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Author Topic: 3 signs you’ve made your pastor an idol  (Read 2466 times)
GoingClear
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« on: April 11, 2018, 08:41:38 pm »

How far, one wonders, does “healthy pastoring” extend into the personal and private lives of the people in a church body?Apparently pretty far, and if you wonder if you are giving your pastor more control than a man deserves, here are three symptoms of over-submission to look out for.

1.) Worshiping Leadership

Leadership, authority, hierarchy, accountability, and submission are heavily promoted from leaders who love power and pastors quote Hebrews 13:17 as a means of keeping church members (the sheep) often without proper exegesis of the text.

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy.”

Interestingly, this verb "obey," cross-referenced in Strong's Concordance, is in other verses translated as "trust in," or "have confidence in," a strong distinction from "obey." Even if one chooses the latter action, it is best not to do so until the former two options have been achieved. For all Christians, the primary Shepherd is Jesus, who “lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11-12). We worship -- and obey -- Him alone.

2.) Putting our pastors voice over Gods

There are many good teachers who study God's word with a sincere desire to grasp truth from it, passing it on to their fellow believers -- with whom they are equal in Christ. These men and women mirror the humility that Jesus showed when He washed His disciples' feet, and are little rewarded (materially) for their pains.

There are others, however, who do not "enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climb in by some other way." (John 10:1)

Thieves and robbers, they demand our respect, time, money, and obedience, which should raise alarm flags.

Before we listen too seriously, too well, and too passively to another person's voice, we should ask ourselves why we're doing this, as well as remind ourselves that, in a church situation, choosing to attend any particular congregation is a completely voluntary process, unlike the submission demanded by government, employers, rulers, and kings.

3.) Abdicating our freedoms

These latter entities are imposed upon us. If we derive nothing more from the controversial Romans 13:1-7 ("Everyone must submit himself to the authorities"), it's that we placate Caesar, hoping he lets us alone. We don't have to fawn all over him.

This, however, is what we are expected to do in the church hierarchical system. That there is even an issue of bullying leadership is a symptom of the sheep listening to the wrong voices. As Piper says in the article, "These bad shepherds may abuse their positions because of an ego trip, a need for control, a love of financial gain or a desire to inflict harm on others."

Wise and discerning sheep take seriously 1 Peter 2:9:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,”

and do not put human religious kings over the hearts, minds, spirits and souls that belong, solely, to God.





 

« Last Edit: April 11, 2018, 09:05:31 pm by GoingClear » Logged
Rebel in a Good Way
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« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2018, 07:12:27 am »

Thanks, Going Clear.  Was this from an article or you own thoughts (only because you reference an article toward the end)?

Your reference to the original language is very important.  None of the writers of GCLI materials attended seminary or studied biblical languages in depth.  You can't just look up the definition of a word without greater knowledge and create an entire theology around it.  This is what Bovenmeyer writes in "God Honoring Authority": http://ae32b6f7a6ad6f5ae1f0-a966d7fcbad4fbcd7d1dccf3fbabbb92.r98.cf2.rackcdn.com/uploaded/g/0e4793197_1490123351_gcli-2017-b1-s2-9-god-honoring-authority.pdf  (page numbers as referenced on document)

"Authority, as expressed by the Greek word exousia, denotes “the right or power to rule and command
another…the right to exercise power…or the power of rule or government…the power of one whose
will and commands must be obeyed by others.”  p 286

THE RIGHT OR POWER TO RULE AND COMMAND ANOTHER  That is what GCC pastors think they have.  Cool, huh?

Side note: it looks like here Bovenmeyer is advocating the belief of eternal subordination of the Son.  I am surprised only because I was not taught this in my GCC church.  "Furthermore, this Father-Son relationship, with its love, leadership, and submission, is not a temporary characteristic of the Trinity during the time of Christ’s humiliation and suffering but will continue throughout all eternity."  Also here: "Rather, [authority and submission] were present before the fall of man, both in the first marriage and in the Triune God Himself." p 288

These are other quotes from the document that support pastoral control.  It proposes that relationships in general are subject to a pattern of submission/obedience by God's design.  I didn't go through the whole document because I can only stomach so much.

"Disobedience to an authority should be limited to situations in which the authority
is requiring something that is in disobedience to a command of God. In everything
else, authorities ought to be obeyed, even when obedience may seem unwise,
a waste of money and effort, or threatening to our desires, hopes, and dreams
. " (p 302)       


"Secondly, and perhaps more fundamentally, authority and submission seem to be part
of God’s pattern for relationship. In His nature and plan, the greatest
possible love seems to be expressed as one person sacrifices himself
to take responsibility for another’s welfare (loving, leading, directing,
protecting, bringing to good) and a second person sacrifices himself
to unite with the purpose of another (respecting, following, submitting).
When these are practiced according to God’s plan, God’s good
purposes are accomplished and love and relationship are enhanced." p 289

"All in positions
of authority are to use their position of strength and power to love and
care for those they lead.
Because authority comes with the right to direct and perhaps even use force, God is particularly angry
with those who use their authority to exploit others or selfishly benefit themselves."   p 289   It looks like we agree on what makes God angry, David Bovenmeyer.

"In His contrast, Jesus does not negate authority in the kingdom, nor does
He lessen the power or diminish the position of those in authority
. "  p 290

"And
those under authority must not rebel against or remove themselves
from human authority,
or they will lose a major means of God’s protection,
becoming vulnerable to the devil’s schemes" p 291

"Finally, there are times when church leaders should use their authority without flinching and should
let no one disregard them
." p 307

BUT, it's okay everyone because: "Within the church, pastors should not exalt themselves above those
they lead, but must place themselves on a level of equality"  p 295  So they can bust out their authority at a moment's notice unflinchingly and without being disregarded, but they're "equal."  Mmm...I don't think that means what you think it means, David Bovenmeyer  Wink

A final thought that caught my eye in regards to ECC's current situation.  With this kind of belief, you can see how many feel the need to protect their leaders above all.  By protecting their leaders, they are keeping themselves safe.  And they protect their leaders as thanks for putting themselves in the position to be "attacked by enemies."

"The Biblical often uses the analogy of a shepherd in regard to both civil and religious leaders. Since
sheep without a shepherd are entirely helpless against predators, this analogy emphasizes the need for
leaders to protect those they lead. Often, a group’s enemies will target its leaders for this very reason,
knowing that if the leaders are neutralized, followers are vulnerable and defenseless.

“…Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little
ones” (Zechariah 13:7).

“But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the
strong man, and then he will plunder his house” (Mark 3:27).

The enemy of our souls targets leaders, seeking to make them fall or to undermine their authority so
that he can destroy the “little ones.” How many churches have been decimated by immorality in the
church’s leadership?"  p 290

I think without THE GOOD SHEPHERD we are helpless, not without pastors.  This is not to say pastors shouldn't have a protective role in their church; they should, as should all mature believers.  But sentiments like these undermine the power of Christ in the lives of all believers and puts pastors in the savior/hero position. 
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GoingClear
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« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2018, 04:51:41 pm »

Yes this was from a article that John Piper was quoted in as well.
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