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Holiness in the Suburbs • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
-dating
Consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a life, community, or system that is driven by a persons Desire to Aquire.
Whats in it for me
Desire to aquire.
Consumerism is all over. It is one the main way that our economies works. Based upon the idea that the system is driven by who is buying it. The most important person is the customer and what are they getting out of it.
Consumerism is customer focused.
Consumerism has protected the customer. It makes sure that what you buy is safe and not cheap. People selling cant cheat customers or treat different customers differently.
“What's great about this country is America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you can know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good.”
― Andy Warhol
Consumerism is great in the world of buying and selling…but it is a bad lifestyle.
A lifestyle of Consumerism is not about Money, its about that desire to aquire.
Life runs like this.
WANT+HOW = Result
Money: Movies. Why are some movies continually made. Fast and the furious.
Time: Is this value added?
People: Story of Nicole
Consumerism cannot lead you to the life Jesus wants for you. In fact it will lead you away from him.
Luke 12:13-14
Luke 12:13-14
Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”
But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
This guy has a desire to acquire.
And he has come to Jesus not to follow, but to get from his brother.
Jesus is saying then that life is not about that desire to aquire…in fact you need to be on guard against the desire to acquire.
Again, what is our truth...
WHAT+HOW= Result
Money + Grind = Money…tired
Safety+ Getting Money= Money…but not safety.
To be happy + Attend Church = ?
And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
“And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
“So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Jesus has moved beyond a story of just desire to aquire. He begins to describe what happens behind it. When we are driven by a desire to aquire, we become anxious about it. We need to hold onto, protect and get more of what we hae aquired. We become closed handed.
And it changes our goals. The man’s goal becomes only about him… take it easy, eat drink and enjoy myself.
Elvis presley is known as the king of rock and roll. Writting and performing hits like Hound dog....what are some of your favorites.
He started as a talented young man that loved music. Raised poor by his mother, he grew up singing in the style of gospel rivival services. And he brought that to his music when he was discovered.
Like him or hate him at the time, he was the king of rock and roll. Building a career of music, acting and more…going from incredibly poor to being able to buy his familly a home. And it grew! He had his father back, his mother, his extended family…a beautiful wife…and a daughter... But while the outside of his life was being built into what every career musician dreams of… his private life was rotting from the inside out. Like a gorgeous house that is continually added onto and the outside remodeld…the inside was black and rotting…the stench of death smelled by anyone that got to close.
He would lose his wife.
His child…eventually becoming an indentured servant to a hotel in las vegas…Completely isolated and alone…he died.
That Desire to aquire…what is it building?
Where are you store treasures…are your bank account? Your house? Your business?
Or are you generous towards God.
IM NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY.
Better to go to heaven as a hermit, than go to hell with a multitude.
The Two Guards Praying And Watching, Volume 38, Sermon #2254 - Nehemiah 4:9
Charles Spurgeon
IM NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY.
But a desire to aquire will not lead you to God.
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12
22 Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
My friend Ron is a foster parent. He loves to open his home to chidren that do not have one. He tells me that he “ feels like he is doing God’s work when he is adopting orphans.” He has full time adopted 4 kids and had many others in his home. He told me about one kid that came into his home at about 4 years old. This kid was precious he said. Loved to draw and color…every day asking to put a new work of art on the refrigerator. While the other kids ran around in the backyard he would love to just sit and read outside with them… And incredibly caring…one day one of the older kids falling to the ground riding a bike and he ran over to say your going to be ok. And then kissed the boo boo.
Once a week Ron would do a cleaning of the rooms with the kids…and one while he was cleaning this precious four year olds bedroom…he discovered a plastic bag in the closet. As he opened it, he was crushed to discover napkins with bits of food within them…a quarter of a waffle…gramcrackers…a couple fruitsnacks…the crust of a pizza...
He chose not to say anything and watch the kid…and what he learned was that this little boy…that loved art…that cared deeply…during meals was hiding a little food for later…because he was worried about when the next meal was going to come from.
It crushed Ron…because that kid was never going to go hungry… he was provided for…with abundance…3 meals a day, snacks when they needed something…apples always on the counter…ice cream on fridays…but this child was worried about what he would eat...
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12
22 Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? 25 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith?
My friends…dont you know how much God loves you.
You dont need to have a desire to aquire because you have a heavenly father that loves you. That will take care of you.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
As a Disciple of Jesus, you have a spirit of adoption…you are an adopted son or daughter...
If you are looking for peace…it’s God that will give you peace.
“And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.
It’s not just the desire. Again to desire those things is not wrong… notice Jesus is saying striving for. If you are driven by the desire to acquire anything…its not going to lead you to Jesus. It will lead you to anxiety.
and it’s a cycle downward
instead
And then notice this story what the mark of a disciple.
He entered Jericho and was passing through. There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”
So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.”
“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham.
The person that is been saved, has encountered God, is following Jesus…is not focused on the desire to aquire…but a need to give away.
THIS IS NOT A MONEY TALK.
But Salvation takes an eye off me and see three things
Jesus…his goodness and how he has provided and Blessed.
Others and their needs.
This is why Consumerism cannot lead us to Jesus.
Consumerism is a desire to aquire…for yourself. The way of Jesus is all about others. They are in oppisite direcitions.
If I want to lose weight… I cannot consume only sugar. These are opposed to one another.
Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Here is the hardest part about Discipleship, aboout following Jesus. We are already following something. We have already been formed. And whether we like it or not, our culture has trained us to be consumers.
We are exposed to 4,000-10,000 ads a day. All of these are oriented towards convincing us that we need something…and that we should get it.
- A quarter of what you watch during a show…is advertisements.
- We see it in our political system, with political leaders that make choices based upon what earns them wealth, or status, or influence…or just straight power… whats best for me…or my party…or my business…instead of serving the people they represent.
We see the symptoms of it in our relationships. Dating and marriage is about how does this best serve me…and when it gets hard we are quick to seperate.
Friendships on social media are all about the enjoyment of the relationship…but if we disagree or it gets a little rough…we ghost…or abandon people.
We see it in the way we go to church. We attend church. Church Attending…Go to Church…its a place…where I go so I can hear inspirational music and how to make my life better. I drop my kids off so that they can recieve a moral educaiton.
And how do we view God?
The book soul searching shows us the new frame… by Chrisitan Smith names it Moral Theraputic Deism.
- A God exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
- God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
- The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
- God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
- Good people go to heaven when they die.
All of this has led to us being individuals that are consumers… We are driven by our desire to aquire.
Its about me being happy. Getting what I want
People are either tools to use or barriers to be broken
And God. He is on my side…wanting me to be a good person…and if I am… he promises a happy life where I get what I want.
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”
He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”
Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
It doesnt matter if you are doing good things. If you are driven by a desire to aquire… you will not be able to follow Jesus.
THIS IS NOT A MONEY TALK
but… your heart is revealed by how you use your resources.
The two biggest resources we have…are time and money.
“Don’t store up for yourselves 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 don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Here is the red letters of Jesus. There is not room to moralize, or make it an illustration, or say this is jesus over exaterating. You cannot serve God and money. You cannot serve God and be driven by a desire to aquire. You can do one. You will have to choose…and if you do not choose…then you have chosen.
It is good to have the things that money can buy, provided you don’t lose the things that money can’t buy.
Warren W. Wiersbe
And here is the heart of it all. The reason you and I cannot find jesus through consumerism…through a desire to aquire…is that it is the oppisite of the heart of God.
Jesus is love. He loves people so much that he died for you. Being rescued from the powers of selfishness, addiction, sin and death…that is easy for us. But , it was not cheap. It cost Jesus everything.
He did it for you. Not himself.
No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
This is the invitation today. There is a God, and he loves you. He wants to rescue you, he wants to take care of you…he wants to bless you.
All you need to do is acknowledge the brokenenss in your life, and the brokenness you have brought into the world. And say your sorry. And comit to begin following Jesus. Accept that adoption as a son.
Now if you are a disciple of Jesus
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
The invitation to you this week is to work on your thought life.
Two Practices to do this.
First, do a viewing audit.
What you are going to do is for one week, write down everything that you watch, read or listen to.
Write down what it was about and ask yourself
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
And then
Start a daily Prayer Practice.
01 Create a daily prayer rhythm
Decide on a time and a place to pray, if possible, every day this week.
Decide on and commit to a time duration. Don’t overreach. Start where you are. If you don’t pray daily, aim for 10-15 minutes. If you pray for 10-15 minutes, consider upping it to half an hour. Just take the next step.
Create routines or rituals you actually enjoy to make your daily prayer habit something you look forward to all day long — light a candle, make yourself coffee or tea, sit by a window you love, go outside, savor the quiet, or put on worship music.
Those of you who are more kinesthetic may find it helpful to pray while walking, inside or in nature, or with something to keep your hands busy, like knitting
or drawing.
Ultimately, work with your personality, not against it.
02 Pick out a pre-made prayer and talk to God
Try using one of the sources we mentioned earlier.
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Week 01 – Talking to God
• • •
• •
The Lord’s Prayer
The Psalms — See below for recommendations
Scripture — Find a passage that resonates with your heart and pray it back to God
Singing — Sing acapella, put on a worship album, or play an instrument
Liturgy — The Book of Common Prayer, The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle, or Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
• Apps — Lectio 365 from 24-7 Prayer, Pray as You Go from the Jesuits, or Hallow
If you don’t have a strong preference, we recommend you start by praying the Psalms or one of the prayers in the Appendix of this Companion Guide.
You can start in Psalm 1 and pray through the book. Or you can pray a psalm based on your emotional or spiritual state that day.
Here are some recommendations.
To begin your day with God: Psalm 5, 19, 20, 23, 25
When you are sad: Psalm 13, 22, 42, 77
When you are in distress: Psalm 57, 60, 86
When you are scared: Psalm 27
When you are hurt: Psalm 10
When you ache for more of God: Psalm 63, 84
When you want to repent: Psalm 51
When you are grateful: Psalm 9, 103
When you want to worship: Psalm 8, 148-150
Whatever you decide, pray at least once a day.