Why I Don't Want to Be a Celebrity Pastor
Matthew 11:7-9
It seems our culture today, particularly the Christian culture, seems obsessed with celebrity pastors. You can turn on the television and see how The Preachers of LA roll with their $2,000 Armani suits, Mercedes, and Rolex watches. Or, you can go online and see a host of other pastors with designer jeans, embroidered shirts, and cool accessories. I will withhold naming any one particular person, because this is not about a person, but a dangerous phenomenon that is developing.
Now, do not misunderstand me. I am not saying a pastor has to wear a suit and tie, or that they have to dress casually. The issue is not the clothes, but the attitude and perception given. I believe a pastor should dress according to the dynamics of the community that he serves in. If you serve a corporate culture community, it might mean dressing in a suit and tie. If you serve a rural farming community, it could be jeans and a flannel shirt. The point is not what we wear, but the message we proclaim.
In Matthew 7:7-9, Jesus challenges the popular perception of how people viewed John the Baptist. He asked them, "What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet."
If you read a description of John the Baptist he was not much on fashion. In fact, he wore a camel hair's vest with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and honey. And his message was not centered around how you can be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. It was centered on how you could develop an eternal relationship with the living God.
What we need today is pastors who are not concerned about their image, or how they can promote their latest book, conference, or podcast. What we need are pastors who will be willing to deliver an uncompromising message to a hostile culture.
I confess that I am not "cool." I am more comfortable in khakis and a button up shirt than I am jeans and flip-flops. I do not have a charismatic personality. God can use the pastor in California wearing jeans and flip and flops. He can use those pastors with magnetic personalities. It takes a wide variety of pastors to reach a wide variety of people.
The point I am trying to make is that I want to be a prophet of God, not the next trendy thing to come along. I want to challenge my fellow pastors to honestly examine themselves. Has the message taken a backseat to the mirror? Has the desire for prominence replaced a passion for people?
My brothers, let us all to strive to be phrophets and not celebrities.
In Christ Alone,
Bryan
