Pastor's Note:     The Seven Sins of Suburbia: Consumerism

     What does it profit a person to gain the entire world, yet forfeit their soul? Would you really be successful if you gained everything that this world has to offer yet the consequence would be the death of your soul? Our culture’s definition of success and power is very different from God’s definition. Imagine if you woke up every day and were walking in step with the reason why you are here on this Earth, which is to glorify God. What if you were not only glorifying God but you were also finding more joy in glorifying Him than in anything else in this entire world? That would be pretty awesome!

     This Sunday, we will be starting a brand-new summer sermon series called, “The Seven Sins of Suburbia” in which we will be looking at seven common temptations the modern Western Christian faces. This Sunday we will be studying the temptation of “consumerism” by digging into Ecclesiastes chapters 1 and 2. These chapters in this challenging Old Testament book are all about King Solomon’s “success quest.” Solomon goes on a journey to discover if anything in this life can give him ultimate meaning and purpose, and do you know what he learns? I hate to ruin the ending, but Solomon discovers that everything under the sun is like a cloud or vapor; it’s here for just a moment and in the next, it’s gone. He discovers that life under the sun is “Vanity of vanities… Everything is vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). We read about the meaningless of life in Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 and when all hope seems to be lost, we arrive at the end of Chapter 2. There, we discover that it is God that gives us true and everlasting meaning and purpose to life. It is God that put eternity into our hearts. No wonder nothing in this world can fully satisfy us other than our Everlasting and Eternal God!

     You see, there is only one pursuit that brings true fulfillment, and His name is Jesus Christ. The same Jesus who said, “What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36) that same Jesus offers us a better way. When we surrender the chase for temporary things and seek Him instead, we find the life our hearts were made for, a life rooted in eternal purpose, anchored in truth, and filled with everlasting joy. Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that because of Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we get to live a life full of meaning, purpose, and mission.

     Meaningful, meaningful! Everything is meaningful!