Is Bigger Better?

“True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.”
― Martin Luther


     I heard about a pastor who pastor's one person.  Think about that.  Preparing a sermon each week for one person?  How does that work?  How far does he drive to get to this person?  That's being humble.  That's amazing. 
     The Lord was speaking to me just now as I was waiting at the school for my grandson, about this pastor, and about writing for one.  The bible says not to make a spectacle of ourselves when praying.  We are not to go stand on a street corner and belt out some practiced words to impress all those who hear us.  I have received that advice before to write for an audience of one.  That one should be God. 
     It is what we do when we are not seen that measures our integrity.  Do we take that nice pen home from the office to be ours?  We often hear about how we act in private is a way to measure our integrity, but what about how we act in public.  We are supposed to be a reflection of Christ, right?  So we can decide not to blow up, not to cuss, and to be nicer to people than we feel like being at times.  What about doing good things to be seen?  Should we ever do good things to be seen?  I don't think so.  We should be doing good things because we want to please God.
     What God really wanted to talk about was deciding who we listen to by popularity.  There are pastor's, speakers, people in government offices, etc. that we follow, because they are popular.  We trust people in office because they are popular and we don't want to take the time to research.  We follow pastor's because they have a large mega church?  What a way for the enemy to get his way. 
     Years ago when people were talking about a president who had been involved sexually with an intern there was lots of talk of whether he could be trusted as a leader.  In my opinion if you will lie about the little things, you, will lie about the big things.  if you cannot be faithful to your wife how can you be faithful to your followers?  There is a sense of pride that can come with power.  Who can touch me?  It's all over Hollywood and throughout professional sports.  They get a way with things an ordinary Joe cannot get a way with.  It's often confusing who to follow or maybe I should just say listen to, when we are talking about religious leaders.  There are some mega church pastors that in the past, I thought were okay, because how can all those people be wrong.  But what God is showing me, is that they are a bigger target for failure.  The enemy goes after them, because of all that it will affect. 
     I believe those bigger churches are more comfortable because we are somewhat invisible sitting in them.  Who is making sure we are accountable?  Who is asking us to participate.  We can go sit in church every Sunday and feel like we are doing God's will.  But are they catering to the world.  Are people too comfortable there?  If I go in with my coffee and my phone and spend the hour texting or watching the game and nobody notices, isn't it easier for me to stay in the world, yet convince myself I am doing good in the eyes of God.
If church is too comfortable is God there? 
     So, if this is the case, how does a pastor reach thousands of people in a mega church?  He can't possibly stand by the door and shake every hand.  He can't possibly invite every family over for dinner.  So, how does he reach them?  He only has his words.  It helps if the worship music is good too, but if the sermon doesn't rock the people, will they be back? 
     I think pastor's are afraid to preach a sermon that causes conviction.  You can keep more chairs full on Sundays if you make them comfortable to be present while immersed in their sin.  That's what kept me coming back anyway.  When conviction came, I was gone.  What I believe is a sermon given by the Holy Spirit through the pastor is a sermon that reaches the spirit in us, preach from the Spirit to the Spirit.  A sermon preached from the head speaks to the head.  A sermon preached from the flesh, speaks to the flesh.
     Discernment through the Spirit is needed to choose who we listen to and whether we come back.  How popular is the preacher?  How popular was Jesus?  There can be bad press on any man no matter how good or bad he is.  Popular does not always mean he is good in God's eyes.  Needing popularity, fear of being hated, can make a good man into a monster. 
     A.W. Tozer says, "Christians have fallen into the habit of accepting the noisiest and most notorious among them as the best and the greatest.  They too have learned to equate popularity with excellence, and in open defiance of the Sermon on the Mount they have given their approval not to the meek but to the self assertive; not to the mourner but to the self assured; not to the pure in heart who see God but to the publicity hunter who seeks headlines."
     There are powerful, knowledgeable, great men who lose their need for God and replace it with a need for recognition.  They want groupies more than gospel.  They want to be approved of, instead of accountable for.  The Bible says we will be hated.  I'm not saying that we should only follow those who are hated or reject mega-pastors, but what I am saying is to pray for discernment.  Many who have dedicated their lives to Christ and been true followers will fall away in the end.  We cannot put our trust in men, pastors, government because they will fail us.  We need the gift of discernment and to know God's voice to determine who to listen to and who to shut the door on.  Just ask God to bless you with that gift.  He doesn't want us to be fooled by man, but followers of Him.  And each of us should live every moment for an audience of One, the only One. 

I join Tozer in this prayer,

Lord I thank you for all the faithful pastors serving churches in quiet places. Thank you for the "quiet heroes" and their faithful service; give them great encouragement today. Amen