June 14, 2007
Zoned
A while back I watched a broadcast of TV evangelist Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in Dallas. The sermon contained excerpts taken from his book ‘In The Zone’. Mr. Young said people who are mature get out of their comfort zone. They ‘get it’ and understand it’s time to grow up when they realize generosity is over and above a tithe. Conjuring up enthusiasm Young said to his audience, “If you smile when I talk about giving, you’re getting it. You’re in the zone.” About that time in the presentation I zoned out. Apparently in Mr. Young’s world smiling is an affirmation that you agree with his message. Wouldn’t you just love to see someone in the audience turn around in their seat to see how many people are really smiling?
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5 comments:
I was in the audience for that message and I think Ed was trying to explain that God wants us to not just tithe, but be generous givers... literally happy givers! God doesn't want our money if we're giving with a bitter heart.
As Ed said, if we are giving with a bitter heart then we probably don't really understand the depth of tithes and offerings.
We need to understand that everything we have is from God and we're only "bringing" back to Him what was His in the first place.
Once we realize that, we are 'living in the zone' and we position ourselves to be blessed by God and then in turn we can be a blessing to others.
So I guess to answer your question, I know my wife and I were smiling that day!
God bless, John.
Hey John,
Thanks for your comments. We have an older lady in our church who says, “God loves a cheerful giver, but that doesn’t stop Him from accepting tithes from a grouch!”
I appreciate hearing a perspective from one who was in the audience during the video-taping. I guess my hang-up is having someone tell me that smiling and being ‘in the zone’ are ways to judge if I understand the depth of tithes and offerings.
Whether or not we use outward indicators, is it possible to really understand the ‘depth’ of spiritual matters such as tithing, offerings or blessings?
In American society today, there is a large emphasis on money. Likewise, in many American churches, there is a large emphasis on money. But the emphasis on money that we see in churches is not seen in New Testament Scripture. Yes, there is instruction on the subject, but faith in God and knowledge of Christ and our response to those is by far the bulk of New Testament Scripture. (As seen in Galatians 5:22-23 where the fruit of the Spirit omits tithing.) The emphasis on money is just one example of how the church mirrors the world in a similar message.
Good observations. I especially like your point that tithing is not mentioned as fruit of the Spirit.
Gail
Windypenguin-rlh;
-----Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The best perspective on any topic is the Scriptural perspective. Scripture shows much, much more perspective on the new life than just tithes and offerings. I believe that one of the biggest causes of problems in the Church today is this emphasis on being a cheerful and generous giver. There are other gifts the Holy Spirit imparts that also need exhortation, because there are other functions in the body that are also vital. Yet they get lost in the clamor to give.
-----I like to see my brothers and sisters in the zones God has developed for each of them. It is not fair to them to try to view them in my zone. Each one’s zone is not the same as the other. And each one’s zone is not the same as mine. How can I possibly think that for another’s zone to be valid in the Lord it must be like mine. I believe that is part of the idea Paul delivers in Romans 15:7, “Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you.” How can I welcome you if I require you to be like me before I am willing to recognize you?
-----In Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12, Paul’s use of the body and its different functions of its various parts was a great choice of illustrations because it is very clear. Yet, almost without exception, preachers and speakers get in front of congregations and promote the particular gift they themselves have received as if the church is made for that function alone. The influential and the elders in churches do the same in choosing “visions” for the church, or “mission statements”, or “purposes” as in Rick Warren’s popular idea. It is sad because it goes beyond merely limiting exhortation to the few who happen to be likewise minded. It goes right to the exemplifying of arrogance rather than humility, even if it is done innocently in naiveté.
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