I have heard more and more in the church that it is a reward based system you give money you get money. I finally did a study writing down every time money was mentioned in the New Testament...and well let’s just say Jesus compliments were higher on the side of the poor then the rich. Sure he loved the rich, but they had a whole lot more “issues” than the poor. I do believe in supporting the church, but the American church is becoming shameless in promise reward system. The American church should prepare for are you going to serve God when you lose your money because every indication is that troubled times are coming, and then the people who have faith will remain Christians in spite of difficult circumstances
IMHO your not running into this sort of thing before is the aberration.
I went to a church where the pastor lived in a huge McMansion, wore designer suits, sent his kids to the most expensive universities (and paid cash for it), but was constantly demanding the congregation give more. He took a spirit-filled church of 2500 and turned it into a spirit-dead church of a couple hundred. The new building that he was funraising for a solid year for, stands empty most of the time.
If God wants you to have that new building, he will lay it on the hearts of the people to give. There’s no need for 60 Sundays of “stewardship sermons” (read: fundraising demands.).
Reminds me a little bit of Glozell’s TTBN lady:
“Do you want someone who’s telling you what the Bible is about to only have 2 rings and I don’t have a helicopter?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuVSrkDrua0
Identify the “Pastor” and “Church”.