We had just begun to pass the food around the table at Thanksgiving dinner one year when a friend of the family said, “The reason our church's giving is good is because our pastor never preaches about money.”
I responded as casually as I could: “So you’re saying that your church’s giving is good because your pastor never preaches any of the countless biblical passages about money?”
She didn't answer me, and I let the conversation flow in other directions. But I was struck with the absurdity of her statement. Assuming that a church's giving is good because the pastor neglects to preach any of the 2,350 Bible verses on money is like saying,
“The reason our people are honest is because our pastor never preaches what God's word says about honesty.”
“The reason our young people are sexually pure is because our pastor never preaches what the Bible says about sexual purity.”
“The reason our church is committed to evangelism is because our pastor never preaches any of the biblical passages that command us to share the gospel.”
If we were to follow this twisted reasoning to its logical end, we would have to conclude that the secret of making godly disciples is for the pastor to never preach anything from the Bible!
Apparently, this woman--who had attended church for over five decades--assumed that preaching on money and giving is bad. Therefore, since her pastor was “godly” enough to avoid the subject, God was rewarding her church with adequate financial resources.
But when Paul commanded Timothy to “Preach the word...in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:1, 2), he didn't include a clause excluding the topic of money. Instead, he made a point to urge Timothy to preach the word when it was convenient and popular and when it was not—"in season and out of season.”
No matter how unpopular we imagine our preaching on financial stewardship will be (usually people appreciate it), we have not been given the freedom to edit out this part of God's word.
Don't be paralyzed by the irrational things some people say about preaching on stewardship. Just be faithful to teach the whole purpose of God (Acts 20:20, 27). When you do, God will bless your church with more financial and spiritual growth than you can imagine.