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Prosperity Perils

Prosperity Perils

November 11, 2007

Text Deuteronomy 8:11-18

As United Methodists, we are against gambling, for all sorts of good reasons. That includes the lottery.

But to make a point for today’s sermon, we bought over 500 lottery tickets, and printed the number of each on the sermon notes insert in the bulletin. Turn to that now, and you’ll find your numbers just under the Scripture reference.

The jackpot is $363 million. If you match your numbers, it’s yours—less a little bit for the church, of course.

Here are your numbers. See if you’re a winner:

32 25 16 42 7

Did anybody match?

WOW! I guess everybody’s a winner.

What will you do with your share of the $363 million?

OK, so this was a little imagination exercise—you’re not splitting $363 million.

However, Robert Bronson did have the winning numbers for the Maryland lottery back in 2000. He did win $363 million, the largest jackpot in that time. And on that very night when he won, his wife told him it would ruin their marriage.

Seventeen months later they were divorced. [Homiletics, 11/12/00]
Why? Because of what’s called the “Sudden Wealth Syndrome.”

I guess you could call it also “The Peril of Prosperity.”

Having too much money all at once can be dangerous.

Studies have shown that some people simply do not handle such windfalls very well. Troubles start piling up, money disappears, relationships are strained. One source estimated that nearly one-third of lottery winners become bankrupt within a year. [http://www.cfp-board.org/bulletin.html]

Has “sudden wealth” ever happened to you?

It might not be from the lottery—after all, this is a United Methodist church. But you might have gotten an inheritance. One Christian man received a sizable bequeath from a deceased uncle. Instead of being elated, he was somber. He told a friend, "This inheritance is the greatest test of faith I've ever experienced." –Upper Room, 11/24/05

Why do you think that is?

What’s the danger of having a bunch of money dropped in your lap?

Maybe the danger lies in this:

WHEN YOU GET A LOT OF MONEY, YOU’RE TEMPTED TO FORGET WHO YOU ARE.

I guess you could say that a lot of money will make you feel less “needy.”

You don’t NEED a job, so you don’t have to go to that office that resembles the TV show, “The Office.” I wonder how many suddenly-rich people quit their jobs—and what does that say about why they were working that job in the first place.

You don’t NEED others, because when you have money, it’s like having a pickup truck—you suddenly have all the friends you want. You lose one, you can pick up another.

You don’t NEED God, actually. Your money can provide the best health care and the best retirement until you die—then you can take your chance.

Of course, this is an exaggeration. But there’s an unconscious assumption that money provides security and power and control. And when you see the excesses of the very rich, you understand how shallow life can be when you act out that assumption.

Some employees in luxury hotels were once interviewed as to their experiences with the wealthy, powerful guests they saw. One told of how a guest requested Evian spring water in order to rinse her hair. Another told of how he was asked to clean out the room of a mistress, then wait around and hand her “be quiet” money. Still another told of finding parts for an AK-47. What one concierge said was telling: “I feel sorry for these people who have a lot of money…Because they don’t live well.”

You don’t live well when you forget who you are, when you forget that to be human is to be dependent—dependent on God, on one another.

You don’t have any farther to look for proof of this than today’s passage.

The children of Israel have been wandering in the wilderness. They’re about to enter the Promised Land. They’re going to evolve from being a nomadic, wandering people to a rooted people. They’ll build cities, roads, industries. They’ll establish trade and military alliances with wealthy, powerful nations. The land will flow with “milk and honey,” and the Israelites will work hard to make sure that milk and honey continue to flow abundantly.

Moses, in his wisdom, sees this future for the Israelites, and he says,

“WATCH OUT!”

Here are his exact words:

17 Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors…

Wealth encourages you to be vain—I have gotten this by MY own hand.

Wealth encourages you to forget. Forget God. Forget that God has enabled you in the first place to be blessed. Forget that you need God. Forget that God’s plan for you is more important than the selfish plans you may have for yourself.

Wealth encourages you to forget who you are, and whose you are.

BUT…

Using wealth can show everybody that…YOU REMEMBER!

You can use your money to CELEBRATE how rich life is, when you live as if you need God, and need one another.

Hold up your promise card.

Do you know the power of what you’re holding?

You are making a statement that’s at the core of what makes you a Christian.

You are saying,

“It’s not about ME! It’s not about MY plans. It’s not about the great work I’ve done to get me all my money and stuff. It’s about GOD, and GOD’S kingdom, breaking loose right here. It’s about the brothers and sisters I see around me, and around the world.”

Put your hands down, but keep holding that card. You’re holding the anti-dote to the Sudden Wealth Syndrome.

When you return your promise card this morning:

You are enabling children to learn about Jesus. Look in these classrooms any Sunday morning. YOU are providing this—because your life depends on God, and those around you.

You are enabling youth to find strength to face the challenges of adolescence. Just last Sunday evening I sat in this sanctuary with 40 youth and with an equal number of their parents, discussing teenage depression and suicide, and giving resources. YOU are providing this—because your life depends on God, and one another.

You are enabling young parents to form relationships and share with each other the challenges of parenting. Did you know that there will be 15 births in this congregation within the next twelve months? YOU are providing help for these young parents—because your life depends on God, and one another.

You are enabling grandparents to form relationships and share with each other the challenges of moving into twilight years and beyond. Our 55+ group is amazing. And a visioning group is forming for addressing specific needs of our elderly. YOU are providing this—because your life depends on God, and one another.

You are enabling singles to meet and form relationships. Our singles group is vibrant, energetic, doing a variety of things—some who’ve joined our church have come from that group. YOU are providing this— because your life depends on God, and one another.

You are funding dreams that may turn into realities for this church—a new worship service, a Children’s Day Out. Because your life depends on God, and one another.

You are enabling people to eat together, play together, study together. You are enabling a family in Africa to live because you’re providing mosquito netting. You are enabling a family in the inner city of St. Louis to get on their feet because you’re supporting a jobs training center at Kingdom House.

You are enabling all this because you need God, and need one another.

Get the picture?

A church group doing a mission trip to Haiti got the picture.

These Christians, who were from Maryland, discovered something interesting after a couple of days. Even though there was extreme poverty, everyone seemed to have enough to eat. They asked their host, Pastor Leon, why that was.

Leon replied, “We follow the old Haitian proverb. If a person has a cow and he wants to eat well, he cuts the cow into as many eatable pieces as possible and gives the pieces to as many as possible in the community. This assures him that he will eat.”

“How?” they asked. “Aren’t you just giving away all your food?”

Listen to how Leon replied:

“Ah, the proverb teaches us that when you share what you have some pieces always come back to you. If you take your cow and freeze it, eating only for yourself, when the food is gone you will be hungry for a very long time. When you share what you have, you will always eat something; someone will share with you because you have shared. Perhaps, this is a miracle to you; but it is by sharing that we in Haiti live. For every one plate of food, no matter how meager, we always have another for sharing with the hungry.”

“When you share what you have,” you discover true abundance.

You have an opportunity to share, right now.

Come forward, place your “sharing” card in the basket, have a prayer at the rail if you choose before returning to your seat.

Come forward WITH JOY, the same joy Pastor Leon is talking about. As a matter of fact, as we come forward, we’re going to sing a joyful song that comes from the Caribbean—maybe Pastor Leon’s church sings it.

It’s “Halle, Halle, Halleluja”.

As you come, Jim will play it through, then we’ll sing it a few times, catching our breath between stanzas.

Each time we sing it, I invite you to sing it more loudly, more joyfully. Because “Hallelujah” literally means, “give praise to God.”

And what better way to praise than by demonstrating, “I need you God, and I need those around me! From my heart, I SHARE!”

HALLELUJAH!

Come!