I have this fear. Well, several fears. But we will connect the dots in a second.
I have been considering the church, and what is often glorified in the church. And I may be wrong, but I believe that often times, we glorify the Lecrae's, Piper's, and Chan's. We glorify the platform. As if becoming a pastor or preacher is to have "made it" in the Christian world. Is this not true?
We praise the pulpit, and the sermon, and especially the messenger. Don't mistake me, I love all three men mentioned before. They have impacted me more than you will ever know. And I am grateful for them and their work. But we glorify the positions they hold far too often. We aspire to reach those platforms not because we want to build up believers, or that we are called, rather we chase after it out of ego.
We envy them. This is not good.
I heard a quote, and I don't remember who by, but it said something along the lines of "It is an interesting thing to find that, Christ taught more about servant-hood then He did leadership."
Read the gospels, read His teachings. The constant call to decrease, as God increases. To serve. To consider ourselves less important than everyone around us. The example Christ gave when He washed the disciples feet.
But, we don't like to do those things. And when we glorify the pulpit, and we make it a position to "acquire", we breed pride and hurt our churches. This causes the older and "more mature" believers to become puffed up in their knowledge and position. It also causes the newer believers to want that same position, so overtime they begin to think they have outgrown discipleship and discipline. Which grows more pride.
I have been considering the church, and what is often glorified in the church. And I may be wrong, but I believe that often times, we glorify the Lecrae's, Piper's, and Chan's. We glorify the platform. As if becoming a pastor or preacher is to have "made it" in the Christian world. Is this not true?
We praise the pulpit, and the sermon, and especially the messenger. Don't mistake me, I love all three men mentioned before. They have impacted me more than you will ever know. And I am grateful for them and their work. But we glorify the positions they hold far too often. We aspire to reach those platforms not because we want to build up believers, or that we are called, rather we chase after it out of ego.
We envy them. This is not good.
I heard a quote, and I don't remember who by, but it said something along the lines of "It is an interesting thing to find that, Christ taught more about servant-hood then He did leadership."
Read the gospels, read His teachings. The constant call to decrease, as God increases. To serve. To consider ourselves less important than everyone around us. The example Christ gave when He washed the disciples feet.
But, we don't like to do those things. And when we glorify the pulpit, and we make it a position to "acquire", we breed pride and hurt our churches. This causes the older and "more mature" believers to become puffed up in their knowledge and position. It also causes the newer believers to want that same position, so overtime they begin to think they have outgrown discipleship and discipline. Which grows more pride.
In Matthew 23 Christ warns the pharisees because they "travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are."
When we make these positions glorious, and we esteem them, we are perverting our converts. We are leaving an example of pride and self establishment, and not a pattern of service.
I see it again in missions. We glorify young people going to World Changers, and other good mission trips. Beyond that, we celebrate and cheer on when someone wants to be a foreign missionary. And we scream and shout when people want to go to a city like ATL, LA, NYC, the Chi, to become "church planters." We glorify those mission fields. But we often neglect the local area. The small towns.
Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad thing to be a pastor. Or to wish to teach. Or to desire to go over seas, or to a city for missions. But we have got to stop glorifying the pulpit, and start encouraging the kitchen sink.
Thanks for reading,
John Mark,
When we make these positions glorious, and we esteem them, we are perverting our converts. We are leaving an example of pride and self establishment, and not a pattern of service.
I see it again in missions. We glorify young people going to World Changers, and other good mission trips. Beyond that, we celebrate and cheer on when someone wants to be a foreign missionary. And we scream and shout when people want to go to a city like ATL, LA, NYC, the Chi, to become "church planters." We glorify those mission fields. But we often neglect the local area. The small towns.
Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad thing to be a pastor. Or to wish to teach. Or to desire to go over seas, or to a city for missions. But we have got to stop glorifying the pulpit, and start encouraging the kitchen sink.
Thanks for reading,
John Mark,
