N.J. Pastor: Christians Need to Stop Relying on Government and Look to God
Christians need to stop looking to the government and politicians to bail them out, says a New Jersey pastor who plans to hand $30,000 in church offerings back to congregants this Sunday.
"A lot of Christians are waiting for Washington… or their political candidate to get in the White House to fix things," Tim Lucas, senior pastor of Liquid Church in Morristown, N.J., told The Christian Post. Christians should get their eyes off the government and get them on God, he admonished.
In what is being called a "spiritual stimulus," Lucas' Liquid Church will be handing out envelopes with $10, $20, and $50 bills during its Sept. 25 service at its three meeting locations.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Jesus talks about money more than heaven and hell combined," Lucas said. "Money is a spiritual issue, not a financial issue. When you're in debt, you can't tithe, you can't be generous with friends who are need."
The senior pastor noted that he also views America's current economic crisis as a spiritual issue and believes Christians can benefit by getting in line with God's recovery plan.
Pointing out that U.S. currency is marked "In God We Trust," Lucas says he wants believers to know that God trusts them to be good stewards.
Lucas says inspiration for the "reverse offering" came from Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-28, in which a rich master gives his servants money to invest.
"We're challenging our people to invest that money creatively," Lucas explained. "It doesn't have to be a financial investment. It could simply involve helping a single mom who needs gas money or babysitting money. Or [folks] could use the money to make a meal to help a neighbor."
The senior pastor, who has been preaching a sermon series covering the same theme, is hoping congregants will learn from the biblical principles delivered in his messages to become better stewards by sticking to a budget and reigning in debt, among other things.
Lucas, who has been leading Liquid Church for about four years, said that anyone who attends service this Sunday is eligible to receive a "reverse offering" stimulus.
With the "reverse offering" and donations the church makes to community programs combined, Liquid Church will be giving away $90,000.
