Father's - Enter to Win a 42" LCD TV, Winner Announced at Sunday Services!

A few weeks ago I received an over sized postcard in the mail from a church in the neighborhood. The postcard was advertising that the fathers who went to their website, registered, and attended services on father’s day would be entered in a drawing to win a 42 inch LCD television. It was a very nice postcard and a good incentive to the fathers. I’m sure most of the members at that church thought this was a great idea.

Is it OK to give away TV’s to entice members to come to church? We really have to study the scriptures on authority to determine what is authorized and what is not. This gets me thinking not only about this situation, but also about situations in the church I attend, what is appropriate and what is not?

Matthew 7:21-27
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock." And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

These verses help us to understand that just because we think we are doing what is right does not necessarily mean that we are. Jesus states here that there will be many who did many things in His name but He will not accept them, He will tell them “DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” The word lawlessness here directly insinuates that there is a law and that if we want to be accepted by Christ that we must be like the Bereans were in Acts 17: 11. “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. We must examine the scriptures to make sure the things we do are true and in accordance with the law.

Jesus has also told us in John 12:47-48 "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world." He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day." We have to be cautious to make sure that we are following the sayings of the words Christ spoke. We will be judged by these sayings and should take time to study to make sure the things we do are in accordance with His teachings.

So, should we give away televisions to entice better attendance at services? It is a great way to draw a crowd, but I can’t find in the scriptures any example of the early churches giving things away to entice a crowd. I do read of one great gift that should entice us all to attend every service. It’s found in John 3: 16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.