Out of John Pipers sermon To Pastors I want pastors to keep watch on themselves. I have five pleas to pastors. My hope is that pastors will listen this and take this 68-year-old pastors heart-aching that we not bring this kind of reproach on the name of Christ, he continued. He then listed five precautions pastors should take to avoid the sinful seduction of money. 1. Kill every desire to be rich and get rich Dont want this. If you see the desire in your heart take aim at it with the words of Christ and the words of Paul and put it to death with a swift blow with the sword of the spirit. Jesus said how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom. In other words dont want this. 2. Pastors, if you see your income starting to grow, set a governor on it Keep away from accumulating more and more and communicating to your people that you lay up treasures on earth. One of the best ways to do this I think, is to grow the percentage of your giving. Im not impressed with a pastor who gives 30 percent of a million dollar royalty check and keeps 70 percent of it to buy luxuries with. Ive heard pastors boast that they give 30, 40 percent. Im not even impressed with giving 90 percent of a $10 million royalty check and keeping a million dollars to play with. While you look like every other millionaire and think that you have done a virtuous thing. Money is insidiously deceptive. Weve seen it over and over again and Im pleading with pastors, be content with what the church pays you and give the rest away with joy and strategic wisdom. 3. Be totally transparent with your fellow elders about your sources of income These elders should not be the wealthy powerful peers from outside the church. That is an unbiblical way to lead your flock. It has no biblical foundation and it communicates distrust for your local leaders and a kind of pride that you are above their local accountability. Let all the books of your income be open to any member of your church who asks the elders. Secrecy around money is deadly. Its a sign that something is not right so work to give your ministry the flavor, were not like peddlers of Gods word. 4. Live simply to show that your treasure is in heaven and not on earth Please dont write this off as pauper theology. There goes Piper again with his pauper theology. That is absolutely ridiculous. The kind of distortion that makes of what Im saying is a sign of fear that what Im saying just might be true. Get a car that works; that gets you where you need to go. Get a car that doesnt break down on you every few months. Im talking about a modest entertainment budget that doesnt eat out every night. Im talking about a refreshing vacation, not an exorbitant one. Im talking about clothes that are unremarkable and undistracting, both for not being shabby and not being brand driven. Im talking about a home that accomplishes your family and ministry purposes leaning towards ordinary folks in your congregation, not the wealthiest. 5. Put in place a leadership structure of a plurality of elders A council of elders on which you the pastor have one vote. You are a chief among equals…not by having veto power over everyone else. Im so jealous of these things because I am jealous for the name of Christ. His name is being blasphemed Paul said … the name of God is being blasphemed because of you. You abhor idols and you rob temples. That is hypocrisy to the core … that is happening today because of pastors who love money, Piper ended.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 02:22:33 +0000
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