Hospitality

Assuming we have houses, beds, chairs, food, drink, medicine and other provisions to share with others and the needy, we are encouraged to be hospitable. 

Dear friend, you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, even the ones you didn’t know before. They have told the church about your love. They say you were good enough to welcome them and to send them on their mission in a way that God’s servants deserve. When they left to tell others about the Lord, they decided not to accept help from anyone who wasn’t a follower. We must support people like them, so that we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth. - 3 John 5-8

Paul and his traveling ministry team were deeply grateful for the hospitality that facilitated their ministry.  Without the support of those disciples called by Jesus to have and share possessions, those called to leave possessions behind couldn't carry out their mission.

We have three good instructions regarding our attitude towards wealth.

Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them.- Matthew 6:19

Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.  This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like. - 1 Timothy 6:17-19

 Any of God’s people who are poor should be glad that He thinks so highly of them. - James 1:9

Believers who lived in humble circumstances were not second class but of equal importance - some, because of persecution, lost their possessions and social status and became poor.

Since God hates partiality, the affluent do not marginalise or look down on the less affluent.  It is why ministries to do not court flatter the wealthy or court donors.

Here are five good reasons to be careful when we find ourselves with more than we need.

People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them.- 1 Timothy 6:9

God blesses his loyal people,
    but punishes all who want
    to get rich quick. - Proverbs 28:20


 Jesus said to his disciples, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!- Matthew 19:23

But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. - Mark 4:19


Don’t trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty    or rely on great wealth. - Psalm 62:10

 We should not be preoccupied with God's plan for others.

Jesus answered, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me.” - John 21:22

May we have not so much that we become proud and independent of the Lord and not so much that distracts us from our purpose or insulates us from our sense of His need and dependence on Him.

Make me absolutely honest
and don’t let me be too poor
    or too rich.
    Give me just what I need. If I have too much to eat,
    I might forget about you;
if I don’t have enough,
    I might steal    and disgrace your name. - Proverbs 30:8-9

 Giving is the safety valve that releases the excess pressure of wealth.


 

NT Guidelines: Give cheerfully

Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

God delights in the one who takes delight in giving.

All the leaders and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until it was full. - 2 Chronicles 24:10

This is a great testimony of a time when Joash was king and the temple was in need of repair.  Whenever the chest was filled they would empty it, return it, and soon it would be full again.

There is an ebb and flow when it comes to giving.  As one part of the body of Christ has a need and receive help, that same part, one day, will be able to supply and give to another who has need --

Your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. - 2 Corinthians 8:14

In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” - Acts 20:35

Why would Jesus say this?  Maybe because blessing usually affects three people while giving only blesses one. The three are the giver, the recipient and God.

If we find ourselves not being cheerful while giving, the problem will be found in our heart and the solution is in redirecting our heart, not withholding our giving. Our heart follows our treasures --

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

Put your treasures in God's Kingdom and a cheerful heart will eventually follow.




Guidelines for Giving

God's Guidelines for Giving

The New Testament Standard of Giving

The New Testament Pattern of “Giving”

Ten Principles of Christian Giving

Giving God's Way

NT Guidelines: Give generously

When a grateful woman anointed Jesus with a costly ointment, some observers rebuked her.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. - Mark 14:6

 Some people may consider generous giving as fanatical, but Jesus called it love.  In fact, He was so moved by the woman's giving that He vowed --

"Truly I tell you, wherever the good news[a] is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” - Mark 14:9

Those who are more calculating usually give less.




Guidelines for Giving
The New Testament Standard of Giving

God's Guidelines for Giving

Giving God’s Way

Biblical Guidelines for Giving

Guidelines on Giving

Tithing in the Bible - Is Tithing for the New Testament Believer?

The New Testament Pattern of “Giving”

 

Ten Principles of Christian Giving

Money is spiritual

A steward is someone entrusted with another person's wealth or property and charged with responsibility of managing it in the owner's best interest. - Ben Patterson

A steward is entrusted with sufficient resources and the authority to carry out their designated responsibilities.

As a fundraiser I have come up with my own definition of what stewardship is - stewardship is the conscientious management of things that really matter.

God delegated to us authority over all His creation.

You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field - Psalm 8:6-7

God expects us to use all the resources He gives us to best carry out our responsibilities.  A steward's  primary goal is to be found faithful by their master as the stewards uses the master's resources to accomplish the tasks delegated to them.

Our use of money and possessions is only one aspect of stewardship.  The tabernacle was built by people giving their time, energy, skills, money and possessions.  How we view and handle our money will correspond with how we view and handle our time, talents, family, church, vocation and every facet of life.

Eleven of the thirty-nine parables of Jesus deal with finances and money directly --  

• investment
• indebtedness
• hiring procedures and wage structures
• leasing
• capital, investments, banking, and interest
• money lenders, interest and debt cancellation
• storing up
• architectural planning, building construction and cost analysis
• finding lost money
• wealth, estate planning, spending
• financial management and debt reduction
• wealth and poverty
• giving and greed
• harvest

The parables normally have one central point that should not be obscured by uncertainties about secondary issues - the steward is praised for their shrewdness in using their master's money to invest in His relationships with people.

There will be a day when we will be terminated from this life, a day in which we shall give an account for our stewardship.  Consequently, we should use wisely what little remaining time and influence we have before our term of stewardship is done.

Jesus doesn't tell us to stay away from the mammon of unrighteousness or "worldly wealth," but to use it strategically.

And I tell you [learn from this], make friends for yourselves [for eternity] by means of the [a]wealth of unrighteousness [that is, use material resources as a way to further the work of God], so that when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. - Luke 16:9

Money can be a tool for Christ.

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much." - Luke 16:10

We are continually tested in little things.

God pays a great deal of attention to the "little things." He numbers the hairs on our head, cares for the lilies of the field and is concerned with the fall of a single sparrow.  What we do with the little time, a little talent, and a little money tells God a lot.

Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of earthly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? - Luke 16:11

What are true riches?

Having been faithful in handling our resources in this life, we are granted leadership of others in the next.

And if you have not been faithful in the use of that [earthly wealth]which belongs to another [whether God or man, and of which you are a trustee], who will give you that which is your own? - Luke 16:12

 

A picture of all people

The five-hundred year-old play Everyman is a picture of all people. Some balk at such a picture --

Then I heard [the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘[a]Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes, [blessed indeed],” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest and have relief from their labors, for their deeds do follow them.” - Revelation 14:13

Our Lord enthusiastically commends works done for the right reasons. Immediately after saying our salvation is not by works, Paul adds --

For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;  not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].  For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. - Ephesians 2:8-10

 Scripture ties God's reward-giving to His character --

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do. - Hebrews 6:10

 The verses that follow tell us that if we are to inherit God's promised blessings we must not become lazy but diligent in our God-given works.

James repeatedly states that good works are essential to the Christian life --

Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom. - James 3:13

God gives us eternal rewards for doing good works, persevering under persecution, showing compassion to the needy and treating our enemies kindly.   He also grants us rewards for generous giving --

Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money]to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me[becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” - Matthew 19:21

 We know Christ will say to some believers --

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’ - Matthew 25:21

Not "well said," or "well believed," but "well done."  What separates the sheep from the goats is what they did and didn't do with their God-entrusted resources of time, money and possessions.

What a powerful encouragement this is to saints who sacrifice in this life to prepare for the next ---

Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by [a]doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin];11 for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you. - 2 Peter 1:10-11

Two Masters

God's eternal prospectus bears a careful look in light of its guaranteed rate of interest.  Jesus promises an ultimate return of a hundred times - a 10,000 percent rate of interest that lasts forever.  What earthly investment compares to that?

Based on Christ's words, let's assume the role of 'eternal financial counselor' and offer some advice -- choose your investments carefully, compare rates of interest, and evaluate how your investments will be working for you a few million years from now.

I might have two jobs, three sisters or five friends, but only one spouse.  Some relationships by their very nature are exclusive.  The most basic of these is our relationship with God.  There's a throne in each life only big enough for one. Christ may be on that throne.  Money may be on that throne.  But both cannot occupy that throne.

Matthew 6:24

Luke 16:13

Serving Two Masters

100 Bible Verses about Serving Two Masters

Two Perspectives

 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts].  But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness! - Matthew 6:22-23

Right now we're living in the dot.  But what are we living for? The short-sighted person lives for the dot.  The person with perspective lives for the line.  This earth, and our time here, is the dot.  Our beloved Bridegroom, the coming wedding, the Great Reunion, and our eternal home in the New Heavens and New Earth ... they're on the line.

The patriarchs lived as strangers and exiles on the earth, spending their days longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one.  Peter encouraged Christians to find joy by focusing not on the trial that will go on only a little while, but on their heavenly inheritance that will never perish.   

 For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! - Romans 8:18

 For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! - 2 Corinthians 4:17

Paul speaks not of a glory achieved for Christ but for us.  Jesus didn't say - "store up for God treasures in heaven" - He said, "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."  Scripture teaches that we will not only behold His glory but also participate in it.  This gives the believer an incentive to do what the Philippian Christians did in giving to Paul's missionary work - withdrawing funds from their earthly accounts in order to have them credited to their heavenly account.

Soldiers, athletes, and farmers all know that short-term sacrifices are justifiable in light of their long-term benefits.  This same principle applies to those who adopt an eternal perspective.

Two treasuries

“Knowing the tendency of the human heart to become unduly attached to earthly goods, Christ warned against it. The "things" which the Father gives are to be understood as provisional merely and must never be considered our real treasure. The heart always returns to its real treasure, and if a man holds corn to be a real form of wealth his heart will be where his corn is. 

Many a man has his heart locked up in a bank vault, and many a woman has her heart in her jewel box or stored at the furrier's. It is a great moral tragedy when anything as wonderful as the human heart comes to rest on the earth and fails to rise to its own proper place in God and in heaven.

Treasure, incidentally, may be discovered by this fourfold test: (1) It is what we value most. (2) It is what we would hate most to lose. (3) It is what our thoughts turn to most frequently when we are free to think of what we will. (4) It is what affords us the greatest pleasure.”

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), excerpt from “The Transmutation of Wealth” in Born After Midnight (Harrisburg: Christian Publications, 1959).

When money and possessions are spent on heavenly treasure, the equation changes radically. The investment takes on eternal value. This because God, His Word, and people are eternal, what will last is what is used wisely for God, His Word and His people.

Christ's primary argument against amassing material wealth isn't that it's morally wrong, but simply that it's a poor investment. Even if they escape moths and rust and thieves, they cannot escape the coming fire of God that will consume the material world.

"I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity."
John Wesley 

“I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of God. If anything will advance the interests of the kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it I shall most promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time or eternity.” - David Livingston

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

 Jesus vividly described what it's like when we discover true wealth --

“The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself]." Matthew 13:44

Note that the central focus is accumulation of heavenly treasures, not the renunciation of earthly treasures in Matthew 6:19-24.

"As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came; and he will take away nothing from all his labor that he can carry in his hand." - Ecclesiastes 5:15

Be not afraid when [an ungodly] man becomes rich,When the wealth and glory of his house are increased;
For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him.
Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never again see the light.
A man [who is held] in honor,
Yet who lacks [spiritual] understanding and a teachable heart, is like the beasts that perish. - Psalm 49:16-20

Paul spoke about the Philippian church's financial giving --

Not that I seek the gift itself, but I do seek the profit which increases to your [heavenly] account [the blessing which is accumulating for you]. Philippians 4:17

God keeps an account open for us in heaven and every gift given for His glory is a deposit in that account.





The Two Treasuries

Two kingdoms

"I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." - Martin Luther

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

In the greatest message ever preached, Jesus addresses the believer's proper relationship to money and possessions --

“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts].  But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness!

 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. - Matthew 6:19-24

Jesus had two kingdoms in mind.  Two options and they demand one choice.  There is a default choice if "no choice" is made.  Unless the right choice is deliberately made and tenaciously clung to, the wrong choice will naturally be implemented.

 

Life Library — Two Kingdoms

Prosperity: Is it gospel?

Whether a message be proclaimed by an angel, a television evangelist, a pastor, or a fund-raising letter, Scripture makes it clear what our response must be to any gospel other than the true one --

I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel;  which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] [a]some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not].  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction!  As we have said before, so I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from that which you received [from us], let him be condemned to destruction! Am I now [b]trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.   Galatians 1:6-10

5 Errors of the Prosperity Gospel

Prosperity: Promised

The most popular NT proof text for prosperity theology comes on the heels of Christ's disciples pointing out that they had left everything behind to follow Him --

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. - Mark 10: 29-30

 After acknowledging his lack of health and wealth, Paul demonstrated the real meaning of this verse by describing it this way --

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 2 Corinthians 6:10

Have you ever heard a prosperity message that refers to the idea that with all of this stuff - comes persecution?

This is not suggesting that there is no NT promise of blessing applied in a literal, material way --

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” - Luke 6:38

Both Scripture and experience demonstrate God's frequent material blessing upon those who generously share what He has entrusted to them.






John Piper ~ Prosperity Gospel

Ten Bible Verses Prosperity Gospel Preachers Need to Stop Misusing

DOES GOD PROMISE BELIEVERS FINANCIAL PROSPERITY?

Prosperity: Jesus

 Job's 'comforters' thought there must be hidden sin in his life to account for his loss of prosperity, but they were wrong.  God approved of Job, yet He permitted Satan to destroy everything of earthly value that Job possessed.

The well-to-do Pharisees lived and breathed a prosperity theology, labelling everyone beneath their social caste as 'sinners'.  Christ's disciples betrayed their own assumptions when they asked -- 

“Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” - John 9:2

Jesus responded by saying their presupposition was entirely wrong --

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins, this happened so the power of God could be seen in him." - John 9:3

 In other words, God had a higher purpose for this man's adversity that simply didn't fit in the neat little categories of 'do good and you'll be well off' and 'Do bad and you'll suffer'.

Consider the disciples response to this --

“I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

 The disciples hadn't yet grasped the significance of their Lord's lifestyle.  The one whose Father said --

“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” - Matthew 3:17

-- was the same Son of Man who didn't have a place to lay His head and owned nothing but a robe and sandals.

Jesus said of His Father --

For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. - Matthew 5:45

God extends common grace to all.

What we call prosperity is often incidental - an evil person may have good soil and a large crop, while the good person has poor soil and a small crop.  As Christ's account of the rich man and Lazarus demonstrates, an evil person may live a long life, suffer little and prosper, while the righteous person may have life cut short, suffer considerably and live in poverty.  Jesus says things will turn around in eternity, but often not until then.

Not only may the righteous suffer despite their righteousness, but often they will suffer because of their righteousness.

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. - 2 Timothy 3:12

The early Christians continually suffered for their faith --

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. - 1 Peter 5:9

A materialistic world system, with its emphasis on personal peace and prosperity, does not look with favour upon a true disciple of Christ.





John Piper - Jesus and the Prosperity Gospel
Prosperity Preaching: Deceitful and Deadly

Materialism meets Jesus

When Christ walked the earth, religion had been turned into big business in Jerusalem by money changers who make their profits exchanging currency and selling 'convenience' animals for sacrifice in the temple.  They charged an excessive price and probably engaged in loud haggling that destroyed the climate of worship.  Jesus was outraged that people would see the community of saints as an opportunity to make a profit.  After driving the salesmen and their animals out with a whip and overturning the money tables, the strong-armed carpenter from Galilee rebuked the stunned materialists with words that could be heard in the streets --

“Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” - John 2:16

Lewis and Tolkien Debate Myths and Lies

Jesus Is Better Than Materialism

jesus rejected materialism

Materialism: Distracts

Wesley noted that in the old days of Methodism, the people were poor. But, he observed, in the 20, 30, or 40 years since they joined the society, many Methodists had become 20, 30, or even 100 times richer than they were at first. With this increase in wealth had come a decrease in godliness. It seemed to him the more money the Methodists had, the less they loved the Lord.

Jesus described the various kinds of people who respond to the gospel --

"Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants."  -  Matthew 13:7

He later explained to the disciples --

"The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced."  -  Matthew 13:22

Notice the clear relationship between wealth and worry.

Paul told Timothy --

"Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them."  -  2 Timothy 2:4

Notice that Paul did not say civilian concerns are wrong, just that they are distracting.





Materialism in Slovakia - Moments that Impact with Dr. David Ireland
Materialism

Don't let materialism distract the Church, pope tells bishops

Materialism: Self-destructive

Jesus rebuked the Laodicean Christians because although they were materially walthy, they were desperately poor in the things of God.  Materialism blinds us to our own spiritual poverty.  Puritan Richard Baxter said --

“When men prosper in the world, their minds are lifted up with their estates, and they can hardly believe that they are so ill, while they feel themselves so well.”

In his Confessions, Augustine writes --

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”

Along the same lines, philosopher Blaise Pascal made the following observation --

   What is it then that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.

Materialism is a fruitless attempt to find meaning outside of God.  When we try to find ultimate fulfillment in a person other than Christ or a place other than heaven, we become idolater.  Materialism is not only evil - it is tragic and pathetic --

Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the Lord.
“For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all! - Jeremiah 2:11-13

New Monastic Shane Claiborne Answers The Question, Is it a Sin to be Rich?

SD3 Materialistic

Every person has a price

"I spoke just now of the struggle for success. What is success? Is it money? Some of you have all the money you need to provide for your wants. Who is the poorest man in the world? I tell you, the poorest man I know of is the man who has nothing but money, nothing else in the world upon which to devote his ambition and thought. That is the sort of man I consider to be the poorest in the world. Money is good if you know how to use it. - John D. Rockefeller

Satan works under the assumption that every person has a price.  Many are willing to surrender themselves and their principles to whatever god will bring them the greatest short-term profit.

Israel is portrayed in the OT as abandoning her rightful husband, God, and sells herself to the highest bidder. The prophets develop this metaphor to embarrassing extents.  The nauseating descriptions of Israel's waywardness exemplify God's hurt and horror at the spiritual adultery of His people as they chase after other gods.

 The NT tells us that --

"... a greedy person is an idolater, worshipping the things of this world." Colossians 3:5

Idolatry is worshipping and serving anything other than the one true God.

The idolatrous nature of materialism: The common expression that describes such a value system as “the pursuit of the almighty dollar” is soundly based in the recognition that the exaltation of possessions to the level of ultimacy is the end of a religious quest, one that seeks and ascribes ultimate meaning. Like all idolatries, it finds ultimate meaning in an aspect of the creation rather than in the Creator. And like all idolatries it finds outlet in destructive pathologies that wreck human lives. - Herbert Schlossberg, Idols for Destruction

 Scripture speaks of these destructive pathologies --

"But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." - 1 Timothy 6:9-10

 Jesus said the  rich are at a spiritual disadvantage.  The problem, of course, is not that God doesn't love the rich.Who needs God, we think, when we've got everything?  This is why Jesus said --

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money". - Matthew 6:24

 Why? For the same reason a man cannot have two wives.

Materialism consists of the two things God hates most - idolatry and adultery.  A voice from heaven pleads with God's people - a voice that we would do well to heed today --

“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins,
or you will be punished with her.
For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.
Do to her as she has done to others.
Double her penalty for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
so brew twice as much for her.
She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
and I have no reason to mourn.’ - Revelation 18:4-7

 One day, God will bring down all centres of human achievement and prosperity that do not humble themselves before Him.  When financial Babylon comes down, the merchants who gained their wealth from this corrupt materialistic philosophy will say --

“How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
In a single moment
all the wealth of the city is gone!” - Revelation 18:16-17

Why is prayer important when the gospel is being shared?  Because there is a battle over ownership and lordship of our lives that's just as intense as the battle for salvation.  The grace that has freed us from bondage to sin is desperately needed to free us from our bondage to materialism.

Doctrine of Reverse

Luke 16 tells us the story of a rich man and a poor man (Lazarus).  The rich man dressed well, lived in luxury, and was apparently healthy.  Lazarus was a beggar, diseased, dirty and ---

... lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. - Luke 16:21

If asked, "Who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?" you would presumably reply, "The rich man."

We aren't told that this rich man was dishonest or irreligious or that he was worse than your average person.  We do know that he didn't use his god-provided wealth to care for another man in need.

Both men die.  Lazarus goes to heaven and the rich man goes to hell. When the rich man begs Abraham from across the gulf to send Lazarus to relieve his suffering ---

“Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish." - Luke 16:25

 Now that you have heard the rest of the story, who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?  Abraham has made the point - after death, it's too late too switch.

This parable teaches that in eternity many of us will find ourselves in opposite conditions from our current situation on earth.

In the song she composed in anticipation of Christ's birth, Mary said ---

He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands. - Luke 1:53

Jesus said ---

“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow." - Luke 6:20,25

The poor in spirit,those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and are persecuted will be relieved and fulfilled and have a great reward in heaven.  Those praised in this world will not be highly regarded in the next, and vice versa.  those who are exalted in this life will often be humbled in the next; those who are humbled here on earth will be exalted in heaven.

Those who are poor in this world will often be rich in the next, and those who are rich in this world will often be poor in the next.  The poor are reassured that the hoarding and oppressing rich will one day be punished and the honest poor will be relieved.  In Revelation 18:7, a voice from heaven says ---

She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow ..." - Revelation 18:7

Someday this upside-down world will be turned right side up.  If we are wise, we will spend our brief lives on earth positioning ourselves for the turn.






Reversal Doctrine

Is materialism simply wrong?

Jesus once asked His profit-conscious audience --

What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? - Matthew 16:26

The parable of the rich fool portrays a man who thought of himself as a successful businessman.  The essence of foolishness is that we either don't recognise the truth or we choose to ignore it.

He acted irrationally, as if he could escape death or delay it indefinitely.  He neglected to number his days and therefore failed to gain a heart of wisdom.

Scripture describes our lives like this --

... people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field. - Isaiah 40:6

But their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. - Psalm 49:12

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it. - Psalm 39:6

 “All men think all men are mortal but themselves,” wrote the seventeenth-century English poet Edward Young.

Why was the rich fool a fool?

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:21

That is, he did not handle money in a God-centred way.

The rich fool was too busy being successful to care  about this piece of advice --

We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. - Ecclesiastes 5:15

Man is born with his hands clenched; he dies with his hands wide open. Entering life he desires to grasp everything; leaving the world, all that he possessed has slipped away.  Talmud

After John D. Rockefeller died his accountant was asked "how much did he leave behind?" The accountant replied "all of it."

"You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse, Ryder.
The Egyptians tried it. It doesn't work.
You can't take the money with you."

We worship materialism at our peril

C.S. Lewis and Materialism

Critiques of Materialism

Understanding Asceticism

Nowhere does Scripture consider poverty inherently virtuous.  God cares for the poor - but out of His compassion, not based on their merit.  It is just as erroneous to view poverty as a sign of spirituality as to view wealth that way --

The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up. - 1 Samuel 2:7

The ideal state is somewhere between poverty and riches --

First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. - Proverbs 30:8-9

 It's one thing to wish to please God but another to try to earn one's standing before Him through self-denial.  The ascetic lifestyle can be a bid to impress God and others with our spirituality.  Christ condemned the Pharisees for trying to impress people with their public self-denial of giving, prayer, and fasting.  Impure motives can drive ascetics as strongly as materialists.

We must realise that only suffering that is divinely ordained - and therefore purposeful - is godly, not suffering per se.  God is glorified when our suffering is brought about by our faithfulness to Christ, not when we bring it upon ourselves by attempting to appear faithful.

Although Satan, the other fallen angels, and unredeemed humanity will suffer in hell for eternity, their suffering will have no atoning value.  God may use our suffering to extend His grace and build our character, and in that sense purify us, but not to atone for our guilt.

If every Christian adopted the monastic practice of retreating from society to escape material temptations, how would people in most walks of life be reached with the gospel?  Paul makes it clear that part of our calling in this world is to rub shoulders with non-Christians, regardless of their sins and lifestyles.  We must be actively involved in the lives of others, and therefore present in their world.  As Jesus said --

I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.  They do not belong to this world any more than I do. - John 17:15-16

 Many people expect to find peace, purity and holiness in an ascetic lifestyle.  Paul warned against the inaccurate assumptions underlying asceticism and the abuses it fosters in his first letter to Timothy.  He also warned that asceticism does not accomplish its purpose --

These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.           Colossians 2:23

Union with Christ, not self-deprivation, is the foundation of holiness.

Jesus lived simply, but He was not ascetic.  Some people condemned Jesus for associating with gluttons and drunkards.  He not only drank wine, He made wine for a wedding celebration.  He moved with equal ease among the poor, such as John the Baptist and Bartimaeus, and the wealthy, such as Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Nicodemus, Zacchaeus and Joseph of Arimathea.  Jesus accepted material support from wealthy women and He gratefully accepted the extravagant anointing of His body with an expensive perfume.

Toward a New Asceticism

Money: Litmus test of character

It's an index of our spiritual life.  Our stewardship of our money and possessions becomes the story of our lives. 

Because we all will eventually give an account of our lives to God, one day everyone must answer these questions -- Where did it all go?  What did I spend it on? What has been accomplished for eternity through my use of all this wealth?

In the account of the poor widow, Mark writes --

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. - Mark 12:41

Jesus was deliberately watching to observe what people were giving.  He was close enough to see that some people put in large amounts and close enough even to see two tiny coins in a shrivelled old hand and to identify them as cooper.

Jesus was interested enough in what people were giving to make an object lesson for His disciples.

This passage should make all of us who suppose that what we do with our money is our own business feel terribly uncomfortable.  Perhaps you can hear Jesus using your handling of finances as an object lesson.






Money, Possessions and Eternity