{"id":1897,"date":"2011-06-03T22:34:24","date_gmt":"2011-06-04T06:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oxgoad.ca\/2011\/06\/03\/mahaney-worldliness-ch-4\/"},"modified":"2011-06-07T17:03:04","modified_gmt":"2011-06-08T01:03:04","slug":"mahaney-worldliness-ch-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxgoad.ca\/2011\/06\/03\/mahaney-worldliness-ch-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahaney: “Worldliness,” Ch. 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review: Chapter 4 – \u201cGod, My Heart, and Stuff\u201d by Dave Harvey in Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World<\/em>, C. J. Mahaney, ed.<\/p>\n

A friend of mine loaned me his copy of this little book for my review. Since it is a compilation of six essays by five Sovereign Grace Ministries clergymen, I thought it best to review the book section by section. Previously: Chapter One<\/a>, Chapter Two<\/a>, Chapter Three<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chapter 4 comes from the pen of Dave Harvey who serves on the leadership team of Sovereign Grace Ministries. My understanding is that he is quite close to C. J. Mahaney and also serves on the board of CCEF, among other things.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The subject of \u201cGod, My Heart, and Stuff\u201d is materialism and covetousness. Most Bible-believing Christians would agree with most of what is said in this chapter. But I\u2019d also have to say that this chapter may be the weakest in the book. It is not weak because of the position it takes \u2013 it is weak because it is shallow in treating a serious subject. It reminds me of certain \u2018story-telling preachers\u2019 who occupy the hall of shame in the minds of some.<\/p>\n

For example, Harvey begins the chapter by recounting the story of the man who wants Jesus to compel his brother to divide the inheritance with him. The man speaks up (as far as we know) in the middle of a session where Jesus is speaking against the Pharisees (Lk 12.13-14). Here is Harvey\u2019s description of the man\u2019s interruption:<\/p>\n

As he spoke up, many in the crowd must have wondered, \u2018Who is he? Does he seek a wise saying from the Great Teacher? Some blessing perhaps? Maybe a divine healing?<\/p>\n

\u2018Teacher\u2019 the man said, \u2018tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.\u2019 (Luke 12.13)<\/p>\n

Talk about missing your cue! ((pp. 91-92))<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After mentioning Jesus\u2019 rebuke of the man (Lk 12.15), Harvey says this:<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the biblical equivalent of a flag on the field. It\u2019s meant to stop the action. ((p. 92))<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, before we align with Team Jesus and root him on, let\u2019s remember that we\u2019re more similar to Mr. Oblivious than we might like to believe.\u00a0 ((pp.92-93))<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Perhaps I am too critical of this approach, but it this kind of \u2018lightness\u2019 is evident many times through the chapter. I am not against humor, not even in preaching, but sometimes preachers seem to be more interested in getting a laugh than in really dealing with the passages. That was the sense I got throughout the chapter.<\/p>\n

In addition to the \u2018lightness\u2019, this chapter suffers a bit from the same problem as chapter one: a misunderstanding of worldliness itself. In other words, Harvey is shooting at our own internal lust more than he is at those lusts incorporated and inculcated into the whole way the unbelieving world works and promotes itself. Or, as one of my readers says, \u201cthe collective abandonment of unsaved individuals to \u2026 their inordinate affections to the point where it becomes a societal norm.\u201d ((Thanks to d4v34x, or Dave, for that \u2013 see the comments on Mahaney: “Worldliness,” chapter 1<\/a>.))<\/p>\n

We see this right at the beginning of Harvey\u2019s argument when he says:<\/p>\n

In exposing materialism, the real issue for Christ is not the stuff around us but the stuff within. The Savior loves us so much that he comes after our coveting hearts and rescues us from the seduction of a fallen world. ((p. 94))<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Well, it is true that we have a problem with covetousness within, and that the covetous within is a real problem because of the appeal of the world without. Our souls resonate<\/em> with the world\u2019s melody \u2013 we are of a piece with the world.<\/p>\n

But consider this: is it possible to be materialistic or covetous without being particularly worldly?<\/p>\n