's a good work.
It makes evil men holy. So that we're called holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, literally partakers of the divine
nature. That's a good work, isn't it?
It makes hateful men, men of love. Men who once hated God
now love God. That's a good work. They love
him as he's revealed in the scripture. They love everything about him.
They love his people. They love men. It makes men who
were once hateful, men of love. It makes a sinner forgiven. And
it makes a forgiven sinner forgive. Now that's divine. I, you know,
the most likeness we can show to the Lord God is when we, from
our hearts forgive and forget. It makes a man that's a good
work. Isn't it? It makes a man deny himself, take up his cross
and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a good work. Now let's
see what led Paul to make this statement. When he talked about
the partakers of this. benefit back to our text in first
Timothy chapter six. This is a, this first verse is
a very amazing verse. I'm gonna give you a little bit
of history about it. Let as many servants, that's
a slave. That's a slave. That's somebody
you were owned by somebody. You didn't have any personal
property. Whatever you possessed, you didn't possess. It was your
slave owners. You didn't have a thing. You were made to work
without being paid for it. And this was your life. You didn't
have any choice. You were a slave. Can you imagine being a slave,
waking up, knowing that you belong to somebody else? If you run
away, they'll have you put to death. You didn't want this,
but you were bound to it. There wasn't anything you could
do about it. You were a slave. Now he deals with the slaves'
attitudes. Let as many slaves as are under
the yoke count, esteem their own masters worthy of all honor. And that has to do with the attitude,
doesn't it? Let them esteem their masters worthy of all honor that
the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. Now, you might
find this interesting that this is one of the verses that has
always been used to justify slavery. As a matter of fact, I was reading,
I didn't realize this, but I was reading about one of the Southern
Baptist founders, and I didn't realize that the reason the Southern
Baptist denomination came around is because they were for slavery.
And they thought it was necessary, and I remember the guy I was
reading about, J.P. Boyce, he was a theologian of
the Southern Baptist. He had 23 slaves himself. And
they used this verse to justify slavery. The Bible's not against
it. I mean, you treat them right and it's okay. And that's amazing. That's amazing that somebody
would use something like this to justify enslaving a man. Now there were slaves at that
time and Paul told them the attitude to have, but this does not justify
slavery. That's an example of using the
scriptures dishonestly to mean obtain some kind of position
you have. Now, remember this. Anybody can use the Bible to
prove anything they want to. All you got to do is pull something
out of context. See, slavery is okay. I mean, Paul said, you
know, obey your slaves, obey your masters, and that's ridiculous. Slavery was an evil institution. It always has been, but that's
the way it was back then. And here's what he says. It has
to do with the slave's attitude toward his master. Now there
are other scriptures that deal with the slave's obedience to
their master. Turn back to Colossians chapter four, or chapter three, Colossians
chapter three, verse 22. Slaves, Colossians 3, 22 slaves
obey in all things, your masters, according to the flesh. Not with
eye service as men pleasers, not just when they're looking
at you, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. Slaves obey your masters. Look
in Ephesians chapter six. Verse five slaves, be obedient
to them that are your masters. According to the flesh with fear
and trembling. in singleness of your heart as
under Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as the servants
of God, doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill,
doing service, being a slave as to the Lord, being the Lord's
slave and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing any
man do it the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond
or free. But you know, these, the scripture
in first Timothy chapter six, doesn't so much deal with what
we're supposed to do, but it deals with the attitude of the
heart. Slaves count your masters worthy of all honor. I put yourself in their place.
You're a slave. Somebody owned you. You don't
own anything. He owns you. You don't get a
paycheck. You work, and you work for somebody
else. You get nothing out of it. You
don't have any personal property. You're owned and you could be
beaten and even put to death if you tried to escape from that
situation. And Paul doesn't mention whether it's a good master. I'm
sure there were good masters and kind masters and there were
harsh masters, but he doesn't make any distinction here. He
just talks about your master. This is the place you've been
put in God's providence. Count your master worthy of all
honor, esteem, and respect. View them highly. And I'm to
do this for the gospel sake, that God and his doctrine Be
not blasphemed or spoken ill of. Now this gives us a glimpse
of the importance of being respectful. I was reading the article that
Rich wrote for Vince DiMartino and he was given his keys to
success in life and he's been a very successful thing, but
this is something that very much impressed me. He said, be respectful
to everybody. Show everybody respect. And isn't that pretty much what
the Lord is saying when he's saying, as you would do to others,
or as you would have others do to you, do ye so to them, treat
them with respect. Everybody is to be treated in
that manner. Don't be disrespectful. Render therefore all to all their
dues. Turn to Romans chapter 13. Let's
look what the Bible says about this. Now he says regarding this
slave owner, you esteem them highly with the greatest respect.
And look in Romans chapter 13, verse seven. Render therefore
to all their due, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to
whom custom is due, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything but to love
one another. For love is the fulfilling of
the law. Now back to first Timothy chapter
six, have this attitude toward your master. One of one of respect. Now look in verse two and they
that have believing masters, let them not despise them because
they're brethren never take advantage of a relationship. That's what
that's talking about. If you have a believing master,
don't take advantage of that and say, well, he's my brother.
Therefore, I don't have to work so hard. No, it's just work all
the harder. Work harder as a slave. That's what he actually says.
Um, and they that have believing masters, let them not despise
them or belittle them or, or use them because they're brethren,
but rather do them service work as a slave because they are faithful
and beloved partakers of the benefit. These things teach and
exhort. Now in this fourth verse, we
are given four words as to what a Christian is. He's a brother, he's believing,
he's beloved, and he's a beneficiary. He's a partaker of the benefit.
Now those four things define what a believer is. He's a brother, he's beloved,
he's a believer, and he's a beneficiary. Now, the gospel makes a man a
brother, a member of the family of God. And there's something
very special about that, to be a member of the family of God. I'm looking at true royalty right
now, true royalty. Not what this world considers
that, but I'm talking about people who are members of the family
of God. You want to talk about a high
and heavenly and Holy calling to be a member of the family
of God. Turn to Hebrews chapter two. He calls these believing
masters brethren. Hebrews chapter two. Verse 11. For both he that sanctifyeth
and they who are sanctified are all of one. I love that verse. There's the one who sanctifies
and there's the ones who are sanctified. The Lord Jesus Christ
is the one who sanctifies. He set us apart. He sanctified
us on the cross. We were declared to be holy by
him. and they who are sanctified, that's every believer, they're
all of one. This is speaking of union with
the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the biggest, most glorious,
most awe-inspiring doctrine of the scripture, that I'm one with
Jesus Christ. That's every believer. I've always
been one with Christ. There's never been a time when
I was not one with Christ. I've never been viewed separately
from him. God never looked at Todd and
then Christ. No, I've always been accepted in the beloved. I've always been united to the
Lord Jesus Christ. However old Christ is, that's
how old I am. Now, do I understand that? Of
course not. I've always had personality to the Lord. He said, before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee and ordained thee. Now that's astounding, isn't
it? But look what it says. For both
he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one. For which cause? Because I'm
one with Christ. Whatever he is, I am. He's not
ashamed to call them brethren. He's not ashamed to own me. Yeah,
that's my brother. He's just like me. He's perfectly conformed to my
image. We have the same father. Don't
you love the way the Lord said, I go to my God and your God,
my father and your father. I love the way the Lord, when
he talked to his disciples, he talked about your heavenly father. Brethren with the same father,
what a blessed privilege of grace to be a member of the family
of God. Now I've never had. A fleshly
brother. I always wondered what it would
be like to have a brother. I don't have one. I have three
sisters. I'm thankful for my sisters.
Wonderful sisters, but I never had a brother. I always wanted
one. I've got brothers in Christ, true brothers, and this is my
family. And what a privilege it is to
be brothers and sisters in Christ. Yeah, blessed be the tie that
binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred
minds is like to that above. What a blessed thing to be part
of the brethren. Hey, that's all I want to be. I want to be one of his little
brothers. That's, that's, that's my M.O. That's my claim to fame. I'm with him. I'm with him. I'm
one with him. He's not ashamed to call them
brethren. The Lord's not ashamed of me.
You know, I'm ashamed of myself, but he's not ashamed of me. Look
what it says in verse 12, saying, I will declare thy name unto
my brethren. That's how he refers to us. My brethren, in the midst of
the church, will I sing praise unto thee. Turn with me to John
chapter 13 for a moment. Brethren. Verse 34. A new commandment I give unto
you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. That's quite a tall order, isn't
it? Look what he says next. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples, if you have love one to another." That's the love
of the brethren. So a believer is someone in the
family of God, a brother. What a special privilege. And
the next word that would describe a believer is believing. They that have believing masters. And the exact same word is translated
faithful down on into the verse. believing or faithful believing.
The Christian is somebody that believes. I got to think about this. You
know, I really do believe that the Bible is the inspired word
of God. I bow to what God's word says. I have the same view of this
book as I have of God himself. He's infallible and all I know
of the living God is found in this book. I believe the Bible
is the word of God and I believe that God is exactly as the Bible
presents him to be. Every attribute of God, everything
he's been pleased to make known, he makes known in the Bible.
I believe he's sovereign. That means I really believe that
he's in control of everything. I believe in the absolute sovereignty
of God. Nothing happens without him. I believe he's absolutely
holy without sin, just, all powerful, all wise, whatever attribute
you want to talk about God, immutable, all of these glorious things
about God, we believe. I believe God's that way. I believe
that Jesus Christ is the son of the living God. I believe
God is one God in three persons. God, the father, God, the son,
and God, the spirit. I believe in God, the father.
I believe God, the son. I believe he's the son of God. And I believe in God, the holy
spirit. I believe that Christ is the
Christ, God's Christ. I believe he's God's prophet.
I believe he is the word of God. I believe he's God's priest,
the priest of God's providing who represents me before God.
I believe he's God's king ruling and reigning. And you know, I
need him to be king to rule and reign over me and cause me to
do his will. I need his kingship. I need him to give commandment
concerning my salvation. I need him to cause me as an
activist, sovereign will to believe and to repent and to continue
in the faith. I need him as he's revealed in
his word. And I believe him as he's revealed in his word. You
know, I really believe that salvation is all of grace. I believe that there's not one
thing God looks to me for. He looks to his son for everything
and salvation is by the freeness, the absolute freeness of it.
He said, not for your sakes do I this. He doesn't save me for
my sake. He finds the reason in himself.
I believe that his blood actually put away sin. I believe that
when he said it is finished, my sins were gone. Separated as far from me as the
east is from the west, which is an infinite distance that
keeps on going. I believe in his intercession.
I believe right now there's a man in glory representing me, praying
for me, representing me before the father and the father looks
at him and he's pleased with me because I'm in him. I believe
he's coming again. And I really do believe that
he's all I need. You believe that. You know, when
the Lord looked at that thief, the thief said, Lord, remember
me. When you come into your kingdom,
I really believe that if all he does is remember me, that's
everything. That's not just the minimum,
that's everything. He is all I need. Jesus Christ is made
to me, all I need, all I need. He alone is all my plea. He is
all I need. I believe. And if I'm a believer,
I'm somebody who can be believed. Faithful means you believe and
you can be believed. When the Lord saves someone,
all of a sudden they're made without guile. They're not deceitful. They can be believed. Now, does
that mean they don't lie? Of course not. Every time I open
my mouth, I lie. Really? I mean, if I say it, even if
it's true, if I say it is wrong, but I'm honest before God and
I don't claim to be what I'm not. A believer is honest before
God. They can be believed. Now the
third word he uses to describe a believer in verse two is. They are faithful or believing
and beloved. Beloved. Loved by God. Now that makes
every believer very, very special. Loved by God. You know, it's great to be loved,
isn't it? But to be loved by God? He says regarding every
believer, behold, I have loved you. with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee." I love that scripture, Jacob have I loved.
Don't you love that scripture? Because Jacob, if there's ever
somebody that wasn't lovable, it's Jacob. But God said, Jacob
have I loved. People get so upset with Esau
of I hated. I can see why I hated Esau. Esau
didn't care a flip about God. He sold his birthright for a
bowl of soup. He didn't care anything about God, but oh, that
he loved Jacob. Jacob have I loved. Beloved. And not only are we
loved by God and remember God's love. I got to say this. Universal
love. If people say, well, God loves
everybody the same, that makes his love meaningless. It doesn't mean
a thing. I'm talking about his special love to those Christ
died for, to the elect. He loved them with an everlasting
love. And it's a saving love, not just
some kind of general love. Beloved to God and believers
are beloved to their brethren. Now I'm looking at some people
that I really believe love me. I'm looking at some people I
really do love. Beloved. Beloved to God. Beloved to his people. God is
love and he that loveth not knoweth not God. God is love. It's a wonderful thing to be
loved. And the last word is partakers of the benefit. That's what I
named this sermon partakers of the benefit. In other words,
you are a beneficiary. I think I'm saying that right.
A beneficiary. Now, most of you have life insurance
policies, I suppose. You got your name on it. You
got beneficiaries. So when you die, the beneficiary
gets the advantage, the money, the benefit of that life insurance
policy. And you can put anybody you want
to on it. It's totally in your power as
to who you're going to put on it. And whoever you put on it,
that person gets it all. And that person doesn't get it
because they deserve it. They may be scoundrels, but they
get it because you put their name on it, and they're the beneficiaries. And every believer is the beneficiary
of Christ's benefit, of Christ's death, of Christ's good work.
Now, the scripture that came to my mind to talk about the
vast wealth that every believer possesses as the beneficiary
to our benefactor, who did something for us is I thought of Colossians
2, 9 and 10. In him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. Now that's, that's a lot to chew
on, isn't it? And you are complete. Complete. You are complete. Now, do I feel complete? No.
I feel lacking in so many different ways. I know I am. I mean, there's, there's, there's
parts of my character that don't work. I ask Lynn, she lives with
me. I mean, there's parts that just don't work right. And you've
got the same, I mean, you've got the same problems too. I'm
sure. I mean, you know, we're, but all that being said, however,
complete Christ is. That's how complete I am. However
much he owns. That's how much I own. Whoever
he is, that's who I am. For as he is, so are we in this
world. Now that's quite a beneficiary
benefit, isn't it? Partakers, partakers of the benefit. Let's close with first John chapter
three. Behold, this is the benefit. Behold, what manner of love the
father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not because it knew him not. Do you think the world's going
to recognize you as a son of God? No, they didn't recognize
Christ as the son of God. What would make you think they'd
recognize you as the son of God? They saw no beauty in him. John
goes on to say, beloved, now are we the sons of God? And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall
be like him. For we shall see him as he is,
not as he was, but as he is in all his splendor and glory and
majesty and excellency. We shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifies himself. even as he is pure. Isn't it
glorious to be a partaker of the benefit? Let's pray.