January 17, 2019
Mood Poisoning: Purging the False Promises of Materialism (Part 3)
Below you will find an audio of the devotion being read for you, followed by the written devotion. Listen on the go, listen as you read along, or enjoy reading it without the audio. God bless!
“Human desires are like the world of the dead. There is always room for more.” Proverbs 27:20 (Good News Translation)
A Hunger For More
The Hunger for More: Searching for Values in an Age of Greed is not a Christian book. It’s by the New York Times. The cover says, “More. If there’s a single word that summarizes American hopes and obsessions that’s it — More! More money, more success, more luxuries, more gizmos. We live for more. For our next raise, our next house. And the things we already have, however wonderful they are, then to pale in comparison to the things we might still get. The hunger for more characterizes the American frontier from it’s beginnings, but in the 1980’s that appetite became a shared addiction. Success lost all reference to accomplishment and was described solely in terms of money. Lifestyle, defined as the sum total of the things one bought, seemed to take precedence over life itself. Why did it happen? How did it happen?
The Hunger for More: Searching for Values in an Age of Greed is not a Christian book. It’s by the New York Times. The cover says, “More. If there’s a single word that summarizes American hopes and obsessions that’s it — More! More money, more success, more luxuries, more gizmos. We live for more. For our next raise, our next house. And the things we already have, however wonderful they are, then to pale in comparison to the things we might still get. The hunger for more characterizes the American frontier from it’s beginnings, but in the 1980’s that appetite became a shared addiction. Success lost all reference to accomplishment and was described solely in terms of money. Lifestyle, defined as the sum total of the things one bought, seemed to take precedence over life itself. Why did it happen? How did it happen?
Yesterday we discussed how three misconceptions in our culture led to this
out-of-control pursuit of materialism:
out-of-control pursuit of materialism:
1. Having more things will make me more happy.
2. Having more things will make me more important.
3. Having more things will make me more secure.
2. Having more things will make me more important.
3. Having more things will make me more secure.
These lies led to trying to satisfy the insatiable appetites of the flesh through material things, and there are four ways we can escape this death trap:
1. Resist comparing what I have to what other people have. Don’t do it.
2. Rejoice in what I do have. Be grateful.
3. Return ten percent back to God. That’s the antidote to materialism.
4. Refocus on permanent values. On things that really matter, that really count.
2. Rejoice in what I do have. Be grateful.
3. Return ten percent back to God. That’s the antidote to materialism.
4. Refocus on permanent values. On things that really matter, that really count.
Let’s examine each of these antidotes:
1. RESIST COMPARING WHAT I HAVE TO OTHERS
2 Corinthians 10:12 “We do not dare classify or compare ourselves it is not wise.” It is not wise to compare yourself to other people because God’s made us all to be unique, and comparing inevitably leads to coveting.
2 Corinthians 10:12 “We do not dare classify or compare ourselves it is not wise.” It is not wise to compare yourself to other people because God’s made us all to be unique, and comparing inevitably leads to coveting.
Just about the time you’re starting to feel good with what you’ve got, you look over your shoulder and somebody just got the newer model. It is this constant consumer driven society that we live in, and you’ve got to stop comparing yourself to others, if you’re going to get out of this crazy rat race.
1 Timothy 6:9 “When we long to be rich, we’re a prey to temptation. We get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge us into ruin.” He’s saying be careful. That’s all he’s saying. Money is neither good nor bad. It’s neutral. It’s how you make it, how you spend it, and what you do with it. Some of the wealthiest men in the Bible were some of the most godly men in the Bible. That’s not what he’s talking about. He’s saying when money becomes our ambition in life, when our number one goal is to make the almighty dollar — watch out!
By learning to be content with what we have, we can overcome being possessed by our possessions. We can be much more content when we stop comparing ourselves to others. Someone will always have more than you, and someone will always have less than you. Learn to rejoice with those who have more and learn to share with those who have less. Don’t compare…share.
2. REJOICE IN WHAT I DO HAVE
Be grateful for what you’ve got. Ecclesiastes 6:9 “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to always be wanting something else.” It’s a lot cheaper too. The desire to acquire is out of control across our county. I think sometimes we just have to stop and ask ourselves the tough questions. “Will moving from a $250,000 house to a $500,000 house double my happiness?”. We just need to be careful and ask ourselves what really matters and am I depending on things to make me more happy, more important, or more secure.
Be grateful for what you’ve got. Ecclesiastes 6:9 “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to always be wanting something else.” It’s a lot cheaper too. The desire to acquire is out of control across our county. I think sometimes we just have to stop and ask ourselves the tough questions. “Will moving from a $250,000 house to a $500,000 house double my happiness?”. We just need to be careful and ask ourselves what really matters and am I depending on things to make me more happy, more important, or more secure.
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Contentment. Is that a natural quality? Absolutely not. Is it easy to be content in our society? Not when you’ve got four or five thousand advertising messages aimed at you every day and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on each one to make you anything but content, to make you feel, “I’ve got to have this, I’ve got to get this … I’ve got to get more so I can be more happy, more important, more secure.”
Notice it says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money…” Circle “love”. Money is neutral. Money is to be used. It is not to be loved. God says you are to use money and you are to love people. If you start loving money, you’re going to get it reversed and you’re going to use people. If you love money, you use people. If you love people, you use money to love them.
Resist comparing myself to others, rejoice in what I do have.
3. RETURN THE FIRST TEN PERCENT BACK TO GOD.
This is the Biblical principle of tithing. Deuteronomy 14:23 “The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first.” Circle “put God first”. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to put God first in your lives. God says, as an antidote to materialism, the first ten percent of everything you make, you give it back to God. Why? God doesn’t need the money for Himself. It’s to teach me to break the grip of materialism, so I put God first. My giving also fulfills the second greatest commandment by loving others through the ministries of the church. Without people giving to the church, ministry would not be possible. Ministry requires money.
This is the Biblical principle of tithing. Deuteronomy 14:23 “The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first.” Circle “put God first”. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to put God first in your lives. God says, as an antidote to materialism, the first ten percent of everything you make, you give it back to God. Why? God doesn’t need the money for Himself. It’s to teach me to break the grip of materialism, so I put God first. My giving also fulfills the second greatest commandment by loving others through the ministries of the church. Without people giving to the church, ministry would not be possible. Ministry requires money.
National Statistics: While real personal income has increased in the past twenty years, giving has declined. People today are making far more and giving far less. Why? Materialism. The money is going other places.
People who make less than $10,000 a year give more than people making over $25,000 and even the group that makes more than $50,000.
Orange County is the least generous county in the nation although it’s one of the wealthiest.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money which will soon be gone. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should give happily to those in need always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this, they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven. It is the only safe investment for eternity.”
Those verses say a lot. When we give to the church our tithe, we are putting God first and we are blessing everyone connected to or ministered to by our church. As a major bonus, donating to the ministry of our church yields eternal rewards. Where else do you get that kind of return on your investment?
4. REFOCUS ON PERMANENT VALUES
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Look at life from God’s viewpoint. Realize that all possessions are temporary. Focus on what’s going to last forever. Everything material will eventually vanish.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Look at life from God’s viewpoint. Realize that all possessions are temporary. Focus on what’s going to last forever. Everything material will eventually vanish.
There are some things more important than money. I consider the real heroes of the church men like this… This is a card from the first service: “Rick, your message really hit home today. I was being approached for a substantial position with a company in Seattle including a substantial raise. Your message was an answered prayer. I’m happy to tell you that my wife and I will be staying in Mission Viejo so we can attend Saddleback. Some things are more important than dollars.”
I could have six or seven men right here in this audience stand up and give the exact same testimony. I know all kinds of guys who have said “There’s some things more important than a raise and a promotion.” And because the raise involved leaving here they’ve said, “I want to keep my family under the influence of this church. I’m much more interested in how my kids turn out and how my family grows than how many dollars I bring in.” Those are the real heroes. Those are the men who go against the flow.
Just in case there’s any doubt, Jesus lays it out real clear. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.” Money is to be used, not served. Use your money to serve God and others. Jesus is saying each of us have a choice. What or who will determine my lifestyle? Will my lifestyle be determined by Christ? Or will my lifestyle be determined by culture? Will my lifestyle be determined by the Master? Or will my lifestyle be determined by Madison Avenue?
“Lord, help us to focus on permanent values. Help us to readjust our lifestyle because we are going to spend more time on that side of eternity than we will on this side.”
In conclusion: I want to ask you to challenge the myth of more. Find your contentment in God. More things won’t truly satisfy, but Jesus will.
Source:
https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/35208-rick-warren-escaping-materialism
https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/35208-rick-warren-escaping-materialism