8/9/2019 Issues Materialism
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Issues - Materialism
John 2:15-17, the Apostle John writing: Don't love the world's
ways. Don't love the
world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the
Father. Practically everything
that goes on in the worldwanting your own way, wanting
everything for yourself,wanting to appear importanthas nothing to
do with the Father. It just isolates youfrom him. The world and all
its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way outbutwhoever does what
God wants is set for eternity.
I wonder what you think is quite possibly one of the greatest
challenges to the ChristianDisciple standing alone and being
faithful to God in the twenty-first century? I want to
propose to you that this threat is the temptation of
materialism, or to be materialistic.This is where following Jesus
command to follow Him, take up the cross for ourselves
becomes practical. This is where loving God and loving others
becomes difficult.Materialism grips both the Church community and
also Christian Disciples if it is allowed.Eschewing and casting off
materialism will see Christian Disciples who are radical by the
very society, which we are trying to win for Jesus.
What is materialism?
Every person has in differing quantities: possessions and money.
These things, in and ofthemselves, are not evil. It is however our
reaction and attitudes toward them thatcauses us to be seduced in
this area. Materialism is a reliance on possessions, moneypeople or
even the church, as our ultimate objects of trust, instead of God.
The Apostle
John writing in 1 John 2v16 gives a very accurate picture of
materialism: lust of theflesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of
life. That, brother and sisters, is materialism!
A Particular Sin
If there were to be a particular sin that marks our generation,
especially in the West,then it would be this sin of materialism and
the worship of money, objects and people.
Every day hundreds of thousands of people die from lack of food,
water, clothing andshelter. For each of us in the West, these
things are taken for granted. When we feel
like a change of house or location, we just move. The whole
Christian community is onethat reflects the Holy Trinity, Father,
Son and Spirit. The Church is to be a communitywhere the strongest
members support the weakest members. Where one member ofthe
Christian community suffers and hurts, the whole Christian
community suffers andhurts! This applies not only to the local
church in a local community context, but also tothe universal
Church and therefore has a national and international context as
well. Too
often as Christians we are found turning a blind eye to the
suffering of others where the
bare necessities of life are in sparse existence. Too often we
gather possessions andpeople, instead of giving up our time and
money generously to help the poor and needyof both our local and
global communities. When one member of the universal body of
Christ is hurting, the whole body hurts!
So what?
As Christian Disciples living in the world of the twenty-first
century, where wealth is seen
as a sign of success, the cult of celebrity is rife and where
family, morals, ethics,community and God have taken a back seat,
how should a Christian Disciple respond tomaterialism? A lot of
Churches measure their success solely by the number of membersin
the congregations or by how much money goes into the offering pot
each week.
However, not just good things grow. Islam measures its success
on the so-called growthin those who would consider themselves a
Muslim. It is probably the fastest growing
