Tithing the Athlete Way

ESPN's Sunday morning "60 minutes-style" program Outside the Lines recently did a piece called Televangelists and Athletes. [To watch the video, you have to click on the link, go to the video section and click on "OTL: Televangelists and Athletes"]

This piece really deals in two different issues. 1) Tithing. 2)Prosperity Gospel.

When boxer Evander Holyfield is asked if he had to choose between tithing and paying his house mortgage, Holyfield says he'll always tithe first, to the bewilderment of the interviewer. The interviewer misses the point. When you receive income, the firstfruits should go to the tithe. I believe that means to your local church body.

That's basically the end of where I agree with the people interviewed in this story. The prosperity gospel is clearly anti-Biblical.

Jesus himself says in John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

In this world you will have trouble. Not "may." Not "will, except for when..." Not "you will have trouble. But take heart! With enough money..." Not "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have wealth." There are dozens more examples in which Christ, or Paul, or someone else points to perseverance in the midst of trial and suffering, joy in spite of pain, as commonplace for the believer.

It is sad to see that these preachers go after the rich, but also that the rich are attracted to this false teaching. Why do you think that is?

These people have exchanged God's standard of what it means to have an abundant life for man's standard. Watch Francis Chan's Just Stop and Think video. He makes a pretty clear case for how standards work. Don't elevate a human standard and put God in a box.

This piece should also teach Christians not to place celebrity Christians on pedestals. It was cool this past football season as Kurt Warner's Arizona Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl and in every interview Warner praised God and gave all credit to Christ. He's being doing that since he came on the scene in 1999 and had one of the most improbable careers in NFL history. Christians have lifted Warner up as one of the prime examples of a Christian in the public eye. Warner, nor any other person, whether its Kirk Cameron, or a preacher like Creflo Dollar or Louie Giglio...or you or me, we're all sinners in need of God's grace. We can't make too big of a deal about celebrity Christians. Continue to make God famous.

What were your reactions to the video?