I wanted to share with you another question (and my answer) that I received today through GotQuestions.org that really has my heart troubled. Have we actually turned our giving to the Lord into some sort of “win a prize if you give” type of action?
Question: I recently visited a church who during the service they had a free lottery drawing, it was call win a door prize, and when the offering was collected they asked each person to stand who had a certain amount to give and hold it up, then they went to the next amount and so forth. Am I missing something? This is not biblical is it? I always thought the word says bring your tithes and offering to the store house, not solicit it. I tried to seek the scriptures on this and I must confess my spirit was troubled with this practice. Can you expound on it?
Answer: Thank you for writing to us today. I would say that you are 100% correct to be concerned about this. God never ONCE tells us to announce publicly what is given, nor does He command us to “win a prize” for giving this or that. To be honest, this sounds more like patting ourselves on the back versus an act of worship regarding the giving of our tithes to the church. Malachi 3 talks very clearly about giving our tithes, but I would like to direct you Mark 12:41-44 and notice how the widow’s gift is given. It is in humility, in humbleness, and quite certainly (based on the time period) she gave most (if not all) she had to the Lord. I assure you, her practice of giving was right on because of her trust in the Lord to provide everything she needed. This practice you have described is at best fake and human-based and at worst demonic in its practice of NOT worshiping the One who so rightly deserves it. My brother, I urge you, get out of this church at once — there is something very seriously missing in this doctrine. God bless you. ~Rev TJ Conwell
Comment: Friends, can you imagine the level of disgust this must bring to the Lord to consider that we would give to His house like it is some of door prize? Do we really have this little honor for the Lord that we would turn a physical act of worship into one so ordinary and disrespectful? Wow, talk about seeing the decay of the church before our very eyes. Scripture tells us quite clearly about the attitude we should have when you give:
2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
But, when you give to God, do so out of gratitude for what He has given to you; but NEVER make it an act of “show and tell”. What a true disappointment this must be to Jesus who deserves so much more.
Pastor T.J. Conwell 