Issues with Asking the Man of God..

Allow me to challenge your thinking. There are many shows on radio which feature men of God being on line to wait for the calls of believers so they can answerand help these believers find solutions to issues in their lives or pray for them.

The shows would initially look like a great opportunity for "pastor-sheep" interfacing; I mean - pastor - congregation interfacing. Which is an extension of a church service - where the pastor is addressing the audience but with a personal touch.  However it would seem to me that this in itself, cripples the body of Christ. Allow me to explain how.

1. When people, who are strangers to the pastor call in asking for quick solutions to life's problems, what does that indicate? That members of Christ have abandoned the idea of the real meaning of church which is Christian community and have resorted to the world's thinking of "self help books" or "gurus".

2. It also takes away our dependency on Christ and focuses it on human beings who we perceive to know it all. This puts heavy burdens on the pastors and allows us to be passive as well.

3. This also reinstates the dividing wall between lay man and priest that Christ removed when He died. Again, we go back to a system where there are those who are qualified to know about God and those who are not and thus need to depend on others. We neglect these truths in scripture

"Rev 1:6  and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. "

And

"1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; "

We have made the knowing and priesting and king-ing a one man job. 

The idea of calling in to ask the pastor to either pray for you or advise you while with good intentions causes essentially two things. People who could be able to seek God for themselves, become lazy and passive and put the entire burden of knowing God on a few people. These few people can easily become puffed up into thinking they are God's gift to the church yet everyone is God's gift to the church as long as their head is Christ. The others relax, mind their business and pay  the "pastors" to know God for them or pray for them. Therefore, a few of us seek first the kingdom so that other things may be added, and then the biggest part of us, seek other things first and refer to the ones who have sought the kingdom first when we are in trouble. Terrible interplay, not so?

Relationship that is basic to the body of Christ is relegated to selfish interests. Instead of building meaningful relationships built on the love of Christ, we opt for quick and easy solutions forgetting we are members of the body of Christ and are meant to all shine our different colours to the glory of God. I admit, some people call in in desperation, but why? Because they do not know or do not have the- father-son relationship or mother-daughter relationship or brother-brother/ sister-relation that happens when real people are relating healthily on a daily and receiving from the HEAD who is CHRIST.  We forget about the spring of life inside ourselves and look for wells.

The whole of Christ limited to "the Pastor?" Is the Spirit only in "The Pastor"? Grow up children. Church is a body. He uses each of us. 

  

Thank God for the brother that pastors. Those who do not take up titles but those who in real relationship learn to guide others humbly, not self serving, leading them away from themselves unto Christ. Thank God for the sister that teaches, that young lady who shares her secrets from the Lord with others, not that she may exalt herself but that she may edify the body. Thank God for the young man that encourages, that one who has a Spirit given knack of recognising those who are low in the body of Christ and encouraging them. Thank God for all these different members of the body of Christ. No Christian is an island, we all need each other. There is none greater or more important. Which is why those who would seem less important usually receive more glory. (Luk 7:28  For I say to you, Among those who are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. )We must realise church as a body, not as an audience - speaker arrangement.

When our eyes are always on the pastor, can they ever be on Christ? We have forgotten real church people. Church is Christ living in all of us. 

"1Co 14:26  This is what I mean, my friends. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church. "

According to Paul, what is the real deal? Community. Relationship. Closeness not distant interaction. And all must be done for the good of the body.

Church is not a building or an arrangement. Church is Christ alive in His members, - the great Christ shares secrets with each one individually so that each member may bring their gem to build the whole household. He does not intend one person to seem to be the one with all the secrets.

Mat 23:8-11  But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers.  And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ.   But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Ask yourself, are you hearing from God? Or The Pastor? 

Think on these words.

Joh 4:39-42  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed upon Him because of the saying of the woman, who testified, He told me all that I ever did. Then as the Samaritans had come to Him, they begged Him that He would stay with them. And He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. And they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying, for we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is truly the Christ, the Savior of the world.