Greed or Grace?
Back in 1987, Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen starred in a film, Wall Street. This film chronicled the plight of Bud Fox (Sheen), a young stockbroker caught up in the world of a Corporate Raider, played by Douglas. Insider trading, fast cars, faster women, and money were the prevailing theme. The side of ‘good’ triumphs in the movie, but in an un-godly fashion. Good uses Evil to overcome Evil, as Fox destroys his mentor in a deceitful deal. However, this film served up a wonderful metaphor that sums up how many people today feel about money.
Bud Fox: How much is enough?
Gordon Gekko: It’s not a question of enough, pal. It’s a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn’t lost or made, it’s simply transferred from one perception to another.
How do I wear my Faith?
Cameron: Ferris, my father loves this car more than life itself.
Ferris: A man with priorities so far out of whack doesn’t deserve such a fine automobile.
Cameron: No. No! Apparently you don’t understand! Ferris, he never drives it, he just rubs it with a diaper!
In the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris and his friend Cameron are talking about Cameron’s father’s 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. A car that the father cherishes so much, he spent three years restoring it; and all he does with it is wipe it down with a diaper. It is never driven; such a fine piece of automotive engineering, no one gets to see it rolling down the road, or hear its’ 12 cylinders purring as it accelerates down the road.
Christians have a lot to learn from this part of the movie; often we too treat our faith like the Ferrari in the movie. We take it out at weddings, funerals, and other religious occasions. Of course we take it out in our churches on Sunday. But, after the event is over, our faith is packed up and put away again. We go out to eat–even right after church–yet never bow our heads and say a blessing thanking God for the bounty of the harvest that we are eating. How many of us have said a prayer at work for co-worker who is sick–even if they’re just out for the day?
Sad
Bill Gates said this in a Time Magazine Interview in 1996:
Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There’s a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning.
Matthew 6:24 — No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and Mammon (Wealth in the NASB)
I’m sure he feels the same way about taking time out to read the Bible, listen to a sermon, or do a Bible Study.
Does Sin still exist?
“We find a comfort zone of morality, a kind of middle-class middle level where we think we are doing well. We cut the grass. We don’t double-park. But we ignore the larger issues of sin.
This is a quote from an article in USA Today, entitled “Has the ‘Notion of Sin’ Been Lost?” by Doctor Albert Mohler. Recent data from Ellison Research indicates that many Americans seem to be deciding for themselves what is sin and what is not. Some numbers (more shocking than others): only 52% think that hiding income from the IRS is a sin, 50% think that reading/watching Porn is a sin, 29% think that lying to spare feelings is wrong. Even more intersting; 74% believe Racism is a sin, while 81% believe Adultery is a sin.
The numbers from the Ellison Research poll are from those who actually believe that sin is a reality. Out of their cross section (drawn from 1000 people) only 87% believed in a concept of Sin. 13% of those polled believe in sin. That means that out of 100 people you see today (+/- 3.1% margin of error) anywhere from 10-16 people do not believe in Sin. While it doesn’t surprise me that Faith plays a large part in whether you believe in sin or not, what does surprise me is that factors such as ethnic background, denominational (Evangelical vs Non-Evangelical, Protestant vs Catholic), and even age play a large role in the delineation of sin.
Many pastors today do not preach about sin. In fact, one of the more popular pastors in America today, Joel Osteen said the following:
“I never thought about (using the word ’sinners’), but I probably don’t,” Osteen told Larry King in an interview. “Most people already know what they’re doing wrong. When I get them to church, I want to tell them that you can change.”
What are you telling them to change Joel? If you’re not preaching about sin, how do they know there is anything for them to change? How many other pastors are like him?
Jesus believed in sin and He didn’t believe in any grey areas. Matthew 5:21-48 shows us that there are not grey areas in sin. I realize that our pastors are listening to God when it comes to what their messages are about (or should be) but I wonder if they’re not listening hard enough sometimes; or if their own fear keeps them from preaching on sin.
