For we are co-workers in God’s service. (1 Cor. 3:9)
IT’S NATURAL FOR PEOPLE to describe a church based on who pastors it. “Have you heard of 12Stone? Oh, that’s Kevin Myers’ church. Brooklyn Tabernacle? Oh, you must be talking about Jim Cymbala’s church.” This way of describing a church happens with nationally renowned leaders as well as your local pastor down the road.
Yet most Christians know that the church doesn’t really belong to the leader. Every church belongs to Jesus, and the pastor is simply a servant of Jesus Christ leading that church for that time. But if most of us know this, why do we still see so much leader worship in our churches, just like Paul found in the church at Corinth?
Perhaps the simplest way to begin to change our mindset is to change our language. For example, whenever I introduce myself during a worship service, I always say my name and that “I serve here as the lead pastor.” Oftentimes in opening prayer before church board meetings, I slip in the phrase “Jesus, this is your church, and we are your servants.”
This simple shift in language can cause a large ripple effect in attitude. As leaders and as followers, our role is to point people to Jesus Christ, not to ourselves or our favorite preacher or pastoral personality. How can you help point others to Christ in this way?
Pray for Jesus to be the only leader worshiped in your church.
Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway Church, Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
