The Myth of More

Follow Along with the Message

Surveillance capitalism- Algorithms used to develop adds that target not our rational minds, but our subconscious- fears, desires, comparison

Myth of More- If we just had a bit more, then we would be happy

In other words: .

Ecclesiastes 5:10- Whoever loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with his income. This too is vanity.

John D. Rockefeller, the Oil tycoon of the industrial revolution once answered the question “How much money is enough?” with a haunting answer

“Just a little bit more.”

Hedonic treadmill- the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively  level of happiness

Oxford study from 2022 indirectly links the trait of greed to depression, anxiety, irritability, aggressive behaviors, and other symptoms of negative emotion due to long-term dissatisfaction, loss of interest, and unattainable goals.

(Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 18, Issue 1, 2023, nsac046, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsac046 Published: 20 July 2022, Oxford Acedemic)

Luke 12:15-21- Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Kinds of Greed References

• Greed of
  • Numbers 11- the mixed multitude who poisoned Israel against God and Moses
• Greed from
  • 2 Samuel 11- David sending Uriah due so we could take Bathsheba
  • 1 Kings 21- Jezebel murdering Naboth for Ahab
• Greed for
  • Gospels- the Pharisees & Judas
  • Acts 8- Simon the Sorcerer attempts to bribe Peter and John
• Greed for
  • Joshua 6-7 with Achan
  • Matthew 19- the Rich Young Ruler
  • Acts 5- Ananias and Sapphira are smitten

It comes as no surprise that the majority of Jesus’ teachings on wealth are warning about the  of it

Mark 4:18-19- And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Matthew 19:23-24- And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Is there a practice form the Way of Jesus to set our heart free from greed and form us into people who are deeply happy and at peace with what we have?

Luke 11: 39, 41- But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery [greed] and wickedness... But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

What is the silver bullet to greed? .

The less you want:

• The more  your goals are
• The more you live in
• The more in our life is considered

 is a powerful gift.

1 Timothy 6:6-10- But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 

1 Timothy 6:17-19- Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Generosity flowing from contentment leaves no more space for greed to take root in our lives. 

 “... being satisfied in whose you are, who you are and what you have. Those who love and serve Jesus can be truly content. Those who love and serve money can never be.”- Randy Alcorn, Giving is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy

For contentment, generosity, and the elimination of greed, the one thing that will make the most difference is living well within your means.

When you live within your means

• You eliminate the  of financial worry
• You enable generosity through  assets
• You praise God for the blessings that come from living , aligning your stewardship with how He leads.

The reason for pursuing health in our finances is to honor God.

Ultimately, what we are searching for in money can only be found in God.

Hebrews 13:5- Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”