The Alternative

Dr. Tony Evans: If the stuff that you begin to accumulate only applies to earth, then in fact you are earth-bound with the stuff. Because when gold replaces God, there is a price tag you must pay.

Announcer: Dr. Tony Evans explores the danger of placing too much value on our possessions. This is The Alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.

The problem with money isn't that it can't make us happy. It's that whatever happiness it buys doesn't last. Today, Dr. Evans looks beyond temporary happiness to a joy that comes from investing our lives in something that lasts forever. Let's join him as he challenges us to build God's kingdom instead of our own.

Dr. Tony Evans: When the Bible talks about materialism, it is never talking about how much money you have. The concern is not what's in the bank, how many cars are in the garage, how many garages there are for the cars that are in the garage, how many suits are in the closet. Some of God's choicest servants in the Bible were also very wealthy. Abraham, very wealthy. Job, exceedingly wealthy and was given more at the end of his life than he had at the beginning.

The concern of the Bible about the materialist is not the amount they have, but the perspective of the amount that they have. His concern about materialism is an attitude where you expect gold to do what only God can do. Now, some of you are saying, "Pastor, you can go on because so far you're not applying this to me." Well, let's give you a few tests of materialism. Some questions that will help you to ask, are you a materialist? Not how much do you have, but what is your attitude toward what you have?

First of all, are you content with what you have 'til you get more? Or are you discontent 'til you get more? If you're not at rest with God where you are because of where you would like to go, God would call you a materialist because you have not learned to get from God enjoyment, peace, tranquility. That comes from God. And we have used credit cards to get what only can come from God.

Second test, are you looking for money to supply you what ought to be coming from God? It's sort of an extension of the first one. Are you content? And if you're discontent, are you looking for money to buy you what God gives? What is your dependency? What is your focus?

And the third test is critical. When God and gold come into conflict, who wins? Just look back over your history. James says, "Come now." Did you find when you had less that you had more time for God? And now that you have more, you have less time for God? Has God's blessing decreased God in your life?

If you have money and you're miserable, there's a spiritual problem. If you don't have money and you're miserable, there's a spiritual problem. Because in the Bible, joy has nothing to do with economic well-being.

The cost of materialism, he says, is that God works against you. In fact, it cost some people their eternal destiny. You remember the rich young ruler? His love for money cost him heaven. You remember Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16? It says Lazarus in his poverty went to heaven. The rich man in his wealth went to hell.

And when he got to hell, he asked Lazarus, the poor man, for one drop of water to cool his tongue in the heat of these flames. And Abraham said to the rich man, "When you were on earth, you enjoyed the finer things of life, but now the role is flipped. You were so busy enjoying earth you never got around to heaven, and it cost you eternity." Not because you had it, but because it blinded you to something more important.

There is a high price tag for materialism. Please don't misunderstand me. It's not a high price tag to having money. There's a high price tag to having the wrong attitude about the money that you have or want to get. Because when gold replaces God, there is a price tag you must pay.

Thirdly, the content of materialism. He says at the end of verse 3, "In the last days that you have stored up your treasure." Stored up your treasure. That's another word of saying hoarding. The desire to hoard.

Now, this is different than legitimate saving. God does not mind saving. Second Corinthians 12:14, the job of the parent is to store up for the children, to pass on an inheritance. What's the difference? Saving for your children, that's good. That's admirable and the Bible says do it. That's tied to a legitimate purpose.

Saving so that you have things when bad days come, or when days when you can't work or retirement, that has a legitimate goal to it. Verse 4: "Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields and which have been withheld by you, cries out against you, and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, the Lord of the armies."

Have you ever noticed when people get more, they get a little uppity? If God has blessed you and you look down on other people, you are an evil person. When you look down at somebody because you have something they don't have, two things ought to happen when God has blessed you.

Number one, you ought to be thankful. You ought to be more grateful. You ought to be more generous. You ought to be more sensitive because you know if it wasn't for the grace of God, somebody would be looking down at you. And the second thing it ought to do is make you helpful. Because you don't want to see somebody down there who you can help to get up, so you are a helping person.

But if those two attitudes don't come with the blessing, then you're one of these people who abused others. You know how they help get their riches? They wouldn't pay their debts. A man would mow their fields and they would tell him, "The check's in the mail." Not only was not the check in the mail, they had no intent on paying them. They were unjust.

Leviticus 19:13, Deuteronomy 24:14 and 15, Jeremiah 22:13 says that when a person works for you and performs a service, you are obligated to pay them and pay them when they have done it. Unless arrangements that are an agreement with that other person are made, it is evil to get a service that you don't pay for and therefore keep the money that literally belongs to someone else for the service that they performed.

Not only that, but they bought the judges in the courts because the poor did not have a means of redress. They could not afford it. So they were unjust. They condemned and put to death the righteous man, verse 6 says. He does not resist you because he can't.

Oh, but let me tell you something. If you're being mistreated at work unjustly, unjust treatment—I'm not talking about whether you agree with your boss, I'm talking about it violates God's standard—talk to God about it. You talk to God about it. Don't take this lightly, folks.

If you are being treated unjustly and you have no power—use any legitimate power of redress—but he says you talk to the, not the Lord, the Lord of the armies. The Lord who commands the angelic host. What to go down and, I remember a situation, true story, member of our church, who was being abused by her boss. And mainly it was because she was a Christian. There were no complaints about her work and she was being abused.

He would give her the extra work, make her stay overtime. He was just being ridiculous. Of course, she was looking for another job, hadn't found another job, and she came to me for counseling. Obviously, you have to work, but she couldn't handle the pressure. I said, "Let's get on our knees and go before the Lord and ask Him to deliver you."

And in tears, with tears coming down this young lady's face, she gave an outcry to God for justice. "God, give me justice. I'm doing my work. I'm trying to honor You, but this man is against me." I said, "Every day this week, I want you to pray and call on God for justice against this evil man." This would be a New Testament illustration of an imprecatory prayer. Imprecatory prayer is where you pray against the enemies of God.

And she said, "Lord, if this man's not going to change, then either get me a job, do something, but intervene." One week later, one week later, she called me screaming on the phone. I didn't know whether this was bad or good because she was just screaming. She said, "Pastor, Pastor, Pastor, Pastor!" I said, "What, what, what, what?"

She said, "You won't believe it." I said, "What happened?" "My boss's supervisor was dissatisfied with my boss's work. He fired my boss yesterday. But that's not all. He gave me my boss's position!"

There was an outcry. So when you've done all you've been called on to do by God, Father alone knows all about it and Father alone understands why. Cheer up, my brother, call on the Lord of Sabaoth to intervene.

Not only that, verse 5 says, "But you have lived luxuriously on the earth and in wanton pleasure." They lived the life for the party. And that's the content of a materialist. A materialist lives to party. Nothing wrong with a party. Nothing wrong with a good party. Nothing wrong with a good time.

But they weren't living for God, they were living for the party. The party wasn't the extra, God was the extra, if He was there at all. And so He says of them, "You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." That was the day of a party. They'd fatten up a calf so they'd have a lot of meat and stuff to eat for a party. They'd fatten up the calf because of the party.

So all of life was a party, and God says, "You don't know it, but you're going to be the calf for My party. You fatten up the calf for your party, and I'm fattening you up. In fact, I'm going to give you more riches. I'm going to let you make more money. I'm just going to give it to you, make you a fat cat." So when you go down, it'll be clear. And that's why you cannot love money. Because when God takes you down, He takes you down hard.

Announcer: Dr. Evans will turn to the cure for materialism when he continues our message in just a moment. Stay with us.

Dr. Tony Evans: Chronic illness, long hospital stays, questions with no clear answers. On the Unbound podcast, Dr. Tony Evans talks with New Testament scholar Dan Wallace about faith when suffering doesn't have a timeline.

Dan Wallace: I ended up going to hospital after hospital, and for the next five years I kept coming back to the hospital. Real pain, real perspective. Trials produce perseverance, perseverance produces character, character produces hope.

Announcer: Unbound with Dr. Tony Evans. Listen now. You can find the Unbound podcast on any of the major podcast platforms.

Now, before we return to our message, I want to tell you about a special resource package designed to help you grow stronger in your faith when life gets difficult. It includes all 16 full-length messages from Tony's two-volume series, James: Time to Grow Up, along with his 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Together, these resources will give you biblical wisdom and practical encouragement for standing firm when trials, temptations, and uncertainty put your faith to the test.

We'd like to send you this complete package as our thank you gift when you make a contribution to support Tony's ministry. You can get the audio series on CD, USB flash drive, or as instantly available digital downloads. Get the details today at tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222. That's tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. Well, let's get back to Dr. Evans now and his biblical exploration of the powerlessness of riches.

Dr. Tony Evans: It goes with a final point, the cure for materialism. It's really in the one word in verse 6, the righteous man. The righteous man. Now, stick with me on this closing point, church. The righteous man. How are you righteous in the use of materialism? Turn to Matthew 6 and let's look at this as our last passage today.

Now, this is a very important principle I'm getting ready to share with you now, and one that will change your life. It will change your life and change your finances, by the way, if that is a need. Matthew chapter 6. This is Jesus talking, and He says in verse 19, "Do not, do not, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Now watch this. This is a very misunderstood passage. In fact, Christians read over this passage and skip it because it doesn't seem very practical. How can you, living in this world, lay up treasures in heaven?

So let me give you the brief summary of this verse and it will transform your life. The key phrase is "yourself". Lay not up for yourself. Not "lay not up", but "lay not up for yourself". When you think in terms of money, don't only think in terms of you. Now follow this. Lay not up for yourself. Don't become self-centered when it comes to treasures, because if you're self-centered, you're going to think about you.

When it comes to treasures and you're living here on earth, do not lay it up for yourself—self-centeredness. Don't lay it up earthy, lay it up heavenly. But what are you laying up? Treasures. He says when you accumulate stuff, whatever that stuff is—whatever those possessions are: clothes, or money, or cars, or houses, or whatever the stuff is—when you accumulate the stuff, don't merely think in terms of yourself.

Think in terms of whether this stuff that I am beginning to accumulate has only earthly purposes tied to it or heavenly purposes tied to it. If the stuff that you begin to accumulate only applies to earth and has no eternal connectedness to it, then in fact you are earth-bound with the stuff.

Now, the problem is that the stuff that's earth-bound is going to stay here on earth. But the stuff that had eternity tied to it, even though it's the same stuff, will have eternal repercussions. Now, what's the point? The point is this. When the stuff that you accumulate and buy has a heavenly tie to it, that means God is now the owner.

When it has an earthly tie to it, you are now the owner. The question is, as the owner, do you have sovereign control of what happens to the stuff? No. Thieves can break in and steal, moths can eat it up, all kind of things can happen to the stuff. You can have inflation, you can have depression, the stock market can go bust. You have no control over the stuff.

But if it's only tied to earth, then you're going to have to go with how earth goes: up and down. But when the stuff, whatever you accumulate, has a heavenly connectedness to it, or whether it has the glory of God as a part of it, then God takes care of it. Because He doesn't allow moths with His stuff. He doesn't allow inflation and depression to mess with His stuff. Stock markets don't determine what happens with His stuff.

So that's what you do when you dedicate your baby to the Lord. When you dedicate your house to the Lord. When you dedicate your car to the Lord. You're saying, "This stuff is Your stuff. So since this stuff is Your stuff, I'm not going to worry about this stuff because You can take care of Your stuff better than I can take care of Your stuff. So I'm just going to use Your stuff while I give it back to You for Your glory while You watch over Your stuff."

It's turning it over to God. You say, how do you do that? He tells you in verse 21, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Don't misread it. Most people quote this backwards. They say, where your heart is, there your treasure will be. That's not what it says. It says where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

If I told you right now, somebody came in and we put up on the screens that your house was on fire, you'd say, "Pastor, I love your sermon, but I got to go. My house is on fire." Now why would you leave me at the close of my sermon? Why would you leave me when I'm making my final point? Why would you leave me when I'm trying to bring it home to go out, get in your car and go to your home just because somebody came and said your house was on fire?

The reason you would leave is because your stuff is in trouble. Your stuff that you paid for—the furniture, the TVs, the house—you know why you would leave? Because your heart will always follow your treasure. Your heart will always follow your treasure.

Therefore, if your heart follows your treasure and not your treasure follows your heart, then make sure you're investing in treasures that have eternity tied to them, because then your heart will automatically follow your treasure. If you don't have eternity tied to the stuff, then your heart's not going to be in eternity because the stuff's not tied to eternity. Your treasure, where you make your investment, will always determine where your heart follows. That's what he said. And so we close.

You know, it's a man one time had two calves and they were prize-winning calves. One had a blue stripe down it, the other had a yellow stripe down it. These calves would win thousands of dollars. Man came to his wife. He said, "Honey, this is something Lord then blessed us with two prize-winning calves. I'm going to honor the Lord. This calf is mine and ours. This calf is the Lord's. Whatever this calf brings in, we're giving to the Lord. Whatever this calf brings in, we're going to keep for ourselves because the God has given us these two calves."

He came in a week later, depressed and downhearted. Wife said, "Honey, what's wrong?" He said, "Honey, the Lord's calf just died." Have you ever noticed it's always the Lord's calf that dies? Have you ever noticed that? Have you ever noticed when things get tight, it's always the Lord's money that gets left out?

Have you ever noticed when it comes time for spiritual things, when it's TV or the Lord, it's the Lord's calf that always dies? Have you ever noticed that gold quickly replaces God? Psalm 62:10 says it's okay to be rich as long as it doesn't take your heart. Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is better than much money.

A man one day was talking to a young man about life. Said, "Young man, let's talk about life. What are your plans?" The young man said, "Well, I'm going to go to college and get a good education." The older man said, "Then what?" He said, "Then I'm going to go get a job, good job and I'm going to make a lot of money." The old man said, "Well, yeah, that's great. Then what?"

"Then I'm going to have a family and I'm going to raise my kids up and send them to the best possible schools." Said, "That's wonderful. Then what?" He said, "Well, then after I get my kids all gone, me and my wife, we're going to travel around the world." Said, "Well, sounds pretty good. Then what?"

He says, "Well, then we're going to retire and we're going to have enough saved and stashed so that we can live the life of Riley in our retirement days." Said, "Well, that sounds pretty good, guy. Then what?" He says, "Well, then after that's over, I'll die." And the old man looked at him and said, "Yeah, well, yeah, then what?"

Because one day everybody in here will stand before Jesus Christ and there will be no Mastercards, no American Express, no Marriott hotel reservations. And He won't ask you what you left behind. He's only going to want to know, "What did you forward ahead? Is there anything up here from the stuff I let you have down there?"

Announcer: Dr. Tony Evans sharing biblical insight on preparing for your real eternal future with God. Now, over the past few weeks, Tony has been sharing messages derived from his in-depth study of the book of James. And if you've missed any of them, there's a way to catch up and revisit any of the lessons on your own timetable. Simply contact us for details on getting the complete two-volume, 16-message collection called James: Time to Grow Up.

As I mentioned earlier, when you make a contribution to support the ministry, we'll send you the entire audio series along with Dr. Evans's 30-day devotional, Trusting God in Turbulent Times. Together, these resources will help you build a stronger, more mature faith and learn to trust God through both the trials and triumphs of life. You can request the series on CD, USB flash drive, or digital download. Visit tonyevans.org or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. That's tonyevans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.

Patience is one thing when you know the finish line is in sight. But when the struggle seems to have no end, waiting on God can feel like a whole different challenge. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans shows how to remain faithful even when life is testing our patience. I hope you'll join us.