We concluded our series called “Beyond Scarcity” at Gateway Church in Austin.
God gave us gifts to live out our calling and for the good of others, not to be buried or wasted.
How am I using my God-given treasure to serve others and glorify Him (point out God’s goodness to others)?
Discussion Questions:
Message Video with Carlos Ortiz, Jr.:
Message Audio from Carlos Ortiz, Jr.:
Message Notes with Carlos Ortiz, Jr.:
Quick review of the series as we conclude today.
This week we’re taking a closer look at what it means to live beyond scarcity when it comes to our treasure. A few weeks ago we did an all church survey on these 3 areas, and over 1000 of you participated. From that we found that:
So basically, no matter what campus you’re at this morning, look down the row of people you are sitting with, if you’re online you can see the total number of people viewing right now, and 1 in 4 of us is currently wrestling with scarcity when it comes to our money, our treasure.
The good news is that this is not a new phenomenon, or a new problem. The feeling of being broke, or scarcity, comes in all shapes and sizes. Some of us would be so grateful to have 1 dollar, 1 quarter and 2 pennies, some of us would feel broke if we were down to our last $100, $1000, $10,000, even $100,000 dollars. Scarcity is not really wrapped up in an amount, it’s a posture of our heart that stays with us no matter where we are financially.
In 1 Timothy 6, Paul is mentoring a young pastor named Timothy. The people in his church are surrounded by materialism — just like we are. Some are wealthy. Others are struggling. But all of them are being tempted to measure life by what they own, rather than by who owns them.
And so Paul writes to Timothy to remind him — and to remind us — that what we do with our money is a mirror for what’s going on in our hearts.
Key Passage: 1 Timothy 6:5-19
“…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. 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.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
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. 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.
Pursue Godly Character (vv. 11–12)
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Instead of chasing wealth, Paul urges Timothy to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness — fighting the good fight of faith and holding tightly to eternal life.
Paul says, “But you.”
In other words, Timothy — you are different. You don’t live for the same things the world lives for. The people around you may chase money, status, possessions, but you — you pursue righteousness. You pursue godliness. You pursue faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
Paul says, “Flee from all this.” What’s “this”?
It’s the trap of loving money. Earlier in verse 9, Paul says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap… that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
The danger isn’t in having money — it’s in being had by it.
The problem isn’t owning things — it’s when things start to own us.
Paul is saying: Don’t just avoid sin — actively pursue virtue.
Run from greed, and run toward godliness.
Run from self-sufficiency, and run toward faith.
Run from pride, and run toward love.
And then he says: “Fight the good fight of the faith.”
This is not a passive life. To live with open hands in a closed-fisted world — that’s a battle.
To give generously when your heart whispers, “What if I don’t have enough?” — that’s a fight. It’s a fight for faith over fear.
Because fear tells you: “If I give, I’ll lose.”
But faith tells you: “If I give, I’ll gain something better — joy, freedom, trust.”
Tim Keller once said, “If your money is the source of your meaning and happiness, you can’t give it away — because your money is your life.”
He’s right. When money becomes your life, generosity feels like dying.
But when Christ is your life, generosity feels like living.
Live with an Eternal Perspective (vv. 13–16)
13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Paul reminds Timothy of Christ’s example and calls him to keep God’s command faithfully until Jesus’ return, living with eternity in view rather than temporary gain. Paul lifts Timothy’s eyes here. He reminds him who this is all for — “in the sight of God, who gives life to everything.”
He’s saying, Timothy, remember who you’re serving. Remember who sustains you. Remember who holds your life in His hands.
Then he says: “Keep this command… until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In other words, live with eternity in view.
The world says, “Get what you can while you can.”
God says, “Hold it loosely — because eternity is coming.”
We live in a world that measures worth by wealth.
But Paul reminds us that real life is measured by eternity.
Let’s pause on that phrase in verse 15 — “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Paul can’t even talk about God without worshiping Him!
He breaks into a doxology right in the middle of his letter.
He says, “Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever.”
Why does Paul say this here, right after warning about money?
Because he wants Timothy to remember: God is the only One worthy of total trust.
Wealth promises security — but it can vanish in a moment.
Christ offers eternal security — and it never fades.
When you live with eternity in view, money loses its grip on your heart.
You start to see it for what it really is: a tool, not a treasure.
You realize you can’t take it with you — but you can send it ahead, by investing in what lasts forever.
Don’t Trust in Wealth, Trust in God (vv. 17)
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.
The rich are warned not to be arrogant or put their hope in uncertain riches, but in God who richly provides for our enjoyment.
Paul doesn’t condemn wealth. He corrects our trust.
He says, “Don’t be arrogant, and don’t put your hope in wealth — it’s uncertain.”
Isn’t that true? The market rises and falls. Jobs come and go. One medical bill, one storm, one accident — and the illusion of control disappears.
But look at the contrast: “Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
That’s amazing — God wants us to enjoy what He provides.
God is not anti-pleasure. God is anti-idolatry.
He’s not saying, “Don’t ever enjoy nice things.”
He’s saying, “Don’t make those things your god.”
When we put our hope in wealth, we end up worshiping it.
When we put our hope in God, we can finally enjoy His gifts without being enslaved by them.
You see, generosity isn’t about guilt — it’s about trust.
Fear says, “If I give, I’ll lose.”
Faith says, “If I give, I’ll discover God’s faithfulness.”
There’s a reason Paul says, “Don’t hope in wealth.” Because money has this way of whispering to us — “I can keep you safe. I can make you matter. I can give you control.”
But then it disappoints us. It’s uncertain. It fades.
God, on the other hand, richly provides.
Friends, there’s a reason Paul adds that word richly. Because God isn’t stingy. He’s abundant. He’s generous. Everything we have — even the air we breathe — is a gift from His hand.
Be Rich in Good Works and Generosity (vv. 18–19)
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.
True wealth is found in doing good, being generous, and sharing with others — storing up eternal treasure and taking hold of “the life that is truly life.”
That phrase — “the life that is truly life.”
Isn’t that what we’re all after?
We want a life that feels real.
Not hollow, not hurried, not anxious — but full.
Paul says, You find that kind of life through generosity.
He doesn’t say, “Be rich in possessions.” He says, “Be rich in good deeds.”
He doesn’t say, “Build bigger barns.” He says, “Build eternal treasure.”
When we give, our hearts loosen their grip on money, and money loosens its grip on us.
When we give, fear shrinks and faith grows.
When we give, we taste the freedom of heaven — the joy of knowing everything we have is already secure in Christ.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Your money always follows your heart.
But here’s the secret — your heart also follows your money.
Where you invest your treasure, your heart moves in that direction.
If you want to love God more, give more to what God loves.
If you want to care about His kingdom, invest in His kingdom.
If you want to break free from fear, start giving generously — even when it doesn’t feel easy.
You’ll discover something powerful: generosity is not a transaction; it’s transformation.
Generosity is not about losing; it’s about gaining the life that money can’t buy — peace, joy, trust, freedom, purpose.
Let’s talk for a moment about fear.
Fear tells us, “You need to hold tighter.”
Fear says, “If you let go, you’ll run out.”
But faith whispers, “You can let go, because God will never run out.”
When you give, you’re making a declaration:
“My security is not in my savings. My hope is not in my possessions. My trust is in my Provider.”
You’re saying to yourself and to the rest of the world, “My God is enough.”
That’s what Paul is getting at here.
He’s calling us to a life that depends fully on the generosity of God — and expresses that dependence through generosity to others.
Practical Steps Toward Generosity
So what does this mean for us, practically?
Let me offer three steps:
1. Start with gratitude
Every gift begins with recognizing that everything you have is grace.
You didn’t earn your breath today. You didn’t deserve salvation. God gave it.
Gratitude is the soil where generosity grows.
2. Give intentionally
Don’t wait to feel like giving — plan for it.
Set aside a portion. Make it a priority, not an afterthought.
When you plan to give, you’re training your heart to trust.
Around here we talk about The Journey to Generosity, and we’ve left it ambiguous for the last two years so that each one of us can wrestle through what it means to be generous. But in thinking about where we are as a church, and where we are going, we thought we would also be intentional about what it means to be on this journey, and how do I know where I am on the journey when it comes to this faith community.
Production Note: Let’s start off with #1 on its own slide, then the next slide an include #1 and #2, then #3 #2 and #1 so on and so forth.
Five steps on the Journey of Generosity
- First-time Giver
I’ve never given to God at Gateway before, but I’m ready to take this first step.
- Intentional Giver
I’ve given to God at Gateway in the past, but I want to give on a regular basis.
- Proportional Giver
I’ve been giving to God regularly at Gateway, but I want to begin giving 10% of my income as a biblical tithe.
- Sacrificial Giver
I’ve been tithing 10% of my income to God, but I want to stretch that percentage to a level that helps me grow my faith outside my comfort zone.
- Legacy Giver
I already give above and beyond my tithe to God at Gateway, but I want to make a kingdom impact that will outlive me.
3. Give joyfully
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “God loves a cheerful giver.”
Generosity is not a burden; it’s a privilege.
We get to reflect the heart of a generous God who gave His Son for us.
When you give like that, you’re living in rhythm with the gospel — because the gospel is the story of a God who gave.
Closing: Let’s end where Paul ends — with worship.
He says in verse 16, “To Him be honor and might forever.”
At the heart of generosity is not a principle, but a Person.
Jesus Christ, who was rich, yet for our sake became poor,
so that through His poverty we might become rich — not in things, but in grace.
He gave His life — freely, fully, joyfully.
And when you see that, when you truly see the generosity of Jesus,
it melts the fear right out of your heart.
Because if He didn’t withhold His Son, what makes you think He’ll withhold what you need?
Friends, the measure of your giving will never surpass the measure of His grace — but it can reflect it.
So today, ask yourself:
What does my giving say about where my heart is?
And what role does fear play in how I use what God has given me?
Maybe for you, the next step is simple: to open your hands.
To say, “Lord, I trust You more than I trust my wallet.”
To say, “God, use what I have to show others who You are.”
Because when we give like that — with trust, with joy, with freedom — we take hold of the life that is truly life.
