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In our series entitled 'Making the Most out of Your Life' we learned last week that to experience the abundant life we must be willing to give up our life, or our agenda. We learned Jesus' three-step process to find our life: self-denial, willingness to take up our cross (die for Christ), and following Jesus. This week we examine one of the striking warnings Jesus repeated throughout the New Testament, a warning against a predator that can destroy our life. Is it immoral sin, anger, our treatment of others? No, the most prevalent warning of Jesus was against a love of material things.

Inherent greed

Bermuda is a society that is set up for greed. We have a fairly lucrative economy and our children often have the best and the latest.

We are saturated with an abundance of name brands in our closets, plasma screens in our homes, video game stations, and periodic trips to purchase things that are yet to be worn or used.

The great deception in the western world is that we think that life is about what we have. There is the unspoken competition that consists of the expenditure of relentless energy to keep up with our friends, co-workers, and neighbours.

As a result we can be deceived into thinking that life is about what we possess materially rather than who we are in character. In both Jesus' day and ours, the bonds of material things were so capable of luring people into a false life that Jesus warned about greed and money in over 60 per cent of his parables.

Nothing changes

It amazes me that even though Jesus was on the Earth over 2000 years ago, we are still faced with the same dilemmas prevalent in his culture.... people who feel that material things are more important than anything else in life. Let's look at what Jesus taught.

Jesus told an anxious man who wanted his brother to divide his inheritance with him to.... "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist of the abundance of the things he possesses." (Luke 12:15b).

There is more to life than the accumulation of 'stuff". In fact, this is not life at all. Real life is found in an intimate relationship with God and growing your care and love for others.

The great warning is that we have to be careful of the deception of material things, especially in our culture.

So what does God have to say about all this? Are riches wrong? No; but the worship and obsession with riches is. Let's look at this striking truth in 1 Timothy 6 in two parts...

If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. (Vs. 3 - 7)

The Bible teaches us something that goes against the tireless quest to keep up with all the new and improved products. The Bible teaches that we should be content rather than thinking that godly living is a means to get rich. God is not asking us to serve Him so we can have big bank accounts; rather He wants us to serve Him because we love Him. Notice that one can be rich in things, but robbed of the truth!

The advice continues in the last part of this passage:

We came with nothing

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (Vs. 7-10).

The reality of life is that we came into the world with nothing and we will take nothing with us to the next life. I have never seen a trailer or U-Haul in a funeral procession...our material possessions will remain in the material world.

Material things are to be used in the present world for the glory of God, rather than to enhance our stature among men or encourage greed. The greatest needs we have are for food and clothing. Once that has been achieved everything else is a bonus and can also be a distraction.

Notice that the root of all kinds of evil is the 'love' of money. Jesus continually warned that we cannot serve both God and money; we must choose one or the other because serving one cancels out the priority of the other. If you look at all of the ills of our world today, most of it has money behind it as the ultimate goal... the illegal drug trade, prostitution, break-ins, fraudulent business deals, and international disputes.

The most important thing we can do as believers is to protect ourselves against the need for greed, and realize that real life is in serving God and others. The church's calling is to meet the needs of others, seeking to even help those that cannot 'pay' us back. Material goals can keep you from helping orphans and widows; it can prevent you from being a foster parent, or doing more in your church; and it can keep you from loving God as you should and developing the relationships that are around you.

The next time you see the bumper sticker, "He who dies with the most toys wins", remember: he who dies with the most toys...still dies. So let's maximize our lives for God's kingdom... and use our possessions for the glory of God.

Pastor Gary C. Simons serves as the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, 82 Church Street, Hamilton, Bermuda

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