One problem with this give-to-get scheme is that it completely eliminates the selfless, sacrificial aspect of giving associated with the early Christians.  No one mentioned in the New Testament who made sacrifices to support the work of God inherited any kind of material wealth as a result.  Nor was the accumulation of wealth the hearts' desire of the early believers.

One of the two main reasons the prosperity doctrine exists and thrives can be explained by the greedy nature that most people possess.  Sadly, too many people are not content to receive a heavenly reward for their givings.  They demand immediate blessings and will sponsor anyone who promises that a quick fix to their problems is available (but it's going to cost them a fee, of course).

Today's ministers of sin build on the selfishness of the people who come to their gatherings.  There is a very popular "prophetic" message circulating through many Pentecostal & Charismatic outlets these days.  The message is that there is soon to be a transfer of wealth from the wicked to the righteous (something they say will happen before Christ's return while we are still alive on this earth).  Those who prophesy this message are supposed to be representatives of the righteous, but would the righteous covet the world's wealth?  The tenth commandment of the Ten Commandments forbids covetousness (see Exodus 20:17).

In contrast to the fleshly desires expressed by today's pseudo-prophets, Scripture declares:

"Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have" . . . (Hebrews 13:5).

People demonstrate what they value most by the time and energy they devote to something (see Matthew 6:21).  Prosperity teachers sometimes spend entire sermons (many broadcasted world-wide over television) proving their love for money.  They will beg, plead, bribe, and even threaten their audiences if such action will bring in more offerings for them.  Instead of sacrificing their luxurious lifestyles to help meet the demands for their "ministries" they ask the less wealthy to make the sacrifices.  With more funds the ministers expand their ministries so that new audiences can be solicited with pleas for donations.  And so the endless process of asking for money continues.  News about the risen Savior takes a back seat to what is called the "essential" money issue.

The apostle Paul described these kinds of preachers when he wrote about how the love of money causes people to depart from the Christian faith:

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang" (1 Timothy 6:10).

Prosperity teachers have strayed far from the core message of Christ (as have their supporters).  Rarely, if ever, do they preach the pure Gospel.  Sinners are usually petitioned to accept Jesus as their Messiah, not through preaching about sin and the need for a Savior to deliver them from eternal death; NO, the unsaved are lured into becoming a "Christian" when the prosperity teachers make the promise that God will bless them with whatever need or want they may have.  (Desperation / neediness also, and not only greed, causes people to accept this false gospel.) 

People are told by these self-absorbed preachers that if they accept and believe this prosperity message and prove their belief by giving financially they will then, and only then, begin to experience renewal in their lives.  If the believers of this false gospel want health, wealth, or any other kind of blessing they are promised that Jesus (a "Jesus" of their own making) will provide them with these things.  All a person must do, according to the basic teaching, is pledge a certain amount of money to the prosperity teacher and the deal is sealed.  When the promise for the blessing goes unfulfilled the preacher convinces his devotee that the "covenant" must be reconfirmed because "Satan" has messed things up.

Tragically, this prosperity message reduces the Savior of the world to a means to an end and not the end in and of Himself.  The teaching results in counterfeit salvations and many frustrated people who experience only a dwindling bank account and hurt emotions instead of the blessings they were promised.  The only people who gain in wealth are the prosperity teachers, and they never miss an opportunity to boastfully proclaim themselves as rich men and women.

To those deceived and deceiving people who have set their hearts and minds on earthly riches instead of spiritual riches, the Lord would say:

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I WILL SPIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH.  Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and REPENT" (Revelation 3:15-19; emphases added).