Radical Chapter 6 – How Much Is Enough

Conspicuous consumption - public enjoyment of possessions that are known to be costly so that one's ability to pay for such things is flaunted.

Conspicuous Consumption Is Back: Subdued fashions of the recession years are fading as wealthy Americans again flaunt luxury purchases – Businessweek.com (Jan. 27, 2011)

Rich Americans are not only shopping again. They're showing off their purchases, despite an economy that still leaves millions of people jobless and underemployed
Anxiety about the economy did drive some rich consumers to cut back, even when they could afford to spend. Yet much of their frugality was symbolic, says Harvey Hartman, founder of the Hartman Group, a consumer research firm. They would "try to cut one thing, but they'll spend more somewhere else," he says.

Maybe it was never very realistic to think that well-heeled American shoppers were going to embrace a thrifty, frugal lifestyle. "It's like telling the consumer: You're not going to have fun anymore," Hartman says. As Americans, he says, "We're just not like that."

The title of Radical chapter six is a question: “How much is enough? How much wealth is enough? How many possessions (cars, houses, toys) is enough?” What is the American culture’s response to these questions? No limit. What is the primary method used to give this response? Advertising. ex. Super Bowl $3 million per 30 second commercial. Does the American populace buy into this response? Yes. Ex. credit card debt. Many Americans live well beyond their annual salary ex. – annual income is $50,000, but live/spend as if you have $100,000. What are the consequences? Crippling debt. And an inability to assist those in need – poor, sick, orphaned, elderly.

Is the Church guilty of conspicuous consumption? Read Radical p. 118.

45 million people in the U.S. live in poverty. 2 billion in the world.

Do Christians have an obligation to help the poor/needy or is it optional?

What should our attitude be when giving to the poor/needy?

What should our attitude not be when giving to the poor/needy?

Is there a plus for one who gives to the poor/needy?

Is there a negative for one who ignores the poor/needy?

For the answers to these questions, read the following Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 - If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart … and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, you shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.

Proverbs 19:17 - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

Proverbs 21:13 - Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

Proverbs 22:9 - Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Proverbs 28:7 - Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

James 1:27 - Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction …

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos – God condemns Israel and Judah for oppressing the poor and needy. Ignoring the plight of the poor and needy.

Ezekiel 16:49-50 - Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.

Luke 12:12-14 – (Jesus) said also to the (rich) man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

What was the point Jesus was making to his rich host? When you invite people you know or the rich, your reward comes from who? Those people. When you invite poor/needy, your reward will come from who? God.

Matthew 25:31-46 - When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

What motivated the sheep to meet the needs of the “least of these?” The needs of the “least of these” were more important than the sheep’s wants. They obeyed this sacred principle – God blesses his own so that they can be a blessing to others. Followed example of their King. Jesus was the champion of the poor and needy, in the physical and spiritual sense, throughout His ministry. He had compassion for the poor, diseased, and outcast.

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

James 2:14-17 - What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

What motivated the goats and church goers in James to NOT meet the needs of the “least of these?” The goats’ wants were more important than the needs of the “least of these.” They ignored this sacred principle – God blesses his own so that they can be a blessing to others. Refused to follow example of their King, Jesus. Perception of poor/needy – negative. Social Darwinism – survival of fittest. Poor/diseased/outcast are parasites sucking the life out of society. Undeserving of assistance. Read story of rich man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16.

Luke 12:15-21 - And (Jesus) said to (two men fighting over an inheritance), "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

I Timothy 6:17-19 - As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

What point is Paul making in the following verse?

II Thessalonians 3:10-12 - For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

From reading the above verses whose responsibility is to aid the poor and needy? Followers of Christ; not government.

Read the following about Thomas Jefferson and compare his approach to wealth/possessions to John Wesley (Radical pp. 126-128)

Thomas Jefferson bore the burden of substantial monetary debt throughout his life. While debt was not unusual for Virginia planters of his time, his eventually grew so ponderous that his family was forced to sell much of his property, including Monticello, after Jefferson's death. His grandson and executor of his estate, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, posted an advertisement for his estate sale, indicating that Jefferson's debts at his death amounted to $107,000. Converting this figure into a modern estimate is an inexact process at best, but it would probably be somewhere between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000.
Jefferson lived perpetually beyond his means, spending large amounts of money on building projects, furnishings, wine, clothing, etc. The very definition of conspicuous consumption. Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."


APPLICATION

Always remember that God has blessed you so that you can be a blessing to others. Pray about how you can be a blessing to the poor/needy.

Take a look at your monthly expenses to see if you can make adjustments that will enable you to provide assistance to poor/needy. One $10 donation can save a family from dying from malaria. One $15 dollar donation can provide one person with clean water for 20 years. You can sponsor a child for $15-$40 a month which goes towards food and clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, important life-skills training, etc.

Samarian’s Purse - www.samaritanspurse.org/

Child Poverty

Compassion International - www.compassion.com

World Vision – www.worldvision.org

Poverty

Partners Worldwide - www.partnersworldwide.org

World Relief - http://worldrelief.org/

Hunger/Thirst

Feed the Children - www.feedthechildren.org

Cause Life - www.causelife.org/

Disease

Malaria – Nothing but Nets www.nothingbutnets.net/

Child Trafficking

Stop Child Trafficking Now - www.sctnow.org/

Born 2 Fly - www.born2fly.org/