The Danger of Consumerism

Matthew 16:21-28: John 6:60-66

Introduction: As we continue our series on true stories, shaping our minds through scripture. We find ourselves in the book of Matthew chapter 16. Our subject deals with a long old age issue to help us see through scripture the dangers of consumerism. We are living in a consumer-driven society, where social media reviews are forcing companies to cater to customers in extreme ways to meet their ever-growing list of preferences. Christians have not actively resisted that culture of me-first. However, scripture calls us to contribute to the world in meaningful ways, not just sit back and receive. One of our scriptures of focus gives us our question of the day. Matthew 16:26 “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul” This is a powerful l saying that we have been preaching and teaching in a consumerism world. Consumerism has been a plague in churches for a long time. Another word for consumerism is preferences. We spoke about this on Wednesday nights as we dive into the autopsy of deceased churches. We cannot allow the church to be consumed with preference-filled people(repeat), nor can we allow this world to influence us in the church. The church used to be a sacred place of gospel and truth. A place that held its values High and the bible was the true ladder to righteousness. Now it is challenged, questioned, altered, and tapered with by consumerism that continues to take ownership in our pews and our hearts. When people approach church as consumers shopping for a product, it is tempting for Christians—especially church leaders—to respond with a similar mindset: What is that mindset “We view church as a product that must please customers in order to sell.” I was reading this book the other day called “God in the Wasteland” and came across this story “The other day. A new church recently opened in my neighborhood. How did I know? Well, it was hard not to notice when you were bombarded with letters, postcards, and phone calls. I am happy that another church has opened its doors. What bothered me were the marketing techniques used. Besides the intrusive telemarketing approach, the postcards I received pushed a very clear message: we give you what you want. Anything from famous TV personalities and energetic music to fresh hot Starbucks coffee waiting for you at the front door! And I am not kidding. The Starbuck’s coffee was one of the church’s “selling points.”

I am not against good coffee or TV personalities. But I am concerned that well-meaning Christians and churches are buying into consumerism, which says, “Anything you want (not what you need), you got it.” Theologian and author of the book David Wells said argues that North American evangelicals have allowed consumerism to turn the God of mercy into a god at our mercy, satisfying our wants (p. 114). We must and it's our duty and obligation to stand on the truth.

Last week spoke about how God is no longer going to seek us but rather we are to seek Him. When we seek Him it’s because we know who the true God is. We know what He has to offer and that His plan can set me free to live a good life. What type of consumerism Christians are we seeing?“vicarious emotional Christians.” Casual emotions brought on by personal thoughts, feelings and behavior that creates sympathetic optional believes in Jesus Christ.”

“We start making stuff up based off our trauma”

The church must be careful not to nurture this type of personality.

I’ve spoken to some people in the past few days and they were telling me how a person was looking for a jubilee type of singing and if they don’t hear it they will get up and walk out of the church. That’s being a vicarious emotional Christian, and it's dangerous. Let's pull up the personalities that we spoke about a few weeks ago. Rejection, Abandonment, and Abuse. This is the root of this type of Christianity. But Jesus calls us to a different approach than a consumer model. Though it is often not a popular message, the Gospel should always point to Christ, and through Christ back to the Father. So back to the statement in Matthew instead of gaining or pursuing everything in the world, we should contribute to it more than what we gain.

Jesus helps to define this label more in Matthew and even other books in the bible. but for today’s lesson we are going to see how Jesus deals with this matter in Matthew 16. In the previous chapters leading up to Matt. 16, Jesus has been pushing back on man-made religion. Religion can hold a ton of power for people. Invincibility and determination that is hard to change or correct. You may experience this on your job when trying to tell your boss about something they stated that is wrong. Therefore, when you push at power, it sometimes shoves you back as Jesus experienced in Matthew 16.

Verse 1-4, One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. 2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times![a] 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.[b]” Then Jesus left them and went away.

the word one day actually means another day. meaning this is not the first day or test that has occured. As Jesus returned to Israel, He was again confronted by religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees. You have to love Jesus is sarcasm here, a sign from heaven you say, you can almost picture him wetting his finger and holding it up in the air.

He looks up to the sky and starts to talk about the weather. So I came up with a name for Jesus in this text. Cheeky Jesus is one of my favorite versions of Jesus, he has an endearing and amusing spirit. Jesus must have this type of spirit to endure with the nonsense Ee expreicences throughout his ministry here on earth. Particularly when he’s hitting back at religion. you know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times a wicked in adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it, except for the sign of Jonah yeah Jesus says you’ve had more signs than you can even process and you’ve not been paying attention. Jesus does say they’ll get one more sign the sign of Noah but what was the people repenting? They had already seen that already. Jesus calming the wind in the waves they already seen that too, but when Jonah was vomited out of the whale, his pail skin, bleach, white by the whale stomach acid made him look like the walking dead. which He had previously given them earlier in chapter (12:38–42), It was a resurrection of sorts. Stay tuned, Jesus says and walks away. They tested Him by asking for a sign from heaven. By this they were again saying that they rejected all the signs Jesus had performed before their eyes (cf. Matt. 12:38). Such a wicked generation would not receive any special treatment. Why does he keep calling them a wicked generation, because they were careful observers of weather signs and could fairly well forecast whether the weather would be good or threatening. And they where surrounded by spiritual signs relating to the person of Jesus Christ and had missed them all.

Jesus was not a sign-worker simply for the sake of working signs. He wasn't going to lick his finger put it in the air tell them what percipitation was coming. He was not a puppet on strings to perform at their command.

Then Jesus left them and went away. Cheeky Jesus is cool, but Mike drop Jesus is even cooler and Jesus knows that unbelief and cynicism spread like a virus so in verse six he tells the disciples to be careful and be on their guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This was a slam against the teaching of the religious Pharisees and Sadducees because it had become all about opinions instead of what God did, and said. 2 points I want to share with you in this verse.

1. Leaven or yeast is understood to symbolize something negative. We all should be able to speak about some things that are not right. Whether against yourself or others. especially when dealing with children.

2. Removing leaven from a person's diet was an expression of your faith. everything that we think is good for the church is not always good. I found out the other day that a friend I grew up with is dealing with some kidney issues. Since we are wearing red today for heart awareness. He was a body builder and he would take these supplements that were legal over the counter but may have some underlying issues to what he is dealing with. I pray it's not but everything that commercial tells you is not correct and as my wife tells me read the ingredients because things that taste good and have no sugar have something worse for you.

Louis Barbieri said

The nature of yeast is such that once the process of leavening begins, it is impossible to stop.

Louis A. Barbieri Jr.

Verse 7-11

7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

How often do we tell our kids to be careful of certain people? How often do we listen to those warnings for ourselves?

So Jesus took His disciples to the region of Cesaria, Philippi, an area noted for paganism. You know religions are in a bad place when pagans are a breath of fresh air.

It’s the furthest out he has ever taken them and there were few people there who would’ve heard of them so Jesus asked the disciples about people's opinions in verse 13 who do people say the son of man is, they Replied Some say John the Baptist other say Elijah and Still others Jeremiah, one of the profits what about you? He asked who do you say I am before we answer let me pause this say that this question of who we say Jesus is is the most important question any of us will ever answer and Peter doesn’t hesitate for 16 you are the Messiah, the son of the living God Jesus reply bless you, Simon, son of Bar-Jonah. This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven, and I tell you that you are, Peter, and all this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

I want you to notice this, How excited Jesus is and that it takes one person for Him to build His church on. One person’s belief is what built the church. Church just imagine how strong the church can be if more than one person believes. If that number begins to add, then multiply how powerful the kingdom of God can be if we believe. Notice the word that Jesus continues to ask in verse 8-11. What’s a word that stands out? “ Understand” Peter’s belief led him to an understanding or comprehension that goes ways beyond mans thinking and that why Jesus says for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven is what led to his belief that started the foundational work of Christ’s Church. Anselm of Canterbury said this

For I seek not to understand in order that I may believe; but I believe in order that I may understand, for I believe for this reason: that unless I believe, I cannot understand.

Anselm of Canterbury

John 6:60–66 (NKJV)

60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

We see the disciples and Jesus both attract and repel massive crowds all within a 48 hour period. Jesus was not able to please a vicarious emotional christian.

The apostle says it like this in And yet the apostle Paul can say, “I try to please everyone in everything I do” (1 Corinthians 10:33). Everyone in everything. What did he mean? We should want to know because in the very next verse he writes, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Evidently, striving to please people is not as bad as we may have assumed. The apostle, imitating Christ himself, devoted himself to pleasing people. To please people, then, is to pursue holiness, to mature into Christlikeness, to be like God. so what is he saying? “Churches must persistently strive to please people, and we must passionately avoid striving to please people.”

Jesus says I’m not in the business of giving you want, but rather what you need.

So church shall we allow the world to control our faithfulness, dedication and loyalty?

#VICARIOUS EMOTIONAL CHRISTIANS