Does this make you uncomfortable?

Posted on November 03, 2010
Viewed 3212 times
(56) comments

OK... a couple of statements I want to make about this video before you watch it. First of all, ignore the comments popped in momentarily by Ed Young, Jr.'s critics. I don't think Ed is the anti-christ; nor do I think he's heretical. Second of all, I try to put myself in this room while this is happening (or imagine it happening at my church.)

Those disclaimers aside... watch this video and let me know what you think.

I'll put it out there... this made me very unconfortable. Should it?

I'm not uncomfortable because I'm not a tither. (I am).

The security of me putting my banking information in an offering plate makes me uncomfortable.

The waving the cards in the air makes me uncomfortable.

The 'just do it' mentality makes me uncomfortable.

Is that ok? Should I be uncomfortable?

I mean... there ARE things I should be uncomfortable about. But I'm not sure whether I give my church my bank routing information is one of them.

What do you think?

Is this an approach that you would/could take in your own church?

Is this just a new and great way to introduce people to the practice of tithing?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Todd

PS -- for the record, I think an automatic withdrawl is fine; although it puts my commitment on auto-pilot. It is definitely a convenience. So is online giving.

Comments

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Alberto Medrano on Mon, November 08, 2010

As for the video. Gosh. I’m sure he has a board of elders, right? I wonder if he came up with the idea or the elders. If I were a leader sitting in that service, I’d be sweating so hard! Actually, I’d sneak out to the bathroom and not come out until after service.
Roger Lewis on Mon, November 08, 2010

I like Ed Young. Admire that he has not bought into the seeker philosophy of not talking about money. This may be a little strong for me, but he pastors his church and I pastor mine.
David Andrus on Mon, November 08, 2010

PATHETIC
Chris Shaffer on Mon, November 08, 2010

Just a couple thoughts:
1) Automatic withdraw does not equate to disciplined, joyful giving. It appears to me that automatic withdraw of tithes is a mindless act of �worship.�
2) I strongly dislike high-pressure techniques, regardless of the venue. However, I dislike them even more in a church setting.
3) I have enjoyed my previous exposure to the messages of Ed Young Jr., but watching this video has provoked a �red flag� alert in my spirit. Frankly, the video provokes a very negative feeling within me concerning Rev. Ed�s ministry.
John Sheasby on Tue, November 09, 2010

I grieve over God’s children being deceived into believing that their obedience to an Old Covenant law can bring them blessing when all of God’s blessings are ours by grace not works. The idea that God will not bless me if I do not tithe annuls the blood of Jesus Christ being shed so that God’s riches may be mine. If the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would not be talking about circumcision, but the tithe as the last bastion of the law in the 21st century church. This leaven leavens the whole lump. If righteousness (right standing with God) depends upon me at all, it depends upon me totally. The body of Christ needs to read the book of Hebrews and understand that the old covenant is ‘weak and useless’ and makes nothing perfect (Hebrews 7:18-19).
Casey Sabella on Tue, November 09, 2010

I agree. We should not be bound by tithing in any way. if Christians are determined to give more than 10%, we should not stop them.

Hmmmm. Isn’t it interesting that those who attack tithing always give LESS? If Hebrews heralds a better covenant built upon better promises, shouldn’t our giving increase?

This is not to say that I agree with Young’s methods, as I have already stipulated, but throwing out the baby with the bathwater is not appropriate either.
zad on Tue, November 09, 2010

@John Sheabsy - “Antinominanism at best.” Jesus came to fulfil the law, not dispense with it. Would you also indicate that we need not practice the law of love? Should we then worship false Gods as the commandment to not have other God’s before the Father is no longer valid in this age of grace? Should we further feel free to dispense with adultery from the regulations? By NO MEANS Paul would say. Our righteousness is not found in the obedience and therefore earn us salvation. Rather, our obedience to the law comes as a RESULT of the grace God extends to us. We LOVE HIM and Jesus said IF WE LOVE HIM WE’LL OBEY HIM. ... We clearly love him because he first loved us. However, if we LOVE HIM WE’LL OBEY HIM.

He said you should practice tithing and not leave the weightier matters undone!
John Sheasby on Tue, November 09, 2010

Zad, how can I obey something that I died to. Romans 7:4. I have died to the law and am now married to Christ. What an offence to our new husband if we treat Him as if he were like the old one. He is not a demander but a giver. Righteousness is a free gift. If you want to see what kind ofa husband He is, read Ephesians 5:25-29. He sanctifies, he washes, he removes the spots and wrinkles. All we can do is receive!
zad on Tue, November 09, 2010

Wow. I really don’t understand. You “died” to Him? I thought you were in Him?

Let’s look at what else *HE* says… shall we?

John 14:15 - “If you love me you will keep my commands.”
John 15:10 - “If you obey my commands you will remain in my love.”
John 14:21 - “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.”

See once again. Your obedience doesn’t “earn” you heaven. What it does is show you love Jesus. Frankly the other side of it is, if you don’t—- well according to Jesus then you don’t love him.

Lets see now. One of HIS commands was… you OUGHT to tithe without leaving the weighter matters undone.

Oh, and “where your treasurer is….” Yeah.
Alberto Medrano on Wed, November 10, 2010

I guess many of you guys haven’t checked out my previous comment about tithing. When Jesus mentioned tithing, He was still under the law. And the temple still existed. Tithe was to support the temple. Tithing is unnecessary 1) since we don’t support a temple, and 2) because we’re now in the new covenant. As for “commandements” that you guys are referring to, Jesus referred to something else.

36 �Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?�

37 Jesus replied: ��Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.� 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: �Love your neighbor as yourself.� 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.� - Matt 22:36-40.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law - which is loving God and people. Look at all the references in the epistles about giving and you’ll see that it never mentions tithing, but a different kind of giving. And this new kind of giving is contrary to tithing.

Besides tithing, again, this video is uncomfortable because it forces people to do something that is against the teachings of the early church.
James on Wed, November 10, 2010

Todd,

You raise an interesting point about automated tithing / giving. Over here in the UK, cheques are going to be phased out very soon - many shops don’t accept them, and soon they will disappear altogether - so churches who accept cheques will need some kind of new solution.

Also the UK evangelical church (in general) is made up of very committed Christians (less ‘seekers’) and almost everyone gives by automated giving and you probably have 80%+ of people giving that way. Our Sunday offering is about 15% of monthly automated giving I think.