Economic discipleship week 2: Love and Human Worth

Economic Discipleship Week 2: Love and Human Worth HCC April 28th, 2024 Money! “money is about discipleship” “money is about discipleship” show me how a person spends his money and time, and I’ll tell you what kind of person he is Fundamental Human Questions What is my purpose in this life? What values do I live by? How do I deal with insecurity about the future? Today’s Message • The Study of Economics • Two Passages from the Bible • Application “Principles of Economics” Economics Asserts… Humans are Self-Interested Power of the Marketplace Money is the Measure of Value Resources Are Scarce The Natural Impact on Our Behavior Humans are Self-Interested Money is the Measure of Value Power of the Marketplace Resources Are Scarce • To succeed in this world means to constantly seek competitive advantage • Competition has only intensified • Globalization • Tech and platform economics • Reactions are either • Build as much wealth as can, FOMO • Backlash: 躺平 , loss of discipline Passage #1 | Luke 10:25-37 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Passage #1 | Luke 10:25-37 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Passage #1 | Luke 10:25-37 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Passage #2 | Matthew 6:19-33 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Passage #2 | Matthew 6:19-33 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Passage #2 | Matthew 6:19-33 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Passage #2 | Matthew 6:19-33 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Recap: Economics Asserts… Humans are Self-Interested Power of the Marketplace Money is the Measure of Value Resources Are Scarce Recap: The Natural Impact on Our Behavior Humans are Self-Interested Money is the Measure of Value Power of the Marketplace Resources Are Scarce • To succeed in this world means to constantly seek competitive advantage • Competition has only intensified • Globalization • Tech and platform economics • Reactions are either • Build as much wealth as can, FOMO • Backlash: 躺平 , loss of discipline, depend on others What Does the Bible Assert? Humans are Self-Interested Power of the Marketplace Money is the Measure of Value Resources Are Scarce What Does the Bible Assert? Humans are Self-Interested • Not a sin to seek gain • But what you count as gain can be a sin • What you count as gain will define you • “Eye is the lamp of the body”  where is your hope and focus? • Do we have a heart for the lost and those in need? What Does the Bible Assert? Money is the Measure of Value • Cease from the pursuit and love of money (1 Tim 6:9, Heb 13:5) • Do not assume money is your security (Luke 12) • Earthly vs. heavenly treasures (Mt 6) • Do you believe God will reward you in eternity for your faithful acts? • Christian shrewdness = use temporal resources to gain eternal riches (Lk 16) What Does the Bible Assert? • Markets do not assign value to character and state of heart • Without love, markets can become corrupt and oppressive • Do our values reflect the kingdom? Or is our value based on what the world says? • Jesus asks: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Mt 16) Power of the Marketplace What Does the Bible Assert? • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1) • Remember: Bible commands us to work and not be dependent on others (1 Thessalonians 4:11-14) • But Matthew 6 says God will determine our standard of living in this life Resources Are Scarce Back to Parable of Good Samaritan| Luke 10:25-37 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” What Was the Point of This Parable? Reflect: • Have I ever loved someone like myself, this perfectly? • Am I capable of it? • Have I tried to justify myself in ways that do not involve love for my neighbor? What Was the Point of This Parable? Reflect: • Have I ever loved someone like myself, this perfectly? • Am I capable of it? • Have I tried to justify myself in ways that do not involve love for my neighbor? The point is to lead us to our constant need for God and the good news of Christ Application Questions for Small Groups From our discussion of economic discipleship and Luke 10:25-37 and Matthew 6:19-33: 1. If someone observed how you spend your money and time, what would they say are your actual values and hope in life? 2. Would they sense you have a love for those in need? 3. To better reflect God’s values, what would you have to change in how you earn, spend, manage or give away your money? 4. How can we be more “spiritually shrewd”, which is to give away your resources to help bring people close to God? APPENDIX The Gospel says we are more sinful than we dared imagine, yet we are more loved than we dared to believe