When I Took My First Church As A Pastor Fresh Out ...

When I took my first church as a pastor fresh out of Bible College. I visited with a man who frequently attended the church. When I met with him to talk about the church and my new leadership he asked a request of me. He said, “If you agree with the following then I will continue to attend the church but if you do not agree with my request then I will leave the church and go some where else.” He informed me that the previous pastor had agreed to this request. So I asked him what his request was. He then proceeded, “If I was going to speak on tithing and or giving on a Sunday morning then I needed to notify him in advance” I then asked why I needed to notify him? Because he said “Then I would not come to church that Sunday!” I then inquired some more. Please explain? He noted how if he did not come then he would not be offended with me and with a belief from Scripture that he did not believe in nor adhere too personally. I sat their in amazement over this man’s request! I however did not agree to the request and he quit coming to church until about six months later he showed up on a Sunday morning. I greeted him at the door welcomes him and guess what my subject happened to be that day in my sermon “Giving to God.” he left the service upset and I never saw him again. Later I hear he had died of a heart attack. I wonder today if he would have changed his mind of listening to messages which spoke about “Who is your Lord - Money or Jesus?”