Sermon Tone Analysis

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*False Teaching on Wealth*

 

The very basis of the Word-Faith doctrine on money is that it is a God-given guarantee.

It is supposedly guaranteed because of God’s covenant with Abraham.

It is argued that we are under that same covenant.

All we need to do is look at the covenant God made with Abraham and we will see that wealth and health is not even mentioned.

God made a two-fold covenant.

Look at these passages:

Genesis 15:

 18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates --

 

Genesis 17:

 2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

7 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

8 "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

Even the casual reader can see the promises of this covenant: your descendents will inherit the land and I will make you a great nation.

God renamed him from Abram, which means _exalted father_ to Abraham, which means _father of a multitude_.

When God called Abraham at the beginning, God did give him a command and promised that obedience would produce blessing.

However, we can_t mistake the covenant as being God_s promise of blessing because of obedience.

God_s word is filled with promises of blessing to those who obey.

God_s blessings are not obtained by claiming it with words alone.

Every blessing has a command and every command is a blessing.

God deals with individuals.

Because God promised to make Abraham_s name great and produce a great nation does not mean that each of us will have that same promise.

The bread and butter of the Word-Faith movement is the message of wealth.

It is out of desire for gain and the promise of wealth that millions flock to Word-Faith _revivals_ and send in their money.

Word-Faith teachers use the allure of money to convince money-seekers to send in their donations.

As Faith teachers flood the airways with petitions for _seeds of faith_, the world sits by mocking.

Christianity has been turned into a marketing scam instead of a lifestyle focused on Christ.

He is an example:

Tonight I want to speak that hundredfold increase.

If you will call right now and you will say to your counselor, I want to be involved in the hundredfold.

I want the hundredfold prayer prayed over my giving tonight.

I will at the time God leads me to do it, lay my hands on everyone of those cards and will speak the hundredfold increase into your life.

The phrase to say is 'the hundredfold'.

Look at Luke 6:

 34 "And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?

For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.

35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.

For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

If you lend hoping to receive back, the Bible says that this is not credit to you.

God blesses those who give out of a desire to love, not out of a desire to gain.

Of course the true church understands that Christianity is not a quest for money, but in the world_s eyes, the Word-Faith movement is the same as Biblical Christianity.

Word-Faith teachers claim to be mainstream and the church does not challenge their doctrines, therefore no distinction can be identified.

If anything, we are seeing mainstream Christianity shifting toward the Word-Faith movement instead of calling people out this movement and into a relationship with Christ.

Before we examine some of the key doctrines of the Word-Faith movement on money, let_s take a moment to consider the purpose of money.

Is Money Evil?

Money is not good nor is it evil.

Money is completely neutral.

It becomes good or evil depending on the heart of the person possessing or seeking it.

Look at 1 Timothy 6:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

It is the love of money that is evil and creates a desire that leads to sin.

Greed and a love for money is just as much idolatry as bowing down and worshipping a statue of Buddha.

Since money is a necessary part of life, loving money is easy to justify.

Loving money, I believe, is an affection for wealth that puts it above God in our lives.

Loving money is when it no longer is a tool, but the priority in our life.

Loving money is when I consider myself the owner of it rather than the God_s appointed steward of it.

Colossians 3:5 tells us that covetousness is idolatry.

In the passage above, we are warned that many stray from the faith because of greed.

Instead of finding the _blessings of God_, they are headed for sorrow and pain.

God is not against money; however, God is against loving money.

People are not wealthy because they are not able to handle wealth and keep God on the throne of their lives.

The Bible teaches us that God will not give us more than we are able to handle.

If my life is already so crowded that I cannot find time for God, how can I ask God to give me more?

If I struggle to find consistent prayer time, consistent Bible study, and a consistent walk with God, what will wealth do to me? Wealth produces opportunities that can be good, but it also produces opportunities to become busier and less focused on the correct priorities.

Ironically, if getting wealth is a priority, it shows that God_s will is not.

Money is not the standard of faith or godliness, but it can reveal a lot about me.

For example, what I do with my money reveals what is important in my life.

We frequently hear about giving our tithes to God, but this is only part of the picture.

Giving tithes does not make me righteous; it only sheds light on my relationship with God.

If I cling to my money, I show that I don_t trust God.

Everything that I have belongs to God.

I am only a steward _ or caretaker _ of what God has entrusted to me.

If I don_t give to God what already belongs to Him, it reveals that I don_t understand my role in this life.

Possessions become my fulfiller instead of God.

If my spiritual life has the right focus, the natural result is that I will give to God out of love.

That is why the Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver.

A grudging giver doesn_t have any more understanding about their relationship with God than a non-giver.

My relationship with God affects every area of my life.

If I exclude God from any area, I am not making Him Lord.

This doesn_t just apply to money; it applies to my entire life.

I give my time, my praise, my finances, my desires and everything I have to God.

The greatest commandment is to love the LORD your God with ALL your heart, mind, soul and strength.

Nothing in our life is excluded.

Of course it is a growing process of learning to surrender each area one-by-one and making Him Lord.

It does not happen automatically in every area.

Spiritual maturity is learning to love God and make Him Lord.

If I am struggling to make Him Lord, how can I expect God to give me more?

Wealth opens many doors that crowd God out.

I may say that I can worship God on a boat, but in reality, boats, cars, things and activities can easily become my god.

If God is not on the throne of my life now, He won_t be even if I have everything that I think I need.

Apostles were rich

In order to persuade people to accept the wealth _gospel_, Faith teachers must first persuade people to believe that Jesus and the Apostles were teaching the same things.

As we look at this Word-Faith doctrine, you will see that they knowingly and willingly contradict scripture.

Begin by looking at John Avanzini_s claim to the wealth of Paul:

"People say the apostles didn't have money.

Man did they have money!