Pastor Eric Schroeder
Sermon text: 1 Timothy 6:6-16
“The pursuit of happiness…” As American citizens, that sounds familiar. Where does that expression come from? Long before it was a movie title, “the pursuit of happiness” was a term that the founding fathers included in the Declaration of Independence as one of mankind’s inalienable rights, along with equality, life, and liberty. They called all of these rights “self-evident truth.” And yet in our nation today, less than 250 years since those words were written, what do you think is the main priority for the majority of Americans: life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness? Without getting too political, understand that the right to life no longer has the support of law, at least as far as the unborn child is concerned. Liberty is always a question for some, and equality is still up for debate in many circles. And so what remains? Well, the individual pursuit of happiness is alive and well. It always has been, and always will be.
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul is writing to his protégé, his assistant and travelling companion, who is now (at the time of this writing) the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Up to this point in the letter, God has, through Paul, given divine guidance on the teachings of the church—especially the law and the gospel, instruction on worship in the church and workers in the church, instruction on oversight of the church and relationships within the church, especially those who need extra attention sometimes. And now, as he nears the end of the letter, he closes with a caution and an encouragement that revolve around the pursuits of the church. Let’s look again at these words.
Keep Reading >>