The
Prosperity Gospel God
Black Friday is coming. It is.
Soon and very soon. And on that
day, The United State economy will boom with the sounds of the first in the
black sales that most retail businesses will have all year). That’s right.
Black Friday, for those of you who don’t know, is the first day of the
year where most businesses turn a profit.
Then, for about 35 more days, the bucks just roll right in. This is the way of things around here. And we can be sure that in the most Christian
nation on Earth, the reason for the season is in fact the Christmas holiday.
And Christmas means one thing in
the business world. MONEY. MONEY MONEY MONEY. (I don’t think I’ll try to sing it). And what’s interesting is how it has become
presents and such. Because in America
right now, millions of people are preparing their wallets (or really not) for
the onslaught of buying and giving that will take place. Parents dread it because there is so many
mouths to feed. So much need for these
kids to have so much. And of course we
can’t buy any less than what the neighbors or our other family members buy
because it wouldn’t work. And you know, Jesus received big gifts didn’t
he. Lots of toys every year…or did he
This is the world of material
wealth in the world. It permeates us
like very few things in the American culture does. And almost nothing can stop it. In fact, it’s getting worse. Last year, no less than six major retailors
decided to open their doors on Thursday evening (yes while people were still
having thanksgiving people had to work) in order to get even more deals to
people. This year, Macy’s the original
company that refused to open on Thursday and set the bar for black Friday
itself, has agreed to open on Thursday night.
All in the name of a Christian holiday.
We are all aware this is not the
way of things in Christiainity right?
Greed was one of the things that Jesus spoke against, against the wealth
of the world. Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth…. We know this one. But in a few streams of American
Chrisitanity, there has become a real latching on of the idea that it’s ok to
have lots of money that that in fact if you are rich, if you have material
wealth, if you are fortunate in life, you are more faithful.
It started with the creation of a
book called the Prayer of Jabez, and it’s basis is a single verse in the Bible,
the one we heard first tonight. In the
verse, and I really mean this is the only place in the Bible we even hear of
Jabez, he cries out to God and gets everything he could ever want. And Bruce Wilkerson, a Christian himself,
writes this book called the Prayer of Jabez and outlines that those who have
the most faith in God will be granted all they want. That promotion, got it. That cute girl down the hall, she’ll be yours
(I’m not even here to talk sexism in that but I am very aware of what I’m
doing). That number on your paycheck: it’s in God’s hands and God will make it
so if it is to be so.
Really: God’s going to give me a bigger
paycheck? God’s going to give me a
chance to buy that Mercedes if I’m faithful enough. Where is that in the Bible. It’s in Chronicles, in one passage. Really, one passage outdoes everything else.
And what is born is the Prosperity Gospel, the one where God is riding around
in heaven with Cuban cigars and serves as CEO of everything
You might ask yourself how many
people buy into this model. A LOT! In fact, a whole lot of people. Turn on your televisions next Sunday morning,
or better yet just youtube an extremely popular pastor in Houston texas named
Joel Osteen. Listen for 30 minutes to
his sermon and you will have the entirety of the prosperity gospel. Last Sunday I watched. He was talking about being happy with what we
had. He said that if I didn’t get that
raise I was looking for, it wasn’t what God wanted right now and in fact I
would get it just as soon as I needed it (I would add I am perfectly happy with
what I’m receiving and am grateful already).
He told me if I prayed harder though I might get it sooner than I
think. And he reminded me to stay in
love with God and that that would help the process along.
See, on the surface it sounds
really good. ON the surface it makes
perfect sense: work harder, get more.
God rewards those who are most dedicated right. That’s what happened to Abraham. Well…sort of.
Often times in the Bible, the least and the lost are rewarded. Often times, the first is last and the last
first. Often times, really tough times
come with being a Christian. And is it
because of a lack of faith….on the contrary.
Job seems to have been one of the most faithful characters in the Bible
and yet God takes away everything from him.
Now again, this Job thing is largely attributed as a story and I’m sure
it had nothing to do with illustrating our call to faithfulness….
In
fact, Jesus’ turning over the tables in the temple was only an understanding
that sales shouldn’t happen within the temple itself and that it was fine for
the sellers to continue their greed just outside on the street corner. Or that the camel really can go through the
eye of the needle…. Which brings up just a moment to let you know that in the
context of the Bible, the needle is in fact not the needle. Anybody know what it was? It’s the doorways through the walls to the
cities. In times of war and danger, the
wanders or the citizens would rush back to get behind the fortified walls of
the cities, some of which were tucked up against the sea. When the camels came to pass through the eye
(the door), they had to drop everything they were carrying on their back and
simply make it through with their passanger.
The water, provisions, anything they were carrying, you had to let it go
or you wouldn’t ever make it through.
And that’s what Jesus is saying:
You can’t depend on your career, your money, your anything. That’s not the point of the Bible. You point it simply and ultimately to store
up for yourselves on heaven. Stay in
Love with God, Love your Neighbor without abandon.
The
whole idea of the prosperity Gospel Brings into Question who God is for
us. Is God is God that simply grants our
every wish like Bruce Almighty, does God elect some to receive more than
others, does God elect the most faithful to have the most…so thus the
Christians in Hollywood are more faithful than Tim Tebow, former NFL football
player. Is God truly on someone’s side
more than other people’s. And the I
think the firm answer to that for me is ultimately no. And that takes some humility. We are not loved any more or less than others. Just because we have been fortunate in life
does not mean that we are any more blessed by God. It means that the world has given us a better
straw, but not that we are more faithful.
IN fact, it is also true that much more may be commanded of us. The eye of the needle does remind us that we
must let go of certain things in order to pursue the kingdom of God. And of one those things is pride, another
being material wealth.
The
Bible does not speak as much as we might expect about wealth, but about letting
go of things that are of this world.
John Wesley is famous for saying that you should make all you can, so
that you give all you can. Wesley
understood that God was not after the rich, but simply the way that they
lived. If you could see your wealth as a
part of our human characteristics and frailties, if you could see it for the
idol I believe Jesus was saying it was, then it doesn’t possess you and you are
free to give to others. See, when
pressed, most people who have large sums of money in the their bank account say
that it makes them feel secure. And
security is nowhere in the Bible. Take
up your cross and follow me. Come, sell
all that you own, give it to the poor, and come with me.
See, security is the one thing
Jesus says you can’t have in his world…and that’s what most of our wants come
from.
A
God of Prosperity, of everything given to you precisely when you want it, no,
that’s not quite the God I’m thinking of.
And it’s enticing I know. I know
because it sounds so good…just have more faith, get more things…but that’s not
a God of equality. And if your God is
one of disparity, of more love and concern to someone else, less to you and
more to them, it sounds terrible. That’s
not the kind of God that I’m looking for.
I’m looking for a God who simply is present, who of course doesn’t want
bad things to happen, to have hard times be a part of God’s story, but the reality
is the world is tougher than simply a prayer and a hope. The world is one where God has to be present,
but we simply are not going to receive everything we always want. In fact, sometimes being a Christian is going
to be harder because we are called to something more than simply rushing the
doors on black Friday.
This fall, as we enter into the
season of spending, or giving and of receiving, I encourage you to consider
whether prosperity is the gospel of today’s world and if it’s the same as you
might read in the Bible and find in your heart to be who God is. Like I said before, this is a journey, one
where you might try to discern for yourself what Kind of God you believe in. Because I won’t be stopping for a while in
telling you about the God I DON”T believe in.
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