General Articles

Preaching for Profit :: By Sean Gooding

Published on: by RR10

2 Corinthians 2:17

“For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”

1 Corinthians 9:18-19

“What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it. Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”

1 Timothy 5:17-18

Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and, ‘The worker is worthy of his wages.’”

There is an epidemic of money-chasing that has crept into too many churches over the last few decades. The ‘church’ has become a very profitable business, and there are a lot of men and women who have become very wealthy doing ‘The Lord’s Work.’ Many churches are huge organizations that produce millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. They have multiple campuses that can stretch over continents and across entire nations. Groups like Elevation and others have multiple campuses and even have campuses here in the Toronto, Ontario area. ‘Churches’ like Hillsong actually transcend continents, stretching from Australia to Europe to North America.

These organizations are often top-down ‘ministries’ that often begin with the best of intentions but soon become so big that compromise is inevitable. Fame, money, fortune, influence, and expansion become more important than truth.

Pastors can become dictators, and the church begins to take on their identity and not the identity of Christ. Doctrine becomes watered down, they begin to be viewed through more progressive eyes, and things, stances, and truth are re-interpreted to fit the culture and not to promote the righteousness of God. These churches, not all, but many, become man-centric and not God centric. They want to please man rather than God. Soon, the goal is to get bigger, not more Christ-like, and there is still the assumption in our churches that if one is getting bigger, if people are joining and investing, then God is in it and He must be blessing them. Jesus, on the other hand, left us this warning in the book of Revelation, 3:17-20,

“17Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

This local church here was so wealthy that they did not need Jesus. They had grown so big they no longer needed Him. Look in verse 17: they ‘have need of nothing.’. What a sad testimony of how our churches’ world is in 2025. Most of our churches have no need, yes, sadly, not even of Jesus. We can go about the ‘business’ just fine without Jesus involved. Yes, we use His name and we invoke His power, BUT in truth, it is merely ceremonial. The drive for more money has crept in, and the god of too many churches is growth. Too many will compromise for numbers in the pew.

Now, there is nothing wrong with money, and if you can build a large, Godly, doctrinally sound ministry without compromise and without dismissing Jesus, then more power to you. There is nothing wrong with a church paying a pastor and paying them well. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 5 that pastors have a right to be paid from the church that they serve. If a church is not able to pay a pastor a decent salary, they should be willing to let him work a secular job to be able to care for his family. But no pastor should bleed his local church dry financially. I have had to work a secular job for the vast majority of my years in ministry. I do not begrudge that one can work full-time, and I am not sure that I would. It may be better if our church could hire another guy and his family, and we also work a secular job to be able to have a team and ministry partner.

There are countless examples of men and, increasingly now, women who obviously do ministry for the money. They have incorporated so much pomp and excess into the services and even into the sermons that it is all about entertainment and certainly not about glorifying God or edifying His people. It should be enough to open the Bible and expound from a passage without fanfare, without fireworks, and without compromise so as to bring glory to God and growth to His people.

Now, does a church need money? Yes, it does. Can ministry be done without money? No, it cannot. But what we learn from Revelation 3:17-20 is that when we put God first, when we make sure that what we are doing is not just right but God ordained, then God will provide the riches for said endeavors. But like many Christians, a lot of churches want to be self-willed and self-powered and self-funded; you see, they see dependence on God as a weakness.

The Bible teaches that total dependence on God is actual wealth; God’s hand is not shortened. I have countless stories of missionaries who have seen God provide in the craziest ways for the needs on the field and personally. God met big needs and small needs, He met immediate needs and long-term goal needs. God did it; God got the glory. These men and their families will never be rich as the world counts richness; they may never be known as the richest persons in the world, but they are rich in Christ. He provides ALL of their needs.

Preach for the glory of God. Preach for the building of the Lord’s people. Shepherd the flock that God has given you, and if you end up pastoring thousands, rejoice. If you end up pastoring hundreds, rejoice, and if you end up pastoring a handful, rejoice. God put you where you are for His glory and to show you His power. The money will come; God is not poor. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your might. Please don’t fall in love with money. Jesus is coming soon, and judgment, we are told, begins with the preachers first.

James 3:1

“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

God bless you,

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario

 

 

Pangs and Plans :: By Hilary Hanlon

Published on: by RR10

As the earth is seized and stricken by innumerable events, we must resist the temptation to fear.  We know from Scripture that these days would come (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). And, they are here.

Along with the birth “pangs” come His End-Time plans: “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and evil go forth?” (Lamentations 3:37).

While we might feel uncertain, God is clear: “Do not learn the way of the nations [unbelievers], and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens although the nations are terrified by them” (Jeremiah 10:2).

As God brings His Hand to earth, we want to remain courageous and faithful, steady and sure. Now is the time to find great encouragement in the Scriptures. We can read in Isaiah 33:13 exactly how God wants us to view His End Times- activity across our planet. ”You who are far away [unbelievers], hear what I have done; and you who are near [My people], acknowledge My might.” God is showing His strength to His own. 

While we trust that we are saved from the “wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10), when we scour His Word, we find a theme:

God plans to destroy the pride of man. “Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless” (Isaiah 13:11). Might it be that He is showcasing a foretaste of His ultimate wrath on a God-rejecting world during the Tribulation, now?

“So the land quakes and writhes, for the purposes of the Lord against Babylon [a picture of the world] stand, to make the land a desolation…. The mighty men have ceased fighting, they stay in strongholds; Their strength is exhausted. They are becoming like women…” (Jeremiah 51:29-30).  

What are His plans during these “pangs”? At the same time He is destroying pride, He is preparing His Bride. “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6). And, “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes…” (Psalm 101:3). I cannot help but see television sets or devices whenever I read this portion of Scriptures! (See also I John 5:12 and 21 and Jude 1:24-25.)

We know our role at this moment. While our unbelieving neighbors and family members fulfill Scripture’s prophecy (Joel 2:6) by their trembling, their hands going limp and their faces growing pale, we are called to be faithful. Imagine that we are on a roller coaster with the world, but the difference is that we understand our Father made this “wild ride,” so we just tuck down deeper into the safety of His lap because we know we are being held in His encircling arms of providence and protection.

Let’s look to His Word to determine how we respond to these “drops and turns” (pangs). He tells us how to withstand these days:

“Seek righteousness and seek humility. Perhaps, you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:3b).

“He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears form hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure” (Isaiah 33: 15-16).