Christmas and Commercialism
1 Timothy 6:3-10
Sermon Series: Lego Church: Building a Foundation That Lasts
You are driving along in the right lane, and like any safe, responsible driver, you check your rearview mirror. The left lane looks wide open, so you put on your blinker and begin easing over.
But unbeknownst to you, there is a car right next to you. When you begin moving over to the left, the other car lays on its horn. Initially frightened, you swerve back over into your own lane and attempt to catch your breath. Immediately you begin to wonder, “Where did that car come from?” You failed to account for your blind spot.
Part of our sinful nature instinctively chooses to see what we want to see, and to ignore, until it is too late, and the damage is done. Today, we want to ask, “Where do I have blind spots?” Are there areas where we, as individuals or as churches, are blind to our own sin-even blatant sin?
- The Awareness Required.
Materialism has blinded many of us from seeing the things God would have us to see. In our culture, in our churches, and in our lives, we have failed to take notice of some pressing needs all around us.
- The world needs the gospel (Rom. 10:10-17).
Out of the seven billion people in the world, only one-third claim to be Christian. That leaves us with 4.7 billion people in the world today who are on a road that leads to an eternal hell. And two billion of those 4.7 billion unbelievers have no access to the gospel.
That is a sobering reality. To put that in perspective, think of one particular region in northern India. Given that the death rate in this region is about five thousand people per day, and the number of evangelicals is estimated at less than .01 percent, about 9,999 people plunge into hell every two days. That is urgent spiritual need.
Romans 10:10-17:
“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved…How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them…?”
- The world is in poverty (Prov. 28:27; 1 John 3:17).
Today, over one billion people live and die in desperate poverty on less than one dollar per day. Close to a billion others live on less than two dollars per day. That means nearly half of the world is struggling to find food, shelter, and medical care for the same amount of money you and I can spend on a canned drink.
Proverbs 28:27:“Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”
Consider that more than 20,000 children will die this very day due to starvation or preventable disease. In the country of Somalia, for example, more than 750,000 people are on the verge of starvation at this moment, and most of them are without Christ.
1 John 3:17: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
This should motivate us to seek how we can advance God’s kingdom in our community, nation, and world.
God has given us so much, but what are we doing with these great blessings? What would happen if we truly recognized all that God has given us? And what we could be a part of if we would truly, wholeheartedly, and counterculturally give our lives, our families, and our possessions for the spread of the gospel and the glory of God?
That is where I want to be-leading my family and my church to take advantage of the kingdom opportunity God has given to us.
- The Warning Given (1 Tim. 6:3-10).
Beginning in verse 3, Paul once again addresses the false teachers in Ephesus, referring to two of their destructive “cravings.” First, in verse 4 he says that the one who teaches false doctrine has “an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions.”
In verse 10 Paul talks about the love of money and says that “by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
Warning #1: Don’t crave spiritual division (Jude 1:16-19).
Paul is addressing those who were teaching “other doctrine,” by which he means a teaching that is contrary to the truth. And this kind of teaching leads to division in the church.
Paul tells us false teachers are fueled by ignorance and arrogance. Verse 4 says that they are “conceited, understanding nothing.” False teaching also results in controversy and strife.
Paul listed five different effects of these false teachers on the church: “envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, and constant disagreement” (vv.4-5).
Jude 1:16-19: “These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. 17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our LORD Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”
The encouragement: Be content in the gospel (Phil. 4:19).
This is essentially what Paul is getting at in verse 3 when he said to hold fast to the “sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and…the teaching that promotes godliness.”
There is no need to graduate on to something beyond the gospel. As believers, we are to remain in the truth and spend our lives there. We need to be saturated in the gospel of Jesus Christ, His life, His death, and His resurrection.
If we hold fast to this gospel, then it will produce godly minds and godly lives.
Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Warning #2: Don’t crave material possessions (Mt. 6:19-21).
There is a connection to make here between what the false teachers were teaching and how they were living. These individuals thought godliness was a means of “material gain” (v.5), meaning financial profit.
We need to be clear on this subject since Paul states near the end of this same chapter that God “richly provides us with all things to enjoy” (v.17). Things or possessions are not inherently bad, nor is money intrinsically evil.
Remember, it is not money that is the root of all kinds of evil but “the love of money” (v.10). As believers, we should take this as a warning to be on guard against cravings that lead us to desire the next gadget, a bigger house, or designer clothes.
The warning Paul gives about material possessions is similar to the caution Jesus gave in Matthew 6:19-21:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The encouragement: Be content in God (Phil. 4:11-12).
As opposed to the false teachers who were trying to use godliness as a way to get material gain, Paul said in verse 6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Notice Paul did not say, “Stop living for gain.” Instead, he said to live for great gain, that is, eternal, infinite gain. There is Someone who is better than money. Don’t settle for the love of money; be satisfied in the love of God. That is what it means to have “godliness with contentment.”
Philippians 4:11-13:
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I 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. 13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
As we live simply and give sacrificially, it will cause to thrive eternally.
When we prize God above our possessions, we will naturally be proclaiming the gospel is good. The gospel is, after all, good news. Paul says in 2 Cor. 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His power you might become rich.”
The Bible describes the incarnation in the languages of riches and poverty. Christ became poor, taking our sin upon Himself, so that we might have His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).
Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate.
He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, “I am your king!” The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn’t. Instead he said, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!”
The King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and me. The Bible calls Him, “the unspeakable gift!”
We can tell every person and every people group on the planet that God has become poor so that they might become rich if they will repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ.
Family Altar Discussion Questions
- How does Satan use materialism to blind Christians to the needs of the world?
- What is holding you back from giving radically of your money, time, and family to God’s work?
- How might a church unintentionally show preference to wealthier members and visitors? How might this be corrected?
- Why do people have a tendency to look to materialism for satisfaction rather than to God? How do we fight against this tendency?
- How much does your church give to world missions? What percentage is that of the total budget? Is that amount consistent with God’s command toreach the world with the gospel?