Join Jeff Archie as he leads a compelling discussion on the dangers of materialism using the wise teachings of Solomon and other notable biblical references. This episode guides listeners through a spiritual examination of wealth, illustrating how the desire for material possessions can drive a wedge between us and our Creator. By highlighting various biblical examples, find out how the pursuit of riches led to detrimental consequences while discovering the path to true spiritual fulfillment through prioritizing heavenly treasures.
Give me neither poverty nor riches, old words from long ago that should be the plea of all of us today. So we’re going to think on that plea as we study the Scriptures today from the International Gospel Hour. We’ll be back in a moment.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web, and greetings to all of you. We appreciate our J-Web, his comments. And coming up, Jay’s going to tell you about a great online publication that you can have absolutely free. He’ll let you know about our Bible study course by mail. All that’s coming up today on our broadcast from International Gospel Hour. Now, speaking of the offers that Jay mentioned, I want you to know, that everything that we offer for study material from International Gospel Hour is absolutely free. That’s right. We don’t want your money, friends. We appreciate your kindness, but we don’t want your money. We want you to have available, absolutely free from God’s Word to study together His Word. I was asked recently by a gracious program manager, tell me a little bit what makes your broadcast different. And my reply was, we offer things free. Dear friends, we’re not going to ask for your money. We’re grateful through gifts from churches of Christ and interested Christians that we’re able to do these things. We receive a number of donations from places such as Apologetics Press and our good friends down around Beaufort, Georgia with God and Man. We’re grateful for their work and we’re grateful that we can offer these materials absolutely free. Now, let’s think about our lesson text today of Proverbs 30 verses 8 and 9. Remove falsehood and lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food allotted to me, lest I be full and deny you and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. Oh, friends, if we would but listen to those that speak from experience. The author, through inspiration, this being Solomon, was truly one who could speak from experience. He spoke from wisdom and acknowledged the wealth he had and everything penned through the inspiration of God for every man and woman to know. I mean, every Bible student sees that in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon learned and desired balance. If too much, he would deny God, for the things would become his God. If too little, he would rebel against God with dishonesty and deceit. You know, friends, it is easily possible to lose focus on God and Christ for the things of this world. I mean, look around, friends. You see it every day. You and I have probably come across individuals who, as Paul warned in Romans 1.25, that worship and serve the creation more than the Creator. Oh, dear friends, their golf game, their fishing trips, their ball tournaments, take them away from worship. What about unto Timothy in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 4? He speaks against those who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Did not Jesus teach in Matthew 6.24 that no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other? You cannot serve God and mammon. The wise man Solomon said it exactly, lest I be full and deny you. This is the exact definition of materialism. Materialism defined is a preoccupation with or an emphasis on material objects, comforts and considerations, with a watch it, with a disinterest in or a rejection of spiritual, intellectual or cultural values. So friends, lest one be full of materialism and deny God, let’s spend a few moments to see what the Bible says about materialism and let’s learn to avoid it. Before we begin that study, let’s pause for our J-Web with a free online offer.
SPEAKER 02 :
A great online publication is the Gospel Gleaner. For over 30 years, the Gospel Gleaner has presented excellent sound biblical articles for reading and study. It is published quarterly, four times a year. Subscriptions are free. Just go to gospelgleaner.com and sign up for their email version. Be sure to post in the comments blank you heard about it from the International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
How simple it is, friends, just to go to gospelcleaner.com and sign up for your free publication. We hope it will be a blessing to you. Now let’s talk about materialism and let’s begin by seeing what it did to those in the Bible. In Joshua 7, it cost Achan his life and God’s people a battle. When Achan’s greed took among the spoils when he should not have taken it, and when he took among the spoils of battle and hid them in his tent, it cost God’s people a battle at Ai. What about Naboth? Well, it cost his life due to the greed and the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings 21. They wanted his vineyard. Naboth said no, and their greed and wickedness had Naboth killed. Can you imagine that? With Judas in Matthew 26, verses 14 through 16, he sold out the Christ for 30 pieces of silver, probably one of the more commonly known materialistic approaches or choices that were wrong. It ruined the focus of the rich farmer in Luke 12, 13 through 21. He began to focus on how good he had had it and was thinking about how good it could be or that he was sure it was going to be good. But God told him he was a fool, and that night his soul would be required of him. In other words, he would not live to see what he had desired. In Luke 15, verse 13, materialism took the prodigal son away from home. In Luke 16, verses 19 and following, it cost the rich man his soul. It kept the rich young ruler from following Christ. In Luke 18, 18-27, and it caused Ananias and Sapphira to lie to Then to lie down in death, Acts chapter 5, verse 1 and following. Now quite simply, friends, the hearts of all of these individuals were focused on the material rather than the spiritual. And that set a priority in each life to where they made the wrong decisions. You know, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the material things at our disposal. We need things to survive. But it is when we put the creation before the Creator. And these inspired examples show us what happens when we desire to be full with the things of the world and deny God. Everyone had a desire over God. And such should not be the case. Well, obviously, friends, it leads to one’s downfall. The priorities are wrong, and this we’ve seen. But let’s look a little further what materialism will do today. For example, from Luke chapter 12 of the rich farmer, When I look at verse 15, riches will deceive man with wealth and possessions and tells man that he himself has all the answers because of the abundance of things he has. I mean, he was ready to tear down his barns and build bigger barns thinking he would have the same response next year in farming. Any farmer will tell you that’s not the case. In Ephesians 5 and verse 5, covetousness is called idolatry. Earthly material things will cost a man his heavenly inheritance. Listen to what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6, 9 and 10. But those who desire to be rich, that’s their option, that’s their choice, that is their focus. They will fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. It will take one farther than they had planned to go. It begins somewhat small and increases more and more as one is involved. Now, friends, let me make a point here. So many times people will say, well, money is the root of all evil. No, no, no, no. 1 Timothy 6, 10. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. You see, materialism will take one further from God. This we’ve seen in examples and even as we have expanded our discussion. So, how do we avoid the trap of materialism? Well, first of all, we want to make sure that spiritually we are set to where we need to be. That spiritually we are set. Through our faith in God. Repentance of our sins, confession of our faith, and baptism into Christ for the remission of our sins, to be saved and added to the church, and to walk a faithful life, to where we are focusing on the spiritual and not the material. Then we set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth, Colossians 3, 1-5. We are to invest in the treasures of things above, Matthew 6, 19-21. So our investments are aimed toward God first. And we seek the kingdom of God, Matthew 6, verse 33. We keep our goals in mind and we invest our lives toward God. This way, friends, we are not denying God by being full of these things while here on this earth. We have our priorities set spiritually. Therefore, we’re setting our affection on things above. We’re looking more at the heavenly more than the earthly. Therefore, investing our treasures and entrusting ourselves in God. But our investments are toward God first. We seek His kingdom. We keep our goals in mind as we invest our lives toward God. And we are like in the days of the proverb writer. We’re not desiring poverty nor riches, but to desire what God will allow to us. Let’s think on these things and maybe we need to change our thinking on the things of the world. Friend, we always want to encourage Bible study in between our broadcast, to search the Scriptures and to see God’s will. So very quickly, before I part from you, here is our J-Web of how you can receive our Bible course by mail.
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Our well-received Bible study course by mail is available to everyone absolutely free. Would you like to try it? Amen. Amen. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. Again, it’s free. Give it a try. And it’s from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
And friends, with that being said, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and as always, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again, or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
