Now the words I would bring to you as a text this evening are found in the first epistle to Timothy and chapter 6. 1 Timothy chapter 6. And the words are to be found in verse 7. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Timothy came from the city of Lystra in Asia Minor. Although he had a godly upbringing, it appears that he was converted on Paul's first missionary journey when he entered those parts. And the record of his visit to those parts where Lystra is, is given to us in the book of Acts and chapter 14, verses six and seven. But Paul went on a second missionary journey. And on this second missionary journey, he visited this place and he chose Timothy to be an evangelist. Now the biblical word doesn't mean what is commonly understood by the term evangelist. An evangelist in New Testament times was an apostolic assistant. He was a delegate. And often when the apostles went to a certain place, they preached the gospel and they gathered a church and then they would move on because their parish was the world, as it were, but they would leave someone like Timothy or Titus in that place to organize the church, to see to the appointment of church officers and to arrange church worship and so on. Timothy is exhorted in the fourth chapter to do the work of an evangelist and we believe that that is exactly what he was. Now the life of Timothy is very full and I don't propose to go into that tonight but he was sent on various missions by the Apostle Paul. But after Paul's release from his first imprisonment Timothy was sent to take care of the church at Ephesus. And we know from chapter one of this epistle, in verse three, that that is indeed and was the case. I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine. So here was Timothy in the great city of Ephesus with a work to do to defend the truth in that place and to see that propagators of error were resisted and silenced. And Paul writes this epistle to him, we think about the year A.D. 62, A.D. 63. Now the whole of the epistle is full of teaching. In the first chapter he deals with the nature of a faithful ministry. Chapter 2 deals with the regulation of public worship. Chapter 3 with the essential qualifications of church officers. Chapter 4 with the vital importance of holiness, of heart and life. Chapter 5 with the administration of the church. And then in chapter six, where we are found tonight, he deals with the Christian's attitude to the world and to the things of the world. And it's there in that last section that he sets down the words of our text, for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. Now if you look at the context of those words, you'll find that Paul is dealing with worldly things and he's stressing that man's real good lies not in these external possessions. He is saying that all we can accumulate of these things is of a temporary nature. And really they are pretty irrelevant. We brought nothing into this world in the way of possessions and material things. We can carry nothing out of this world in the way of possessions and material things. So they are temporal. And they're hardly worth all the thought that some give to them and all the confidence that some place in them. We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The words are reminiscent of at least two verses from the Old Testament. The first is found in the book of Job and chapter one And in verse 21, Job says this, naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return to them. Exactly the same thought expressed just in slightly different words. And then, not only Job, but Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, And chapter five and verse 15, he says this, speaking of a man who might be rich, as he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labor which he may carry away in his hand. Ecclesiastes 5, 15. The more I thought about these words this week, the more I came to see how striking they were. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The verse speaks of two things. The first is an entrance. We brought nothing into this world. And the second is an exit. It is certain we can carry nothing out. So those will be my headings tonight. An entrance and an exit. First of all, an entrance. We brought nothing into this world. Paul speaks of our entrance at birth into this world in which we now live. And he is saying that we brought nothing material with us at that time. We did not bring wealth, we did not bring possessions or anything of that nature. Mind you, it's true to say that we did bring something into this world which is always to be remembered. We brought a soul into this world with a capacity to understand, to feel, to choose, and with the capacity to experience immortality. However, Paul is dealing with material things, not spiritual. And it is true what Paul says. Concerning those material or temporal things, we brought nothing into this world. Now when we look at this brief teaching here on our entrance into life or our entrance into the world, immediately we are struck with what a moment the moment of our birth is. It is an entrance into the world. In an amazing way, God brings us into this world. As to our bodies, He does it by fearfully and wonderfully making us in our mother's womb. And as to our souls, we read in Zechariah 12.1 that He forms the spirit within the unborn man or woman. And it is this that we are made up of a body and a spirit or a soul which is so important. And it distinguishes us from lower creation and all other creatures. Because that soul which is in the body from the very beginning, in the embryo even, formed by God is capable of something breathtakingly amazing. It is capable of friendship with God and experience of God. It's for this reason that the psalmist says in Psalm 116, Speaking of God as his resting place, he says, return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. The soul can find its peace in the presence and in the love and in the goodness of God. So what a moment it is when a person enters the world He comes with physical potential, but oh, he comes with spiritual potential. Now, when we think of someone entering the world like this, a question should arise, well, Why was I born? Or why did I come into this world? What's the reason for my being here? Some live to regret that ever they entered the world. It was Voltaire, the great French unbeliever and hater of Christianity, who said, I wish I had never been born. The poor man was admitting that he saw no reason for it. And there was no blessing in being in this world. I compare that with what another said, a great Scottish minister called Thomas Halliburton who lived in the 17th century. And he wrote a journal which has been published and is still available today. It's a classic, Christian classic. But in that journal he says, blessed be God that ever I was born. And there's Voltaire saying, I wish I'd never been born. And here is Halliburton saying, blessed be God that ever I was born. One had answered the question, why was I born in one way? Voltaire says, no purpose at all. Life is boredom and it's pointless. I wish it had never happened to me. Halliburton is a believer of course, has come to know God in Christ and the blessed presence of God the comfort of God, he says, I bless God that ever I was born. How certain it is that if we enter this world, we should ask ourselves, what's it all about? Why have I been brought here? What is the point of coming here? The Apostle Paul would answer that as he did to the Athenians in Acts 17. And he would say, to seek after God, to feel after Him, and ultimately to know Him. That's why you're here. And that answers the question, why did I enter this world in the first place? The more we think of our coming into this world, and the more we assess ourselves having come the more we will realize that we are poor and needy in the sense that we haven't found yet, having come into the world, we haven't found yet satisfaction and we haven't found yet our happiness. We're in the world with a body and a reasonable soul so that we are able to inquire where satisfaction and happiness may be found. The fourth Psalm says, there be many which say, who will show us any good? Many are thinking, well now I'm here, what's it all about? What can be discovered here? What's worthwhile in this life? who will show us good. But the psalmist says that he prays, Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. He's found why he's here, you see. He's found that satisfaction and happiness is not in the direction which many would take. But it's in the direction that believing men and women take, in the direction of God. And there lies a great difference, and the difference is little short of a tragedy. Having entered into this world, a lot of people say, well now, what's in it for me? What is this life? What is to be found here which can give me peace and joy? But they begin to be taken up with trivial things. Our Lord referred to it in Matthew 6 when he said, speaking of worldly things, material things, he said, after all of these things, do the Gentiles seek? The poor heathen, the pagans, They think that's what life is about. That's why they're here. It may be a little more complex today, but we see people apparently feeling and concluding that they've entered into this world for sport. you're as tired as I am of hearing about Liverpool Football Club. In a whole world where great things are happening, disasters take place, political movements with tremendous consequences are afoot, the first thing you hear on the news is, who has bought Liverpool Football Club? I hope I've got the name of the club right, I didn't listen very well. You get the impression that the BBC thinks that that's all that matters. That's why we're here, to play sport. It's the big idol of the 21st century. There are others who think, well, they're here for work. There's a man in the Bible who thought that in Luke 12. He was a farmer and one day, assessing his place in this world, he said, I know what I'll do. I'll pull down my barns and I will build greater and there store all my corn, my wheat. That's what he lived for. Work. There are others who feel they've come into this world for money's sake. They're obsessed with it. And all their thought and all their effort is to amass a fortune. They do it lawfully by working all hours of the day and night. Somewhat unlawfully, buying lotto tickets and trying to win 26 million pounds. There are people who spend a huge amount of money each week to try to win the lottery. Now you feel like going up to these people and saying, do you think that's why you've entered into this world? Is that honestly what it's all about? I would proceed and I would say to these people and all who may share some of their mistaken beliefs, God's word teaches that you have come into this world in order that you might hear the gospel. The angel at the birth of Christ in Luke 2, verse 14, praises God. Glory to God in the highest, he said. And on earth, peace. It's in this world that the good tidings, to which the angel referred, the good tidings of peace, are to be heard. And it's here, you not only are in the right place, because here the gospel is being preached, but you have time Now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. You have time to hear the gospel. And you have opportunity to believe it. When the apostle Paul, a little earlier in this very epistle, states certain truths quite in summary form. Nevertheless, pungently, he says this, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the world, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in this world. 1 Timothy 3.16. This world is the only place in the entire universe created where you can hear the gospel of God's love, where you can hear about the forgiveness of sins, and where you can hear about the hope of eternal life and where you can be called upon to believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of your soul. I put it to you that that is why you have entered this world. and it may be shocking for you, then you're not here to get married. You're not here to have children. You're not here to have the ideal home. You are here to listen to the way of salvation, to believe in the only one who can save you, Jesus Christ. and to find peace with God. That's why you're here. And it's very important, my friends, that you not only know the reason why you've entered this world, but that you act upon it because you're not staying here very long. You entered, but before long you're going to leave, as the second part of the verse makes very clear. In the words of the Bible, here is no abiding place. And when we go out of this world, and we depart from it and leave it, It is unmitigated tragedy if we haven't discovered what we entered into the world for. I say it is unmitigated tragedy if we leave before knowing God and finding a savior and experiencing salvation. Because all too soon, we don't know when, we don't know how, but as sure as we entered, we are going to depart. So why you're here is to prepare for when you leave. Because when you leave, you will face God. Your soul will return to God who gave it. And God knows why you entered the world. He appointed that his gospel would be preached in this world so that you would hear. He brought the gospel to you so that you would believe. And He invited you to trust in His Son that you might be saved. Now, if you leave this world, having failed to fulfill the reason why you came into this world, and your life has been a total failure. And you say, it matters not one whit, my friend, what your hairstyle's like, or what new dress you've got on, or what parties you attend, or what your social life is like at school or college, matters not one whit. How successful you've been, totally irrelevant. You entered the world to learn the way to eternal life, and if you have failed to learn it, who is the fool? What shall a man profit if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? And if you don't find Christ, and if you don't come to faith, and if you're not converted, you will lose your soul. Even though you had opportunity to save it, you will lose it. Even though the way to heaven was presented to you, you didn't take that route. even though conversion was pressed upon you. It made no impression for your conversion. We brought nothing into this world, or don't think of life in terms of possessions, You didn't come in with possessions. They are totally without meaning, without profit. You came into this world not to increase your wealth. You came into this world to find God, to be saved, to be sure of heaven. an entrance and then an exit. It is certain, Paul says, that we can carry nothing out. I remind you again, he's talking here of material possessions. The world says still, in some Strange way, biblically, you can't take it with you. That's exactly what Paul is saying here. You can't take it with you. It is certain that we can carry nothing out. Material, that is. something we carry out spiritually. I won't develop it, but if you're not converted, you'll carry out the guilt of your sins and therefore you'll face judgment. And if you're converted, you'll carry out a free pardon. and the hope of eternal life. But it's not these things that Paul is concerned with here. It's material things. It is certain we can carry nothing out. So, my friends, in the second half of the text, which deals with an exit, mark that it is certain that one day we'll be summoned out of this world. You read Psalm 90. The Lord God shall say to you one day, at one time, return. Or read Luke 12. God will say as he did to the rich man, this night thy soul is required. It is certain that that time will come. And when it does, there will be a stripping of all the things you thought so important. There will be a losing of your wealth. and your comforts, and your friends, and your work, and your sport. You can't take it when you exit from this world. The exit is when your soul leaves your body in death. Paul describes it as a departure. And in that moment, your soul is separated from your body. Now, listen. There's no comfort in the fact that you've got a lovely garden, in a beautiful house, and a good job, and a very healthy bank balance, no comfort for your soul, when it leaves the body and leaves this world. So how foolish it would have been if you put your trust and hope and made your happiness these things which you must let go and which at last you must forsake. How miserable is that man who thought that these things would bring satisfaction, these things would bring lasting happiness. So he amassed them and he claimed to them. And then when the time of his exit came, he was told that he's got to let go of everything. Because it is certain that we can take nothing out. Oh, friends, it's a leveling exercise, isn't it? The king, with all his dominion, leaves out. And the beggar, with just the cloth on his back, even leaves out. It is certain that we can take nothing out. Ah, there's the rub. Out. There is to be an exit from this world so that we may live in eternity. Out we go to face God. And when we face God, we shall have to give an account and answer for the fact that we've heard the gospel and never believed. For the fact that perhaps we knew the way of salvation and never took it. For the fact that we understood that Jesus saves and we never said, save me. An exit to bring us before the judge of all the world. and we've not even got something to show him. To justify our existence in this world, all of that was abandoned the moment we died. It is certain we can carry nothing Nothing. Neither health, nor wealth, nor honor, nor dignity, nor society, nor friendship, nothing. And one moment after our exit, we stand alone, stripped of everything, answering to God Almighty. He wants to know. I made you enter the world to find my son as your savior. I put that question to you before God does. You've entered into this world, some of you have been in this world a long time, 50, 60, 70, 80 years. All that time to believe in Christ, all that time to know forgiveness, all that time to secure heaven, through a real conversion experience. Did you? That's the question. Did you? Have you? Because soon, so soon, you and I will exit this world and face God in eternity. Oh, the horror of saying I was in the place where the gospel was preached, where ministers exhorted me, where I could have believed and been saved, and I was not. God's Word to you will be Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. It did you no good to enter this world. And it will do you no good, but eternal ill, to exit this world. judgment reserved for every unconverted soul of man, every unsaved soul. Oh, my friends, wake up before you leave us. Amen.