*
James 5:1-8(NLT)
The whole issue of the Bible’s
warning against being materialistic is summed up in the 5th verse of
our chapter:
You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to
show for it is a fatter than usual corpse.
James 5:5(MSG)
This is James’ way of describing
the transformation that can happen to you when your preoccupation in life is on
material things.
Two businessmen, vacationing at
Miami Beach, were comparing notes. I’m
here on insurance money, one
said. I collected $50,000 for fire
damage. Me too, the other replied. But I got $100,000 for flood damage.
After a long pause, the first man asked, Tell me, how do you start a
flood?[2]
At the outset, let us remember one
important thing about money, or things.
Money has no spiritual characteristics, no morality – money is amoral;
there is nothing intrinsically negative or positive about money.
James is not saying it is a sin to
be rich. That’s just a matter of how
much money you have. Rather, James wants
us to see that the potential for spiritual problems is the relationship one
bears to money – his own, or that which his neighbor possesses. That
is what gives money its power to become a god.
Timothy told us) it is…
…the love of money is the root of all
evil: 1 Timothy
6.10a(KJV)
The love of money –
materialism; when your things become your gods; when what you can get and keep
sits on the throne that rules your life.
This morning we will be like a
skilled diagnostician. We will first
look at the sickness – the Malady of Materialism. Then we will see the cure, the Medicine
for Materialism. Let’s take a
look at what you become, when things become your gods.
The Malady of
Materialism
A
person is transformed into many things when things or money becomes god in
life:
1. You Become an Idolater
Jesus
told the story of a rich fool (Luke 12). The man had so much. His harvest was many times larger than his
barns. He decided to hoard it all – he
would build bigger barns. That night he
died – and he kept nothing. He was a
fool.
We
have that mentality in our culture today.
Get it, spend it on yourself, or hold onto it for dear life. Friend, it doesn’t matter if you’re:
þ a
spendthrift, always in debt, wondering how you’ll pay this month’s light bill
þ rich
and enjoying every luxury
þ or
a skinflint, pinching every penny, stuffing 401K’s under 12
different assumed identities.
The
problem with spending or hoarding for you is the sickness of selfishness. It is self-idolatry. You tell God with your actions that
generosity, willing to give to my neighbor in need, is wrong – getting for me,
and holding on is right. It is a form of
idolatrous gluttony. Things become gods…and
gods rule wherever they’re worshipped.
#2. You Become an Oppressor
If
you’re successful enough to control a lot of money, you can then control people
with it. Jesus told another story a rich
man/poor man story. In Luke’s gospel
again (ch 16) we read of Lazarus and Dives. Lazarus was the poor beggar, sitting at the
Dives’ doorstep. He got scraps for his
living.
In
some way the rich man was responsible for the poor man. We know that because when they both died, the
rich man went to hell, and in the conversation he had with God from Hell, Jesus
tied the reason for that destination to the way he lived his life in
relationship to the poor man. It is the
same as Cain and Abel. God told Cain
that the blood of his brother Abel called out from the ground to convict Cain
for his actions.
In
our day we also have excuses: I
can’t feed everyone…The government should… God helps those who help themselves. In our country we should be ashamed to use
excuses. The poorest of us have ten
times more than half the world’s population.
Most Americans have a hundred times more than 90% of the world’s
people.
Oppression
is when you have – and others do not – and you won’t even try to help. It means the possessions you have possess
you! Things have become gods.
#3. You Become an Outsider
The
Kingdom of God is populated with people who voluntarily place themselves near
the King. It means we love what the King
loves, do what the King wants – we love the King.
The
fact is that God is not materially minded.
He spoke the universe into existence – along with the cattle on a
thousand hills. All of that means little
to Him – he simply did it to display His sovereignty and His glory.
Our
correct response as His created beings is to worship the Creator, and enjoy
what He has given us. When we begin to
worship our stuff, our nature changes.
We are outside of the Kingdom. Outside
the kingdom? This is what it means to be
an outsider:
Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter
through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the
city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol
worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
Revelation 22.14-15(NLT)
What
should be the cure? How do you change
from being a materialist?
The Medicine for
Materialism
James
is really specific. Here is how he tells
us what to do:
#1. If you’re poor, have Patience
Jesus
is the Master gardener, and he knows when the time will be ripe to settle
everything. We are not to grow impatient
with the way He handles things.
If
you are part of the have-not’s – don’t get impatient. Impersonating God (trying to call the shots,
run the world) carries an awful burden.
Rather, wait patiently, and let the Lord decide. You be faithful with whatever He places in
your hand. After all, if He owns it all,
He can decide where it goes.
#2. If you’re well-blessed, be Generous
A wake-up-call to the rich:
It
matters how you get money,
and it matters what you do with it.
I want to end today by sharing a testimony from a preacher’s
daughter…my oldest daughter, Jennifer Klim:
My husband
and I met the most extraordinary person today. I spent much of the afternoon in
tears, just humbled by this gentle, sweet man. His name is Zaki - Zaki Khalifa,
and he made such an impression on me today that I have to share this with you.
He owns one of the largest imported oriental rug stores in the United States.
Ken and I have been just taking our time looking for a new rug for a room in
our home, when we decided to visit Zaki's showroom today.
Zaki sat down to go over cost of the rugs we had chosen, and he was a quiet,
calm person, not in any rush to make the sale, just so polite, and acknowledged
that my husband seemed tired and told him he was glad he had the day off of
work to relax, ha! Ken asked him how long he had been there. He'd been in this
building for over 20 years, in business for over 40 years, and was closing this
location probably after market this year (our area has a famous furniture
market twice a year, the next one is in October). I asked him where he will go
after he closes it, and he said he would say good-bye!
I assumed he was retiring but that was when he said something so unexpected,
that I actually did the Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin double-handed face smack
... and he brought me to tears. He said,
"You know, I have given much money away over the years to help as many
people as I can." We had just been shown a special room where some of the
rugs cost $350,000 and were told of others that had recently sold for millions,
so I knew when he said that, he was talking about a lot of money.
"I've been in America for 40+ years, it has been my home, and I want to
help those who need the most help. People talk about poverty here, but you
don't know poverty until you've been to Pakistan. It's horrible. And what the
children go through is unimaginable. My wife and I try to go every year, but
you know, I am coming up on my 74th year. We were never able to have any children.
I have one brother who isn't married so I have no nephew ... you know, I have
to do something with my life from here. I've donated the previous buildings for
my company every time I move to a larger building, to help my community [one of
these houses a community against violence non-profit]. This current building,
and the rugs, are worth over $17 million. When it sells, I am donating it to
Akhuwat [a Pakistani non-profit that provides micro-loans with a 99.4% return
rate and free grade school education]. I'm not going to take a penny. [cue
tears and Home Alone] Pakistan is my home country. I've helped my community
here in America for the past 40 years, it's time to help those in poverty where
I am from, so I will do this. And my wife and I will move there, and teach the
children in the schools. [remember, he's 74] I could buy a house on the beach
and relax, but what is in that? There is no worth or value. Many of these
children will eat rice and beans for most of their life, very, very once in a
while will they eat a piece of chicken. Not like here in America."
This brought
us to a conversation about the standard american diet, of which I told him I
don't consume [if you know me and how I eat, I eat no animal products at all,
and eat a mostly unprocessed, whole foods diet.] He said that was just like his
wife. I told him even though I started eating that way to stop spending so much
time in the hospital, I couldn't eat an animal today if I had to, that for me,
I feel like animals are companions, not food. He agreed and said, "Of
course, it's a living thing - that wants to live!" Then he continued ...
"You
know, a thief is never successful enough - he always wants more. In the same
way, any amount of benevolence is never enough, the more you give, the more you
want to give. People are in need. Children pass out from not enough food. They
are disturbed when they have to not attend school on Sundays because it is the
only meal they get. My grandfather wrote a beautiful poem when helping to
negotiate the Indian subcontinent's independence in the 1940's that went
something like this, I will try to translate as best I can to English, my
English is not that good![it was great!] The poem says: 'Do not fear the
adverse and hostile winds, o eagle, for through them, you are lifted to the
heavens.' It was hard starting a new business, but today, my reward is that I
can give it all away. I am very blessed. [At this point, I can't control the
tears, they were just streaming down my cheeks.] Ken says, "You know, I
believe there is scripture that supports that as well ..." And Zaki said,
"YES! There is!"
<3
He continued,
"I could
buy a Rolls Royce if I wanted to ... but why? No, I couldn't. Not when people
are hungry and dying. No. We all have an obligation to get to know something
abut the world today that we didn't know yesterday, and the closer the area is
to us, the greater the obligation. So, do we get to know something about our
town, or do we stay very comfortable in our own very, very small comfort zone?
If we have lunch and dinner with the same people, and if we go dancing in the
ballroom and in the country club with the same people, we may consider
ourselves sophisticated, but the reality is the other extreme. Stop seeing and
start observing. Stop hearing and start listening. Most importantly, try every
day to reduce ignorance, arrogance and prejudice. I will always plan to carry
out my mission to serve humanity anywhere in the world and to promote
understanding between different people from around the world."
This was only a snippet of what all he said to me. He talked about the
missionary professor [one of his professors from college] who helped him as an
immigrant open his business and all the kindnesses he has been shown through
the years. Ken and I asked him lots of questions, and he asked us questions
too, we talked for almost an hour until another customer came in, who had
purchased rugs from him since the 1980's and also sang his praises. It was my
utter privilege to meet him and hear his great love for people - how hard he
worked, JUST so he could give. Since we left, I have read how he has been
honored locally and nationally, people everywhere can see his huge heart.
I left with a very full heart. (see Jennifer's post & leave a comment HERE)
If God has placed material things, riches in your hand, the
faithful response is, what, Lord? This is a good reminder – things are NOT
gods.
If
God has placed material things, riches in your hand, the faithful response is, what,
Lord? This is a good reminder –
things are NOT gods.
These things have I spoken unto you, That my joy might remain in
you, and that your joy might be full. –
Jesus
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Let the church say “Amen”!
[2] Joe McCarthy in The American Weekly, as quoted in
Reader’s Digest
