Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Does God Want Us to Be Rich? TIME Looks at Prosperity Theology


Time Magazine, of all things, has taken on the prosperity theology so prevalent in the Western Church today. This article is timely with our study of Job. Take a look at Al Mohler's comment on Time's coverage of "preachers" like Osteen, Jakes, etc.

There is the issue of priorities. For what do we as a church strive? Do we strive for the theater seats for the main service to comfortably watch the show? Or would we be content with those hard fold-out metal chairs as long as the Lord's Table is spread before us and we can feast on the pure Word of God? Do we seek numbers? Or do we seek fellowship with and the making of true brothers and sisters in Christ who are growing in grace and who bear the marks of true faith: Love for Christ and a love for all the saints? Do we seek position: to be known by others as the "best church in Tyler"? Or do we seek the servants' faithfulness to His Word that oftentimes goes unnoticed by the masses?

When I read about these kinds of situations in the Church, it is tempting for me to feel that my church is much more holy and more Christian than the mega-churches. But, if we really examine our own hearts, even though we may profess to not believe in the doctrines of personal prosperity and pragmatic church growth, I wonder if our actions sometimes betray differently. Do we truly trust Christ alone for the health and growth of this body we call Calvary? Or do we sometimes try to take that growth into our own hands forgetting that it is Christ Who will build His church?

He builds His church when He grants us faithful hearts to His Word. He builds it when He grants us sincere love for one another. He builds it when He grants us those precious opportunities to share the gospel of His grace with the lost. He builds it in a thousand thousands of other ways that we do not even see. He builds it when He grants us the wisdom to use our finances in ways that exhibit our Christ-centeredness rather than to build for ourselves a name. Some gifts are shortly realized. Others have been in the works for years. His gifts to us, for His glory and our good.

No comments: