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Pastors as Idols

Oct 21, 2009 Print This Post

1 Corinthians 3:4-7 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

One of things I love about the interwebs is how easy it is to listen to and learn from some of the best communicators / pastors around the world. On a semi-regular basis I listen to Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, Mark Discoll, Darrin Patrick, Erin McManus, Matt Chandler, and many others. Often at Riv, I have people come up and tell me how my message agreed with (or disagreed with) one of these communicators on some point. It’s an awesome thing that we have the ability to learn from so many voices…but it’s also a dangerous thing.

One of the dangers is when we begin to say “I follow Francis” or “I follow Mark” and forget that it’s not important whose podcast you are listening to. It’s important only when God uses these men to help the Word grow in your life. When the men are elevated over God, watch out.

It’s also dangerous when these podcasts begin to replace your connection with a local church under local pastors. It’s dangerous when listening to podcasts is your only connection to the Word. It’s dangerous when you are no longer in community with others, other than the voices in your head(phones).