"The Mania of Materialism"
Rev. Alan Breems
Oasis Community Church, Moreno Valley, CA
Text: Matthew 6:19-21
I mentioned a few weeks back that the focus of this New Year at Oasis
is one of discipleship, to help as many people as possible become fully
devoted disciples or followers of Jesus and to help those who are disciples
to grow in their relationship with Jesus. To that end, this month we have
been taking a look at a disciple and the mania of money. As I mentioned
before, one of the greatest weapons in the hand of our enemy the devil
to keep people from becoming disciples of Jesus or to mess those of us
who are disciples from growing in our walk with Him, I believe, is money.
Also, if we really want to know where we are at in our relationship with
Jesus, whether we are committed to following Him as our Savior and Lord
of our lives, one of the best indicators we have is what we do with our
money.
Each week, we have been looking at a different mania or craziness about
money which is prevalent in our society today and which we as disciples
of Jesus need to get a fresh new perspective about as we start the New
Year. Last week, we took a look at the mania of debt. And it was exciting
to hear how God had been speaking to a number of your hearts about this
area. I even heard about some credit cards which were destroyed during
the week!
Today, we are going to move on to another mania about money, a mania
which is very much connected to the manias of greed and debt that we have
taken a look at so far but is it's own kind of mania in and of itself.
It's the mania of materialism. Materialism basically is an attitude, a
mania, I would call it, that people have towards the material things of
this world in which they begin to place their hopes and dreams, their love,
their joy and satisfaction for life in the things of this world.
Again, I want to emphasize that all of us are susceptible to this mania,
especially because we are Americans but even more so because we are human.
There is something in all of us that is easily enamored by the things of
this world, that almost instinctively looks to the tangible things or material
things of the world, things we can see and feel and touch to be the things
we cling to especially when the going gets tough. I also want to emphasize
that it is our discipleship, the extent to which we are following Jesus
in our hearts and lives that is the answer to the mania of materialism.
Distance yourself from Jesus, know Him very little, spend very little time
talking to Him, thinking about Him, imitating Him, looking to Him as the
answers to your problems, and you are a sitting duck for the mania of materialism.
Stay close to Jesus, pray to Him daily, read His Word to you, the Bible,
on a daily basis, strive to live your life like He lived His, depend on
Him when the going gets tough, and you will find the strength and perspective
on the things of this world that will prevent you from becoming materialistic.
You know one of the things that helps me when it comes to being materialistic
is a saying that I heard once that sticks me especially when I fixing some
material thing that I just bought and thought would be so wonderful. You
know the saying is,"The more you
own, the more it owns you." (Topic: Affluenza)
Amen? " The more you own, the more it owns you.
Haven't you found that to be true? The more things we have, the more
responsibilities we have to take care of those things, the more time we
are consumed with taking care of those things, and before we know it, it
is possible to get to the point where those things own us, where we actually
start to become slaves to the things of this world, the very things we
bought because we were so sure they were going to make our lives so easy.
So how do we avoid that? How do we avoid the things of this world taking
over our lives, consuming us, so that we do not become materialistic? Well,
Jesus has in the passage we are going to read this morning some great advice,
advice which I believe if we really take to heart this year, is going to
do wonders to lower our stress level and help us get our priorities straight
so that we invest in the things that really count.
It is a passage which is actually taken from a very famous speech or
sermon that Jesus once gave, a speech that took place not in any big hall
or convention center, but which took place on the side of hill where a
large group of people gathered to listen to him. It has come to be known
as the "sermon on the mount," and it is one of the best pieces of very
practical advice which was given by Jesus as to how you and I can go about
living in that world out there as His disciples or followers.
And it's very interesting to see that the verses we are about to read
are part of his speech which dealt with the mania of materialism. Evidently,
materialism is not just a problem for modern day Americans. It has been
and always will be a universal problem that people have faced. So with
that in mind let's read.
A lot of times the main focus of this passage is the last verse, some
very famous and powerful words of Jesus about our money,
"Where you treasure is, there will your heart be also." But this
morning I'd like to focus on the first couple of verses that Jesus spoke
to set up that statement, "Do not store up.... and
steal," because I believe there are some important lessons that
Jesus is teaching here as to how you and I need to look at and deal with
the material goods of this world, and again the more we get the right perspective
on materials things, the safer we'll be from becoming materialistic in
such a way that those things begin to actually take over our lives.
Now, what is it that Jesus teaches here about the way in which you and
I as His disciples need to look at or respond to the material things of
this world? Here's number one: material things are not our source of security.
Jesus in effect says here do not "store up" for yourselves material
goods. Why? What does He mean by that, that it's wrong to in any way store
up, set aside, accumulate material goods? Is it wrong to stock our pantries
or freezers? Is it wrong to fill up our drawers or closets with clothes?
Is it wrong to have special closets or cabinets to store our kids toys
or to have special places in our garages or attics to "store things" for
a later day? Is Jesus saying by this that it is wrong to store up some
money for the future? Is wrong to put money away in a CD or mutual fund
or some other investment device for our kids education or for our own retirement
fund?
If you have your Bibles open, turn once to Prov. 13:23. I'd like you
to see where there are some verses in the Bible, which outwardly seem to
be in direct opposition to what Jesus said. It says.... Also, if you flip
ahead to Prov.21:20, it says...., in other words, it is a wise thing to
store up the things of this world.
It's interesting because there is another story in the Bible of a sort
of hero of the Bible named Joseph who was praised by the Bible for doing
the same thing, storing up the things of this world. Joseph was the guy
who had the Technicolor dream coat from his father, and because of this
favoritism from his father was despised by his brothers who sold him as
a slave to these foreigners and eventually he ended up in a jail in Egypt
where God gave him special powers to interpret the king's dreams who in
turn took him out of jail and made him into a special ruler in the kingdom,
and when Joseph became aware of, through a dream of the king, an upcoming
famine his claim to fame was that he took their bumper crops of food and
began to build store houses up for the future.
Now, how can that be? How can it be that at one spot the Bible says
it is wise to store things up and at another spot Jesus Himself says, "Do
not store things up"? Well, let's flip back to Mt.
6. It says in v. 19; "Do not... treasures on earth." The point Jesus
is making is not that it is wrong to ever store up materials good. What
is wrong is to store them up because they are your treasures. They are
your hope of happiness and security in this world.
When Joseph stored up the goods in Egypt it was not out of his own selfishness
or need to make his own life secure; rather, it was out of concern for
others who would be in need in this world. By the same token, if we store
some things up to help our kids out in the future or even to make sure
we have enough for retirement, that's commended in the Bible.
What's wrong is when we begin to store things, collect the goods and
toys of this world because we think they are the answers to our problems
both today and in the future. As a matter of fact, Jesus a little later
in this same chapter gives us a way to determine whether that is happening
in our lives or not, whether we are looking to our material goods for our
source of security in life, as the things that will secure our happiness
in the future. Look what he said in v. 15, "Therefore,
do not worry..."
How do you and I know whether or not we are becoming materialistic?
By looking at how much we worry or stress about about how much we have
"stored up for our future." If we are constantly stressed about whether
or not you have enough for the future, it is a warning signal which you
and I need to take to heed that perhaps we are putting too much stock,
making too much of a treasure of the things of this world, that we are
depending too much on material goods for our security.
Let me ask you something about the material things you and I own. Can
our money, our homes, our cars, our TV's, our CD's, our other toys, can
any of these things ever save a marriage that's on the rocks? Can any of
these things keep you from getting cancer? Can any of these things keep
your kids from being beat up or worse killed in an accident? Can any of
these things help you to get into heaven? You know what you and I need
to realize about heaven? There are no scalpers at the gate of heaven. If
you didn't get your ticket from Jesus in this world, I don't care how much
money you have or how much you accumulated in this world, there's nobody
there from whom you can buy your ticket at the last minute.
I recommend the movie the "Titanic" to you for this reason alone, to
go and think about what it is that gives you security for your future.
The whole first part of the movie you get a glimpse into the differences
that material goods made for people as they lived out their lives in this
world. But when the end of the movie came, it was a powerful scene to see
that when the ship was tilting up in the air and people were being thrown
to their deaths in the icy waters below, it didn't mean a thing how much
money or material goods those people owned.
When all is said in done, there is only one life preserver in this world,
and it's not a material thing. It is a person, Jesus, the Son of God, who
died an awful death on a cross, so that through His standing in our place
and the forgiveness that we can receive, you and I can receive an eternal
security for the future of our lives.
The other day I had a phone call.
It was someone trying to sell me a security system. They asked me if I
had a system in place, and I said yes. They asked how much, and I said
free, then I said, "The Lord is my shield." And then there was a click.
There is only one source of security for our lives, the Lord Jesus. (Topic:
Worry)
That's the first thing Jesus was trying to teach about material things.
Here's the second: materials things are temporary. They break down. They
corrode. They are eaten away or stolen by others; and therefore, they do
not last. I was reminded of the truth of Jesus' words here about the fact
that material things are temporary when I visited the home of a friend
who lives closer in to LA. As we drove into the area where he lives, my
wife and I were looking at all these beautiful homes, and I was having
a hard time not coveting or being jealous of what the people who lived
there had. And we pulled up to his house and it was like, "Ooh, wow, look
at this." We rang bell, and my friend was there to greet us, and the place
was absolutely gorgeous, a show house.
So I said to my friend, "Can
you give us a tour? Your house is beautiful." "Sure," he said, but what
struck me when he gave the tour were all the things he pointed out that
were broken and I could tell consuming his attention. We walked into one
room and there was this big hole in the wall. And he said, "Oh, yea, we
had a giant fish tank in there, but it broke." Then we went into another
room and there this nicely decorated box attached to ceiling. He said,
"See this, and he slid back the wall to reveal this huge screen on the
wall, and he said, "This was a giant screen projection TV the guy who lived
here put in." I said, "Oh, do you use it?" "Ahh," he said, "not that much,
it doesn't work very well." Then he took us outside and there was this
incredible backyard with a pool and this tiered effect and a whole like
outside bar with a built in grill.
I said, "Oh look at this Beth! Boy, you guys must
love this eating when the weather's nice, huh?" "We don't," he said, "the
grill is broken." Then we went over to the other side of the yard and there
was this fire pit right by the pool built into the patio, but as we approached
I noticed that the lava rocks were all up on the side of the firepit. So
I asked, "What's wrong here?" "Oh," he said, "look at this." And proceeded
to show me the gas line that came into the pit was all rusted and corroded.
He said, "Yea, I have to dig up this whole line before we can use this."
Then we went inside to the kitchen, and he said, "Don't mind the tiles
that all torn up. The other day my wife found water all over and I had
to tear this up. It turns out the leak goes all the way out to the front
yard." Then to top it all off, as he was walking out to our car, he says,
"Oh, see that house across the street. We just found out there were some
gang members who came to the door and asked to use the phone. They tied
up the lady, pistol whipped her, and robbed the family blind." (Topic:
Material Management)
And you know what? I walked to my 1986 van with 100 some odd thousand
miles on it with the big dent in the side that makes a noise and leaks
oil, and I felt pretty good! And it struck me, as I meditated on these
words of Jesus how true they are even today about materials things, that
with all our advancements and technology, we still live in a world where
things rust and thieves break in and steal.
Actually, what the Bible teaches is that there was a time in the history
of this world when that wasn't so, and it was only after Adam and Eve decided
to disobey God that they brought a curse into this world, a curse that
corrupted the hearts, minds, and attitudes of people, but actually according
to the Bible planted a seed of corruption in every thing, every material
part of this world.
And you know what, if you don't believe that that is true, that there
is a seed of corruption in this world, then I invite you, especially those
of you who are a bit older like myself, to look in the mirror the next
time you get out of the shower at your own body. It ain't what it used
to be. Amen? The Bible says, "Outwardly we are wasting away." Our bodies
are material things, made from the stuff of this world, and like everything
else, they are in a process of decay.
It's because of that that the Bible says what we need to do with our
lives is learn to store up, to invest in treasures that are not temporary,
treasures that last, the treasure of heaven. That's part of why parenting
is so important. What we do to develop our children and our relationship
with them is something that's going to last forever, and the reason is
that even though our kids have corruptible bodies, they also have souls
that last forever. And what good will it do you to say after years of neglecting
your kids for the things of this world to say, "Yea, my kids hate me, but
look at that new car in the driveway!"
In the same way, for our own personal lives, you know what's going to
last -- our souls and our relationship with one who created, who forgives,
who heals, who saves our souls, Jesus Christ. "What does it profit a man,
if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul?" What will matter at the
end of lives is not how much we have invested in or accumulated the material
things of this world. What will matter will be what we did with our lives
to invest in the cause and treasures of heaven. You know what, every time
the basket goes by it's an opportunity for you not to cough up something
you have to give. It is an opportunity for you to invest in the cause of
heaven, the cause of Jesus Christ. And even though our good deeds we do
here for Jesus do not get us into heaven, after we are saved, I believe
our good deeds do create for us special rewards in heaven based on how
much we invested our time, our energy, our money, and our material goods
in the bank of heaven. And it's in light of that truth, that materials
things are temporary, that they don't last, that I come to one more thing
this morning that I believe Jesus was teaching here about material goods.
They are secondary.
I hope that none you get the impression from what Jesus said here that
as Christians or disciples of Jesus what we need to do is to see all the
materials things as evil. Yes they are corrupted and therefore won't last,
but there is nothing in what Jesus is saying here that I believe prohibits
us as His followers to enjoy the things of this world. We don't have to
become monks living in caves cooking our wild coyote over open fires. And
I know there are some people, maybe some of you who every time you buy something
or get a gift you feel guilty. We don't need to do that.
Instead, what I think Jesus is saying here is that even though we enjoy
the things of this world, we always need to make sure that they are secondary.
For most of us the problem is not that we don't enjoy the things of this
world enough; rather, the problem is that we enjoy them too much. They
become our priorities and sometimes even, as I spoke about a few weeks
ago, our gods.
And that's why Jesus said that which is closest to our heart, that which
is most important to us should not be the treasures and pleasures of this
world, but that which needs to be the greatest treasure of all, the number
one priority in our hearts and lives again this year, which I believe Jesus
was referring to here as the treasure of heaven, needs to be our relationship
with Him. What you and I need this year to overcome the mania of materialism
is less of the things of this world, and more of Him.
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