Dec 09, 2025

The Pastor Is Not the Point

There is a real temptation growing in our generation. And honestly, the temptation isn’t new at all. It simply has more cameras, better lighting, and its own Instagram account now. We are drawn to personalities. We are drawn to charisma. We are drawn to people who preach with fire and look the part while doing it.

Some of this is simply human nature. God made us with the ability to be stirred. We love great communicators. We love passion. We love beauty and strength and confidence. None of that is automatically sinful. But our hearts are slippery. What begins as admiration can quietly grow into allegiance. And if we are not careful, our allegiance can shift from Christ to a pastor without us ever noticing it happened.

Social media has only intensified this. A pastor can become a public figure overnight. And some of them are faithful men of God. Praise God for every one of them! But popularity is not the same thing as calling. And influence is not the same thing as anointing.

That is why discernment is a spiritual discipline right now.

I am convinced the enemy would be perfectly fine with us being obsessed with sermons as long as we stop being devoted to Jesus.

I follow Paul. I follow Peter.

Scripture is honest about this temptation. When Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1: 10-17) he confronts believers who were publicly announcing who they follow. One said I follow Paul. Another said I follow Peter. Another said I follow Apollos. And the most spiritual sounding person said I follow Christ.

Most of us would assume Paul would applaud the Christ follower in that moment.

Instead, Paul rebukes them all.

That should make all of us pause.

Paul wasn’t against spiritual leadership. He literally told believers to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Cor 11:1). Inspiration and imitation were not the problem.

The problem was the heart. Their loyalty was fueled by pride and rivalry. It was creating spiritual tribes. One group felt superior to the other. Paul’s correction was a warning. Even loyalty that sounds spiritual can be rooted in something sinful.

That reality should humble us today.

The church is not a fan base

We talk a lot about how culture worships celebrities, but we avoid saying out loud that Christians are just as capable of doing the same thing with pastors. We love when someone has a platform and speaks boldly. We love a good clip. We love a powerful moment. We love someone who can articulate what we feel but cannot say.

None of that is evil in itself. God gives teaching gifts to the church and these leaders are needed! But gifts are not meant to steal glory from the Giver - this can be something that even the speaker doesn't want but the listener engages in.

Some of us are discipled every week by social media but barely present in the church God placed us in. Some of us spend more time quoting online pastors than praying for our own. Some of us are so frustrated with our local church because it doesn’t feel as inspiring as the church we watch on Youtube or Instagram.

We would never admit it out loud but sometimes we love being spiritually entertained more than being spiritually committed.

Resist personality cults

Let me be clear. There is nothing wrong with appreciating gifted preachers online. I do it too. There are incredible leaders God is using all over the world. But your primary discipleship is supposed to happen in the context of your local church. Not the internet.

Your pastor is the one who prays for you. Your pastor is the one who shepherds actual souls under his care. The internet pastor is not responsible for your sanctification. The man who preaches in your city every week is.

Honor the people God has actually given you.

So how do we do this practically?

Here are a few ways to guard our hearts:

Pray before joining a church. Ask God where He wants you to serve or how you can serve.

Submit to your local leaders. You cannot submit to God's shepherds via IG clips or Youtube channels. Leaders have to be doing life with you on a daily basis and for that you need to be plugged into a local assembly.

Stop comparing your pastor to the trending ones. Comparison will steal your gratitude for your own local church and your joy in serving there.

Serve your church with humility. God planted you there for a reason.

Pray for your pastor by name. Ministry is spiritual warfare. He needs intercessors more than he needs admiration.

And above all, keep Jesus at the center. Pastors are gifts. Christ is the Treasure.

Be faithful where you are

We all need to be reminded in this day and age that God did not call us to follow personalities. He called us to follow His Son. Be encouraged by whoever God uses to bless you online, but let your deepest loyalty be tied to Christ, and your real commitment be tied to the local assembly God has planted you in.

Reflection Questions

Am I drawn more to charisma than to Christ?
Do I spend more time with online pastors than with my local church family?
Have I prayed about where God wants me to be planted?
Do I compare my church to the ones I see online?
How can I practically support my own pastor?

Prayer

Lord, guard my heart from pride, comparison, and idolatry. Help me follow Jesus above every personality and every gifted person You place in Your church. Give me discernment, humility, and a heart willing to be planted where You call me. Strengthen my pastor and strengthen my commitment to the community You have assigned me to. In Jesus name, amen.