All That Church Wants Is...
Websters defines juxtaposition as placing two or more things side by side to compare or contrast their effect. This article’s title is deliberately incomplete. How would you finish it? How might the average attendee or visitor of your church do the same? Different people with different perspectives typically respond with diametrically opposing answers. Two words, one question: Money and Salvation. What is the interplay between the two?
The apostle Paul offers the correct biblical response, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” Often when stewardship is emphasized, we encounter an opposing cynical perspective. From the vantage point of many, the only thing the church is interested in is something they have and something they think we need or want – their money. In actuality, the only thing the church wants is something we have and something they desperately need – their salvation.
How do we bridge that gap? How do we ensure the purity of our message while avoiding being misunderstood? Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler offers insight (Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18).
Human nature has not changed, and we must face and resign ourselves to a sad and bitter reality. Tragically, many will deliberately choose to love and value money and possessions more than they love or value Jesus and His teachings on the interplay between money and salvation. Perhaps nowhere in Scripture is this more centerstage than Jesus’ exchange with the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler didn’t reject stewardship – He rejected Jesus. Certainly, the complete surrender and sale of all earthly possessions is not a requirement for salvation. Jesus’ response was not prescriptive in answering the young man’s question; it was diagnostic. Just like God tested Abraham when instructing him to sacrifice Isaac, Jesus was testing his willingness to part with his money and possessions in order to follow Him.
Randy Alcorn commenting on this passage writes, “Jesus knew that money was the rich young man’s god…none of us can enthrone the true God unless in the process we dethrone our other gods. If Christ is not Lord over our money and possessions, then He is not our Lord.”
We must identify principles to shepherd and care for those beset with the same bondage. In this man’s case, he didn’t possess his money; his money possessed him. He prioritized money and possessions to a point where they dictated and determined his decisions. So many in our care have fallen prey to the same delusion. We must not soften the challenging words of our Lord. They are direct and clear, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Bart McDonald
SBTF Executive Director