“Materialism”

 Outline:

• Materialism 
• Spirituality
• Worldly Perspective
• Kingdom Perspective
• The Temporal vs The Eternal
• Laying Hold of Godly Perspective on Materialism

Materialism 

• Materialism is the desire, focus, and drive to obtain physical comfort and luxury. This is especially tempting if our parents have provided us with a certain standard of living that is comfortable or luxurious, to which we are accustomed.
• Once we’ve bought into its lure, it can become a “bottomless pit” of desire for us to accumulate more and more luxury and comfort.
• It focuses on what’s temporary vs the eternal.
• It can tempt us to major in studies or choose careers that would ensure our continued life of comfort, rather than pursuing our Flow. The concept of Flow is where: 1) Our ability, 2) The challenge of the task, and 3) Our interest/passion in the subject, intersect. When a person is in their Flow, time flies by while they are fully engaged in the activity.
• Materialism can cause us to rely on ourselves rather than on God.

Spirituality

• The biblical perspective of spirituality focuses on our relationship with God first and foremost, and then on His will, plans, and sovereignty.
• It is our reliance on God: His love, provisions, and plans for us, for others, and for the world.
• It is about what is eternal, since all physical and financial things we accumulate will vanish: We cannot take money or physical possessions with us when we die.
• It focuses on the godly traits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), faith, trust, generosity, hospitality, thankfulness, gratefulness, contentment – all of which cannot be bought, but we can “take with us” when we die.
• “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).
• Spirituality takes focus off us and places it on God.
• It is about eternal things. Things that will last.

Worldly Perspective

• The world tells us to live in the moment, “seize the day,” and live only in the here and now.
• The “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” mentality.
• Garnering money, wealth, fame, and notoriety are applauded, and they give us power and admiration from this world.
• Regardless of whether we approve of famous people’s values, many of us admire or envy their wealth and power.
• Wealthy or powerful people’s say holds more weight in our culture.
• We pay attention to social influencers because they are famous and popular. We clamor toward them.
• We dismiss the poor and the weak in our society. We ignore them and don’t give them a voice, or a place at our table.
• We run toward the rich and famous and distance ourselves from the poor and the nameless. We act out of the hope/fear that proximity can cause us to become more like them.
• The world steps on and steps over the weak and the nameless to get to the goal/top.

Kingdom Perspective

• God’s perspective is kingdom perspective where the weak and the poor are valued and important in God’s sight: 

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Is. 58:6-7).

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed” (Luke 4:18).

“Looking at his disciples he said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God’” (Luke 6:20).

“…But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:13-14).

“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Rom. 12:13).

“Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5).

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

The Temporal vs The Eternal

• King Solomon who was known for being the wisest man in the Old Testament, said this about the inevitability for every person:

“For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!” (Ecclesiastes 2:16).
“This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all…while they live, and afterward they join the dead” (Ecclesiastes 9:3).

• We all will die. Our bodies will decay and turn to ash. Death is inevitable.
• Our spirit, though, will live on: If we belong to Jesus, we will live eternally in God’s presence. If we reject the completed work of salvation by Jesus on the cross, we will live in eternity in the absence of God and in eternal punishment (Matthew 25:41 & 46).
• Whatever is physical will not last. It is temporal.
• Whatever is spiritual will last eternally.
• It therefore behooves us to work for what will last vs what will disappear.

Laying Hold of Godly Perspective on Materialism

• 1st Timothy 6:10 states “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
• Matthew 6:24 states, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
• Proverbs 30:8-9 states, “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” 
• Paul states in Philippians 4:12 ~ “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
• Keep eternity on our sight and focus.
• Practice Biblical perspective on materialism: 
• Be committed to walking daily with Jesus. It is our relationship with Christ that is God’s utmost desire for us.
• Focus on God’s will and His kingdom.
• Not just be hearers of God’s word, but be doers as well (James 1:22-25).
• Be God’s hands and feet to attend to others in need.
• Be vigilant of the temptations to run after a worldly perspective on materialism:
• Acknowledge our desire to give in to these temptations.
• Confess these desires as sin.
• Repent from these desires.
• Reject and Renounce these desires.
• Replace them with their opposite, i.e., instead of buying another pair of name brand sneakers/bag/jewelry/gadget, we ask ourselves, *”What function might this purchase serve?” – If it’s our sense of inadequacy, we embrace God’s complete pleasure and acceptance of us instead, etc.; If it is to celebrate something, but by purchasing this item can be giving into materialism, we replace it with receiving God’s joy over our accomplishment and turn it into a blessing to others (including spending time to help others; giving to the needy financially, etc. as a Thank Offering Leviticus 7:11-15).
• Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all of what we need here on earth will be given us as well (Matthew 6:25-34).

*”What function might this purchase serve?”* ~ Everything we do serves a “function.” It can be our way of coping/adapting/adjusting to something else. Are we feeling left out, not enough, insecure, inadequate, lonely, sad, etc., that by purchasing this merchandise, we will feel better? Or, we want to celebrate an accomplishment or an occasion through this purchase. Coping Mechanism Part 1 of 2, Coping Mechanism Part 2 of 2.