Sermon Mood Poisoning (The False Promises of Materialism) Series Soul Detox Key Passage Luke 12:13-21 Cornerstone August 25, 2013

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Valentine Horatio Marshall
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1 Sermon Mood Poisoning (The False Promises of Materialism) Series Soul Detox Key Passage Luke 12:13-21 Cornerstone August 25, 2013 We live in a society that is pretty darn greedy. This truth was never more evident than on November 28 th, It was Black Friday. A time of year when shoppers line up early to get the best deals on their favourite products. The scene was a New York City Walmart. The time: 4:55am. BTW, this is right after the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend where people take time out to be thankful for the stuff they already have people have been lining up since 3:30am outside this Walmart ready to storm the store for the best deals on TV s, other electronics and many other items. And storm they did. They broke the glass doors separating them from the store and in a frenzy trampled a Walmart employee. This employee was hired specifically for this location because of its rowdy reputation. He was over 6 feet tall and well over 200 pounds. He was no match for the crowd. He was trampled to death as the crowd rushed pushing each other out of the way to get what they wanted. Worse yet, when they were asked to leave because of the death of the associate, they refused and continued to shop. Others were injured including a woman who was 8 months pregnant at the time. We live in a society that is pretty darn greedy. We live in a world (especially in our society), where we are so rich that when you really look at how we spend our money, it s actually pretty embarrassing. What about computers first we had the desktop. But we needed to be able to do stuff on the go so we needed a laptop. But then the ipad came out. All of a sudden, the laptop was too big to work on, so now we have to get the ipad I mean, who s really gonna carry around a laptop? But then they came out with the ipad mini. So now we have the desktop, the laptop, the ipad, the ipad mini, the cell phone and we re set but wait, there s a newer version out of which one you ask? All of them. So now we have to replace them all I m mean

2 really they re so slow so small so big so medium sized who can live with that? We live in a society that is pretty darn greedy and like it or not, it has had a huge impact on us we are pretty darn greedy - if we are honest with ourselves we have been poisoned with the false promises of materialism. I think about how I got our 42 inch flat screen TV. It took me years to break Michelle down to finally allow me to get one she kept asking what was wrong with the 27 inch Tube TV that we had. I had all kinds of great lines lines about how we can watch movies together, how it would take up less space because even though the screen is bigger you won t have the big tube at the back. At the end of the day, the real thing that was wrong with it was that it was 27 inches and a tube TV. We are pretty darn greedy One of the books the staff is reading Untamed, Introduces the term, Status anxiety. When we are a part of a group of peers, we are happy to be measured by the standards of the group. However, if just one in the group get a bigger home, a salary raise, a more beautiful partner, or whatever people start to get anxious. There s a video going around on Facebook that shows this phenomenon quite well Two Monkeys Were Paid Unequally Status anxiety We are pretty darn greedy Status anxiety The same could be said at the time when Jesus lived. We run into the same situation in the Bible Turn in your Bibles to Luke 12: If you have a Blue Cornerstone Bible it will be page 737. We re looking at the Parable of the Rich Fool. It will also be on the screen.

3 As your turning there, picture the scene, crowds are trampling each other, similar to the Walmart perhaps. In this case they are trying to see, hear and experience Jesus. Jesus is pouring his heart out with warnings and encouragement (beginning of chapter 12). Then randomly, this man interrupts: Luke 12:13-15 The Message translations says, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance. In the Old Testament, it talks about the first son getting a double portion of the inheritance. No one is saying that this system is fair, but it is what it is. This man s request is selfish and materialistic. There is no indication that he was even listening seriously to what Jesus had been saying before he did a Kayne West to Taylor Swift, Excuse me Jesus, I ma let you finish, but uh, can you tell my brother to give me more stuff? Jesus probably sighed. Man, what makes you think it s any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you? (Message Translation) Jesus came to bring people to God not bring stuff to people Jesus is concerned with the attitudes involved, not with who gets what. I heard a pastor say, The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. This man wanted to Jesus to serve him, but not to save him. What about us? Do we look to God to serve us and our materialistic needs? Or do we look to God to save us? Jesus doesn t answer his question. Instead he hits at the heart issue greed, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Jesus gives us a strong warning here. The Greek translation for this means to take positive action to ward off a foe. At the end of the sermon, we ll talk about some positive actions that we can take to protect ourselves against the enemy do we see materialism as an enemy? This is different from saying money is evil money is neutral but the thirst for money, the thirst for things that money can buy, and

4 the thirst for position, power and security that comes from having lots of stuff is where we get into trouble. We need to CHANGE WHAT WE BELIEVE Jesus says, A man s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot. Don t we have an abundance of possessions? What is our life defined by? What brings us security? Sadly, I know a family right now that is being torn apart by this exact issue - what someone who passed away left behind. We need to be on guard We need to be vigilant against greed. Jesus tells a story. Luke 12:16-19 Notice that it says, THE GROUND of a certain young man produced a good crop. Pastor and author John Ortberg talks about the fact that Jesus didn t say that the man produced the crop, because no person could do this. The crop was a gift but the man did not see this. He called it his. He was ENTITLED. I was reading about some rich families who talking about their children said, They are born on third base and think THEY hit a triple. What about us? Do we struggle with entitlement? Do we believe that we deserve what we have, or do we think about it as a gift? The book that this sermon series is based on, SOUL DETOX talks about entitlement, I deserve it. Life is short. And I want it NOW. It is not uncommon for a young couple in their 20 s to believe they deserve the same lifestyle as their parents, who worked 30 years to achieve it. If you were to ask someone, Does money buy happiness? Most people would say no without hesitation. If you ask them, Do you think a little more money would make your life better? People would say, Yes of course! How ironic. WE NEED TO CHANGE WHAT WE BELIEVE

5 In the book UNTAMED, Alan and Debra Hirsch talk about discipleship in reverse. They talk about the fact that identifying the spirits of our age [materialism] while living and being immersed in the prevailing culture is one of the trickiest things Christ followers have to navigate. These days, we have to wonder if we are sharing the good news with others and changing them or are the values of the world s good news changing us? Who is being evangelized? Even before we come to Christ, we have already been powerfully discipled by popular culture. WE NEED TO CHANGE WHAT WE BELIEVE Being calculatingly generous is different from being radically generous. Luke 12:17-19 Look how many times personal pronouns are used in these few verses. What he received was a gift. Not once does he think about using his blessing of wealth to honour God or help others. If suddenly you received a great deal of wealth, would it create a problem for you? Would you ask God what he would want you to do with it? When you look at this man, the main issue is not his wealth, it s his attitude towards it. He didn t do anything immoral to get it - but the essence of greed is keeping the resources God brings your way for yourself. This was the rich fool s mistake he only provided for himself. Listen to these quotes: I ve made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness I would barter them all for the days I sat on an office stool in Cleveland and counted myself rich on $3.00 a week John B. Rockefeller. I was happier when I was doing a mechanic s job Henry Ford. It s not easy fighting against the cultural tide advertising and marketing has intentionally tried to pick up where Christianity has left off. As Christianity fades in western society, the media steps in to fill that gap. Author Allan Hirsch talks

6 about today s modern Golden Calf (picture of calf) in order to sell products in an increasingly competitive market with different niches, subcultures, tastes and preferences, marketing strategies have had to reach deeper and deeper into the human soul to make a sale. In the parable, the Rich fool literally said, I ll say to my soul, soul you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. It was deep in his soul. That God-shaped vacuum was being filled but not with God. What about us? What is at the centre of our soul? WE NEED TO CHANGE WHAT WE BELIEVE It s tough. At our fingertips, we have experiences and goods only available to royalty in a previous era. We are offered heaven now so we give up the ultimate quest of God s kingdom on earth for something that can be immediately consumed. Listen to this quote from Allan and Debra Hirsch We avoid the very issues to which we should be most attentive. We are diverted from the grim, unpleasant truth that our lives lack meaning without God, that consumption does not satisfy, that the differential between wealth and poverty is unjust, and that the appropriate human response to people in need is sleeves rolled up in service, not simply watching. Luke 12:20 Jesus calls him a fool because he remembered the wrong things. He remembered himself - and forgot the essential things his neighbours. If he didn t have enough room for this extra stuff his wealth - his gift what would it have looked like for him to call his neighbours and ask if they needed anything? It would have been a game changer. What about us? Are there people on the other side of our wealth that are waiting to be blessed? The rich fool also forgot his time. It never occurred to him that he wouldn t be around forever in this life with his stuff. If your life was hanging by a thread and you knew that God may call you at any time, would that change the way you used

7 your resources? Wouldn t it be foolish to bank on your stuff instead of God? The Greek says that his life was demanded back. Demanded back. Whose life was it in the first place? We re talking about our material possessions as a gift, but our very life is a gift. How would we live differently if we really believed that not only our stuff, but our lives are a gift from God? So then how do I know what IS the right thing to do with my resources? Should I not provide for my family? How much is too much? Do I not save for retirement? Do I not save for my children to go to college/university? Jesus is not condemning the use of our resources for the benefit of family and others - the test is whether our wealth becomes tools for service to bless others and bring glory to God or - if like the rich fool, we store it up for ourselves and ourselves alone and take security in that instead of in God. As an important side note, this is primarily a message about materialism and greed, but it s not limited to our possessions. One of the Bibles I read talked about how it could be friendships or children or physical health or even spiritual experiences these could all be our greatest possession. You could say to your soul, Soul you have had ample religious experiences and picked up spiritual insights and enough wisdom to last a lifetime. Relax. God could just as easily respond, You fool, this very night your life is being demanded of you. All the spirituality you have stored up for yourself alone, all your strengths and gifts - who will benefit from that now? We can hoard what we ve learned and never share with others who are struggling. We are called to be So THAT people. We are blessed SO THAT we can bless others. WE NEED TO CHANGE WHAT WE BELIEVE We need to go from greed to God (as my wife would say) If want to bring an alternative message, we need to be an alternative people. If we are people of the gospel - good news, then it has to be good news for us first. It is good news to us that our security doesn t have to be our possessions. We have an opportunity here. One book I was reading talked about how we who are thought to have everything we are over-indulged, over-entertained and yet we are the most depressed, bored, anxious generation of all time.

8 The good news is that Jesus can turn that around. He took twelve disciples and turned the whole world upside down. Imagine what he could do with Cornerstone? With 200 adults and 100 kids. What could God do to our families? Our schools? Our friends? Our neighbourhoods? Our world? The book Soul Detox talks about how buying into and living the rat race at the expense of our souls is a CHOICE, not a necessity. So we want to make a different choice today. We want to CHANGE WHAT WE BELIVE. If we CHANGE WHAT WE BELIEVE, THEN WE WILL CHANGE HOW WE BEHAVE. If we really know who we are, whose we are and what we have in Jesus, we wouldn t need to buy into the lie in the first place. Money and things will never fulfill you. Repeat that phrase Money and things will never fulfill me (repeat) You are not what you have. You are not where you live. You are not what you wear. You are not what you drive. We don t want to store up things for ourselves. We want to be rich towards God. WE HAVE TO CHANGE HOW WE BEHAVE. One of Cornerstone s 8 Core Values is Generosity We are called to be extravagantly generous because God has been extravagantly generous to us in Jesus - 2 Corinthians 8:7-9, Many of you know that I am addicted to Tommy Hilfiger. When I go to the outlet store in Pickering Sara Jane says, Hi Kevin, haven t seen you in a while, want to see some of our specials? I don t know if it s because I looked up to my older brother so much when I was young and he used to wear Tommy. I don t know if it s because the stuff is good quality and the price is reasonable with the coupons they mail me and the discount at the outlet. I don t know if I m insecure on the inside and so want to look as good as possible on the outside I

9 don t know if it s because when I was younger my mom used to buy stuff from Bargain Harold s, Zellers and Towers and so now that I can afford name brand stuff I go overboard. Maybe I m just greedy. Earlier this year the youth did what we called the kingdom experiment. One of the exercises was to write a letter to a clothing company asking them to consider whether or not they are paying their workers fair wages and stuff like that. So I wrote a letter to Tommy. Other youth slept on the floor for a week to identify with the majority world who don t have the same comforts that we do. They took cold showers, forgave the debts of moochers and much more. It CHANGED WHAT WE BELIEVED AND CHANGED HOW WE BEHAVED A test of our heart is how we give. Are we generous or are we hoarders? What would it look like if we were generous until it hurt? Generosity can break the power of materialism in our lives and reintroduce grace into it. What about being humble? Jesus coming to earth, and dying to take our place is a powerful demonstration that God is humble. His resurrection and victory over sin ushered in a new Kingdom. God is at work around us. Are we joining in? If you have never trusted Jesus before perhaps today could be the day. Perhaps you have accepted Jesus as your Saviour but not your Lord today could be the day that you trust God to be in charge of your life. To follow him and actually do what he says. What would it looked like if we simplified our lives? Couldn t we live with a lot less stuff? How can we downgrade our lifestyle? Most of us are always looking for promotions, bigger houses but what about a demotion? Michelle went from working in the corporate world to working with special needs children. For a lot less pay, but way more fulfillment, way more free time, and much less pressure. What if we limited our work hours 35 or so hours a week so we could spend more quality time with children, with the people around us? How can we discourage materialism? How can we cut back on our exposure to the advertising that is so good at reeling us in? Limit TV watching? Our take home assignment will help us to start or to continue this journey. This journey towards recognizing how greedy our culture is, how greedy we are and how to change what we believe so we can change how we behave. Pastor

10 Jeremy reminded me about a book we read a while back. A small group has also read this book and experimented with it and found it quite inspiring. Please take out the paper in your bulletin labelled the Gratitude and Contentment survey. There are some discussion questions on the sheet. Feel free to use them with your small group, family and friends. It talks about true wealth, money and possessions as well as global need. Then you will see an actual survey. For each question circle where you feel you are. For #1. (Food) do you feel you are lacking, basic/adequate, abundant or luxurious. Then circle whether you are satisfied at the moment with what you have or not. The next section gives you some 7 day experiments. These are chances to actually change how you behave. Some are for the extrovert and some are for those who are introverted. I pray this may tool may be an opportunity for you to connect with God, yourself and others. Let s say this together: We are sustained through God s abundance. The Creator delights in giving us what we ask for. We don t have to be greedy because the resources we need will always be provided. We can share what we have and what we receive. We don t have to worry or be afraid of anything, including what will happen in the future. We don t have to be jealous of people who hoard things, thinking that we live only by what we can see. Knowing where true provision comes from, we are free to live generously with content and grateful hearts. Practicing the Way of Jesus Mark Scandrette Let s pray. Lord, help us to remember that it s not about us. Help us to remember that the purpose of our lives is far greater than our own purposeful fulfillment, our peace of mind and even our happiness. Help us to remember Jesus that it s far greater than our family, career, or even our wildest dreams and ambitions. Help us to remember that it s all about you God. That s why we are on this planet. To bring you glory. To be blessed and to bless others. Help us not only to provide for this life, but to also invest in eternity. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth, as it is in heaven. In Jesus name, Amen.

Do you know what I m talking about? We are so blessed with possessions that it is a bit of a problem! What do we do with them?

Do you know what I m talking about? We are so blessed with possessions that it is a bit of a problem! What do we do with them? It All Comes from God Luke 12:13-21, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 So friends what would you do if you took that thanksgiving inventory and discovered that you had so many blessings that you didn t know what to