Struggling with the Spirit of Materialism

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates how godly nurture, encompassing diligence, generous giving, kindness and truth, sexual purity, and self-control, ordinarily leads to material prosperity, as…

Martin uses the example of a diligent student who connects present effort with future ability, contrasting him with a student who 'goofs off,' to illustrate the long-term benefits of diligence.

I don't want to weary you with too many texts, but I want to give enough to substantiate my thesis in your judgment. Proverbs 22 and verse 29. Do you see a man diligent in his business? Do you see that kid in school, whether it's home school, whether it's Trinity Christian school, wherever it is, do you see the kid that's not goofing off, always pushing to the margin the privilege of goofing off, taking his free time, right to the limits, never husbanding his time, never having the sense of diligence, that right now I'm laying up in stock for what I will be able to be and do as a mature man.

14:13 - 14:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Impart to the rising generation that when God puts things in our hands, it is not to consume it upon ourselves selfishly, but to recognize that what we have comes from the Lord, and God gets His portion.

The ant is used as an analogy for diligence and foresight, contrasting with the sluggard whose laziness leads to poverty 'as a robber and your want as an armed man.'

His diligence will pave a way to a sphere of influence and usefulness and often with that commensurate compensation in terms of material prosperity. And the opposite warning is clearly given in chapter 6 of Proverbs. Verse 6. Go to the ant, you sluggard.

15:18 - 15:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Be forewarned and forearmed against the soul-destroying sins associated with material prosperity, watching and praying lest you enter into temptation.

Martin reflects on the miracle of Israel's garments not wearing out for 40 years, highlighting God's direct and miraculous provision, which contrasts with the later abundance of the promised land.

My mind got working on this and I said, Lord, I've got a table left until Monday on my day off and when I'm raking the leaves, I can think some more about that. Verse 4 of Deuteronomy 8. Your raiment did not wax old upon you, neither did your foot swell these 40 years. What did God do?

29:34 - 29:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Some of the saddest verses in all the Bible. They were filled. They forgot me.

Martin shares a personal anecdote of his family's experience with borderline poverty, where praying for basic needs and seeing God's direct provision led to a strong awareness of God's intervention, contrasting with the danger of forgetting God in prosperity.

And they forget God, the blesser. One man has written too often, the more we receive from God, the less he receives from us. Many of us can remember when we were in what would now be defined as borderline poverty. A mere subsistence existence.

35:29 - 35:54 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second sin is the powerful seduction of wealth to idolatry, making money and possessions one's god, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6 and illustrated in Psalm 49 and Job 31…

Martin humorously addresses visitors about his rapid referencing of many passages, assuring them that 'those people believe their Bibles' and encouraging them to return.

For you who may be visiting with us we don't often do this kind of jump in many many passages but at least you go out of here saying hey those people believe their Bibles.

41:44 - 41:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: riches in its wretched rotten stinking deceitfulness promising what it can't deliver and then delivering what it never promises

Riches are described as 'wretched rotten stinking deceitfulness,' promising what they cannot give and delivering what they never promise, like the false hope of the lottery.

later on in the chapter verse 22 he that was sown among the thorns this is he that hears the word and the care of the world now notice the terminology and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful deceitfulness of riches what's he talking about well riches are deceitful even when they come in the way of promised blessing and that's what I want to emphasize not riches wrongly gained but riches that come as the reward of diligence and frugality and uprightness and purity and kindness and grace and interpersonal dealing all the passages we looked at at the beginning ric...

48:09 - 49:38 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There's nothing wrong with a wealthy man living like a wealthy man there's nothing wrong with him buying his suits but at a first class men's clothing store just as it would be wrong for some of us to have custom made su…

Martin uses the analogy of determining non-negotiable standards for a spouse before emotions cloud judgment, applying it to determining how to honor God with wealth before prosperity actually arrives.

before your hearts all pitter-patter flitter-flutter gone all crazy on you what will be your non-negotiable standards for the man or woman upon whom you'll set your affections with a view to marriage don't wait till you've looked at the moon and you've been struck and everything's gone haywire in your judgment and run around and say oh well do I meet the standards of the world? do I meet the standards of the world? no no no when life is all nice and calm and quiet alright when the moon ain't up there and he ain't sitting on a horse on the hill backlighted by the moon okay you got me? well you ...

58:30 - 59:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There's nothing wrong with a wealthy man living like a wealthy man there's nothing wrong with him buying his suits but at a first class men's clothing store just as it would be wrong for some of us to have custom made su…

The example of R.G. LeTourneau, who gave 90-95% of his income to God's work, is used to illustrate radical generosity and the 'gift of giving.'

having gifts differing according to the grace given to us whether prophecy let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith or ministry let us give ourselves to our ministry he that teaches to his teaching he that exhorts to his exhorting here are these four what we would call speaking gifts which bring great edification to the people of God but now when he moves from speaking gifts notice the first one he mentions he that gives let him do it with liberality he that gives let him do it with liberality and you pray and Lord if I should ever come to a place of significant prosperity could it...

59:58 - 61:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: There's nothing wrong with a wealthy man living like a wealthy man there's nothing wrong with him buying his suits but at a first class men's clothing store just as it would be wrong for some of us to have custom made su…

Gaius from 3 John is presented as a noble example of a prosperous man who used his wealth to support traveling missionaries, encouraging listeners to aspire to be like him.

pray that stuff in now young men pray it in now say Lord if you ever put me in the place where I am a wealthy man a wealthy woman oh Lord this is what I want to be pray that God will make you a case I've been with this church forty years I've heard boys who have been born called all kinds of names good names but I never heard anyone named Gaius now that's a shame Gaius is a noble man you ought to have ambitions to be a Gaius third John book of third John see I didn't know there was anything in that little epistle to preach from oh yes there is the elder unto Gaius the beloved whom I love in th...

64:24 - 65:52 Read in full sermon