Moses, Saul and the Pastor- man's desire for a human buffer

One of the fundamental points in Christianity is the priesthood of all believers. The fact that we are all off equal in worth before God and each member has free access to the Father by the Holy Spirit is a radical concept not known in other religions.

Most modern evangelical churches teach this as a theory but do not manage to practice it in real terms. In the daily and weekly execution we find the pastor (singular) rules and controls like a corporate CEO and the Saints are taught that submission to this one man equals submission to God. 2000 years of Church tradition and man made ritual has turned submission to the pastor or Pope into something so revered and believed that it eclipses the Sun.

Baby Christians will defend the divine right of the Pastor like the virgin birth.

I want to discuss two reasons for this that are innate to man.

1. We were made to rule.

2. We were made to be ruled over.

Point 1

That some saints desire to Lord it and rule over other saints is not so strange, that is in fact human nature and we see it in world history and politics through the ages, Hitler Stalin Mugabe Genghis Khan.

Even the band "Tears for Fears sang " Everybody wants to rule the world"

Important to note this is in line with God's original design but as mature adults we need to consider the rest of scripture to be the balance right.

Jesus speaking:

42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

Mark 10:42-43

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.

3 John 9

We were taught by the pastor that Diotrephes is everybody not submitting to the pastor, not that Diotrephes IS the pastor.

The practical value of a single controlling pastor is obvious to most us who see pyramid schemes (captain over 10, captain over 100 captain over 1000) at the office each day. It works well for coporate world and for the army

BUT,.. neither Jesus nor Paul implemented a such hierarchical system (pyramid scheme) in their ministries. They engaged directly with everybody.

JESUS

Jesus did foresee that He would not be able to be and reach everybody and solved the problem in an unexpected radical way, a way only open to God might I add!

HE LEFT!

7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

John 16:7

PAUL

Paul incidentally also spend only and average of three years (just like Jesus) in each locale and then left.

He wrote letters and sent co-workers and minister like Timothy and Titus, but Paul did not control the local churches through a hierarchy.

GOD'S ORIGINAL DESIGN IN CREATION

God's original design can be seen in creation and the example Paul uses to describe the legitimate authority in church are Family terms of parenting. Fathers, mothers and son's. One thing that is clear from healthy and successful parenting is that Kids grow up and become just like their parents - just as big, just a rich, just as clever just as anointed and they do not relate to God via their parents once they have grown up.

Why then do many believe that long term one way submission to the pastor is Biblical, Spiritual or correct?

AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH

Jesus certainly did appoint special gifted people to equip and minister to the saints but these so-called Five Fold minister were not supposed to become and elite clergy class lording and controlling it over the saints. The FiveFold described in Eph 4 11 have a role like parents and like exhorters, but they do not becoem long term controllers!

The Five Fold are specifically there to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. They are not there to do the ministry themselves and then tax the other saints and turn them into spectators.

Back to the other matter of human nature

Its unfortunately obvious is that humans often prefer having other humans to rule over them rather than face God Himself.

This has never been God's plan for us. God has always wanted free and direct access to us.

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?

Well, ..despite the fact that “God is Love” it is indeed also true “God is also Holy” and that has always been scary in fact scary enough for John the Beloved to fall down dead at Jesus appearance.

Lets look at Heb 12 for a moment

18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,

19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.”

21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,

26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:18-29

It seems that God’s people have an ongoing desire and inclination to appoint a human intermediary.

There are three very clear examples of this.

Two are in the scripture and one is obvious in church history and in fact church around us today.

The three Are Moses Saul and the Pastor

MOSES

18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:18-21

SAUL

Then they wanted a King to protect them form the judgment that God brought upon them because of disobedience. God brought the Amalekites of Jebusites or whatever tribe to punish Israel, so their call for a king was in fact a desire to have a King to protect them for God.

How bizarre!

7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.

9 “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

1 Samuel 8:7-9

24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

25 “But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

1 Samuel 12:23-25

In the modern evangelical/charismatic church, the pastor often fulfills the role Mary plays for the Catholic, a mother figure who protects you from Christ.

Catholics pray to Mary because they fear that Jesus isn’t human enough to understand their weaknesses.

Modern charismatics have the pastor to permanently interpret the Word of God for them and buffer them form direct responsibility before God.

In Jewish culture we see that the father is responsible for his children’s behavior until the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, after which the boys and girls are regarded as adults and will account to God themselves.

Bar mitzvah literally means son of the law.

Why do our modern so called spiritual parents teach and glorify the issue or permanent submission to them and do not have an obvious a linear path and expectation to maturity for their disciples? Books like “Under Cover” pro-actively teach that busy remain boys and beholden to their pastor? This is serious perversion and the most probably reason is annuity income and a spiritual ego trip.

If the disciples are spiritual Mongols (downs syndrome) and cannot grow.

If the pastor nurtures and controls you for a few years then you grow up under an equip and release program into a powerful spiritual adult then cool. But if you don’t grow and your mother stays in change then its perversion.

So beloved I want to end with Paul words:

9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.

10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6:9-12