 Good afternoon Pastor David. How are you doing John? Welcome everybody to a random moment unfiltered and you see that there's a little bit of difference. We were having some sound issues with me behind and now they had the white in the camera to get me in. And so I want to welcome those who are joining us maybe for the first time. I want to say welcome and God bless you. Pastor how was your trip to Mexico? I thought it went well. I got back safely. That's good. Yeah it went good. And it was you went to to a retreat with CCA Northern Mexico pastors that were there and it you allowed me to go was a great time. I thought it was a blessed time. There was a not as good as the actual retreat but on the way home we stopped at this maybe it was the second heaven maybe not it wasn't the third heaven. Well in heaven they don't have flies. That's right. Yeah we stopped at manuals. But they had flies. Yeah flies are the entertainment there. Pastor today's topic has to do with celebrity pastors. These pastors that have become celebrities that either they've been self-appointed or in somehow the people have elevated them to this in a couple of questions. This was from one of the brothers in our church and I'm quoting what he says here is well-known pastors, well-known worship teams, well-known speakers that come to churches are now charging exorbitant prices for their there's no longer really an honorarium there just they got green rooms that are filled with flowers and a spread and it just seems that along with that has come this this almost like the celebrity pastor celebrity worship status. Is that what is your view or your personal observation of whether the church promotes this or is this something that promotes within one person? Gosh that's a that's a tough one that really is because there are there are Godfaring, God-loving men whom God has used who has who have been elevated to position of a spiritual authority if you will they have they have been placed in a place of credibility and and they've honored the Lord and have remained humble and used by him in mighty ways obviously the one that I think of first is my own pastor Chuck Smith who in many ways Pastor Chuck was regarded by many as the father of the Jesus movement and yet he was one who very carefully and consistently rejected being placed in a position of of super importance or celebrity so there are godly men men some of whom I've had the chance to get to know and to love who truly have remained faithful to the Lord and faithful in their ministries and and have been aware of their own shortcomings and God has continued to use them there are others unfortunately that I have seen and know who have found this attention to be so attractive that they not only desire it but they seem to foster even more attention they want for themselves and that to me is a very tragic thing because the Lord appoints one and the Lord elevates one but he also was very capable of bringing them back down and so the church I think in some ways feeds that again there are pastors that that have to it seems that they have to have their names on the lips of of people they you go to the webpage to look for their church and you see only pictures of him as if he's the only person in the church or the only one doing the ministry and then you have you know the temptation of naming your ministry after yourself you know the such-and-so ministry with so-and-so or so-and-so ministries you know there are many of those and name recognition seems to be something people like and want and it's a marketing technique and all but John it's it's just not a good place for any minister we are called servants the Apostle Paul spoke of himself in that way and he said that he is simply a servant a bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ when people were speaking concerning others who are well-known you know Apollo's a Cephas and all he made sure that he said who is Apollo's who is Paul we're just bonds are for servants of the Lord and if anybody had the capacity to be regarded in superstardom as a superstar it would have been Paul quite obviously not only he but also others of the same kind of magnitude like the Apostle Peter or a John or a James but they you don't see any indication in Scripture that they ever allowed that to go to their own heads they didn't become arrogant and and proud full over it so I think it is a an oxymoron to call a pastor a celebrity a celebrity pastor those two words should not be combined but are there are there those who have been elevated by by their their flock yeah I've known more than one over the years and it's just a bad place to be because this man if he's honest with his his people and himself he knows that he's just a sinner saved by the grace of God and he should certainly remember that at all times so then there's that that danger of that celebrities the it is an oxymoron that celebrity status begins to overshadow the centrality of Jesus Christ and he begins to take over and that's a dangerous place because then now you're begetting your sheep sheep was that Shepherds beget sheep there's a I know what you're trying to say but my mind is thinking of something else I'm sorry healthy sheep beget sheep right and but there's a flip side of that right well sick shepherds will produce sick sheep you know I'm the Lord that is my name and my glory I will give to no one else neither my praise to graven images the Lord is not one who shares his honor and glory with anybody John and it is a very bad place for the pastor and it's a dangerous place for the sheep the sheep should regard and honor their pastor but he doesn't walk on water he didn't die in a cross and he most certainly isn't perfect I would first point to myself in that way and say I know that and you have to know yourself you have to know your weaknesses you have to be aware of your own shortcomings and it's very important for a pastor to never place himself above the sheep he is there to care for minister to to be an example of a believer but he is he's never superior in the kingdom of God he simply has a different role and a different kind of authority but I really am concerned for the condition of the church today because you know there are men on television who they're they're taking God's money and they're putting their faces out there as if they're the only people who have the capacity to reach the lost you or to teach the sheep and and it's creating a competition an attitude of competition in the body of Christ where people people who who are in need of a hero well there are many guys out there who are more than willing to step in and fulfill that role for them and I'm telling you that's just not a healthy place John it's it's it's not a good way to look at ministry and I really feel it's been it's been very harmful to the church well pastor thank you for sharing that because it want to hear what your views and and how this is tolerated and it continues to perpetuate perpetuate through the church whether the church is elevated or for somehow there's that narcissistic kind of thinking that I'm this I'm that and elevates oneself and so just wanted to get your feedback on that but yet tomorrow where we have service Wednesday evening want to invite you guys to come out and join us what you're teaching in closing off Ephesians chapter 6 I'll be speaking beginning at verse 18 closing on prayer as part of the weaponry that the Lord has given to us and then concluding the study by looking at the last few verses and we'll be closing next this Wednesday we'll be closing our series in Ephesians and celebrating communion so I'm looking forward to that so you guys invite you guys to come on out we keep saying this COVID restrictions have lifted and love to have you come out and worship with the church family celebrate communion spend time and God's word together I mean especially in these last days this is what we need this is what's needed and so pastor thank you so much always one again always keeping in front of you Israel's coming up in in March in a few months in a few months yes and so we were just looking at some pictures before we came over here and talking about some of the temple things and kind of getting stirred up about that so if you guys want to come we can read you can register online through our website Calvary CCV.org you can go to our events tab you'll see the Israel flyer there just click on it but we look forward to seeing you tomorrow and pastor thank you so much for your time God bless you guys and we look forward to seeing you thanks pastor amen