WHY PASTORBATION?
Isn't the blame to be laid at organized religion?
Aren't the churches
at fault? What responsibility do the people have? Why blame
the pastors?
For years I have decried
organized religion. It was (and still is) a popular fixation
of my complaints; however, it ineffectively places blame on a
non-entity which
can be happily denounced by everyone...even by those who
practice and proliferate it. (Sometimes they are the loudest!)
AND note also that
organized religion is defended by no one.
Although it may be a good rant on the subject of "The Problem
with the Church Today", it makes no genuine reparations. Where
does the blame really
belong?
Let's look at a very
popular verse of Scripture. In the book of Ephesians, we read,
"And he [Christ Jesus]
gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers; For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ:" (4:11-12)
This Scripture is often given in defense
of the dogma commonly known as the "Five-fold Ministry". Have
you ever heard of it? (Of course, you have!) So, if I were to
put forward the idea that there are to be no Teachers,
Pastors presiding over the "church", you might expect this
Scripture to be given in defense. (And you would be
correct...but, at the risk of engaging of their fire-storm, I
press on!)
Indeed the Pastor is the problem. This
self-proclaimed official is the source of the ear-tickling,
goose bump, entertainment that shamelessly replaces true
relationship. Some efforts are not so frivolous, and Bible
teaching is not exempt from the list of diversions either.
There will always be another subject to teach or another topic
to discuss; however, there is no place in the mature membership of
the body of Christ for human leadership! We have been made dependent upon
those "smarter", more articulate, more educated, more refined
than we are; and we often refer to our teachers as "spiritual". This is a
gross error. Is it the fault of the people? NO! The hirelings
themselves have led people to this state of hireling
dependence, and people have trusted sinful, fallible men.
I will tell you what they will not dare.
These pastors use the very same "Five-fold Ministry" verse to
justify their office although it limits the same! Far less
quoted is the portion of the verse that follows the colon.
(You did notice the verse ended with a colon and not a period,
didn't you?) The very next word is the one with which they
take umbrage as a limit upon their scope of
"ministry":
Ephesians 4:13-16, "...Till
(until) we all come in the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (complete,
mature) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ: That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole
body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the
edifying of itself in
love."
Notice how many words and phrases deal
with maturity. The office
of pastor/teacher continues UNTIL we mature; thereafter, we are
to be taught of the Lord!
Are you immature in Christ? Are you a
child? Some may honestly answer, "Yes!" and that's okay. Stay in your
congregation. Let
your Pastor teach you - as long as he teaches you
that you have NO other Shepherd, NO other Teacher, NO other
Rabbi other than Christ Himself! This is a
scriptural idea indeed! Let's go to the RED WORDS:
Matthew 23:8-12, "But be not ye called
Rabbi [From Hebrew -"Great One" and in
English = Reverend]: for ONE is your
Master [Leader, Guide], even Christ; and all ye are
brethren. And
call no man your father [Pope, Church
Fathers] upon the earth: for ONE is
your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called
masters [Teachers, Leaders, Guides]: for ONE is your Master, even
Christ."
And just so we don't begin here playing
with words, defining and redefining our role of
aggrandizement, He continues, "But he that is greatest among you
shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and
he that shall humble himself shall be
exalted."
Leader -
Follower? ALL OF US ARE
BRETHREN!
Have you ever thought about the title,
"Overseer". This word (the word the Apostle Paul
used) eliminates the "Leader - Follower"
aspect altogether.
To everyone reading on a
sixth grade level and above it is clear that Jesus Christ
Himself intends to be our Leader and all of us are
brethren. Anyone raising himself to a position of "leader" is
OUTSIDE the
boundaries set by this Scripture.
So, what is the problem? Leaders need followers.
Churches need
members. There is no profit in building the universal, body of
Christ. The only profit comes in building congregations and
clubs. If we cannot get people from the world by preaching to
the lost, the church members will only come from other
congregations as proselytes.
Of course, focus is placed upon
"experiences" at church in hope to make proselytes and take
converts from one congregation to another. Worthy of note is
that Jesus concluded His speech above with another RED LETTER warning, "Woe unto you,
[modern-day] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is
made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves." (Matthew 23:15)
Today we "compass sea and land"
by hiring the best speakers and song leaders, promising the
supernatural and citing so-called miraculous manifestations,
implying that it is the church, doctrine or some special
dispensation imparted to a particular man or
denomination.
Preachers have become
Pastors. Preaching
to the world has become passe and distasteful. Preachers have
turned to those who are not hostile to their message and
called the resulting group "churches". Now, because they make
a living at it, the problem is multiplied. Soon they become
teachers, fulfilling the ancient words of Paul who exhorted
Timothy to, "Preach the
word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
Why become teachers when Jesus has
clearly said that HE will be our Teacher? They must create the
need for their profession. Because their profession has
changed, evangelizing the lost is merely an invitation to
church -with membership and attendance implying the end of a
life-long search for regeneration. Then regeneration is simply
replaced with Pastorbation (emotional gratification) the
effects of which wear off, enforcing the habit of returning
weekly for a "recharge". Over and over again, the hungry and
thirsty, attend church seeking to be
filled.
Wouldn't it be so much better to never
again hunger or thirst? John promises, "But whosoever drinketh of the water
that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I
shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life." (4:14)
John 6:35, "And Jesus said unto them,
I am the bread of
life: he that cometh to me
shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst."
Yes, it is the fault of
the Pastor. He could stop the cycle today by preaching
these RED
WORDS: (But, though they would be life to you,
they would be suicide to his career!)
John 10:16, "And other sheep I have, ...and
they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one
fold, and one
shepherd."
And how rare is it to hear from the Old
Testament Scriptures in church:
Jeremiah 12:10, "Many
pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have
trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant
portion a desolate wilderness."
Jeremiah 10:21, "For the pastors are become brutish, and have
not sought the LORD ..."
Ezekiel 34:19-23, "And as for my flock,
they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they
drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus
saith the Lord GOD ...Therefore will I save my flock, and they
shall no more be a prey...And I will set up one
shepherd over
them, and HE shall feed them, even my
servant David [this speaks of none other than
Jesus Christ Himself]; he shall feed them, and he
shall be their shepherd."
Ezekiel 37:24, "And David my
servant shall be king over them; [again, this is
Christ] and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall
also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do
them."
So why, in modern Christianity, is Jesus
NOT our only
Shepherd? Why do we look to men to feed us, lead us, and guide
us into truth? Why is He not our
Pastor?
