The Pastor's Straying Heart

The Birthplace of Another Jesus

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus…
There are all kinds of Jesus’s today. There is the prosperity Jesus; there is the all religions Jesus; there is the new age Jesus; there is the ecumenical Jesus; there is the emergent Jesus; there is the political Jesus; and there are any number of other Jesus’ that are preached, believed, and followed. But there will come a day when the real Jesus returns to earth. And He will be unrecognizable to those who followed all those other Jesus’s.
And on that day, the followers of another Jesus will have lost their souls…forever. Does that sound too harsh for you? Does it seem a little over the top? Is that seem at odds with the “love wins” modern theology? Are you having a little trouble allowing God to reveal His own plan? We all must bow to God Almighty instead of questioning the clear revelations in His Word.
One of the most egregious conduits for spreading another Jesus is the western church. Recently another preacher has stepped down due to many allegations of moral failure as well as the breakdown of his own family. But I want to illuminate something here. The allegations against him, which were settled out of court, were that he molested several teenage boys. But here is what most people missed.
He was accused of molesting them on his private jet! And how is it that so many fail to see a profound disconnect with Christ in these ultra lavish displays of self aggrandizement? And I would suggest that this kind of pastoral hedonism is a residue of a fundamental problem with the western ecclesiastical construct. The average evangelical church elevates the pastor in so many ways that much accountability is lost. In fact, most churches do not have a plurality of elders, and if they do, the elders are manipulated by the “head” elder.
And with that flawed system in place, it isn’t long before that pastor can read from the Scriptures, use the name of Jesus, but is actually preaching another Jesus. I find it very difficult to express in words just how far the visible church has stayed from preaching and following the true and living Christ. It is so far off that hyperbole is almost impossible. I liken it to explaining how wrong the Flat Earth Society is. It’s almost beyond belief.
But here we are. Today’s Jesus is a Santa Claus who wants everyone rich and healthy and exuding success. And the purveyors of such heresy enjoy a fleshly adulation from the masses as well as an inflated lifestyle that eschews the call for moderation. And when the flesh is allowed to rule, it does not just tread water, No, it grows in depth and power and is very creative as well. So when a pastor is given power without accountability, that pastor usually begins to stray.
The first place the pastor begins to stray is in the heart. He begins to be lifted up in his own mind, and refuses even the slightest correction. He thinks more highly of himself than he ought. Just the office breeds self righteousness if the pastor is not vigilant. And when modern day pastors begin to prosper financially through the power of their office, they become hirelings.
And slowly but surely, they begin to preach and live another Jesus. Be watchful for these rock star preachers. Be on the lookout for book signings and advertising campaigns that ultimately line the pockets of these hirelings. But the entire narrative is worse than just watching profligates parading as men of God. The worse aspect is that another Jesus is being represented.
In fact, many times the person of Jesus finds no place in their preaching, which is usually all about how to get God to do things for you. The entire evangelical landscape is littered with all kinds of other caricatures of Jesus. Let us take heed and continue to follow the Risen Christ and His path of denying self.