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July 9, 2014

Christ and Our Culture Wednesday Class Series Summer 2014 Week 6: The One Who Dies With the Most , Wins On consumption and consumerism. July 9, 2014. Class description.

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July 9, 2014

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  1. Christ and Our CultureWednesday Class SeriesSummer 2014Week 6: The One Who Dies With the Most, WinsOn consumption and consumerism July 9, 2014

  2. Class description The purpose of this class is to present cultural beliefs and “truths” that may have been incorporated in the beliefs of the faithful. These cultural beliefs often have elements of Christian belief but do not stand when exposed to the light. The class approach will be to present a social topic, present the cultural view and then the Christ-like view. When these 2 views are in conflict, then the class will focus on ways to eliminate cultural view from our behavior. Because of the complexity of the topics and the short time frame, no topic will be covered in depth.

  3. Class outline 6/4Introduction Personal statement of belief and bias; study of conflict 6/11Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness On the defense of both my and your rights 6/18Of the People, By the People, For the People On the role of government and political activism 6/25Till Death Do Us Part On marriage and sexuality

  4. Class outline (part 2) 7/2 The Wealth of Nations On the accumulation and distribution of wealth 7/9 The One Who Dies With the Most, Wins On consumption and consumerism 7/16The Art of War On sovereign conflict, the military, and government service 7/23Give me Your Tired On the social outcasts and downtrodden

  5. Class outline (I think) (part 3) 7/30All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy On work, rest, and entertainment 8/6We Have the Technology On science and medical advances 8/13Teach the Children Well On education and the pursuit of knowledge 8/20Alpha and Omega On the nature of our Savior

  6. Personal views and biases • I believe that the scripture is the revealed Word of God. • I believe that Jesus is the focus of the entire Bible (including the Old Testament). • I believe that our fundamental beliefs as followers of Jesus is that He is God, he came as Man, that He lived a sinless life, that He gave Himself as a sacrifice for the atonement of our sins, that He was resurrected from the dead, and that He is the only way to salvation.

  7. More biases • I believe that the New Testament was written to the saved (i.e. the Church) not the lost. • I Corinthians 5: 9-13 • I believe that believers can misunderstand scripture when they alter God’s precision. • God’s command to Adam • Do not eat of the tree of KoGE • Eve’s repeat of the command • Do not eat and do not touch… • Trouble, trouble, trouble

  8. And finally, even more biases • Currently I have no debt though I have had it in the past • School loans (R) and credit card debt (R&B) out of college • Car loans (R&B) • Home mortgage • Current assets include • TSP retirement account (similar to a 401(k)) • House • IRA • 3 cars

  9. Class authority • I have none except to select the topics and how to present them • I am flawed, opinionated, sinful, … • The authority is with God and scripture accurately represents His view • My goal is to best encourage each of us to examine our hearts and our beliefs, to examine scripture, and to faithfully and joyfully implement.

  10. My encouragement • Bereans did not take Paul at his word but checked what he said against scripture • Acts 17: 11 • Neither accept or reject what I say without examining the scriptures.

  11. Class dynamics and issue mitigation There are several very involved topics to be covered in a 1 hour class period so class time will be premium. However, • I am willing to discuss after class as long as I reasonably can • I am willing to attend other classes or life talks if you are interested in further discussions. • I am willing to regularly check my email for the duration of this class //centralfamily.org under Sermon MP3s Robert.L.Wade@knology.net

  12. Review of week 5’s class on wealth • Ownership of property has both elements of individual ownership and community ownership but truly God has ownership. • We are stewards of God’s wealth. • The purpose of wealth is bring others to godliness. • There is no condemnation of wealth but it is very dangerous to amass (Matthew 19: 23-26)

  13. The bacon dilemma

  14. We live in a consumption society • Every taste or preference is met (usually). • Every need or want is being met and met now. • Henry Ford is known for saying: • You can have a Model T in any color you want as long as it is black. • Now, we throw away or dispose of useful, working products when new, improved models come out. • Our economy is dependent upon our consumption more than our production (in the view of the government). • Consumption then drives debt accumulation.

  15. Debt and sovereignty (founding “son”) • Alexander Hamilton • First US Secy. Of the Treasury • Pushed Pres. Washington to have the Federal govt. assume all state debt related to the War. • Reason: A nation • Could not be sovereign if it could not defend itself (engage in war) • Could not make war without good credit

  16. Debt and sovereignty (scripture) • Deuteronomy 15: 1-6 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

  17. Wisdom: living within our means • How much of our debt is the result of our unbounded consumption • Remember, money is fungible. • A dollar spent on entertainment is the same as a dollar spent on necessities. • There are many who are speaking out against debt both from a Christian and cultural point of view • Ramsey, Orman

  18. Romans 13: 6-10 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. 8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

  19. Let’s read Luke 12: 16-21 (again) 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Question: Was the rich fool living within his means?

  20. Living within our means revisited • It seems to me that • It leads to good citizenship • Stable families and households • Stable economies • Wisdom, yes, but worldly wisdom • Is living within our means the scriptural teaching? • Would you consider an alternative?

  21. The daily bread • Exodus 16: 4-30 • Manna appeared in the morning for 6 days • People to gather what they needed for each day • On 6th day, gather 2 days worth because the 7th day was the Sabbath • Repeat • Matthew 6: 5-15 • We ask for our daily bread

  22. Luke 12: 22-30 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

  23. Other verses • Philippians 4: 19 • And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. • Isaiah 58: 11 • The Lord will guide you always;    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land    and will strengthen your frame.

  24. For your consideration • The foolish culture says to get as much as you can • The wise culture says live within your means • Wise, yes, but worldly wise • I believe that scripture says to live within your needs, not means.

  25. Living within your needs • Implies living within your means • Needs are what are required • Means are what you are capable of acquiring • Needs include your household (I Timothy 5:8) • Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

  26. And what about the rest • Have we considered the Lord’s generosity • The creation supports us • Forgiveness that we could not attain on our own (Romans 5:1-8) • The huge debt that was canceled (Matthew 18:21-35)

  27. What I am not saying • I am not saying that we should not save • For retirement • For things

  28. Summary • I propose that the biblical view of consumption should be to consume what we need and to consider being generous with the rest.

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