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.


 

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: 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