Prosperity With a Purpose – Where is the Money Part 1 (yes really)

The first sermon I listed to for the prosperity conference was Where is the Money: Part1 (Wasting time with God) by Pastor Wendell Smith. (listen to the sermon here)

The sermon started off with Pastor Wendell using Galatians 3 to support the foundation of the prosperity gospel. See this article that points out the poor use of scripture needed to support this claim.

To keep this post short, the sermon was a lot of preaching of in defense of critics of the prosperity gospel…with an exhortation to seek the money (hence the title “Where is the Money”). In this sermon we are told the money is (drum-roll please) in the PRESENCE OF GOD!

Honestly, I never thought I would hear this out of Pastor Wendell’s mouth directly. In a nutshell, he was saying if we stay in the presence of God enough and pray enough we will get money. If I am not mistaken, he is saying godliness is a means of gain …spend time with God (godliness) and you will get prosperity (gain).

This scripture comes to mind:

useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 1 Timothy 6:5

I cannot begin to put into words what a travesty this is for a “man of God” to say to his congregation. Basically one of the motivations we should have for seeking God is to get worldly prosperity. This is the opposite of what Jesus did in the Gospel of John Chapter 6. Jesus realized the people were following him for bread (prosperity) and gave them a sermon that drove them all away, all except who followed Him because He gives us eternal life.

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:26-27

Then Jesus went into one of my favorite sermons about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, and to see not the bread that perishes (prosperity), but the bread from heaven (eternal life).

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. John 6:66

This fits well with the following scripture:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Timothy 6:6-7

And…

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3

If you are seeking the presence of God to receive prosperity, you are seeking the manna that perishes, and the things of the earth that will rot. You are not seeking God for who and what He is, but being carnally minded on the things of this earth. I really don’t know how more simple it can be.

What is amazing (prophetic) about Pastor Wendell’s title “Wasting time with God” is if you don’t come to him with the right motivation, the time you spend will be a waste.

Tags: False Gospel, Prosperity With a Purpose, The City Church, Wendell Smith

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The Prosperity Gospel – Defined by Jesus!

I have heard several people recently saying “God delights in the prosperity of His people”, so I decided to outline how Jesus defined prosperity.  It is way to easy to define prosperity as our culture likes to define it, and we ignore the clear teachings of Jesus.

Here is how Jesus prospers us:

Blessed are you poor,For yours is the kingdom of God. – Luke 6:20

Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. – Luke 18:22

I think these two scriptures teach us that true riches are not as the modern day prosperity gospel defines “blessing”, but on the contrary Jesus says blessed are the poor. The Kingdom of God is the only true prosperity we need.

In Revelation, Jesus addressed a poor and a rich church, and took the opportunity to define what is poor and what is rich. He calls the rich church poor, and the poor church rich. Why did he do that? I think it is because He has a spiritual view of prosperity, not a physical one.

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) – Revelation 2:8

Contrast that with what Jesus told the “prosperous” church.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; – Revelation 3:17-18

Notice how Jesus didn’t tell the poor church they need to seek the fullness and abundance of God. The reason is because they already had it without mammon. The modern day prosperity gospel is not of God…not preached by Jesus Christ.

Once again, Jesus turns our “wisdom” on its head. He said those who we consider rich (even though they are in church) are poor, and those who we consider poor are rich.

If you follow the prosperity gospel, you may need to take heed from the Apostles who warned of such error:

They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 2 Peter 2:14-15

Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. Jude 1:11

They warn of the error of Balaam, who was a prophet of the living God, but was enticed away by profit. If you look at the story of Balaam, he never denied God and only said what God told him to say (he never cursed Israel), but he obviously wasn’t doing what was right in the eyes of God.

I believe Peter and Jude are talking about church leaders who really desire position, money, power, and notoriety. In their desire to gain followers they are willing to compromise the message of Christ to “tickle ears”. One of the means of “tickling ears” used today is by telling people God wants to help them to prosper financially. It is a very enticing message that I fell into for a few years.

Tags: False Gospel, Jesus Christ, Prosperity Gospel

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