Not Greedy For Money Part 2

# 87 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 3:2,3 “A bishop (pastor) then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, I want to spend some more time on this qualification of “not being greedy for money, ” because it can be a very strong temptation for a pastoral candidate. I was converted to Christ under the preaching of televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, and I am forever grateful for the Law and Gospel that was so clearly stated to this poor sinners' ears. These kind of programs need finances to be on the air, but sometimes it seems that there is an over-emphasis on collecting money and it's evident that the lifestyles of some of these “televangelists” is rather opulent, and I confess that the thought occurred to this “new Christian,” that having some sort of similar ministry whether on the airwaves or in a mega church would be a good way to make a living. You see, the gospel message was not the only message being sent out by these huge television ministries. There was a subliminal (and sometimes not so subliminal) message of prosperity that went out with it. This is a trap that prospective pastors and those who are in the ministry need to be aware of. Money must not constrain us, rather it must be the “love of Christ that constrains us,” (2 Cor 5:14) and a heart that is broken for the lost, and sorrowful over the strugglers, the stragglers, the wounded, and the wanderers in the flock. If a pastor is overly concerned about finances, he is apt to compromise the message, because when the ears of the flock are itched by the pastor the hands of the sheep are freed up to reach for the wallet. The Apostle Paul is a great role model here as he went out of his way to not be a financial burden to others (2 Cor 11:9) and no one ever accused Paul of compromising the message. At the same time he reminded the church: "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." (1 Tim 5:18) Church, you have a responsibility here to take care of your pastors. See to it that their financial needs are met. Pastors you have a responsibility to preach the uncompromising message handed down to the church by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. See to it that the flock's spiritual needs are met, and don't be obsessed with financial gain..