Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Decluttering shows on HGTV… I think God wants to do that a little in our hearts today.

I’ve tried to avoid politics as much as possible in my preaching, not because I’m afraid to preach what God’s Word says, but because there are so many more important things in this world than who is in the White House.

Samuel Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and pastors a church in Los Angeles.

He said recently in an interview with Marvin Olasky, “I constantly tell my church, we can’t be married to the agenda of the donkey or the elephant, we must exclusively be married to the agenda of the Lamb.”

I agree, and that’s why I generally try to avoid talking about donkeys and elephants.

I’d rather talk about the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

But sometimes God’s Word wades right into the middle of the political fray and starts throwing punches, and everyone gets hit.

God poked me in the eye this week, and it wasn’t comfortable.

But when He removed His finger from my eye, a plank went with it.

So, if God pokes you this morning, rather than get defensive, let your guard down and allow Him into that back room of your heart—the one that needs cleaned out.

Body

The problem: Economic oppression, injustice, and inequality (Ecc 5:8-9 NET)

Liberals vs. conservatives, socialism vs. capitalism… Who’s right?

3,000 years ago when Solomon was living, neither capitalism nor socialism existed, but extortion of the poor and the perversion of justice and fairness did…

In every human society in history there has been economic oppression, injustice, and inequality.

What if the problem isn’t caused by an economic system but something far deeper?

That’s the conclusion Solomon came to.

The cause of the problem isn’t capitalism or socialism…

The cause of the problem: Materialism

Capitalism and socialism are both built on the same fundamental premise that the good life is a life of ever-increasing wealth and prosperity… They get there in different ways… but both capitalism and socialism are built on the foundation of materialism, and therein lies the root of the problem.

Materialism is bankrupt.

Ecc 5:10-11 NET… The more you have, the more you want.

The more you have, the more others want what you have.

You can’t take it with you when you die.

Ecc 5:15-16 NET… <picture from Sue Baker>

Ecc 6:9 NET… Enjoy what you have instead of wasting your life coveting what you don’t have.

As long as we define the good life in terms of wealth and prosperity, then no matter what economic system is in place we will have the extortion of the poor and the perversion of justice and fairness.

The root of the problem isn’t capitalism or socialism.

It’s materialism.

The problem isn’t an economic problem but an idolatry problem.

We worship money, and “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10 ESV).

The solution to the problem: Live the way of Jesus (Matt 6:19-21 NET)

What are “treasures in heaven?”

“Spiritual treasure should be defined as broadly as possible—as everything that believers can take with them beyond the grave—e.g., holiness of character, obedience to all of God’s commandments, souls won for Christ, and disciples nurtured in the faith… Storing up treasures focuses particularly on the compassionate use of material resources to meet others’ physical and spiritual needs, in keeping with the priorities of God’s kingdom.”

~ Craig Blomberg

How do we accumulate treasures in heaven?

Matt 19:21 (NET)

Luke 12:32-34 (NET)

1 Tim 6:17-19 (NIV)

Conclusion

Who is really blessed?