02/05/25 PURSE STRINGS AND HEART STRINGS

02/05/25 PURSE STRINGS AND HEART STRINGS

"The love of money" explains why preachers and churches don't tell the truth about certain issues.

Many years ago, I was pastor of a church that was reaching the young people of our church members and our community as well as reaching other lost people in our community. In fact, I was being invited to preach at other churches in our community. However, there were church bosses in my congregation who did not like that they could not control my message, and they were determined to get rid of me. They would have liked to voted me out, but they would have needed to convince enough of the members, which would have been a major project. Instead, the church bosses decided to withhold their financial support from the church.

Martha and I were good friends with the general membership, including the treasurer and his family. He and his family appreciated my ministry and my focus on children and young people. However, he invited me and Martha to come over to his house one evening. This was not unusual, since we were actually friends. I knew the church bosses were wanting to get rid of me, but I was not getting into a personal squabble with them. I just kept doing what a loving, honest, Bible preaching pastor was suppose to do. The night we visited with the treasurer and his family, it was obvious something was bothering him. He started the evening conversation by saying how much he and his wife, and other members appreciated my ministry, but then he said the church had a major problem. He told me that the church bosses were withholding financial support until I was gone. He pointed out that he, along with others were agreed that their church could not make it without the finances of the church bosses, therefore he knew that I would have to leave. The leaders of that church were willing to get rid of a Bible preacher, who loved them and their families, because they were afraid of losing money. It was not because of doctrinal, moral, personal reasons, but because people would rather have the money of the church bosses than to trust and obey God.
I have seen church leaders coddle parishioners because they were political leaders, school board leaders, business leaders, financial leaders, to the extent that they muted the message of God's word from their pulpit and put the spiritual well being of their children on the altar of sacrifice for money and prestige.

And, I have seen pastors mute themselves and God's message for fear of offending church bosses, financial supporters, social, political and civic leaders.

You better be part of a local body of believers who love God and His word more than they love the applause of men, more than they love the benefits of the privileged class, more than they love the money that runs their church.

There are sell-outs who will sacrifice you and your children for the support and favor of the selfish class. Be careful.