CAN A PASTOR ASK FOR MONEY AS HELP IN PREACHING THE WORD?
“My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to the merit of his deeds.”
Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote to me about a problem they have with evangelists asking for money to help them in preaching the Word, and they mentioned one by name. Here is my response, which I would also like to share with you:
I know absolutely nothing about Uncle Angus’ affairs and finances, so I cannot comment on that.
What I can tell you is this: I called one of our well-known stadium offices to find out, and in 2010, it cost around R500,000.00 or more to rent one of our large stadiums for a single event. I just wonder if any stadium management would waive that kind of money for a Christian gathering. I also heard—though this is hearsay, as I did not experience it myself—that at one of Uncle Angus’ gatherings, one could get a campsite for the entire weekend, including three meals a day, for R100.00.
When I heard this, the story of the five loaves and two fish came to mind.
So, with a tongue-in-cheek remark, knowing human nature, I wouldn’t be surprised if, for example, a few atheists or people of other faiths also attended that weekend—not necessarily for the Christian message, but simply to enjoy an affordable camping weekend with three meals a day—only to end up receiving far more than they expected.
You mention that the Gospel is free, and that is, of course, true. We also read:
Matthew 10:8: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
However, we must not forget that immediately after Matthew 10:8, we also read:
Matthew 10:9-10: “Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support.”
Incidentally, I do not think that the preachers who have become immensely rich from the Gospel understand Matthew 10:9-10, or else they have removed this passage, along with several others, from their Bibles:
Matthew 10:9-10: “Do not take gold, or silver, or [even] copper money in your money belt, or a provision bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker deserves his support.”
Unfortunately, there are people who preach the Gospel of Jesus with the primary goal of enriching themselves—and in the process, they exploit God’s children.
A true proclaimer of Jesus’ Gospel will have the mindset described in:
Hebrews 13:5: “Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, ‘I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!’”
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Word is always my standard for questions like these. So, I would like to share the following with you:
There are always, as they say in English, “the good guys and the bad guys.”
The Good Guys:
Regarding this discussion, they are the true preachers of the Word. I understand very clearly from the Word that someone—such as an evangelist—who preaches the true Gospel can, so to speak, rely on God’s children to contribute to the provision of their basic needs.
As always, for the sake of brevity, I will limit myself to two examples from the Word:
Luke 10:5-7: “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace [that is, a blessing of well-being and prosperity, the favor of God] to this house.’ And if anyone of peace is there, your blessing [of peace] will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not move from house to house.”
1 Timothy 5:17-18: “The elders who perform their leadership duties well are to be considered worthy of double honor [financial support], especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching [the Word of God concerning eternal salvation through Christ]. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating],’ and, ‘The worker is worthy of his wages [he deserves fair compensation].’”
The Bad Guys:
These are the so-called preachers who do not preach the Word with pure motives—that is, not purely for the sake of God and His Kingdom. In my personal opinion, prosperity preachers stand out head and shoulders above the other “bad guys.”
As I see it, prosperity preachers use the Word to become rich. If you strip it down to its core, their Gospel revolves around money and includes this message:
“If you want to be rich, give money to God. And a great place to start is by giving it to me, the one preaching this ‘prosperity’ Gospel to you. In other words, buy God’s favor by giving money—starting with me.”
Regarding them, the following passages from the Word apply:
2 Peter 2:15: “They have abandoned the right way [the true path] and gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness.”
Jude 1:11: “Woe to them! For they have gone the [defiant] way of Cain, and for profit they have run headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of [mutinous] Korah.”
2 Corinthians 11:13-15: “For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness; their end will correspond with their deeds.”
This kind of preaching—where people use the Gospel of Jesus to become rich by playing on people’s emotions—is, in my opinion, nothing but a satanic way of exploiting the Word. However, this kind of false preaching has been around since the beginning of Christianity. That is why my great hero, Paul, also wrote:
2 Corinthians 2:17: “For we are not like many [acting like merchants] peddling God’s word [shortchanging and adulterating God’s message for profit]; but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God.”
Finally:
Let you and I always preach the Gospel purely. In other words, in our hearts as His disciples, it must always be about our Lord and the salvation of souls.
Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one [according to the merit of] his deeds.”
Blessings,
Sakkie