Soliciting help from Non-Christians?

Post by **_Erich** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:06 am

I work in the construction field for a secular company; recently I was approached by a good friend of mine at my church who asked if I would be willing to see if my company would be willing to help pro bono in a new church building that was being built. Within our conversation he brought up Esther 4:14b (“…Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”) as well as a powerful testimony of how a non-Christian worker who offered his time in helping to build a church building had actually received Christ through his experience.
I would appreciate any scripture, wisdom, testimony regarding the issue of when and or if Christians should be seeking help from non-Christians. In particular when it is regarding asking them to do it for free and when it’s in direct relation to a Christian ministry – like a new church building.

Erich <><

Post by **_Steve** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:47 am

Abraham refused to receive any gifts from the king of Sodom, lest the latter should ever take to himself the credit for Abraham's prosperity, by which God intended to bless him. Abraham felt so convicted of this decision that he took an oath to God that he would accept nothing from the king of Sodom (Gen.14:22-23).

John said of Christian ministers, who were traveling from church to church, "they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles (heathen)" (3 John 7).

I have always taken these scriptures as a basis for a policy of not looking to non-Christians for financial support of the ministry. I believe that God has provided, within the body of Christ, all the finances necessary to do the work that He wants done—so long as no one hoards. If we ask non-Christians to make financial sacrifices for us,

1) we may offend them, since many of them think of the church as always having its hand out for money. Our task is to bless all nations, not to ask them to bless us;

2) we may give the impression that God does not provide enough money to His own servants to accomplish the work that He wants them to do—misrepresenting and dishonoring God.

3) we may give them occasion to feel that they have invested in the church, and that they should be able to ask special concessions or favors from the church in the future;

4) we may give them occasion to feel that they have done God a favor, earning them brownie points toward their future standing with Him—encouraging a false assurance of salvation.

For these reasons, I am against the body of Christ approaching unbelievers about any donations of service or money.

Post by **_Erich** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:18 am

Thanks Steve so much for the reply and Scripture reference because that too is how I have been feeling (2Chr16, Is 30&31?). Just curious on how you might interpret Esther 4:14 in this context (how Esther sought a heathen king for help to execute God's will, similar to Joseph?)?

Erich <><

Post by **_TK** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:02 pm

butting in, i dont think Esther had much choice in her situation.

TK

Post by **_Steve** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:06 pm

Kings are ordained by God to maintain the rights of the innocent and to punish the unjust. There is nothing out of order for the Christian to petition the government to do its job. In this way, the people of God become a conscience to the society at large, and may tend to preserve their society by promoting its righteous policies. To ask a king to uphold justice is not asking him for a favor, but for him to maintain his own integrity.

However, it is not the job of unbelieving contractor to build steeple houses for groups of Christians.

Post by **_Mort_Coyle** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 2:48 pm

Indeed. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't Christians and churches be sacrificially blessing the world?

Post by **_Paidion** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:36 pm

I, too, don't think we should ask non-disciples for money or help. Notwithstanding, I have a question. Why did God Himself tell His people to ask the Egyptians for money and clothing before they set out on their journey from Egypt?

I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing... Exodus 3:19-22

Post by **_Steve** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:19 pm

I always saw this as the Israelites receiving the spoils of battle. Their King had waged war on the Egyptians, and conquered them, and the Israelites were merely taking the plunder.

Alternatively, the money they received has sometimes been seen (by Bible teachers) as the back-wages for 400 years of forced labor.

Post by **_Erich** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:30 pm

Thanks everyone for your input, and thanks Steve for your last post that really help tie up some lose ends in my own mind.
Paidion, that is a good question and an answer that I have found pretty satisfying was, I believe, something Steve mentions in his Exodus teachings (please correct me if I have miss spoke) where he points out that the Israelites taking money from the Egyptians could be seen as back payment for all the forced, under paid labor that they had unjustly endured.

Erich <><

Post by **_Paidion** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:14 pm

I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

I always saw this as the Israelites receiving the spoils of battle. Their King had waged war on the Egyptians, and conquered them,...

It seems that King Yahweh had not yet conquered them. He said, "I will...smite them." Since the Egyptians followed Israel with a mighty army when the Israelites departed, the Egyptians didn't seem to consider themselves conquered.

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing... Exodus 3:19-22

...and the Israelites were merely taking the plunder.

But the above text does not seem to say this. God didn't tell the men to take the goods forcibly, but told the women to ask for them.