“The American Dream”
January 31st, 2010We hear th
e phrase “The American Dream” all of the time. It is conjured up as some bucolic image of hearth, home and community. But, lately, the image of the American Dream has changed. In the past decade, the image has shifted to one of (over) consumption. The American Dream has come to mean, I have a right to have whatever I want to have whenever I want to have it. This has led to some serious financial problems for a lot of people. What do we do when our American Dream becomes, to quote Pastor Adam Hamilton, “an American nightmare”?
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Matthew 4:1-10
1. Recently, I have been doing something that I promised myself I would never do.
a. Saying things to Corran like, “there are children in Haiti that are starving.”
b. If he does not demonstrate the appropriate amount of gratitude or appreciation for what he has…the words just come out of my mouth.
c. My goal – Corran always puts the things that he has and the life that he enjoys in context. We are the exception, living in Orange County, Ca. We live better than most of the world.
d. What we consider to be “needs” (e.g. batteries for DSI, a new laptop, etc.), most of the world considers luxuries.
e. So, I am get up on my daddy’s high horse and instruct my son in the “realities of the world.”
2. And then after saying that to Corran, I go somewhere and see something that I want (no, something I need). And all sense of priority goes out the window.
a. At a friends house – 50” flat-screen TV.
b. Dedicated media room.
c. Or worse, I am walking through South Coast Plaza (to get a gift for someone) and I happen upon the Paradise Pen store. “I will just go in and look.”
d. Then I see it – Montblanc, limited edition Charles Dickens fountain pen with a Rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib (only $750).
e. “I NEED one of those!
f. And thus, a debtor is made.
3. Temptation is a real challenge in our lives, especially when it involves getting cool stuff. Even Jesus faced temptation.
a. He was just baptized, ready to begin his public ministry. But, he was led by the spirit into the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days.
b. We are meant, as we hear this to remember back to the 40 years that the Israelites spent in the wilderness, to remember how many times they succumbed to the very temptations that Jesus was about to face.
c. Three temptations that Jesus faces can be categorized in this way.
i. Hunger
ii. Assurance of God’s care.
iii. Idolatry.
d. The temptations appealed to that art of Jesus’ that might want to be in charge of this whole enterprise, that part of him that thought, I can do this messiah thing better than God can.
4. But, Jesus, despite his weakened state, was able to resist temptation. And he was ready to begin his ministry.
a. Something we need to know about temptation.
b. William Barclay – “Now, here is the great and uplifting truth. What we call temptation is not meant to make us sin; it is to enable us to conquer sin. It is not meant to make us bad; it is meant to make us good.”
c. And that is important to recognize. We think of temptation in terms of something that we want to satisfy (“I really want that pen, then I will be happy”).
d. But the truth is, that the happiness that God has in store for us, a happiness that truly is outside of our control (or understanding), is won not by succumbing to temptation, but by – with God’s help – overcoming it.
5. How do we resist the temptation when it comes, especially the temptation to keep up with the Jones?
a. Like Jesus we have to be focused and ready when it comes.
b. Today, “Where is God in a Recession?” There is a great temptation that we all face everyday of our lives. It is called “The American Dream.”
c. We talk about this dream in magical terms, but at its core it is the ability and the right to have stuff. I grew up knowing in the core of my being, that owning a house was the American dream.
d. Growing up – home ownership was a virtue that called for prudence, patience, and responsibility.
e. But, lately, to quote Pastor Adam Hamilton, our American dream has become a nightmare.
f. People owing more for homes than the homes are worth, etc.
g. And how did this happen? We succumbed to the temptation that was presented to us. Have more, get more, buy more, and you can be more.
h. And now our American dream has become a nightmare.
6. And you know what, the church is partly to blame. That’s right. Resisting temptation is our business. It’s kind of our bread and butter. But, when it comes to financial matters, we don’t like to talk about it.
a. But, if we are not talking about it, and empowering people with the tools they need, than we are simply setting people up to succumb to temptation when it arrives.
b. As we consider the question, “where is God in a recession,” we certainly need to talk honestly about money and the place it has in our lives, or else we are just navel-gazing.
c. In the Methodist tradition, John Wesley spoke often about money and how Christians should deal with it.
d. He even wrote entire sermons dedicated to this subject. One such sermon, appropriately entitled “The Use of Money,” Wesley chides the church for not talking about how financial matters and spiritual ones are connected.
e. He writes, “An excellent branch of Christian wisdom is here inculcated by our Lord on all his followers, namely, the right use of money — a subject largely spoken of, after their manner, by men of the world; but not sufficiently considered by those whom God hath chosen out of the world. These, generally, do not consider, as the importance of the subject requires, the use of this excellent talent. Neither do they understand how to employ it to the greatest advantage; the introduction of which into the world is one admirable instance of the wise and gracious providence of God.”
f. Basically, he is saying that “people of the world” pay attention to money, and if we in the church are truly going to be stewards of resources that God has provided, than so should we.
g. He goes on to lie out a plan that is very simple. “Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbor…save all you can, by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire… and then, give all you can, or, in other words, give all you have to God.
7. Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can. That’s it. In his book, Enough, which we will be hearing about later in the year, Adam Hamilton adapts Wesley’s principles this way.
a. First, pay your tithe or offering to the church. This establishes for you and your family a clear sense of priorities.
b. Second, create a budget and track your expenses. We cannot change our spending habits unless we know what they are.
c. Third, simplify your life style. That one is a hard one, isn’t it? What we consider “necessities” are really luxuries. 6th grade teacher – “wants” and “needs.”
d. Establish an emergency fund – thus relieving the need to go into debt when unexpected expenses arise.
e. Pay of credit cards. They are a killer. And the hope that they offer is illusory.
f. Save. Save. Save.
8. I know that many of you are thinking; I want to do better. I want to have more control, and I want God to be a part of how I manage my finances. But, what can I do?
a. Let me share with you something really exciting that I believe will make a difference in all of our lives and will give us that roadmap to living lives “rich toward God”.
b. On Feb 13, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, in this very room, LOTC will be hosting a workshop entitled “Your Money or Your Life.” Two great speakers that will provide practical wisdom.
c. This is not the final answer to all of our financial questions, but it is a nuts-and-bolts, hands-on approach. And I promise that you will leave there with more wisdom than when you came in.
9. My friends, temptation is real and it is a monster. And the only way to resist temptation is to be prepared for it, and to know that God is with you, and to be able to ground ourselves in that truth.
a. This sermon series, this workshop coming up, all that we are doing to try and respond redemptively to the recession our nation is in…
b. It cannot help you if you do not participate.
c. The question before us is this. Will we respond to the temptations that we face like the Israelites in the wilderness (going after every whim that gives us temporary comfort)…
d. Or will we take our example from Jesus, and prepare our hearts and minds for the times ahead, by utilizing the tools that God has provided us through the church.
e. Because one thing I know for sure. Temptation will continue to come. How will we respond? Amen.
Sermon delivered at Light of the Canyon United Methodist Church Anaheim Hills – January 31, 2010.
