Capital One has these somewhat funny commercials that always end with, "What's in your wallet?" They hope that the Capital One Rewards card is in your wallet and, if not, the commercials extolling their rewards program are an attempt to entice you to apply.
As I thought about the Viking guy asking "What's in your wallet?", it occurred to me that many preachers are basically saying the same thing. Only they want what's in your wallet and entice you to send it to them by offering various earthly rewards.
Earthly Rewards? They speak of sowing "faith seeds" that will sprout into a rich harvest for the sower. They tell stories of how they once were in the depths of poverty but they kept on planting their faith seeds (giving money to a preacher) and now they wear a Rollex and drive "holy beemers," as one preacher referred to all the BMWs in the studio parking lot. They remind me of the guy who sells the DVD that tells you how to make millions on eBay. Of course, he is making his millions selling DVDs on TV. These preachers are paying for their BMWs and mansions by convincing simple people that they should sow "seeds" of money to their ministry.
God's Warning. God warns us about such people. Peter wrote about the false teachers who "speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage." (2 Peter 2:18,19). Earlier in the chapter Peter said of those false prophets, "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2 Peter 2:3). The NKJV reads "...they exploit you..."
These preachers want to know, "What's in your wallet?" They'll pray on TV and say that "Someone watching is having financial trouble; it is even causing problems in their marriage. God wants you to sow your seed of faith and be free of those financial problems and fix your marriage." When did Jesus use such tactics? Do you recall Jesus ever taking any money from his followers? Did He ever promise personal enrichment in trade for financial contributions to His ministry?
The apostle Paul, while trying to solicit funds to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem, did refer to sowing and reaping. He said to the Corinthians, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
Notice the difference in Paul's appeal and the appeal of modern day preachers. Paul was soliciting funds for others, not himself (cfm. 2 Corinthians 9:1). The giver would "reap" but the result of the reaping was not to purchase a BMW but to "have an abundance for every good work." Paul didn't even touch the money. Each church was to select a member to bear the gift to Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:3) so that there would be no question about the handling of the money (2 Corinthians 8:18-21). Paul was not about enriching himself or enriching those who gave. His effort was to bring glory to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12-15).
What's in your wallet? There are preachers who want to know and they want to have it. According to Peter, their continual interest in your wallet and their rich lifestyle is proof that they are not from God. You'll do well to avoid them and search out those who are more concerned about your spiritual well-being than those who give you empty promises of health and wealth in swap for what money you have.
If you would like to learn about God's solutions for your life, I would love to help. I have no ministry for you to give to and do not want any money. Your honest heart, open to the word of God, is what I want. Contact me when you are ready.
4 comments:
Should a pastor be paid a salary by the church congregation?
Thanks for your question. It is a good question and one that has a Bible answer.
In 2 Corinthians 11:7,8 the apostle Paul said this. "Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you." So Paul took "wages" from other churches while he served the church at Corinth.
In addressing issues concerning elders of the church Paul said, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.'" So elders, or pastors as they are also called, are laborers worthy of wages.
Philipiains 4:15-17 says, "Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account." So the church at Philippi send things needful to Paul to support him. Paul called it sharing, "aid" and a "gift" and "giving" that took care of his "necessities."
So the Scriptures support paying those who minister the word of God but it is obvious that Paul was concerned mostly about his necessities. As I said in the post, Paul was not enriching himself through the preaching of the gospel.
Thanks for reading!
Many churches say 10% is the minimum one should give, yet I can find no evidence in the church epistles (Romans thru Thessalonians)to support this. Do you read it the same way?
Your understanding is like mine. The emphasis in the New Testament seems to be not on the amount but on what the person, with a purposeful heart, choses to give.
In fact, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:7 Paul said, "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." Teaching that 10% is a minimum instead of what Paul taught in this verse might cause some to be "grudging" in their giving or feel "necessity" as they give. God wants cheerful givers. That might be 5%, 10% or 40% for different folks and at different times in their lives, but all would be the "cheerful giver" that God wants.
With all the emphasis on giving money to these "ministries," it seems like their suggestion of 10% as a minimum is a bit self-serving. It also seems unscriptural.
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