Word of the Day: I was on Facebook today and saw another post from an old-time pastor who was wondering why many have gotten rid of the pulpits in their church. As a 40 year old pastor myself, I have been able to see the transition of pastoral ministry over these many years. This older pastor is from a time where the pastor held great authority in the Church. He was a respected member of the community and the things he did and said carried weight in his local fellowship.
So why does the pulpit matter to him? Maybe because he has had to watch that authority and status in the community fade away over the past 30 years. Because of books like “The Purpose Driven Life”, pastors who were leaders in their communities by their examples of holiness and closeness to God decided to change things up and put off that authority and reverence toward a living God to be more approachable to the world. We changed our music, we changed the size of our pulpits, and we changed what we wore to church. In truth, all of these changes began to minimize the authority and influence pastors had in their communities and churches. In short, it worked…
And it wouldn’t be so bad if we still preached the truth and lived out the holiness of God, but many pastors have thrown aside the authority of God’s Word in order to make God’s Truths more palatable. Today, our new pastors are taught to preach philosophy and their messages come across as self-help conferences. The focus has shifted from worship of a Holy God to the worship of the individual’s feelings and life. Everything has gone the way of consumerism where each individual is the focus of their worship experience.
In truth, for the past 30 years we have watched our pastors strip themselves of the authority given to them by God to preach the Word (and use words when necessary). So why should our selfish, entertainment seeking, can’t do anything wrong cause God loves me Christians treat their jean wearing, self-help, approachable pastor who is just like them with any true respect and authority? The truth is, they really don’t…
Satan tricked the pastorate into thinking that it was too prideful to be “holier than thou”. So what did we do? Instead of trying to help our sheep become more like God by following our example and reverence for His holiness, we chose to listen to Rick Warren and other pastors to shed off anything that would make us look differently from the world that could make our congregation feel uncomfortable. In reality, we let go of Jesus as our example and replaced it with “an approachable loving and accepting guy who has plenty of problems”.
So what was this old pastor’s true concern? Its, “How did we get here?” Yet the needed question we should have is, “How do we get that authority back?” And that is why we are ready for a true revival and reform in the Church. John Maxwell is no John the Baptist! As our pastors begin to shed off the philosophy, psychology, and consumerism found in the Church today, our fellowships will once again begin to follow true shepherds of God’s people as they seek after God’s holiness that is found within those who preach the life-giving Gospel of repentance and the seeking out of Christ’s most precious and free gift: His divine nature of holiness (Christ in us)…
In recent years I have seen the pastors of our past be treated as if they have nothing to offer the Church today. We have swept them aside and have turned the Lord’s Church into a self-help business enterprise. But I plead with you old time pastors, don’t give up. The pastors of today need the wisdom you carry. And if our local pastors are unwilling to heed the things God is putting on your heart, please go and find the humble and simple pastors who are in desperate need of mentorship.
The world has “weighed and measured” the new business model of the self-help entertainment driven church. Many are fleeing from it and are ready to seek out the true holiness of God once again. Help us young pastors find His Life-giving Way. For the Church is more depressed and powerless than it has ever been. We need a heart transplant. We need to once again seek our first love; the holiness of God…