Let me preface by saying the first blog on this was somewhat incomplete. I am not naming pastors nor followers I think are guilty of placing anyone on a pedastool. I mentioned who i did for the purpose of setting names up as examples.
What has prompted me on this issue is watching believers fighting over the issue of Calvinism and Arminianism. Though I am comfortably in the middle of these two groups, it is stunning how heated the debates get on these issues. These men both gave us a way to understand the basics of salvation in two distinctly different views. Both of them are found in the Bible. What I fear is when I see men beginning to take Calvin's words and making them equal to or higher than God's word. Calvin did us a great service to bring clarity to some important issues. I however don't believe he would agree with some of the followers of his beliefs who almost worship him as a saint. He has been elevated higher than the disciples sometimes. It scares me to see men adhere to a belief so strongly that they are closed to the other side. Often I see people on both sides arguing and debating and not listening and trying to understand the other sides perspective. Is this what Calvin would have desired? Splitting the church?
As humans, we love heroes. From the time we are kids, we imitate our favorite superhero or a police officer. We look up to them. They can do no wrong. As we get older, we replace them with others. We look to sports figures, movie stars, politicians, and church leaders. There is nothing wrong with having people we have high respect for and want to model our lives after. Again, the problem is, when they are elevated to a position that is equal to Christ, we have a serious problem. Most of the time, followers often worship a leader to the point that everything they say is gospel. In ministry, I've seen this in who we align ourselves with in a ministry style. I have fallen into this. There is nothing wrong with examples until they trump the Bible. I was a firm believer in Purpose Driven Youth Ministry and Church. It is a great model to follow. However, some churches and leaders can take this to an extreme by almost trusting the words of Warren and Fields more than what is Biblical. In no way do I single out PDC. I've seen this with the Andy Stanley model (my fav), Willow Creek, and many other models out there.
Let me say this- the models are not bad. Most are based Biblically and humble God-fearing leaders came up with them. What is so dangerous is when the church emphasizes the model more than the Biblical model in Acts 2. As humans, its so easy to fall in love with a human leader that we often can forget...they're men. They fail. They sin. They struggle. Just like me. They are also prone to mistakes. This again is why Christ must continue to be what the church is about, not a model or a leader. In 1 Corinthians, the church was beginning to fall for this. They were dividing over Paul and Apollos. Followers were lining up on both sides. It's then when Paul says..."they're just men who willingly showed up...God did the real work (my paraphrase)." We have to remember to keep the main person, the main person. Church is about Jesus Christ. Christianity is about Jesus Christ alone. Models come and go. Leaders die and fall. One constant remains- Christ.
The sad part is most of the leaders would never want the praise that their followers often give them. They realize that they are just a leader. I always remember Andy Stanley's sermon on leadership when he said, "Leadership is temporary and each will give an account." He used the illustration of Nebuchadnezzar being turned into an animal after thinking his kingdom was of HIS hand. In all reality, it was not. A humble leader realizes that he is along for the ride. God is the engine and the steerings wheel. We are the passenger.
Again, I say all of this as a recovering pastor worshipper. Doug Fields was on my list of people I wanted to meet before I die because I thought he was the only one getting it. Often I would elevate PDYM over God's own word. Doug I could see and hear. I couldn't see God. I was convicted of elevating God's leader as my source and defense for my faith and ministry. Doug wouldn't have approved, this I know. As followers, we must never replace the invisible God with the visible idol. Billy Graham is not God. He is his servant. Falwell is not God. He was his servant. Hybels is not God, Rod Bell is not God, Andy Stanley is not God and Doug Fields is not God. He has given these men temporary leadership that they will give an account for. We can look to them as models, but never as idols.
Labels: bill hybels, billy graham, calvinism, church, Doug Fields, idol worship, leadership, PDYM, Purpose Driven, rick warren, rod bell
