THE GOSPEL OF GREED (Pt. III)

Christ commands us to exercise sound scriptural stewardship.  (Luke 16:1-2 – I Corinthians 4:1-2)  In fact, He commissions, commends and ultimately confers compensatory crowns upon all believers who do so. (Matthew 25:14-40)  To wit, the scriptures suggest a strong causal connection between funds garnered through tithes and offerings and tangible opportunities to harvest lost souls for the Kingdom of God.  That being the case, the following question is begged: ‘Since there is a direct connection between funds the church receives and the ability to finance its soul-winning mission, is it reasonable or right to spend even the smallest sum on self-gratifying or frivolous endeavors?’  Indeed, this is the mission-critical question that we must ask ourselves as we systematically raise and appropriate funds within the institutional church.

Time Magazine published a relevant article on Sunday, 10 September 2006, which implicitly highlights the foregoing question.  That article – entitled Does God Want You To Be Rich? – was authored by David Van Biema and Jeff Chu.  Key excerpts of the article are/will be reprinted here (today and tomorrow) for your prayerful consideration:

“In three of the Gospels, Jesus warns that each of his disciples may have to “deny himself” and even “take up his Cross.” In support of this alarming prediction, he forcefully contrasts the fleeting pleasures of today with the promise of eternity: “For what profit is it to a man,” he asks, “if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” It is one of the New Testament's hardest teachings, yet generations of churchgoers have understood that being Christian, on some level, means being ready to sacrifice--money, autonomy or even their lives.

But for a growing number of Christians, the question is better restated, “Why not gain the whole world plus my soul?” For several decades, a philosophy has been percolating…that seems to turn the Gospels’ message on its head: certainly, it allows, Christians should keep one eye on Heaven. But the new good news is that God doesn’t want us to wait. Known (or vilified) under a variety of names--Word of Faith, Health and Wealth, Name It and Claim It, Prosperity Theology--its emphasis is on God’s promised generosity in this life and the ability of believers to claim it for themselves. In a nutshell, it suggests that a God who loves you does not want you to be broke. Its signature verse could be John 10: 10: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” In a TIME poll, 17% of Christians surveyed said they considered themselves part of such a movement, while a full 61% believed that God wants people to be prosperous. And 31% agreed that if you give your money to God, God will bless you with more money.

“Prosperity” first blazed to public attention as the driveshaft in the moneymaking machine that was 1980s televangelism. Now, after some key modifications (which have inspired some to redub it ‘Prosperity-Lite’), it is booming. Of the four biggest mega-churches in [the USA], three--Joel Osteen’s Lakewood in Houston; T.D. Jakes’ Potter’s House in Dallas; and Creflo Dollar’s World Changers near Atlanta--are Prosperity or Prosperity-Lite pulpits (although Jakes’ ministry has many more facets). While they don’t exclusively teach that God’s riches want to be in believers’ wallets, it is a key part of their doctrine. And propelled by Osteen’s 4 million--selling book, Your Best Life Now, the belief has swept beyond its Pentecostal base into more buttoned-down evangelical churches, and even into congregations in the more liberal mainline denominations.

The movement’s renaissance has infuriated a number of prominent pastors, theologians and commentators. Fellow mega-pastor Rick Warren, whose book The Purpose Driven Life has outsold Osteen's by a ratio of 7 to 1, finds the very basis of ‘Prosperity’ laughable. “This idea that God wants everybody to be wealthy…there is a word for that: baloney. It’s creating a false idol. You don’t measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty. Why isn’t everyone in the church a millionaire?”

Advocates note Prosperity's racial diversity--a welcome exception to the American norm--and point out that some Prosperity churches engage in significant charity. And they see in it a happy corrective for Christians who are more used to being chastened for their sins than celebrated as God’s children. “Who would want to get in on something where you’re miserable, poor, broke and ugly and you just have to muddle through until you get to heaven?” asks Joyce Meyer, a popular television preacher and author often lumped in the Prosperity-Lite camp. “I believe God wants to give us nice things.” If nothing else, Meyer and other new-breed preachers broach a neglected topic that should really be a staple of Sunday messages: Does God want you to be rich?” [This concludes today’s excerpt from the Time article, Does God Want You To Be Rich?]

In closing, there is a serious question that we must ‘chew on’ while considering the will of God regarding the fiscal affairs of churches and individuals.  That is, “What is the litmus test for determining whether (or not) we are utilizing church or personal funds appropriately?”  We will engage this key question tomorrow.  But here are four teasers for your critical thinking and reflection: 1) Are our financial decisions Kingdom-driven or ego-driven?  2) Do our financial decisions serve us or the mission of soul-winning?  3) Since our primary focus is on eternity, how much money or material goods do we need (personally) in this present world?  4) If even one soul is lost because the gospel is not fully extended due to misappropriation of funds for self-serving ends, what will GOD have to say about that when we stand before Him in judgment?  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed and stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!