Dimensions
Join J. Anthony and Tiffany Gilbert as they discuss current events and give biblical commentary to help educate, encourage, and elevate your faith.
Dimensions
My Take on Marvin Sapp's Offering and Closing the Doors.
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The viral controversy around Marvin Sapp's offering approach provides an opportunity to examine biblical principles of giving and where church fundraising tactics may cross important scriptural lines.
• Exploring Marvin Sapp's "close the doors" offering technique that went viral on social media
• Biblical perspective from 2 Corinthians 9:7 warning against giving "under compulsion"
• How prosperity follows prophecy while maintaining the principle of cheerful giving
• Distinguishing between legitimate prophetic offering calls versus manipulative tactics
• Why creating pressure through closed doors contradicts the spirit of joyful giving
• Learning to hear God's voice personally when deciding whether and how much to give
• Finding balance between honoring scriptural models of miracle offerings without obligation
• Recognizing that the atmosphere of an offering should welcome God's presence, not fear
• Examples of biblical fundraising that involved prophetic words without compulsion
• Approaching church giving practices with discernment rather than judgment
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What's going on in the world? Ladies and gentlemen? There's a whole lot happening. If you've been tuning into Christendom for any time, recently you heard about Marvin Satt. Mr Never would have made it made headlines for his version of Close the Door, and I'm not talking about Teddy P y'all. I'm talking about Marvin Satt taking up an offering Close the Doors. If you've been anywhere near social media, you've heard this. Listen, I got some things I could get off my chest concerning this matter the offering, closing the doors, all that and a whole lot more coming up on this edition of Dimensions.
Speaker 1:What's going on, ladies and gentlemen? I'm so glad that you have tuned in to this latest edition of Dimensions. First thing I got to say is take a minute right now to like, subscribe, follow, share and guess what? We are on almost every single platform where you can find a podcast, and there is so much that we're going to get into. We're coming into you at least weekly, but if not more. But in order for you to stay up to date on what's going on, I want to encourage you to like, subscribe, follow and share. Go to the podcast platform of your choice and you too, can be the latest member of the Dimensions family, which we so glad to have. You Listen what I'm about to get into today.
Speaker 1:I tell you what it's been making headlines everywhere. People have been tuning in, talking about it. There's been memes on it. This whole situation that has happened with Marvin Sapp and in regards to the offering he took up about a year or so ago. It's amazing it's coming up about a year later.
Speaker 1:And what is my take on this? I wanted to share some things with you because I think there's some things we could look at concerning these matters. Of course, people are going to take it out of perspective. People are going to talk about a lot of different ways try to smear, campaign and all these types of things. This isn't a cardinal, cardinal error that where somebody is going to go to hell over but there are some things I think we could take a look at. So I want to take some time to share with you all my take on it.
Speaker 1:And I'm a fundraiser. I believe in raising money, I believe in taking up miracle offerings. I believe in all of that. I have no issue with taking up offerings. But I want to take a minute right now. We want to look at the video by Marvin Sapp and we want to take this in. I may stop it in the middle, I may not, but we want to take a look at this, hear what he had to say, and then we're going to do a little bit of an autopsy and dissect what happened here about a year ago. Let's take a look.
Speaker 2:Close the doors for me for a quick moment. I want everybody to remain standing quickly. How many are really received something from the word of the Lord tonight? Listen, when you study scripture, you will know to notice that whenever God did something in the lives of the patriarchs of old, the patriarchs would pause, they would set up an altar, they would offer a sacrifice. I asked each and every one of you how many of y'all received something from the word of the Lord? Everyone in this place said these words. I did Because of your acknowledgement of what God did in word. There is an obligation that is attached to that acknowledgement. In biblical days, they offered livestock grain. That was a type of currency. Note, if you will. I did not say money, I said currency.
Speaker 2:And this is what God is saying for at least 1,000 of you in the building. And this is simple. I'm not going to challenge you the way Bishop did, but I know that there's 1,000 individuals, under the sound of my voice, that can do what I'm about to challenge you all to do. This is simple 1,000 people giving what I'm about to challenge you all to do. This is simple. A thousand people giving. What I'm about to challenge will be $20,000. A thousand people giving what I'm about to challenge you all to do will be $20,000. Now, for those of us who are on the dais, I'm taking you higher, so put it back. Those of us who are on the dais, I'm taking you higher, so put it back.
Speaker 2:I'm a strong believer that leaders lead not only in time, not only in talent, but also in treasure. Leaders lead in time, talent and treasure. I was taught a long time ago that it costs to sit up here. There's 1,000 of you. I said close them doors. Ushers, close the doors, close the doors, close the doors. We all going to leave together. Y'all ain't going no place but to the restaurant. There's 1,000 of you tonight. And those that are watching, it's 1,000. That's watching online. This is a small seed. If I get 1,000 online to give this, if I get a thousand in the sanctuary to give this, that's $40,000 tonight. Now, everyone up here, we've all sold and seated, but I need everyone standing up here with us, with me, to plant a seed of $100. Because, again, it costs to sit up here. Y'all start moving. Y'all can bring it right now. Come, come, come, come, come. Even if you're giving tangibly, just put your hand on the. Take your phone and stick it on the on the bucket. Shh, giving is worship. Giving is worship. A thousand people online need to give twenty dollars. This is easy saints. This is an easy miracle. We should be able to to raise forty thousand dollars tonight just from y'all giving.
Speaker 2:I'm about to go get in my truck. I'm going to my hotel. I got me some fruit, fruit, fruit. I'm doing fruit now, fruit and water. I'm trying to Look at us. Yeah, now, after you come up here, you can open the doors. Y'all walk out the door after you come up here, but make sure you come this way before you go out the door. That's it. Look at God, look at what God has done. Hallelujah.
Speaker 1:All right. That kind of gives you an idea, a little bit, of what was shared there, and I got some things that I want to share with you all, because there's some things that I agree with and some things that I don't agree with in regards to this offering that was raised. Now, first of all, let me state for the record, this isn't meant to be a smear campaign. This is not meant. I believe Marvin Sapp is a great man. I think he's one of the most phenomenal vocalists and preachers and pastors of our day and of our era. I mean, you got never would have made. He sang for commission. I mean, he's been a phenomenal man of God. Unfortunately, mission. I mean he's been a phenomenal man of God, unfortunately, where much is given, much is required. So a lot of times we have bigger platforms like that. There's a bigger spotlight on things that a lot of people get away with you don't get a chance to get away with. I believe that God is using this as an opportunity to educate. I don't believe it's about our customs. I don't believe it's about our tradition. It's about what does the word of God say when it comes to these things? I think a lot of times, if we're not careful, we get caught up in what we think things should be. You know well, this is our custom, this is how we do it, this is how we do this, but we can't violate scripture in order to do that. And for the record, let me say this as well I am all for fundraising. I raise funds for television. I raise funds for churches At got back from California and did some fundraising there on a Sunday morning and took up a large offering for a church that I was out there with, and I'm all for that. I believe God gives men of God, women of God, words of knowledge and prophetic insight that people can sow into. I believe just like it was with Elijah and the Shunammite woman. She said she had a little bit of oil, a little bit of meal. She was going to make a cake for her and her son. They were going to die. The man of God says make me a cake first. She goes and makes the cake and he says for thus saith the Lord. A lot of people don't believe that you can have a word attached to giving. Well, if that's the case, then Elijah was in error, because Elijah told the widow woman thus saith the Lord. Now she had to sow into it. There was a promise attached to her obedience. And so Elijah says to her for thus saith the Lord, if you make me a cake first, that the crucible oil or the barrel of meal will not run out until the famine is over. And so it was up to her to activate that promise. She could have died.
Speaker 1:The man of God went and found her. God said I'm sending you to a woman and I want you to now think about it. Elijah didn't know if she had anything or not. He said I'm sending you to a woman and I want you to now think about it. Elisha didn't know if she had anything or not. He said I'm just sending you to this woman. I've commanded her to sustain you. Now, I'm sure when he got there he's probably like wait a minute. You commanded her to sustain me. She ain't got enough for her and her son. But then the word of the Lord came to him and it brought multiplication and increase into their lives.
Speaker 1:We words where people have spoken and done different things. As a result, finances came. It's all throughout scripture. Jesus, when Peter and them needed tax, said go down to the river, pull out the fish. There's going to be a coin in the fish's mouth. Take it and pay our taxes. God provided that way. I mean there's so many different areas where we see that there is now. Watch this. This is very important that I believe.
Speaker 1:Prosperity always follows prophecy, because it's scriptural. It says in 2 Chronicles 20, he said believe in the Lord, thy God, and you'll be established. Trust in his prophets and you will prosper. So believing in God gets you establishment, but trusting in prophets brings prosperity. So there's prosperity that is tied to the prophetic gift. A lot of people don't like to take a heed to this because it can be abused, and so do people abuse that gift. Of course Do people abuse finances in the church. Of course Do people abuse prophetic words. Of course, whether it's dealing with money or not, people do abuse it, and we take a look here with this situation with Marvin Sepp.
Speaker 1:I wanted to show you the whole thing. A lot of people just look at the one part there, but I wanted to look at his whole thing and give you an autopsy. The first thing that I wanted to mention he said you have an obligation to give when you've been blessed by the Lord. Now, yes and no, I believe that we need to sow into people. It isn't an obligation, but I believe this. There's something that trumps all of the obligation talk that he has mentioned, and there's a scripture that I want to get to, because, see, when you start talking about people are obligated to do something, then to some degree it neglects what it is. That is said in second Corinthians, chapter nine. And this is where and let me say away from the jump, I do not agree with everything that pastor Marvin Sapp did in that moment. And the reason why I wanted to mention this, because I think it's very important not to beat up on him, to smear him or anything along that line, just to give a biblical perspective.
Speaker 1:I have been in services like that and I've been in services where people have raised thousands of dollars the right way and I've seen people raise thousands of dollars the wrong way. And I believe that, in accordance with this, here there is a scriptural context that we cannot neglect. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 9, it says verse number 6, now watch this. But this I say he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Now here's where I want to get to. He's setting the platform for us.
Speaker 1:They're saying hey, some people are going to give a little, some people are going to give a lot. It's not according to what a man that he doesn't have, it's according to what a man has. That God looks at this, okay. So look here at verse number seven. So let each one gives as he purposes in his heart. This is 2 Corinthians 9, verse 6 through 8. Look at what it says here. Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity.
Speaker 1:That word necessity can also be translated under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver and God is able to make all grace. God is able, but you've got to be willing to make all grace abound towards you, that you always, having all sufficiency and all things, may have an abundance for every good work, hallelujah. So look at this here, he who's so sparing, he sets it off saying here's the principle If you give a little bit, you're going to reap a little bit. If you give a lot, you don't give a lot. But he's saying God loves a cheerful, prompt to do it, joyous giver whose heart is in their giving.
Speaker 1:If you read that in Amplified but this is where I want to get to it says don't let a man give grudgingly or of necessity, and that word necessity is anake, anake, which simply means imposed giving. Imposed either by circumstances, outward circumstances, by law of duty. So it is your duty to do this. That's not what God's looking for. Or regarding to one's advantage. So we're saying, basically, if someone's going to take an advantage, it's not giving according to that person's or the other person's advantage, one that's giving or the person that's receiving the offering, not giving according to custom or argument. Now watch it. Jesus said something very profoundly. He said you make the word of God of no effect through your tradition.
Speaker 1:I have been in offerings. Listen, people ask me to take up offerings. I raise money for television. I'm actually heading up right now. I'm producing the fundraising, the telethons for Cornerstone Television Network. I work with all of that. I love doing this. I believe in giving. But what I have found out is when God wants the money raised, there will be an anointing in that atmosphere that you don't need to use compulsion.
Speaker 1:The Bible makes it very clear Don't give of necessity, compulsion. God is looking. He doesn't want us to give grudgingly. God wants a cheerful, joyful, prompt to do it. Giver whose heart is in their giving when I feel when he went into close the doors, that's right, close the doors. And then he went into a rebuke in regards to we all go in the same place, there ain't no need going out there, going to the restaurant. You know, he's making these little innuendos of people that feel like they don't want to go. Now, this is what I want you to catch. He said close the doors, but when I talk to people about it, what they heard is you can't leave. Now. See, this is the reality. No-transcript.
Speaker 2:If I'm taking up an offering. Open the doors If you don't want to get in on this.
Speaker 1:That's on you. You don't want to receive it, that's on you. The Bible says let every man give as he purposes in his heart. Now, this is what I do believe. You miss a blessing If you're obligated to give, then therefore, it's a sin not to give. If you choose to give, that's on you. If you choose not to give, that's on you. If you choose not to give, that's on you. Do I believe a person can miss out on blessing? Without a doubt. Do I believe a person can miss out on a breakthrough? Without a doubt, the woman could have made the cake and died if she would not have obeyed the word. Now, here you go. You have to determine whether God is speaking to you or not and, as men of no one should feel obligated or feel pressured to stay, feel pressured to give.
Speaker 1:I remember I was in a service one time kid you not true story. There was a guy that was raising an offering for a pastor and he was in there. They didn't get as much as they wanted for the pastor. So this guy started calling people out in the audience and started saying hey, so-and-so, brother McGillicuddy, I know you got more money, come on up here. Hey you, I know you got extra. Come on up here and started calling people out by name and people came up to give offerings and I'm sitting there thinking in my mind. I'm like I wish he would call me out. If he calls me out, we don't have a problem. I'm going to let him know. No, sir, you are out of order.
Speaker 1:I believe this. When you are going to be asking people to raise money, do you believe? Do I believe, there's a promise attached? Without a doubt? Do I believe that a person can hear from God and share a prophetic word for people to give? Without a doubt? Do I believe in miracle offerings? Without a doubt? Do I believe you can miss a breakthrough by not giving? Without a doubt? Do I believe you can get a breakthrough by giving? Without a doubt? It goes both ways. But see, this is the thing Jesus said. My sheep know my voice. It's real simple. Matter of fact. I believe, if it's really a word from God, open the doors. Open the doors and let the people know. If you don't want to give, that's totally up to you. You're the one that's going to miss the breakthrough. If God's talking to you, you're the one that's going to the people that need to hear it are going to hear it.
Speaker 1:But to make people feel, and what I heard everybody say anybody that I've talked to said when he said, shut the doors. It sounds like lock the doors. It sounds like nobody's able to leave. If you were to get up right there, you would feel guilty for leaving. I don't believe that should ever be the case. What if somebody has to go to the bathroom? What if somebody feels like I have to leave? I waited long enough and my kids are waiting for me, or I got now. You put them in a predicament. There's a lot of things that go along with that. Everybody that gets up isn't getting up just because they don't want to get.
Speaker 1:Some people may just not be able to stay, and I don't believe we should ever make people feel they are obligated to stay in an arena. Now I believe this when you feel it's a holy moment, you can tell people hey, I want to ask everybody if you can, don't move. I don't want anybody to miss this moment and let people know. Hey, if you need to leave, I understand, do it quietly, but let's honor God's presence in this moment. If somebody's getting ready to give their life to the Lord, we don't want anybody walking around. Please give us a moment. If you sure that every soul here, it's the motive and the intent of the heart when I'm listening to him talk close the doors, close the doors. We're all leaving together. Listen, you ain't going nowhere but the restaurant anyways, so you need to just. I mean, it's almost a rebuke, it's condescending and it can come across as judgmental and people are now gripped with fear. That's not what cultivates an atmosphere full of faith giving. When you give, you want to feel the presence of God moving up and down the aisle. You want to feel the heart of God going up to people, saying I'm ready for you to join in faith and take a step of faith, and I believe those are miracle moments.
Speaker 1:And I believe for far too long, many people in the church African-American churches in particular, because I've been in them Doesn't mean that white churches or non-blacks don't do it. But I'm saying I've seen a lot of African-American where it's very pressurized. I've been in services with that and I just made up my mind. I'm not going to be one of those type of people. If you choose to give, you choose to give. If you choose not to give, you choose not to give. I mean, the preaching of the word is just as important as the salvation altar call, it's just as important as the tithe and offer and everything else. Hey, if people have to move, they have to move. But I believe what happened?
Speaker 1:We get into this thing where we're feeling this sense where, like you're going to give this money and that's kind of the tone that I heard Nobody's leaving, everybody sit down, close the doors, ushers, I told you before. He said in the beginning he says again shut the doors, close the doors. Like what's going on here? Why aren't we doing this? And it came across with a tone and to his defense he did a positive. Maybe I could have adjusted that, could have said that a little bit differently. And that's where I feel this scripture. Here it says let each one give and here's in the Amplified thoughtfully and with purpose, just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion.
Speaker 1:So the Bible warns about people feeling under compulsion to give. Don't give that way. God loves a cheerful giver and when I've seen the most miraculous offerings, it's when, man, the atmosphere is so ripe, it feels so good and you can feel the heart of God going out. You know you're in a moment and if you've ever been in there and you've preached in those moments, you'll tell people this is a special moment Because you can take up other offerings and people will sow you, challenge their faith. Nothing wrong with that, but, man, when the miracle offering is happening, the power of God is moving and you know it and can recognize it in that atmosphere. And so that's one of the reasons why I kind of felt in my heart that I really wanted to take some time and address this, because I really believe that it needs to be looked at. It needs to be addressed. It's something that has to be looked at. We have to take up offerings and allow the spirit of God to move in people's hearts. Preach the word, know the word, understand the word, but never feel under compulsion.
Speaker 1:I do this all the time. I said listen, I may say there's five people that are supposed to give $1,000, 10 people supposed to give $500, 25, 10 people to get $500, 25 people to give $2,000, whatever it's going to be. But if I'm not talking to you, I'm not talking to you, but to make people feel like nobody's leaving, nobody's going anywhere, close the doors. But when you do that, and then at the end he said now open the doors. All right, y'all, but before you leave, come up here first, you know. So you've got this whole dynamic of like control, manipulation, you know, using fear tactics, making people feel like they're afraid to move.
Speaker 1:I don't agree with that. I don't think that's the way an offering should be shared and, once again, I love Pastor Marvin Sapp. I believe he's a phenomenal man of God. But I believe it's important that people understand the scripture and I believe that when people are taking up offerings correctly, I'm all for. Like. A lot of people may disagree with me on the fact that you know you can take up a miracle offering or attach a promise to a seed. It's worked for me. I've done it myself, I've asked people to do it and I felt the presence of God in those moments and I've seen people respond and get supernatural miracles. So, like I always say, a man with experience is never mercy to a man with an argument. So, so I just want to encourage you today. First of all, don't beat up on him, don't beat up on other pastors or anything along that line, but we do need to get back to the word of God. That's all that matters, and you know what he's been willing to own that part.
Speaker 1:I was watching I think it was on the Ricky Smiley show and he talked about how he could have been a little bit softer and he went into talking about how you know he's not, and I don't think that's real. I think that was all completely irrelevant. I think the thing that really came across and struck people the wrong way was the tone behind close the doors, the sense of control, manipulating the emotions of people. And when I say that I mean in regards to fear that nobody can move, nobody's going anywhere, stand still. Shut the doors, nobody's leaving this place until I say so tight that that's what it came across, that that may not have been his intent, but that's how it came across and I believe this Open the doors, even when it comes to salvation. Open the doors. You want to walk out? You can walk out. If you want to leave, that's up to you. You can leave.
Speaker 1:Jesus when he was feeding the 5000. Think about it for a minute Fed the 5000, preached the gospel, offered to come to the house and they all left him. He opened the doors. He said go ahead and go. And then he looked at Peter and the disciples are you leaving. He said where else are we going to go? You alone have the words of eternal life. If it's the word of the Lord, they're not submitted to me and you anyways.
Speaker 1:Whoever's leading that charge when it comes to raising the funds or taking up an offering or whatever it might be, giving under compulsion to a man, god doesn't honor that. God said I bless those that have a cheerful giver, that cheerful giving heart. Those are the people that God blesses and honors. And so what we wanna do when we're taking up our tithes and offerings or doing a miracle offering is we want an atmosphere that God pulls on the hearts of the people, that they're no longer giving to us. They're not giving to the church, they're giving in response to the word of God. Of course, yes, they're giving to the church, but not just giving to the church for church's sake, not giving an offering just because the preacher said so. They hear the Lord for themselves saying I need to write this miracle check. That's what I want. I want that to happen. And if we can get that to happen, ladies and gentlemen, my goodness listen. Tithing offering can be a time of worship. It can be a time of enjoyment. It can be a time where people that go home excited. Now sometimes people write that check in faith. Sometimes you're a little nervous when you first go home, but God always honors it, he responds to faith and he will bless you when you sow. It's very, very important.
Speaker 1:I remember one time I was in a actually I was in a telethon and a preacher was taking up an offering and the Lord spoke to me and said I want you to get $5,000 from your ministry, greatest $5,000 I ever gave. So $5,000 ended up having a person give me now check this out Huge led wall. I mean thousands upon thousands of dollars in lighting equipment. I mean total of 150, $200,000. I can't remember the exact amount, I don't know exactly. I've used those numbers around around that place a lot. I got all of that for um, I'll never forget it for $000. $13,000. I mean you ain't getting those lights, every light that I have. I mean there was like $4,000 a piece, brand new, and I got them. And I mean the Lord just completely blessed. I'll never forget sowing that seed. In that moment I knew it didn't matter what the man of God said. I knew what God spoke to me.
Speaker 1:So let me say this no matter when a preacher is taking up money, no matter when. Listen, don't condemn anybody, don't judge anybody. Learn to hear from God, from yourself, and if you don't feel led to give, then just don't give. You're not going to miss it because of that. It's when you're in the atmosphere, when the atmosphere is ovulating for that seed, that is when you want to sow. You want to know God so well that you look beyond the preacher, you look beyond the man or woman of God, you look beyond who's raising the funds. You hear the spirit of the Lord and you respond in obedience to him. Because if you sow to a man, only that man can bless you. But if you sow under the Lord, the man that's holding that mantle when he shares the word of the Lord to you and you respond to it, that mantle, that anointing that word, that presence must honor the seed that you sow. Learn to hear from God and listen. Let's not be hard on Pastor Satt. He's a good man of God. I believe that he's a good man of God. To my knowledge, from what I know, what I've seen, I mean, he's been singing and preaching for decades now and been nothing but, to my knowledge, a model citizen. I don't know everybody, but just because of this thing here, let's go easy, be loving, be kind. We all can fall short, but this is just my take on it. I hope that you've been blessed by this.
Speaker 1:I hope that you'll take a minute to like, subscribe, follow, share, let others know about this. It comes from a scriptural background. It's not my opinion, some of it is but there's Bible behind what I'm talking about, where I felt the lines were crossed Whenever there's compulsion. That is the point of where it is that we need to start looking at how we're motivating people to be able to sow and to give, but giving in faith. Nothing wrong with that at all, sacrificial giving, nothing wrong.
Speaker 1:And I believe there's a lot of people that need to hear this perspective, and I believe that if you will like, subscribe, follow and share, god's going to give a million dollars Now I'm just kidding with you, but God's going to bless you for getting that message out to somebody else. So take a minute and do that, and don't forget to and every one of our podcast platforms, like and subscribe to our podcast, so you, too, can be the latest member of the Dimensions family. God bless you. I hope that you've been blessed and I look forward to seeing you next time right here on Dimensions.
