I went to yet another ego-driven, pastor centered church Sunday morning. This particular church is non-denominational, but very sparsely attended. Maybe 15 people were scattered about on this particular Sunday morning. I knew the pastor, not well but by name. A few Sundays ago I did something I've never done before or since - I showed up at his church for the Sunday morning service, walked into his office and told him I had the message for that morning's service. The Lord had awoken me in the night, given me a message for that exact church for that exact service and when I told this pastor i had the Word of the Lord, I did it under the anointing and calling of an Apostle. After the service began, when the time allotted for preaching arrived, this pastor said from the pulpit that I had told him I had the Word for that day but God had given him the Word for that service - "but brother, the next time you come, I promise, you deliver that word."
So I went again, this last Sunday morning, (pretty gracious of me, if you ask me), and when I got there, even less people were in attendance, mostly family or friends of the pastor. He again got up and he again said "God gave me the message for today" and told me from the pulpit, "maybe another time".
Too many pastors believe their opinion or teaching on any subject is vital to everyone else. They believe all in their church must value and treasure all they have to say but they do not themselves treasure or value what others have to say, especially those in their own church. The teach that godliness is agreeing with them, all the time. These are some exact quotes from this pastor's sermon that day -
"Stuff that happened in Genesis ain't got much to do with you" (yes he said "ain't" and yes you guessed right - this church is in the South).
More quotes -
""We preach the truth of God's Word" (doesn't everybody? Every church believes they do, whether they do or not).
"Stop reading from Genesis to Revelation"
"Let the Holy Spirit lead" "Don't shut me down cause I'm preaching good"
""Did you enjoy this message?" (this question puts them on the spot - really, who's gonna say no? And when the pastor's yes man shouts "Amen!" "Great Message!", it stokes the pastor's ego and lulls him into believing his message was actually good...but the yes man will NEVER say it wasn't...he will loudly shout "Amen!" "Preach it brother!", no matter what the pastor is saying.
Another quote - "I'm preaching good!" "Most Christians don't know what the scriptures say" - a classic tactic - reinforcing the idea that the pastor is wise beyond his congregation, that they don't know the Bible like he does, and all he says is true. So if you're sitting there thinking "I'm getting nothing out of this service", the problem is with you, not the pastor or the church because he's just confirmed "I'm preaching good!" and someone shouted "Amen!"
This all comes from the flesh, from an EGO led service, not Holy Spirit led - self-will, self led services, masking as Holy Spirit filled services.
SHOUTING does not equal the anointing. Quoting scripture does not equal real wisdom. Having your right hand man stand up after every sermon and declare loudly and long what a great message it was and how he personally was mightily blessed to hear it does not mean it was a good message or good teaching or preaching at all. In fact, this does a disservice to the pastor because he will then continue to deliver crappy sermons thinking the whole time they are anointed and great. This pastor (and thousands like him) is on an ego trip of epic proportions. He is unable to let the Holy Spirit lead him or his people. God sent me to him out of grace and mercy for his years of service - I say this with no ego - if he had received me as he should have, his church would have prospered mightily from that day forth, instead, it will now die. (It's already dead, now it will not experience resurrection)
If God chooses to, in his mercy, he will send Apostles and Prophets to Pastors to bless them. This blessing necessarily involves a shaking and "the removing of those things that are shaken, as of those things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain". Religion is man made, and God's people must be freed from it to become his pure and mature people.
Pastor - do not be a Nabal - Do not reject God's anointed when He sends them to you - Do not say "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? There be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master." In other words - "who are you submitted to? You should be under Saul" but if David had remained under Saul, Saul would have killed him, for Saul, like many pastors today, was jealous of David's calling and anointing (though he used it when it was convenient for him). Saul would never allow David to fulfill his God given destiny under Saul's roof, and so do pastors today - they are kings refusing to allow the Lord's anointed to prosper, instead saying "shall I take my bread and my water......and give it to men, whom I know not whence they be?"
Shall I give my pulpit to men I know not? Shall I allow someone to minister in my church that isn't submitted to me, committed to me?
Their hearts are not right within them - they do not know how to "entertain strangers" nor do they know how to receive the Lord's anointed. The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me and His word is in my tongue but this pastor knew it not or knew it and didn't care. Jesus said this of them, of pastors who will not receive apostles and prophets - "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward...."
Yet they choose, too often, to remain destitute - not seeing the honor they are receiving by receiving God's apostle or prophet. Weep for my people saith the Lord - weep for the blind pastors, unable and unwilling to follow Me, selah.
Mistake not this one thing, this final thought - If I, as an apostle, think I'm better than a pastor, because I'm an apostle, than I am no better than any of the blind pastors I've met, rather I'm as ego driven as anyone the Lord rebukes and deserve to be rebuked myself, if I should ever think like that.