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NASB | John 2:13 ¶ The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 2:13 ¶ Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. |
Subject: is selling in a church building fine? |
Bible Note: roark89 I like the story about the man with the helicopter and all but that is man’s wisdom. So is the wisdom that “God helps those that help themselves.” No I’m not advocating sitting around waiting for God to move as an excuse to be lazy. Let’s look at Paul when the believers in Jerusalem were in trouble who did Paul go to, the world? Or the church in other areas and where he took up offerings to help them. I think that was given as an example not just passing commentary. When God commissioned Paul to preach did Paul make a CD and sell it to continue the ministry or did Paul go about preaching and if the church supported him great if not he found other work and supported himself. No I’m, not advocating preachers not getting paid. I think as Paul if the they feed you spiritually you have a duty and obligation to feed them physically. Today if a man saw the burning bush as Moses did, he probably would write a book and do the TV circuit and the children of Israel would still be sitting in Egypt waiting for a leader. So often we use the argument the end justifies the means. We have ministry to do and that requires funds, so we have to raise the funds, will sell what God freely gave to raise those funds and call it ministry. That is not the way it is to be. Ministry is something that is done because God has a call on your life, it makes no difference if there is money in it or not. Your are doing it because God said go do this. Along with that God has promised when ever He sends someone out He will provision you to do it. Now we as Christian have a stake in this, we have to understand a man is worthy of his hire, if he has done something that has benefited us either through preaching, song or something else he have an obligation to pay. If we don’t we are freeloaders and no different than the world. Now there is another aspect a God given talent. We can use it as a ministry and bless people and let the money be secondary. Or we can merchandise it and make it our lives works. Either way is okay. The problem is when your using the talent to make money while calling it a ministry. Church should be able to build or buy anything it wants but it should also be willing to pay for it. To involve the world in fund raising sends the wrong signal to the world and appears to be against God’s plan for the church. I know you said God doesn’t want us to sit around and wait for Him. But be honest how many churches were built under God direction? Most of the time the people decide they NEED and pull out the stops and don’t look back cause here we come and God was never in it. Show me one incident in the Bible where God gave someone a ministry and did not provide the resources to achieve that ministry. Why do we think is different today. Paul never ran a church auction we should we expect to. Timothy never held a church fund raiser why do we. Because we want what we want and we do it. That is okay as long as we don’t drag down the name of Jesus Christ doing it. EdB |