It seems most church culture these days supports
guru-ism. We prop up our celebrity preachers and define ministry success almost
strictly in terms of numbers. I see a lot of pastors succumbing to the internal
pressure to experience success and the external pressure of their churches to
manifest that kind of success. But we do better to remember the simple
instruction of Paul to Timothy. “Preach the message, be ready whether it is
convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and
instruction” (II Timothy 4:2 NET).
Keep it simple. Keep it Bible. Be a shepherd.
Don’t be a guru. To help you understand what I’m saying, and to think through
how this might apply to your ministry, here are a few contrasts between gurus
and shepherds.
Gurus teach pet passages and constantly come
back to the theme of their ministry that makes them popular. One of my former
mentors is well-known—even in secular circles—for his strong stand for the
uniqueness of the Kingdom of God and his conviction that Christians should
divorce their faith from politics
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