If you read through the Scriptural evidence you’ll see that we are supposed to have pastors and elders. They are to be those that have overcome and are stronger in faith, so that there may be an example for those that are younger in faith. There are those that exemplify that and this article is not speaking against the role or position of a pastor, but of the idolizing of one. When there is idolizing of one’s pastor it allows that man to be in front of God in our lives. This leaves the door open for acceptance of false doctrine, stunt in growth of a believer, and consistent defeat by the enemy.
We begin to only hear what this man is teaching us and don’t take in what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us. A pastor of sound doctrine will teach you how to pay attention to the Holy Spirit and be led by Him. They will teach you about the abundance of grace. They will grow you stronger in breaking away from the traditions of this world.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does your church have Christmas trees in their “holy” building?
- Does your church celebrate “Easter” & “Christmas”?
- Worse does your church have Easter egg hunts for the children?
- Does your church (not your pastor) ask for tithes or do they just live off offerings of the members?
- Does your church tell people to come to church to hear from God?
- Do leaders of your church often display hypocrisy?
- Is there a spirit of lust and infidelity amongst the members of your church?
- Are your members raised up in strong doctrine available to defeat the lies when they come?
You could go on and on, because unfortunately there is not a lot of strong fruit coming through from the modern-day church. It provides a deeper understanding why things are so wrong in this world today. It shows why Christians are not able to make important decisions of their faith. Nobody goes to the Word of God anymore, they go to the man who knows a little more scripture, or the church that looks most successful in their worldly eyes.
When man is impressed by another man because of the knowledge he may display or the abundance of blessings that man may display, the impressed man sometimes begins to idolize or subtly worship this obviously more successful man. Seeking to gain this man’s approval, or to reap the amount of blessings he has, or to even be noticed by him, the impressed man has now put another man between his intimacy with The Lord. He now receives The Lord through man and not through the Holy Spirit who is already with him.
What happens now if that pastor is distracted by the world? Not preparing his members for the 2nd coming of The Lord. What if he’s preaching more about receiving abundance in this world than reaping abundance from God? What if they are bringing tradition into church that subtly made you accept it; bringing bondage into your life? What if they have you tithing, creating a mindset of works to show God your righteousness? What if your pastor was teaching falsely and you don’t know enough of the Word of God yourself to recognize what the lie?
The point is simple your pastor is only a man and can also get strayed away by the enemy. In order for you to fully protect yourself from the wiles of the devil you must put on the full armor of God yourself. This is not something your pastor can give you. By doing this, using the Word of God as your sword, understanding what it says for yourself will help you discern whether you are under the right leadership. Either way, do not praise your pastor nor your church. They are just a resource for God to work in your life and for you to grow and fellowship with like-minded believers. The minute you put your pastor above your doctrine and/or relationship with God, is the minute you can be distracted and assimilated into the worldly ways of tradition, and not the way of righteousness through The Lord.
You should evaluate your church and your pastor. Evaluate the teaching based on the scriptures mentioned on this site. If you have a question you should be able to ask your pastor to explain based on the Word. If you don’t even have access to your pastor it should tell you something in itself, because you always have access to The Lord. Why do you have to get up on Sunday morning to think you will hear from Him there? Everyone doesn’t need the same message. The Holy Spirit deals with us as individuals. There’s a personal relationship. The whole structure of the modern-day church needs to be restructured, but that’s for another article in itself.
Just line everything up by the Word and when things don’t fully line up or not make sense, ask questions, pray to God to show you answer, and be strict in your doctrine. Do not put man on a pedestal. These words are only to be used as a wakeup call for you to get correction through the Word through the Holy Spirit. It’s to tell you that maybe you should rethink certain things in your life and give things back to God that tradition has taken away.
When we put down the idolizing and worship of pastors and churches, we block the barrier of trying to receive God through man and open up the entry for God to enter through Spirit. We fellowship and grow with those that may be stronger and of sound doctrine, but do not put them in any other position other than a resource in our lives, not the source!
