 It is one thing if you don't it's another thing if you won't So what am I talking about? Okay, so a quick question Take the time and ask yourself just kind of brainstorm. It's kind of think about this name a preacher a pastor that you admire Someone that you really look up to someone that when you hear them speak You put a lot of validity in what they say that you think this person Is really a godly person just name someone think of some people that you that you Seen on TV or heard on the radio or seen on the internet on YouTube. What have you that you really think is a good godly man Think about it for a second Maybe Tony Evans Maybe John MacArthur Maybe Vody Buckham Some of you like Paul Washer David Jeremiah Think about those names. Maybe there's some other ones that come to that come to name Could be a Andy Woods I see Steven Lawson Think about it for a second. I asked yourself this question Name something that you disagree with them about Think about it. What do you disagree with them about? Because if you don't Disagree with them if you can find no fault no wrong in them you might be guilty of Idolizing them and making them into an icon Now let's be clear Everybody and I do mean everyone that you know of has messed up Everyone has gotten something wrong. Everyone has said something that they ought not to have said or ought not have done But if you can't name something If they've said wrong or done wrong You might be guilty of idolizing them now When I go down the list some of those folks on that list you might not like Some of those people on the list you might like but I don't know if you've noticed this but Especially on YouTube especially in social media circles people pick certain faces certain names they follow them and They listen to them intently and I mean so much so that they really can do no wrong. I Am I've got some differences. I'll share a few differences with some of these people in a little bit but I learned early on that there's no man who is Ultimately above reproach now we we know we mean when the Bible says a person being above reproach that the person is not living in some sort of guilt-ridden or some sort of sin-ridden lifestyle but Sometimes we make people out to be the be all to end all well Let's go to the scriptures real quick. The Bible says this about worshiping anyone. He says one in Luke 4a he says and Jesus answered him and says it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve? Well, Cory, obviously that seems like a no-brainer That seems like an obvious no-brainer. Of course. I'm only gonna worship the Lord. Well, is that true? Do you act like it? I Have I've seen people get to the point to where if you say the smallest thing the slightest criticism About a person and that person is your enemy There are literally channels guys Channels Devoted to not by the people or by their church But outside people who admire these people so much that they have channels that are dedicated to just them There are channels that talk only about John MacArthur. There are channels that talk only about Tony Evans, there are channels that talk only about Vody Bacchum or primarily about Vody Bacchum Or primarily about Paul Washer. There are channels out there that that are fixated on One person and that's not a family mother's doing it Now you guys people out there also who are idolizing and who have made icons out of the wrong people Type in the name Gino Jennings You'll find a bunch of channels who all they do is speak about Gino Jennings I mean you you mean a whole cult you mean a whole cult and So much so that They don't know the scriptures themselves very well because if they did they would probably by and large leave Or stop following him, but we're not even talking about a Gino Jennings. We're not talking about some of the people who are On the outs in terms of doctrine. No, we're not talking about them. No, we're talking about people who Have sound doctrine. I mean real sound doctor because listen I'll be honest with you those people whose names that I put up I'll go through them again Tony Evans do I think that he has sound doctrine? I do as a matter of fact disclaimer I was a former member of his church. Are there some things that I disagree with him on sure Well, what about John MacArthur? Yeah, I think John MacArthur is a very sound teacher Now again sound doesn't mean perfect sound doesn't mean the person is batting 100% not the case at all Do I have there's some things that I have that I disagree with John MacArthur on? Yeah, there are. Well, what about Vodibacum? Love Vodibacum But I do disagree with him on a few things. I Just do Paul Washer same thing David Jeremiah. I sure do now does that mean that I don't like them? Listen, I admire all of them. I I do Partly because I know what it's like when you're leading especially the ones who are pastors The Tony Evans a John MacArthur's of the world the David Jeremiah's those who are pastors not Personalities not people that that may go or may serve under someone else But when you're in leadership, it's it's a whole new ball game See, we think sometimes that what we see on YouTube or is that that's all it really is But no being a pastor is is a lot different because you are you're not a theologian only you're not a scholar only you are a Shepherd and you've got people's lives that you are entrusted over To guide them and it's not just doctrine issues because on YouTube. What do we do? We we talk a lot about doctrinal stuff, don't we? One saved always saved. Can you lose salvation tongues? Have these gifts cease we talk about those things, but when you're a pastor You'll be surprised how often You spend talking about anything, but doctor it happens all the time. Why because somebody needs rent somebody's dealing with You know some sickness in their family and so yeah, you you spend time spreading the gospel But and doctrine does come into play But there's some other things that that that are kind of pressing right some pastors have to worry about the lights Being on okay. Yeah every pastor isn't isn't a pastor for mega church And so sometimes they have to worry about that a lot of pastors are by vocation. So they have a lot of other things on their plate and so What's easy to forget though, especially for us in the YouTube world who are not familiar with these pastors now I've had the pleasure to have interacted with two of them but Well, I could I say that I know them personally? No But that being said, I do understand What a pastor has to go through and I do understand how they also have to keep themselves sharpened and so forth and and all different things that come at you, but The people on the outside look at them and all they see is the polished the end result, right? And if they say something that you like or that you hear if it if it if it touches something internally It's hard not to Be a fan of that person and so when I put I'll put the script up again It says do not or we should not worship anyone else, but the Lord our God only him shall we serve now? Obviously, these are the words coming out of Jesus's mouth now You wouldn't think that a Christian would need to have this told to him over and over again You wouldn't think so because heck we're Christians. We don't need to worry about that Do we but the fact of the matter is we do Let me just put it this way There are people who are true or who attract other people even in Christian and non-Christian circles For whatever reason attractive people are Found by people who look what they are actually who look for what they have to offer Here's what I mean Let's say you are a person who can speak to someone about finances and a person is looking to fix their finances Well, you are attracted to that person. I'm not talking about in a in a physical Amorous sense. I'm speaking since it was hey, I can feel a need for you And so here you are you're attracted to what I'm saying you're attracted to what I'm saying, okay? And so there are some that are good Some that are bad Now understand this is also the MO of Satan. That's how he works think about it Satan will try to get you messed up on things that you are attracted to Think about Eve here. She is in the garden and How was she able to easily succumb to eating the fruit? Well, the Bible says in Genesis 3 that it the fruit was pleasing to her eye So she had already been checking it out if the fruit was already attracted So Satan just kind of whispered in her ear and kind of leaned into a little bit more to get her to go in a direction that her heart Or her eyes all ready to go. What about Judas? Well Judas like money. That was Judas's issue But then think about this also with Satan Satan tried the exact same tactic with who else with Jesus Jesus seeks to be worshiped so what did Satan do hey follow me submit to me and I'll have everyone worshiping you if you just worship me first. Oh, I mean, obviously it's a stupid thing for Satan even offer But he will try to tempt you With what you're looking for now Jesus is not going to be tempted. So that was that was a no-go from the start, right? but with us sometimes sometimes we fall into the trap and We find ourselves putting greater emphasis on the person who is attractive to us Here's what I mean. Let me let me see if I can make this a little clearer Those people that I spoke of and even those that you also put in in the chats those that you named They speak to something that you're looking for The example you're looking for sound teaching Well, guess what if they offer sound teaching at least from what you've heard so far Well, then you want to hear more of it because the world is so full of bad teaching Full of just some mmm. I don't I don't I don't know what the teaching is But it's so bad so nasty out there Doctrically speaking that when you come across someone who was just remotely biblical you want to listen to more Now and some of these guys say some things that are just You wouldn't even think it would be that profound if it were said 20 years ago 30 40 50 years ago people defending the unborn people defending men being men and women being women that was That was obvious at that time and so now even person like a Vodibhaka who speaks a lot towards social issues He he he is not the the greatest of the allusions And I don't think he would even say so as himself as well Even though he is a dean of a college and actually possibly he may become the president of the SBC But he would not be someone that you would call a Theologian or the allusions the allusion Not to say that he's that he's not intelligent or theological in his thinking so not what I'm saying But his his his greatest what has helped him out the most is him dealing with social issues And these are things that you just you're finding less and less or or in short supply nowadays And so he he feels a need people are looking for something someone to speak truth Biblical truth godly truth and so therefore he's attractive to the world who's looking to hear for or hear some truth, right? Someone like a like a Tony Evans who can speak to more practical things in your life how you're living He becomes very attractive To hear how you ought to deal with your family and so forth very Listen, I'm in the Dallas area. This there's a reason why Oakley Bible Fellowship has grown to the way it's grown now And he hasn't been one of those who who likes to hoop and holler and have always different gimmicks You won't see cars on stage and and flashing lights and things like that. So That's made him attractive John McCarthy has been staunch and and and and just kind of consistent for over 50 years He hadn't changed John MacArthur preaches the exact same way today as he did 30 40 50 years ago, right? It's just if you listen to him one of his old sermons and all you do is just hurt it You couldn't tell that it wasn't from last week. Yeah, he sounds the same. He preaches the same He's been consistent a person like a Paul washer who's also speaking to Masculinity and how men ought to be well That's attractive to a to a world that doesn't know what a real man supposed to be like and so that's why These men are appealing Well, what's the problem Corey? Well, I'll tell you the problem No one likes to be wrong. I mean raise your hand if you'd like to be wrong Who who who do you know likes to be wrong someone said to me Corey you just like to be right Well, okay, does that mean you just like to be wrong? You just want to be right Well, that means you must want to want to be wrong Everybody likes to be right and want to be right and so when you listen to these people and They say something to you and it makes sense You don't realize what happens guys is you kind of buy into it You kind of buy into what they're saying in sales If I could get you to agree I Want to get you to agree and I'll just give you two little secrets I won't tell you how I go about doing it or what what a salesman who knows what he's doing would do it But we want to get you to do two things We want you to either listen to lean in a little bit or to give some sort of indication that you are listening or We want you to nod your head in agreement See if I can get you to lean in a little bit you start it off Back here and as I'm talking something that I said made sense. You know it. Yeah. Yeah, you're right And and you're not in your head Guess what's happened? You have on your own bought into what I'm saying and you've invested in my words now These aren't necessarily my words I didn't invent these words that I'm saying if they're truth But you've invested in them and what happens is you want to hear more and Because you want to hear more you'll spend more time and since you don't want to be wrong Since you don't want to be the person who has made a mistake now if a person comes out and says something just Outlandish and stupid and you know what I'm through with this guy You tend to give that person a little more leeway How many people do you know of that have bought into their pastor and then when they're past you've heard their pastor say something just awful They still listen to the person. They still stick with a guy. They won't leave the person Right because if they've invested in that person Paul makes a statement that I think is is applicable He says in let's put up on the screen first Corinthians 11 one He says be imitators of me as I am of Christ in other words follow him if he's following Christ right Imitate him as long as he's imitating Christ Well, the problem is if you go to a church, let's say like a An elevation church if you go to transformation church where Was it Mike Todd Mike Todd is a pastor or elevation church where Stephen Furtick is a pastor or the Potter's house where? TD takes as a pastor if you go to one of these churches what you're going to hear at some point in time Especially what brought you in you're going to hear something truthful Okay, you're going to hear something true Now am I saying everything that you're gonna hear is gonna be true? Nope I've definitely not said about that of these three churches But you're gonna hear something that's gonna resonate with you and strike a core. You know what? Yeah, that makes sense real good preaching their preacher and you bought into it And so then when he says something off the wall something absolutely nutty and stupid Because you're bought in one you may not even pay attention to it You may not even heard it Stephen Furtick say I am God Almighty You may not even pay attention what he was saying or you might be willing to give someone like a Michael Todd a Pass when he says that Jesus never fulfilled his potential Hmm. What are you saying? Cuz you're so profound. Let me hear what you say say it again. Oh That make why you preaching good there Or we'll use they'll use words that kind of get you get you pumped up that speak to your emotions Especially women especially women TD jakes has a large following that's predominantly women because he speaks words that they can relate to About a woman about us being pregnant and about the birth something in the spirit Well women can can can get on board with that right because they can they can they can identify with being pregnant on birthing something Even if they're not even pregnant themselves They might want to be or have been pregnant and so I can identify with that and he speaks to my hurt Now he ain't telling me anything truthful But he's speaking to my hurt. He makes me feel like that. I'm part of the team and so If I can get them excited and offer promises well, then I want one today Even though the promises are mostly empty But the more you listen the more you become invested in them the more you become a supporter and Here's the problem guys If you're a supporter of someone Do you know what you end up becoming? You end up becoming an advocate of that person No one wants to have you ever bought a product You like the product when you got it took it home after a while it didn't quite work out right and You kept giving the old college try with this product and you didn't want to take it back We do that with a lot of things that we buy Because we don't want to accept the fact that I'm putting my money in some junk I'm not gonna like right off the bat. You buy something and immediately as a limit You're gonna take it back because you're not invested in it But if you've invested some time in it, you'd rather work with that old broke down car than gonna get your new car Because I love this car. This car gets four miles a gallon But you've had it for 12 years. You love this car, but you won't get rid of it Cars doesn't do nothing for you. Well, it's paid for yeah, but you're spending 300 300 $400 a month to keep it fixed Plus the gas so but that's how we do Once we buy into something and we're a supporter of some someone we become an advocate of someone Well, like Paul says imitate me or follow me as I follow Christ What has ended up happening is? We end up picking and choosing sides. We end up making it out to be let's pull the scripture up We end up making it out to be that that person that we're in leagues with that's my guy. That's my man in first Corinthians Paul says what I mean is that each one of you says I follow Paul or I follow Paulus or I follow Cephas or I follow Christ is Christ divided was Paul crucified with you or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Well, so what you do is you exchange those names All the names that we see there Paul Paulus and you exchange them for your favorite preacher. So I follow Tony Evans. I follow John MacArthur. I follow Vody Bacchum. I follow Cephas Are you are you send my point? And so you can't say anything bad about these people? I mean, it's to the point that if you say anything bad if you say anything derogatory They are going to want to get your your hide. Okay Even the person is wrong We see that often don't we we see a person say something. I'm gonna deal with these in second They'll say something that we know is unbiblical or Awful a little bit or not quite right and what do we do? We defend that person matter of fact Sometimes we do so because maybe we're not as adept in the scriptures as we ought to be and so rather than Disagreeing with the person, you know what? I think this person is sharper than you So who are you to criticize this person? Happens all the time if I say listen if I say something about you know Jennings By and large his audience is Biblically illiterate well, and it makes no it makes perfectly good sense since the person Who's leaving them is also biblically illiterate. And so when I say something What's their first response? Who are you to question? He's a man of God. He's been sent by God Okay Okay and so You've got to be careful now those are the people who we know are just off We've talked about the Marcus writers of the world and how they still have a following Because the heretics and false teachers have a following too. How how could that be well because those people bought into them? those people have found themselves to Be in leagues with them and they won't let go no matter what now Let me give you an example how when you are when you're bought in with someone how it's easy not to Not to let them go not to see clearly Let me give you example and I won't I won't attack the cowboy fans But you all recall a few years back when the Cowboys were in the playoffs and were playing the Packers Fourth and something the Cowboys will pass and hit the number 88 Des Bryant Cowboys fans swearing down. It was a catch Packers fans say it was not a catch. Well, what was it? Well depending upon Whose team you're rooting for Now the referees came back and said according to the rule is not a catch But cowboy fans are outraged because that's my team But I promise you if the roles were reversed if it was a remade Packers wide receiver Who went up to make the catch Cowboys fans would have said that wouldn't catch it all depends upon who you have allegiance to and We as Christians think that we don't have allegiance to any of these men, but to God. Well, that's not always true The fact of the matter is we do become We become friendly with people. We don't even know these folks what we act like we do and so we defend them All of these people I've had an issue with And so and I think a lot of these are by and large issues that a lot of people have had issues with That means that we throw them out and that we're just totally through with them Look, let me give you an example. I love Tony Evans But is Tony Evans? Perfect has he said some things that are incorrect. I Disagree with Tony Evans's take on transit transdispensationalism. I Think that's a stretch But now am I through with Tony Evans has he also come out and said some things that I think I wouldn't go so far with that On some social issues. It seems like he's departed from The norm it seems like he's a part of from how he used to be But am I now anti Tony Evans? Nope Nope matter of fact have no problem with going to check him out again Love Oakley Bible Fellowship, especially what it's done in the community. So no problem whatsoever Well, what about John MacArthur? Well, love John MacArthur and he is the envy of every preacher 50 years in ministry but He said some things that I've got I Gotta kind of disagree with you and done some things. Listen, I don't care who you are The fact of the matter is that that they aired in how they handled the whole Eileen gray situation and having her ex communicated There's no way around that they just that just isn't and I'm saying is as a fan Okay, but if you think if you cannot find if you cannot find one reason to say John MacArthur or Tony Evans or Whomever you're wrong You are Idolizing these people you have made them into an icon and you are in sin. You just are Paul said follow me or imitate me as I imitate cry. He didn't say just imitate me period, right? And so Yeah, I disagree. I disagree with him on what he said about the mark of the beast and on what he said about The confusion about the atonement about the blood the necessity for it Yeah, I disagree with that. But do I think John MacArthur sound? Yes, I do without without question about Vodibacum Yeah, Vodibacum is just listen You could not convince me in a billion years that Vodibacum eschatology is correct Vodibacum's hermetology hermetology Vodibacum's hermeneutics is inconsistent Being a millennial I think that's just I bet I don't see I don't see that being biblical But more than that to say that what he would how he treats Israel. I think that's I think he's wrong Now let's say Let's say I'm dead right and he's dead wrong. Let's just assume for for the sake of argument that I'm right and he's wrong Would I just totally ignore and disagree with him? You know, I'm through with Vodibacum. No and again You can't find a There are channels out of that have grown mightily and when I say grown mightily because because of Using Vodibacum and his sermons and so forth or the Paul wash of the Steve Lawson's Yeah, now, is there a little bit of too much focus on them? Yeah, now, I'll give you what I think is a solution In just and just a little bit somebody like a David Jeremiah I think David Jeremiah is solid. However, and I think rightly so people have made an issue out of him going on TV in And helping them with their fundraising Do I think that was a bad decision? I think so. I think so am I going to condemn him? No Well, wait a minute Corey, he's he shouldn't be in bed with the great Satan with these people these people are our Heretics. Well, yeah, but we're on YouTube right now and YouTube ain't godly so But the point is though guys These are some things that I found that I have issues with men who I actually Admire and I might do I'm not at a point to where I think that these men are so So high that I can't question them But we've got people to do that and that's a problem guys and I can't tell you how much that bothers me I Can't tell you how much it bothers me to think that there are people who you can't say anything about The first time you or you hating on him you jealous you did you that? So I can't have an opinion because this guy has a large church. I Can't have an opinion about this person because he's got a large following it really because Satan has a larger following Satan has a larger church. So I can't I can't have any opinions on any satanic activity None whatsoever. Is that is that right? Does that even make sense even sound right to you? You don't have a problem if it was someone who who is not your idol if we're talking about hey Go out go in all day long if you want to him Steven Furtick But keep your hand off John MacArthur go all day long if you want to on TV Jakes But keep your hands off of Vodibacca and go all day long if you want to on Geno Jennings But you better not say anything about Paul Washer. No, that's not how we gonna do it Nope as a matter of fact told you guys next week I've got some words for a person who I'm cool with now. They may not be cool with me, but I'm cool with him I'm I still love him, but I got some doctrine words for them. I got some doctrine words for them Because I don't hold anybody in that high esteem partly because I think part of because some men in the past who I did hold In high esteem. Let me down and let me down in a big way And then it took me a while to know them personally because these were these were at Actual theologian. I mean a feel I'm talking about someone who who Let me just say this When Vodibacca came to our church a few times because he and our past were our friends When he came to the church, he's not in league with our pastor in terms of doctrine He couldn't he couldn't hold a candle to Well, he's passed away now, but the late dr. Bolton he could he couldn't hold a candle to him He just I know it's gonna bother you guys, but he couldn't and he said so At his mouth But here's a but but when you see that all of these men are just what are they men? frail prone to make mistakes and So I give them a password because the problem is when they let you down What can happen is you could not not just turn your back on that person You can turn your back on all of the faith On all the believers, you know, I'm not dealing with christians anymore. I'm just gonna read my bible to myself I won't even go to church anymore That's what ends up happening And so there's a couple things you can do to kind of remedy this to not make any of these people idols number one studying studying That that goes without saying right but keep studying read on your own go back and Listen Listen to your pastor or your preacher whomever it is Listen to them skeptically Okay, I mean that okay. Let me let me see if there is a Is that is that right? Let me let me check and see is that absolute that might not be right Let me check and oh, okay. Okay. You're right on that. Okay cool Or no, you know what I got a problem with what you just said pastor preacher teacher Let me let me let me check this out. I'm not I'm not getting it Okay Studying paul commended the baryons for not just taking his word for it for going and looking themselves But another thing Aside from studying the second solution is Like yeah, lisa be a baryon. The second thing is broaden your horizons Look for other teachers If I said name 10 great preachers Most of you would struggle to name 10 great preachers that you know of Because we only surround ourselves a list of these same people This is what we do and so There are other preachers out there. I knew We were in a class and professor was teaching and and one of the guys in the class said wow, this teaching is just awesome I cannot believe how awesome and wonderful this teaching is and so as we let the class I'm talking to a buddy of mine And I said listen You say this and that granted he was right the teacher was great But I said you say this because you haven't heard teaching from other people Everyone doesn't think the same way that that he thinks or goes down the same line of thinking that he does And so open yourself up. That's the one thing that seminary does It's not to get you to Think ill of the bible but to get you to use your brain and not just regurgitate what someone else has said But to put it together and so Those are the two suggestions that I would make I would say I would say Study as often as you can as much as you can every day Listen to whoever you listen to skeptically Try to find out figure out where this person might be wrong. They're wrong on something And if you don't think they're wrong on anything within you are in danger of idolizing that person And if you are idolizing that person you are in sin Okay, and then secondly go and actively look for other great teachers Amen