Cult Leaders and Christian Pastors

John 3:6 states that "flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit." In its context, this is directly talking about physical birth versus spiritual birth to explain that our spiritual life cannot come by means of physical effort. The truth of this biblical principle is valid in many arenas, and maybe none as poignant as the area of preaching.

Whenever someone approaches the Bible to "pull out" some practical application or insight, there is a very real danger that the flesh, as opposed to the spirit, is relied upon to communicate. It may be a good-intentioned pastor or a malicious, deceptive cult leader, but the end result is still the same: declaring that the Bible says something it really doesn't.

When a pastor does not take the time to study, to perform due diligence on a text, but rather finds a unique comment, verse, or phrase in Scripture and expounds on it as if it is a spiritual insight or biblical truth, he is no different than a cult leader who intentionally manipulates a text to accomplish his own purposes.

There is an additional component that must be addressed, however. The response of the people may be as equally enthusiastic or sincere in both cases because people simply are that way. Jesus described us as sheep (even sheep without a shepherd). Sheep rely on a shepherd, whether true or false, to lead them to provision and offer protection. There is an implicit trust in a leader.

But even more than this is a general desire of the people to hear from God. If a spiritual leader stands up to declare some insight or truth with articulate persuasion, the initial response of hunger to receive what God has for them, combined with a trust in the leader, provides a huge platform for the flesh to display itself. Again, this dynamic is the present both when a Christian pastor or a cult leader speaks.

So how does a Christian pastor guard against being merely a benevolent cult leader? By saying only what the Bible says. By refusing to rely on his flesh, and by giving the only spiritual words that s/he has to offer: an accurate, clear, explanation of God's spoken Word. Anything more, or less, than this is simply using the Word for his own purposes. And regardless if those purposes are well-intentioned, they are still HIS purposes and not God's.

As a preacher, offering our hearers what comes out of our flesh may move THEIR flesh (whether intellectual stimulation, emotional response, or physical applause), but it cannot move their spirit. To move the people's spirit, to effect their spiritual life, requires a work of the spirit.