Quote:
Originally Posted by tv1a
AYR, The idea is preposterous saying the church shouldn't run like a business. It takes money to survive. That's not taking away from the miraculous power of God. It just a lot of time we can see God's miracle through finances.
If your premises is the church not worry about money and rely only on God, I would expect the church would stop selling peanut brittle and Easter candy on the holidays. Just a thought. The church shouldn't be thinking about money. It cost money for the fuel for the bus. Insurance for the drivers. Just as Christ was running His Father's business, we have the same responsibility.
Here is the key to running the Father's business, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness will open up everything you need. If you understood what the Kingdom of God is about and what righteousness is about, you wouldn't have a problem with ministry operated as a business.
Back to the rich young ruler, money was his God. Did Jesus tell Zacchaous he had to sell everything and give it the poor? Zaccheous volunteer to pay the people he cheated back with interest. Jesus didn't tell Z-man that's not good enough, get rid of it all.
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I fully understand what seeking first the Kingdom of God is....and truly money has little part in it. I do understand it takes money to survive, but the church has survived without the mortgages/interest, the insurance, the utilities, the pulpits, the electronics, the fancy monitors, padded pews, air conditioning since the Cross of Christ.
Preachers have long preached in brush arbors, on tree stumps, large rocks, hills and the Glory of God still fell on the people.
As for your analogy of the rich young ruler, Jesus likewise told others what He wanted them to do. Many of these people were not rich at all. This included the disciples. Jesus told each one what they were to do to follow Him. Peter looked at John and asked Jesus "What is he to do"? Jesus answered "What is that to thee? Follow thou me".
Many pastors do not tell people to follow Christ, except if they know they have some level of control over them and their finances.
Trouble is... too many church assemblies make money to be their God. You know it and I know it. I've seen too many churches be bitter enemies because one church took away too many of their tithe payers. I've seen churches build bigger and fancier churches than they can afford. I've seen pastors and church paid ministers buy $30,000 + automobiles when one costing $20,000 or less would be sufficient. And I've seen them do it every couple years. I've heard about a pastor who almost had a falling out with a certain family in his church over his wanting to buy a certain home for sale in the area. It got so bad that they almost had to leave that church. The pastor won the fight over an ignorant house. The other people who wanted to buy it had the wisdom to let it go and the pastor did not. I knew of a pastor who raided the building fund so he could take his family on vacation to a very expensive place. It escalated until the church ended up splitting. I've been in prayer meetings where the senior lady would tell us to pray "for tithe paying families". HuH? What happened to praying for people's souls whether they could tithe or not? I could go on and on.
Christ truly lived on what our Father provided. Paul was a perfect example. He traveled and supplied his own needs (and others) making tents while he taught the things of the Kingdom of God.
I'm sorry but I reject the idea that Jesus ran his ministry like a business, unless I see chapter and verse. I would think that if Jesus did have any money, he would not have had to get someone to take coin out of the fish mouth to pay Caesar's taxes. Sorry, but the Bible simply does not prove this theory of yours. Perhaps he did not want finances to take away the real message of God's ability to provide for his Saints needs.
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