The Error of a Prosperity Gospel
December 28, 2009 by Gospel Assembly Church
Filed under Articles
God gave the continent of Africa to Brother Lloyd Goodwin. By that, I mean that he was the first true man of God, from the corporal-corporate body of Christ, to come to Africa for nearly 2000 years. He stepped into a hotel conference room in a Nairobi hotel in 1978 and began to blast out a foundation of truth and New Testament order.
That was nearly thirty years ago. Some may decide to leave that foundation. They might not tell you they are doing so, but if they preach something different, and conduct their services after a different order, then they have moved off the foundational teachings of this body. Yet the foundation of the Lord standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth those who are His. II Timothy 2:19. For the body of Christ to continue to operate, and to grow, we must continue to build upon the right foundation. Paul said in I Corinthians 3:11, “No other foundation can be laid.” And truly, no other foundation can build the true body of Christ, than the foundation laid in this continent nearly 30 years ago. Ephesians 2:20 says that the true work of God is to be built on the foundation of apostles, prophets, and Jesus Christ.
Now, 30 years down the road, a new gospel has been brought to this continent. It did not originate in the body of Christ, and we do not want it to contaminate the body of Christ. It is a prosperity gospel preached by a fast-growing Pentecostal movement.
In fact, prosperity-tinged Pentecostalism is the fasting growing religion in Africa, growing even faster than Islam. Of the 890 million people in Africa, 147 million are now what they call “renewalists.” That figure is from a 2006 study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The term, “renewalist,” includes both Pentecostals and charismatics. Renewalists make up more than one-fourth of Nigeria’s population, more than one-third of South Africa’s population and an amazing 56% of Kenya’s population. This growth of religion is nothing short of astounding.
The news is good, but it is not all good. The renewalists move beyond traditional Pentecostal practices of speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing, to a new-found belief that God will provide houses, money, cars, and even spouses in response to the believer’s faith. God supposedly supplies these things almost immediately in response to faith.
In that 2006 survey, the Pew Foundation asked if the people believed God would “grant material prosperity to all believers who have enough faith.” 85% of Kenyan Pentecostals said yes. 90% of South African Pentecostals and 95% of Nigerian Pentecostals also said yes. Nearly 90% of those surveyed in those three countries said that religious faith was “very important to material success.”
Let me say here and now that I believe God will supply all our needs. He has promised that in the Scriptures. But I do not believe God is under any obligation to supply opulence. He does not give vast riches and great wealth to everyone who believes. David said in Psalms 37:25 that he had never seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread. Philippians 4:19 promises that God will supply your need; but not necessarily your wants.
Faith is not a guaranteed ticket to health and wealth. But I understand why people grasp at straws. 315 million people in sub-Sahara Africa live on less than one dollar a day. The average life expectancy throughout the continent is 41 years. One in three Africans suffer from malnutrition. So preaching about the cross, suffering, and denying yourself is not too appealing.
But the truth is the truth. It does not change according to our economic situation. Discipleship is still the truth. We are to take up our cross and follow our Lord. He was Lord of all, and deserved all the wealth of the world, but lived and died in relative poverty. His Father supplied all His needs, but never gave Him earthly wealth.
In Philippians 3:19, Paul condemned those whose god is their belly. Another apostle told the people of the Lord in James 4:3 not to ask for things to consume on your own lusts. The Bible pronounced curses on the rich. James 5:1-5 teaches that riches are a snare to the righteous. Psalms 37:16 says that the little that the righteous have is better than the riches of the wicked. Note that the righteous are poor, the wicked are rich. Psalms 62:10 warns: Don’t set your heart on riches.
Proverbs 11:4 shows that righteousness is more important than riches. See also verse 28. Proverbs 23:4 tells the disciples of the Lord not to labor to be rich. Proverbs 30:8 says to pray that God neither gives riches nor poverty. Deuteronomy 8:11-14 is a dire warning about the danger of prosperity.
More than two centuries ago, John Wesley said: “I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore, I do not see how it is possible . . . for any revival of true religion to continue long. For religion, almost necessarily, produces both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches. But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches.”
The 18th chapter of Revelation is a prophecy of God’s judgment on the economic and commercial aspects of Babylon. We can be free from religious Babylon, but still entangled in commercial Babylon. The cry, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues,” applies to all three parts of Babylon; and is issued in the chapter that deals with the wealth of commercial Babylon.
Someone may say that if we don’t preach prosperity, we will not have large churches. So what? Building large churches is not necessarily our goal. Are we counting heads or changing hearts? Is it somehow better to reach large numbers of people with a cursory religiousity, than to reach a few very deeply and effectively?
Numerical growth is a good thing – if the new members are becoming disciples. Unless we see transformational changes in the lives of the believers, we are just entertaining an audience. That is not what the body of Christ has been called to do.
My prosperity gospel is the same one that the Apostle John preached to the true church 2000 years ago. In III John 2, the apostles said that it is good to have health and prosperity; but it is more important to have prosperity in your soul. Lay up treasure in heaven. God has promised us an opulent kingdom – a better and eternal life. The promise of Revelation 21:4 is a better world with no tears, no death, no sorrow, and no crying or pain.
An understanding of the plan of God, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, is what Jesus called “true riches.” See Luke 16:11; 12:21. James said to be rich in faith. James 2:5. Paul wrote to the Colossians about “the riches of full assurance of understanding” and “the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3.
Don’t fall into the error of believing a “prosperity gospel.” Instead, hold out for the message of truth that is found in the body of Christ. Lay up treasure in heaven. Serve God in whatever circumstance He gives you. He is sovereign, and in control of all things. He can bless you, but remember that the only true riches are found in a knowledge of the truth.
Rightly said brother,
Preachers every where, or shall i speak of africa as iam familiar with africa, has gone to prospearity gospel. This has affected the body of christ on the continent of africa. When ever i see the body of christ in africa my soul bleeds with pain. Some of us whom God has kept from falling have remained alone as it were but we are not alone Christ is with us. its the case of ‘all asia has left me …’.
God from the begining set me on the foundation of brother sawders and brother Goodwin and boy, that foundation is glued to me that my flesh has no power on me. I die daily.
God from the beginning has helped me to understand that there is a life running parallel to the carnal life. that life is the life of Jesus.
and this life of Jesus is the only life that will bring the kingdom of God on earth. The bible illuminates, after the resurrection, all power in heaven and earth was given to Christ… and Paul tells us that Christ imediatelly went to work, to rule until the enemy, flesh, physical prosperity, is put under his feet. Christ is in the business to clean up the mess after he is done then he will give a clean kingdom unto the father and then him too shall be subject to God at that time so that God should be all in all.
This life of Jesus Christ is being formed inside us, the inner man being renewed. The outer man nust die. Christ says if you love me my father and I shall live in you and then John illuminates too, the holyghost, God and Christ in you shall teach you all things…
There are two types of food to a human being. Food for the flesh, the outer man, and food for the soul, the inner man. The outer man will not enter the kingdom of God thats why we are dying daily to the flesh, outer man. What we need to feed as saints of God is the inner man. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.
So we cannever go after prosperity gospel because thats not our portion. our portion is to create in us the sons of God who are going to manifest to the world as the hope of this world.
The human civilisation has being created on the shadows of the actual. as long as we keep living in the shadows we will not see God. The actual is the Jesus civilisation.
Rev. Mannie Nsofwa
Assembly of Gospel Ministry
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, AFRICA
mobile: 00260977415515
you said;
“Faith is not a guaranteed ticket to health and wealth. But I understand why people grasp at straws. 315 million people in sub-Sahara Africa live on less than one dollar a day. The average life expectancy throughout the continent is 41 years. One in three Africans suffer from malnutrition. So preaching about the cross, suffering, and denying yourself is not too appealing.”
This is a true assessment of Africa, and granted i have to admit that your claims are true to some extent. But my personal opinion will differ. The problem is not prosperity Gospel, but a young generation that is tired of no fresh anointing. Churches in Kenya (i speak of Kenya because i am Kenyan) have been following protocol for centuries, and the results were not so desirable. Ask those young men who saw their father beat up their mom, and praise God in church, ask the unhappy man who was told it is not biblical to marry another Believer from a different church. Faith is not restricted to the “strict and the disciplined” or to the upright and holy. we only strive towards holiness.
How is a preacher to react when the majority of young people cannot afford suits and ties, cannot afford to buy lunch,or simply has a low self-esteem due to poverty? the spiritual leaders (no matter their level) should lift up the souls of it’s people. Thats where prosperity gospel came in. some preachers have exploited this, while others have actually improved the welfare of their church-goers, praise be to the lord.
Africa is also going under some form of revolution, in which churches are being customized in the African way. The early founders of the African churches were foreigners, who came and unselfishly proclaimed the good news. The systems they put in place however, were not customized to the people. i know of a church that still sings English songs in a Tiny remote village! most of the brothers and sisters there are viewed as “puppets” by the rest of the community, who strive towards another culture than to God. Wearing a dark suit at 27 degrees is not exactly enjoyable. With this restructuring, many people are believing as the Gospel is preached into their lifestyle, not at their lifestyles.
The purpose of discipline is to retain ones faith, but when it gets to be at the forefront of religion, it will inspire fear and opposition from new Christians.
The last point is that we need the big picture in order to see the details. Young people form majority of African population. and they see what is happening to the areas from which “religion came from” America is now legalizing gay marriages, prostitution and even making bold moves at condemning Tanzania for marching against same-sex marriage. I feel that we need to distance our faith and and look to Jesus rather than to organisations who lead us to Christ, and then insist on protocol and other politics that easily kill faith. This is not only common in Africa, but in the world. The increase in this dissatisfaction is shown as new religions like Scientology, and also atheism increases.
The solution is that Christian leaders should see the devil amongst themselves, and cast him out rather than fight each other or try to retain their church pride and politics.
It is good to read and understand the position of the church, where it was, where it is and where it is going. The life which was given to those who God chose, will stand in their hearts despite all the opposition. The only problem would be, if evaluations and revisions are not given opportunity for the continuation of the church.
We grow from faith to faith, from strength to strength for the good of our own spirituality, so should the church be required to improve its strength by revising its strengths and weaknesses. While at the same time looking at the time where we are. That way the church in its entirety will improve functionally in accordance to the season.
Our fathers put on pants which cost 50 pennies at the time, so you cannot expect to buy the same short for the same prize, because of the season where we are. truthfully even though now you may buy the same pants for $100.00 if converted the prize will cost exactly the amount. the diffference is the time frame. those who founded and those who were added later, if they plough in the field with the right spirit, to have the lost saved, will reap the same results.
If we emphasis the “the come out of Babylon” then find ourselves entangled again in the same net’ there is need to examine ourselves, and mend.
As for me “the seed was planted” no one is able to take away the roots from the Ground, the roots are deep seated. Brother Goodwin laboured and is rested in the Lord, lets work hard to pass on the “Torch” to the next generation.
Remember, if you are involved in the restructuring, of the betterment of the church in its entirety, pray for God’s direction to bring the unity of the faith. remember the 144 thousand are chosen with that in mind; “Jesus prayed those whom the father gave me”