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Donnie Snyder

 

December 2019

 

“Focus” is a critical success factor in life.  If you want to succeed in school, career, marriage, family and life in general you must have focus.  Great athletes and coaches have the common denominator of “great focus”.

 

There are many things in our culture that distract us and keep us from focusing on what really matters.  As a Baby Boomer, my observation for my generation is that the pursuit of materialism has caused us to lose focus about what has been going on in the culture for the last fifty years.  We may not like what we see, but after-all, it really isn’t affecting me and my family very much.  We have a nice house, nice cars and have more and more leisure time to pursue our hobbies and vacation experiences.  I am not saying that these nice things and experiences are “bad”, unless they so distract us that we disengage with the reality of what is happening around us.   

 

Make no mistake, our culture is in crisis on many levels and we must focus on righting the ship before it sinks.  Turning a “blind eye” because we don’t think it is directly affecting us is pure naiveté. 

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For instance, have you noticed that “Christ” has pretty much been eliminated from “Christmas” in our American culture?  It is like people are afraid to call Christmas cards what they are, “Christmas cards”.  Everything is simply “Holiday”.  Holiday cards, Holiday Parades, Holiday gifts, etc. 

 

Is Christmas about the greatest gift of all, the birth of our Savior or is about buying a bunch of stuff?

 

We live in a consumer-generated culture that promotes a desire to have more things and temporal experiences as a way of making us feel good.

 

Some have called it the media culture.  We are bombarded with images and messages of luxurious and exciting lifestyles.  You might remember the old Pontiac car commercial, which said, “At Pontiac we build excitement”.  Overall their cars were not very good except for the 1966 -67 GTO, of course.  They probably should have focused on building good cars instead of just excitement and maybe they would still be building cars.

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Facebook and Instagram friends post photos of vacations in fabulous places.  They look so good in those photos that you can’t help but feel that you are missing out on something.  Maybe a little more will allow me to feel good and have some excitement in life.

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Thought Questions:

• Why does buying things make us feel good?

• Has the pursuit of materialism negatively impacted American families?  After all, there are a lot of middle class latch key kids for example.

• Has the pursuit of materialism caused divides in our country?   Haves and have-nots.  Corporate greed.  Outrageously rich athletes and entertainers.

• Has the original American Dream of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness been high-jacked by Madison Avenue and the pursuit of materialism?

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Here are some Materialism Myths:

1. The more you have the more successful you are.  Hey, look at what I have accomplished by acquiring all of these things.

2. The more you have the happier you are. That new Lexus or BMW is great!  For a while any way until “Buyer’s Remorse” sets in.

3. The more you have the more secure you are. Personal wealth with keep me safe and living a lifestyle I aspire to have.  A couple of years ago, Dallas Cowboys billionaire owner Jerry Jones, said in an interview with  60 minutes reporter Scott Pelley that he continues to be motivated in business pursuits for fear that he will not have enough.

4. The more you have the more important you are. I deserve to be treated better because I pay for better quality.  I have the Black Mastercard.  That allows me to “Live Life Without Limits”.

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Can you think of any others??

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The culture keeps telling us that these myths will make us happy and give us peace.

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Listen to the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible, in the book of John:

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” The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10

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“I have come that may have life, and they might have it more abundantly”. Wow!  That sounds good! 

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Caution:  A false prosperity theology can easily be made by taking this verse out of context.  (i.e., Jesus said I am going to have abundance, didn’t He?  Abundance means lots of stuff doesn’t it?)

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This verse is a part of what is commonly referred to as “The Good Shepherd” discourse made by Jesus during the Jewish celebration known in Hebrew as “Sukkot” translated as the “Feast of Tabernacles” or “Feast of Booths”.  This was a Jewish celebration of how God was with them as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years when He brought them out of Egypt. 

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Beginning in John 10:1, Jesus starts a discourse of comparing other shepherds to himself, “The Good Shepherd”.  Jesus contrasts Himself with the wicked shepherds of Israel (the prophets and human leaders appointed by God to shepherd His people) who were rebuked by God in the book of Ezekiel.  Ezekiel indicts the wicked “shepherds of Israel” who care for themselves at the expense of the flock.  In this discourse, Jesus explains why He is the true shepherd of Israel by comparing the differences between evil shepherds and Himself.

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Take some time to read and study John, Chapter 10, verses 1-8.

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In John 10:10 Jesus said,”The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and they might have it more abundantly”

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Abundant Life!!!  I want some of that!  Don’t you??? What is the Abundant Life Jesus is talking about?  Is it more money and stuff?  Is it more personal prestige?? 

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In the final analysis, do these things satisfy your heart, your innermost being?  (The word “heart “is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible almost all meaning the innermost being).

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The abundant life Jesus is describing is for now and all eternity.  It is life that fills the emptiness of our soul.  Human beings seek many ways and many things to try and satisfy the emptiness in our “SOULS”.

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Dallas Theological Seminary founder, Lewis Sperry Chafer said that "the 'soul' connotes that in the immaterial part of man which is related to life, action and emotion".

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I submit that the human soul longs for peace and meaning in life above all else.  The soul cannot be satisfied with wealth and material things.  Okay then, where did the “human soul” come from??

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The Book of Genesis in Chapter 2, verse 7 says “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” 

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The Hebrew word for breath here is “neshama” meaning “soul”.  Each time it is used in the Bible, it is applied only to God and Man.  Unlike another Hebrew word for breath “ruakh”, which is applied to God, man, animals and even false gods.

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God breathed life “neshama”– Physical, mental and spiritual into man.  This breath of life makes man unique from the other animals.  Man now has a soul. 

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There are many Bible verses about the soul.  Look up some of these verses and you will gain a greater understanding of yourself and God.  One of my favorite verses on the “soul” is Matthew 16:26:

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“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?”

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Think about what the Word of God has to say about your “Soul”. Has money, property and prestige ever truly satisfied your soul, your innermost being? The abundant life Jesus offers in John 10:10 focuses on satisfying the soul.

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"Perissos" is a Greek word used in John 10:10 for “abundantly”.  It means: “Exceedingly abundantly, beyond what is expected, imagined, or hoped for.”

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Here are some benefits of the abundant life offered by Jesus:

1. Peace with your Heavenly Father

2. Eternal life with God as opposed to eternal separation from God.

3. Spiritual needs finally met to enhance our quality of life.

4. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (our Helper).  Hope to deal with the issues of earthly life and confidence in that your needs will always be met.

5. Rich relationships and fellowship with other believers.

6. Meaningful activities of service. Your life is now bigger than just you. You are going to be a witness for Jesus Christ.

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These are the things that make up a “true abundant life”. In the human experience, aren’t these things “exceedingly abundantly, beyond what is expected, imagined, or hoped for.”

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Have material things ever truly satisfied your soul?

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Your abundant life in Christ is now a “Stewardship Opportunity”.  How are you going to steward the days God has given you?

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I encourage you to develop a life statement now that you have a greater understanding of what the “Abundant Life” really is.  Steward your time based on the truth that God has given us.  My life statement is “Live in the moment, don’t let others rob me of my joy and invest in the lives of people”.

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Addressing the anxiousness of meeting our needs for everyday life, food, clothing, etc.  Jesus said:

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“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”.  Matthew 6:33

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Our takeaway is the promise of Jesus:

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” The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and they might have it more abundantly”.  John 10:10

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“We the People”, let’s start focusing on how we can impact our culture and not the pursuit of “stuff” and leisure.  Review the  benefits of the true abundant life mentioned above, then get involved in your community, serve on your PTA, attend city council meetings, work to elect men and women of good character to public office and work to replace them if they do not represent you with excellence.  Volunteer in your local schools, mentor younger people and speak Biblical truth with love and grace at every opportunity.

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You can only change the culture when the hearts of the people change.  Only Jesus Christ can change the heart.  Our culture is made of human beings seeking to satisfy their souls, they are looking for a “Shepherd”.  Let’s teach them about the one and only “Good Shepherd” who not only gives life, but gives it more abundantly.