We Don’t Need Another Hero…nor Leader
The infiltration of the self-help, human potential gurus into the church has left the church bereft of the Bible, in favor of psychology. The meat of psychology is seasoned with choice Bible passages, employed to affirm the positivity message. It is difficult to determine how far the false gospel of human potential has penetrated, but if the new generation of church gurus has anything to say, it is far from biblical.
Are today’s Christians so ignorant of the Scripture that they have no way of discerning truth from lies, God-centered theology from man-centered theology? The answer must be affirmative. Christians will seemingly promote almost anyone or anything except Jesus Christ.
Human potential wants you to be, “the hero God made you to be.” Endless leadership conferences, charging exorbitant entry fees, utterly ignore Matthew 23:10. Man’s penchant to be all he can be has hijacked Christianity, in order to deceive Christ’s sheep. By all media accounts, it would appear they are finding great success. Fading are the scare tactics of end times prognosticators, but rising is the, “you too shall be as gods,” movement.
Why do Christians make such easy prey for charlatans, pushing hero worship and leadership potential? It is a vicious cycle of deceit. A positivist wins the position of local church pastor. If he cannot secure an already existing church, then he will plant his own. Once he has the position, his man-centered message begins to conform the people into the hero worshipers, the guru leader has in mind for them. The end result will be mutual worship by guru and student. The guru’s student, himself, becomes a pastor, made in the image of the guru. A virtual, psychological “bro-mance” occurs as one guru pastor puffs up another in the public forum.
If the Bible does not encourage Christians to be guru leaders and heroes, then what is this Christianity so foreign to the church? Biblical Christianity must be taught in every generation. The Bible’s anthropological view is not one of human potential, nor is it, “Jesus can help you to be the very best you.” Rather, it is a man’s personal victory over sin by the work of Christ, alone. This is not very glamorous, in comparison to the message from the new generation of hipster pastor wannabes. They want you to be great, so they can be great, too.
A true man of God is an expositor of the Scriptures. He preaches the Bible book by book, verse by verse, and he expounds doctrinal truth where it is found. He knows nothing will sanctify God’s people like the Spirit and the Word, working to make God’s elect to be holy, as God is holy. A true man of God is like the prophets of old, like Jesus, and like the apostles, who brought the Word to those who were brought to hear it, by the Spirit.
Men of the world love organizations, but men of God love Christ and His people. A true shepherd wants those who can hear him to know Jesus Christ, who alone can change people into His own image. Sheep are not heroes nor leaders. They are sheep who eat and bleat.
God is never glorified in the success schemes of the church. He doesn’t need another hero nor leader. The reason: Jesus Christ is the only hero of His people, and He alone is their leader (Mt 23:10). If God doesn’t need another hero, then this is precisely why the church doesn’t need another hero, leader, guru, champion, nor the psychology that produces those who excel in human potential. Pastors, please, preach the Word!
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
October 15, 2021
