Spending All That We Have and Getting Worse
The church's extravagant spending is a self-diagnosis of its own spiritual affliction, and it must abandon these practices to gain heavenly treasure.
Derek Melton delivers a powerful sermon reflecting on the story of the woman with the issue of blood, emphasizing the need for the modern church to reevaluate its priorities and spiritual condition. He highlights the danger of excessive focus on outward gains and material possessions, leading to a decline in spiritual depth and effectiveness. The sermon challenges believers to redirect their focus towards true Kingdom-building efforts and selfless service, rather than indulging in lavish expenditures that do not align with God's heart.
Text
Mark 5:26 (KJV)
"...and {she} had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse..."
This story of the woman with the issue of blood is one of the favorites for many Christians, especially those suffering from physical ailments. Its message gives hope to those suffering through the devastation of disease and the frustration of physical frailty. By no means am I attempting to take away the beauty of these truths by shining new or redirected light upon the passage aforementioned.
We thank God for this courageous woman who pressed into Jesus despite her physical condition - to receive her healing. Yet, there are more truths to draw from this fifteen word excerpt than just one and the modern church needs to pry open her eyes that have been acclimated to the dark to receive this light.
In the last fifty years the church has never had more while possessing less. By this I mean that the church has gained great gains but they are purely outward and physical. The inward and spiritual condition of the church has been on a downward spiral in proportion to its upward gains in the physical and monetary. This is the cause of a great lingering illness in the Lord's precious bride.
Inordinate amounts of finances have been spent upon our American Christianity to enhance the quality of our religion and to boost our effectiveness, but these monetary enhancements and elaborate fancies have proved ineffective in building the Kingdom of God; they have only inebriated Zion with Babylon's wine. Multi-million dollar superstructures have been erected in the name of Jesus Christ with every luxurious accommodation Benjamin Franklin can provide - but the quality and depth of our spirituality is at best poverty stricken.
Of the billions of dollars that are spent yearly in American churches what eternal significances can we show to justify these expenditures? Are these luxuries boosting our chaste living? Is the wealthy church winning more true converts and living more godly in this world? I say no, a thousand times no! Our spiritual condition is not getting better; in fact we are becoming worse and worse. The very fact that we are spending such staggering amounts of money upon ourselves is a self-diagnosis of our own affliction. This woman with the issue of blood spent every penny that she had upon herself to improve her condition - but she was none the better.
The fanatical overspending upon mega-structures and every luxurious accommodation are simply "doctors" in disguise trying to nurse a gravely sick church back to health - but we are none the better for it, in fact we are waxing worse. Six-figured clergymen pampered with every article of extravagance have proven themselves to be spiritually sterile and unable to bring the healing inoculation to the anemic church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact they too are as these doctors were to this woman with the issue of blood: robbing her of all of her money and leaving her worse off than before.
Over the last fifty years the American church has reduced its expenditures towards foreign missions around the world while increasing its expenditures upon itself. All of these expenditures have made us rich and increased with this world's goods but we are possessing less and less heavenly treasure. It would do us well here in America to hasten unto a diligent Word study to find where the heart of God is concerning these matters.
Instead of catering to the rich - shouldn't we be bringing in the poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind? Instead of enjoying the fat of the land - shouldn't we be forsaking all and going to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If our modern Christianity is to ever be healed of its infirmity, we must abandon these practices that are bleeding us of our spiritual strength, and press into Jesus Christ and touch Him once again.
Boundless healing virtue and quickening energy awaits the church's departure from these extravagant self-expenditures and to fall on our knees in desperation to touch His garment. What does it profit us if we gain the riches and luxuries of the whole world and in the quest loose our heavenly identification and thwart our eternal purposes and effectiveness?
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction
- A. The story of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5:26
- B. The message of hope for those suffering from physical ailments
- II. The Downward Spiral of the Church
- A. The church has gained outward and physical gains but lost inward and spiritual condition
- B. The church has spent inordinate amounts of finances on physical enhancements
- C. The quality and depth of spirituality is poverty-stricken
- III. The Futility of Extravagant Spending
- A. The church is spending staggering amounts of money on itself
- B. The spending is a self-diagnosis of the church's own affliction
- C. The church is becoming worse and worse
- IV. The Need for a Change
- A. The church should focus on bringing in the poor and the marginalized
- B. The church should forsake all and go to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel
- C. The church must abandon practices that bleed it of spiritual strength
Key Quotes
“The very fact that we are spending such staggering amounts of money upon ourselves is a self-diagnosis of our own affliction.” — Derek Melton
“Six-figured clergymen pampered with every article of extravagance have proven themselves to be spiritually sterile and unable to bring the healing inoculation to the anemic church of the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Derek Melton
“What does it profit us if we gain the riches and luxuries of the whole world and in the quest loose our heavenly identification and thwart our eternal purposes and effectiveness?” — Derek Melton
Application Points
- The church should focus on bringing in the poor and the marginalized, rather than catering to the rich.
- The church should forsake all and go to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel, rather than enjoying the fat of the land.
- The church must abandon practices that bleed it of spiritual strength and press into Jesus Christ to gain boundless healing virtue and quickening energy.