Christian Message Boards: What's Wrong With "Financial Security" teachings in churches today...

This is topic What's Wrong With "Financial Security" teachings in churches today... in forum Exposing False Teaching at Christian Message Boards.

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Posted by Favor Minded (Member # 4661) on :

One of the prevalent teachings and promises within the church today is the concept of security, and finding security in the things of this world.

Security is perhaps the most sacredly held promises of the suburban lifestyle. Everyone wants to feel safe. Financial security has been the focus and cornerstone of the modern day thinking towards achieving a sense of well-being and happiness.

Modern churches today are insisting on helping to ingrain the belief that we must first ensure that our own future can be guaranteed, before we might think of the financial needs of others. What a non-biblical concept this is!

Certainly as adults some of us mature beyond wanting mountains of material possessions, because we begin to recognize that these things don’t fill certain voids in our lives, but we are still taught the importance of saving up all our money, so we can put it into something responsible, like the bank or money-market funds. In this way we have been sold on the idea that now we’ve got a nest-egg to fall back on – save us from that Rainy Day that’s coming. These ideas and concepts are beginning to completely dominate our approach to money and sadly, dominate our churches. The desire for wealth, financial security and home ownership has become the vision of a great savior. Worldly security teachings, pervading our churches today, are showing us that no matter what happens, at least we’ll always have the house.

As Christians many have bought into the promise that financial security is not only biblical, but an absolute necessity to further your walk with the Lord. Many have even bought into the concept that they can help other people more if they work on being richer themselves.

Christians have actually started believing these types of teachings. They are accepting this and believing this is the responsible thing to do. They are being taught that to store up money is how they can feel safe, or how they can begin to sleep at night.

Like all types of yearning for security, the need for financial security is completely rooted in fear, and in worldly desires. This is not a fear of God, but rather a fear of the world, and a fear of their circumstances. There comes a point when Christians stop recognizing the source of their decisions, and start believing that it’s just common sense.

God has shown me that any and all dependence on the ways of the world for financial security is absolutely a lack of dependence on God. How can a true, God fearing Christian come to any other conclusion?

The message that Christ taught, and the message Paul and all of the disciples preached, did not have ANY reliance on savings and investments for those rainy days.

How can one interpret Jesus’ words any differently? They taught the necessity of dependence on God for our financial needs into the future. Christ was a man who called each of his disciples to leave everything they had if they were to follow him.

Matthew 6:19 - 21, 31 - 34
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…. 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I do not see any references in what Jesus taught that we should “Love our neighbors, as soon as we are in a position to, or in a position where we won‘t need again. I do not see anywhere that he told anyone to hold off until you’ve got all your own stuff sorted out. This type of thinking seems to be prevalent in todays modern, westernized Christians.

Being a wholly devoted follower of Jesus Christ has to be about trusting in him, and about faith in him. Remember, a great acronym for faith is Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him. We are to trust fully that he looks out for and WILL always take care of all of our needs, short and long term.

I am not saying it is inappropriate to have a high-paying position, however I do absolutely believe with everything that I am that we’ve allowed ourselves to believe that our own financial security should rank more highly than giving to the poor, helping the needy, or going after the ones who cannot pay back. This, I find, is completely contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What do you suppose the church might look like if instead of storing up these treasures on earth for ourselves, we gave that money to see real change in the lives of those poor and needy in this world.
There’s a lot of money that goes into keeping Christians feeling safe. They invest hundreds, thousands, and more into teachings about financial peace and security all for themselves. In this way they are simply neglecting the ones Christ himself was so passionate about. God is truly starting to show me the big picture. He is now showing me that if we could effect real change in this area, we as Christians would have HUGE effect on this dying world we were given to live in.

We could really give the seeker friendly churches and self help motivational speaking Pastors something to really take notice of. Instead of being a purpose driven church for growth and income, we could be a purpose driven church for what Christ did, died for, and has called “His” church. He stated clearly that this one would be the only one be left standing. Please, anyone who has a different point of view, please show me where financial security has ANY place in the God’s Kingdom?

Posted by Isaiah (Member # 6699) on :

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Posted by TB125 (Member # 2450) on :

I think that a statement on "Sharing and basic economics" that I just wrote and added to my website might touch on this issue. It can be viewed here: http://www.christianityetc.org/sharing.php Such a process could be helpful, since economics is apparently the number one issue or concern in our current political scene. But I don't hear any of the candidates, or even the major commentators talking about the basic responsibility of individual citizens to learn to live within their means and to save for emergencies.

Faithful stewardship is a basic responsibility of Christian living and service, yet it is not well taught or practiced by some Christian leaders.

Too much effort is being given to getting, even from our government, and not enough on sharing.

Posted by powerhouse (Member # 3826) on :

What I find is churches securing their own security by beating money out of folks. How can a pastor preach faith and yet have a "spiritual holdup" every Sunday?

Posted by Michael Harrison (Member # 6801) on :

Yea, I agree with you. But I can see this post going split, the same two ways as "Once saved always saved," and the discussion on "Election, i.e. Predestination."

I am dissapointed with money raisers. They are in a ministry, and something is wrong with having to browbeat the lay people persistently. The trouble is that they are in a business, more than in a ministry if they have to behave that way. However, I do feel that they shouldn't have to ask for two reasons: One) If they are in correct relationship, they should be able to see results without badgering. Two) It is hard for people to give up their money. The reason for this is that they invest their hope in it. The life is not in the money! But they want to depend on it rather than the Blessed One. It is fundamental to someone to believe in it more easily than in God. And that leads to the fact that they end up itching with believing, in the teachings that you can purchase your prosperity, wherein they believe God for money, rather than life relationship.

Money leads to self-sufficiency. It replaces faith, which leads to dependency upon God.

If you have money, being a good steward is no doubt correct, but the pursuit of it is the problem. Remember, scripture says that "Love of money is the root of 'all' evil." It doesn't say that money itself is.

Posted by yahsway (Member # 3738) on :

Michael, Good post, and i couldnt agree with you more. I mentioned this one time at the assembly i used to attend. I told them they ran it more like a business and i was told "church was a business". Needless to say i do not attend there anymore.

For years i thought to myself that maybe i was wrong until i met an elderly lady a few months ago who left the same church and she said the exact same thing.

And evry Sunday the pastor would beat up the assembly about the thithes they should be paying to the assembly. It basically was all about the money.

And believe me when i say that the ones who tithed the most were put into "positions" within the assembly and those that did not tithe or tithed less were talked about among the people in that assembly as not having their "house in order" and having "no faith" and were basically shunned by a lot of the more "prestigous" ones within the assembly.

I guess Yeshua was right, where your treasure is is where your heart is as well. With some assemblies its ALL about the Money. How sad.