Ever since I could remember, pastors have been held in high prestige. Nobody really knows why. Do they? We all assume that since he is dressed in a dignified and religious way, respect is due to him. A pastor is defined by what church he belongs to or what clothes he wears. However, we live in a time where if a pastor drives a Mercedes, wears expensive suits, lives in a mansion and travels all over the world, such a pastor was successful and would be extremely close to God. The problem is, you can’t use materialistic wealth to be an indicator of spiritual intimacy. There are rich people who have no clue of Jesus. Satan himself offered Jesus all the riches of the world so wealth cannot be an indicator of whether someone is right with God. Neither are gifts. Gifts are given and they are irrevocable. God doesn’t take a gift back because a pastor is living in sin. He may lose his purpose but not his gifts. It is very disturbing to belong to a church whose pastor delivers good sermons and heals the sick but is extremely far from God.
A pastor receives double honour on earth but double accountability on Judgment day.
1 Peter 5:1 As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.…
Therefore, being a pastor should be a pleasure to you and not a burden. Pastorship becomes a burden when the focus is no longer on Jesus but on other things. Most pastors are after money, fame and materialistic wealth. When this happens, services become a show, sermons become a speech, churches become a theatre and congregations become an audience.
Case Study 1
A pastor had a woman going through a divorce in his church. She asked him to pray for her. He told her that in order for her to be free from her husband, he must pray for her while she was naked in a shower. He told her, she needs to be baptized from her husband.
Is such a thing even mentioned in the Bible?
When the attention is no longer on Jesus and the flock, the church suffers. People will go astray, those who need to be set free continue in their sin and many are hurt. Many leave the church and join another while others never go back to church at all. I had the privilege to invite someone to church who had never attended a service in ten years! The whole point of church is to fellowship among believers so that our faith may be edified. The church was never intended for you to sit in the pews and warm the seats! Most pastors today entertain his guests so that they just sit in the pews and pay their tithes. No one ever grows and the pastor enjoys the money. The whole purpose of the pastor is to equip the saints to do the works of services.
Healing the sick isn’t only supposed to be done by pastors but by EVERY CHRISTIAN. Pastors don’t want you to know this because it’s bad for business.
Case Study 2
A pastor was preaching excellent messages at the pulpit. It was found that his sermons were rather similar. With investigation, it was found that his sermons were the exact imitation of sermons of some pastors on Youtube.
If your pastor is not spending time with God and studying the Word, how can you listen to someone like that?
Most people will back a pastor up no matter what. It’s not about taking sides with the pastor. The pastor never died for you. You need to be on the side of the truth. If the pastor is wrong, he must repent and continue in the work. If he persists in his disobedience, then he must be removed from his position before sin becomes acceptable. It is Jesus we must worship, not a man! An unrepentant pastor will lead a church that remains unrepentant. An ungodly leader of an assembly will eventually have an ungodly assembly.
Case Study 3
There was a pastor who also had a day job. He was interviewing candidates and if they were female, he would give them the job for sexual favours. One night at a hotel, he had a heart attack while he was doing the deed. The story leaked out into the newspapers and it became a scandal.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits…
There are three types of people:
- Those who bear good fruit
- Those who bear bad fruit
- And those who bear no fruit
If your pastor is not involved in the following in your church, it could mean he is a money-hungry false prophet or he ain’t got a clue on what the Bible is talking about:
- Preaching the truthful Gospel
- Helping the poor
- Evangelism
- Prison ministry
- Hospital visitations
- Helping widows and orphans
- Helping the community
If your pastor is involved in these activities, then he is probably a false prophet:
- Preaches prosperity and success in worldly things
- Condones homosexuality and abortions
- Preaches only about tithes
- Has a lot of fundraisers
- Preaches Motivation instead of repentance
- Refrains from sermons that talk about hell and end times
- Glamourises worldly ambitions
- Refuses to accept he is wrong when he is wrong
So may you pray before you join a church and be discerning of what is preached on the pulpit for deception is a sugary snack that everyone indulges in upon.