One of the fascinating books that I read is by Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. In the book, Harari explores briefly the history of human civilizations from the Nomadic Age to the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age and now, to the Information Age (which he covered in detail in the sequel, Homo Deus). Many wonderful things happened and I praise God for humanity's progress as we enter the Information Age, also known as the Digital Age. But of course, there are flip sides too. As you probably know, the danger of the Information Age is that we spend too much of our time gathering useless, pointless, or even harmful information rather than information that can help us grow and to live life to the fullest.
In computer science there is an expression “garbage in, garbage out” that also can apply to us humans as we attempt to sort through the info-glut and identify the information that can be useful to us. It means incorrect or poor-quality input to the computer system will produce faulty output. Similarly (but not exactly), the same goes for human mind programming. If we watch cringy TikTok videos and Instagram live for hours, listening to mean-spirited conversations on Facebook and YouTube daily, and read the latest gossip about our favorite celebrities online constantly, then, we are filling our hearts and minds with “garbage.” How, by following the latest news on Ebit Lew vs. Caprice can improve our way of living? Or, admiring Charli D’Amelio's or Bella Poarch's videos on TikTok can make us closer to God? Or, playing Fortnite online can make us men of valor and women of virtue in real life? In short, we can’t! We are what we watch, what we listen to, and what we read.
If you want to grow mentally, maturely, and spiritually, you have to start screening out the info-garbage and feeding yourself with positive, uplifting, stimulating, and meaningful messages. The first step is AWARENESS. We need to be alert to the problem of data smog and make a conscious effort to screen the bad information from the good. We have to be vigilant and avoid falling for the gossip, the grunge, and the garbage in the Information Age. You don’t have to cancel your Netflix or YouTube TV subscription, you just need to learn to discipline yourself to watch programs that build up rather than causes you to fall into sins. You don’t have to quit social media (although I encourage you to do that IF you have nothing good to do on these platforms) but consider limiting yourself to no more than a certain number of hours daily. Maybe 1-2 hours. In the same way, use Facebook and Instagram wisely. As for TikTok, I have nothing good to say except quit and repent.
Then, secondly, make positive, SMALL CHANGES in your daily habits. One way is to read good books. Abigail Van Buren said it best: “If I could give young people one piece of advice, it would be read, read, read! In reading, you will open up new worlds, real and imagined. Read for information, read for pleasure. Our libraries are filled with knowledge and joy, and it’s all there - free for the taking." Women are not always right, but on this point, AMEN sister! ��������� #ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #TheInformationAge #GrowMentallyMaturelySpiritually #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain
Beyond AD 2000: A Call to Evangelical Faithfulness (1999) by Hwa Yung
This is an essay by Bishop Emeritus Dr. Hwa Yung, when he was a principle of Seminari Theologi Malaysia (STM), addressing his concern for the Malaysian Church, especially the evangelicals, to “be the ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light of the world’, to bear witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in word and deed, and to proclaim to all humanity that the gospel ‘is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.’” This essay was first written in a shorter form around 1994 and expanded into a longer essay in 1999 outlines six (6) agendas for evangelicals in Malaysia as he looked ahead toward the year 2000 and beyond. Bishop’s knowledge of the history of the evangelical movement is admirable. It shows clearly in Chapter 2: Evangelical Strengths and Weaknesses before he dives into the main issues. I have to admits that the cover and the title of this essay are unattractive (dear publisher, sorry), so it takes years for me to grab it and read (now you know how important is a first impression, right?). But when I take a second look at the table of contents, I was struck by the urgency and relevancy of the agendas that Bishop was so concerned about 22 years ago. Here are the first three agendas and my comments on each:
Agenda One: The Primacy of Scripture. The first strength of the historic evangelicalism was the sola scriptura (Scripture alone) principle. “Yet,” Hwa Yung observes, “there are clear signs that evangelicals in Malaysia are losing their grip on the primacy of Scripture in their life and ministry.” I agree. I’m a bookworm. In Malaysia or Sarawak to be exact, there are very few bookstores. And sadder still is that there are very rare Christian bookstores. And if you find one or two, you’ll be amazed by the kind of books that are available. “The books that really sell are those centered on experience, rather than on the Word.” The author said that this is a reflection of the spiritual state of our own churches. I would like to add: the decline of reading habits among Malaysian Christians nowadays is a sure correlation with the decline of reading Scripture for themselves. If Scripture is not read, then, the primacy of Scripture is non-existence. Besides that, “many Christians appear to accept rather uncritically the misleading and wrong teachings that have been often meted out to them, supposedly from the Bible.” Careless interpretation of Scripture as one of the products of liberal Christianity also contributes to the problem. Hwa Yung's advice is first, we must strongly emphasize again the sola scriptura principle today; secondly, we must make every effort to master God’s Word and be mastered by it; and thirdly, teach it properly and faithful to God’s people.
Agenda Two: The Holy Spirit and Revival.“The second great strength of evangelicalism has been its recognition of the place the Holy Spirit plays in bringing new life to the individual and revival to the church.” It seems to me, as a Borneoan, the East Malaysian churches here are very into the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the yearning for revival in our land. The good side of these emphasizes is that our understanding of Christianity should not just be about knowledge but also experience. But there are dangers too such as extremism, triumphalism, and anti-intellectualism. Added with the lack of the primacy of Scripture, our churches are exposed to the heresies of the hyper-charismatic, the prosperity gospel, and false teachings in general. Thus, we need to “hold Spirit and God’s Word together in proper harmony.” I have a copy of Colin Whittaker’s Great Revivals (1984) where he reviews revivals from the days of the great awakening under Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley, right up to the thrilling move of the Holy Spirit in Communist China. One thing I noticed is that the inseparable partnership of Spirit and Word that gave birth to genuine revivals. What God has joined together, let no one separate! At the end of this chapter, Bishop encourages this reader to learn from Asian Christian leaders of the past such as Sadhu Sundar Singh, John Sung, and Petrus Octavianus. Why? Because they, in his opinion, “combined outstanding demonstrations of signs and wonders in their ministries with a strong biblical stress on the holiness of character and sacrificial living.” Not to mention, as exemplified by one of my heroes Dr. John Sung, they were also Bibline.
Agenda Three: Evangelism And Cross-Cultural Missions. This agenda is kind of obvious. What is being an evangelical if not engage in evangelism? But don’t be surprised that many Malaysian churches today, especially the natives in my view, have neglected the mandate to proclaim the gospel (Greek, euangelion, means good news) to the world. Most of the Christian events that I’ve seen nowadays are very inward focus, rarely do I see about witnessing to the unbelievers or the challenge to the mission. We need to commit ourselves again to the Great Commission as commanded - NOT suggested - by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. “The first is the work of evangelism within our own country,” equips Hwa Yung, “The second is the work of cross-cultural missions overseas.” One question that stuck with me that the Bishop asked is this: “Are we really serious?” You and I might see the importance of this agenda but are we really serious about doing it? Do my finance, choices, and ministry agree with it? This chapter is an easy read but hard to swallow. The author gave the example of the Nestorian Church of Persia, despite the pressures and persecution it faced, during the early part of the 8th century up to the 14th, the church was the most powerful missionary force in the whole Christian world. Reason being? “Strong evidence exists to suggest that it was the missionary spirit of the church which fed back into the life of the mother church in Persia, to constantly renew its vitality, and turned it outwards instead of inwards as it did elsewhere. In other words, because it was willing to give life to others, it was itself given new life.”
Agenda Four: Social Responsibility In God’s World; Agenda Five: Personal Holiness And Christian Character; and Agenda Six: The Heart of the Gospel - The Cross. Again, although this essay was written about 22 years ago, the agendas that Bishop Hwa Yung outlines here are still reverent and all the more urgent for today to call us to evangelical faithfulness. I’ve been blessed by the message and am grateful for the reminder. I wish he would revisit this essay and write a full book about it with new materials, updates, and exclusively aim for the Malaysian church. He did a condensed version of his earlier book, Mangoes Or Banana? The Quest for an Authentic Asian Christian Theology (1997), to Toward an Asian Theology (2020), so it is possible, right? Come on Bishop!
What Is Reformed Theology? Understanding The Basics (2016 Edition) by R.C. Sproul
One day a group of Muslim students approached me with interest. I was obviously (and intentionally wanted to be seen)reading my Bible at the canteen while waiting for Christian Fellowship to start. The spokesperson said to me that he doesn’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God. After I asked him why and patiently listening to his explanations, I replied, “In that case, I also don’t believe in this ‘Jesus.’ Let me tell you the real Jesus of Alkitab...” So I opened the Bible and planted the seed of the Gospel in their hearts [The rest of the story? Censored. This is Malaysia, remember?]. In the same way, when I heard some people said, “I think the Reformed Theology is wrong,” “This theology is divisive,” “The Reformed people don’t believe in the Holy Spirit...”, etc. and then asked them to explain it, I noticed that they have many misconceptions regarding the basics. I think many things in the world are unworthy to dig deeper or invest our time and energy, but I beseech you to consider learning more about Reformed Theology. At least the basics. And at least if you reject it or speak against it, you’re not doing it out of ignorance. In this book, the late Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939-2017) as if replying to the disagreements, “Let me tell you what Reformed Theology is...” So he opened the Scripture, The Westminster Confession of Faith, and the writings of the Reformers and planted the seed of the grace of God in our hearts.
One of the terms that many Christians are allergic to is THEOLOGY. They look the other way whenever they come across books or events with “theology” as its title. Let me deal with this first before I go through the book review. Theology simply means the study of God (Greek, theo means ‘god,’ and the suffix -logy means ‘the study of’). Informally, when we talking about God, discussing about God, having ideas about God, we engage in theology. Of course, some people are formally and academically called Theologians. But basically, we are all theologians either consciously or unconsciously, good ones or bad ones. I say, be a good one! Don’t fear the term anymore; embrace it. Now, let’s go to what is REFORMED THEOLOGY? R.C. Sproul wittily said, “Reformed Theology is a Theology.” By this, he means it is driven first and foremost by its understanding of the character of God, not just the study of religion. “When we engage in the quest to understand God, it is theology,” he continues, “When our quest is limited to understanding how people react to theology, it is religion.”The centrality and the supremacy of the triune God of the Scripture is the hinge of the Reformed theology. “For this reason, it is often called ‘God-centered’ theology,” said Joel R. Beeke, co-author of Reformed Systematic Theology. Although it is not utterly unique from the other branch of theological systems such as it is systematic (attempts to discern the coherent and unified teachings of the Scripture), catholic (refers to ‘universal’ truths of the Christian faith), and evangelical (part of the Protestant reformation) but has its own distinctiveness. In the two parts of this book, R.C. Sproul slowly made the distinctions:
Part 1: Foundations of the Reformed Theology
a) Centred on God b) Based on God’s Word alone c) Committed to Faith Alone d) Devoted to Jesus Christ (The Prophet, Priest, and King) e) Structured by Three Covenants
Part 2: Five Points of Reformed Theology
a) Humanity’s Radical Corruption b) God’s Sovereign Choice c) Christ’s Purposeful Atonement d) The Spirit’s Effective Call e) God’s Preservation of the Saints
When people think of Reformed Theology, the Five Points with the familiar acrostic TULIP always come to mind: T stands for Total Depravity, U stands for Unconditional Election, L stands for Limited Atonement, I stands for Irresistible Grace, and P stands for Perseverance of the Saints. But if you noticed the lists in Part 2, Sproul suggests another way of saying the same points with different wordings to avoid misleading. Of course, the acrostic TULIP is easy to remember. Still, it seems very forceful to insert the meanings that can lead to misunderstanding (like when Reformed is equating to Calvinism. It is a misleading term, in my opinion, because although John Calvin was a principal figure in the development of this theology, he was not the sole originator and contributor). So I really appreciate what Sproul did here. After reading this book, three thoughts came to mind: 1) I praise God for His providence. My group weekly Bible Study on the Book of Isaiah and the series of studies on the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, and the Epistle to the Romans that I create for LEGASI.tv have helped me tremendously understand the big picture of the Word of God. So when I read this book, I can connect to a large extend to what Sproul is writing here; 2) I found that there are thoughts that came to my mind when I read the Word of God but couldn’t put it into words are explained effortlessly by Sproul throughout the book. Just wow! and 3) I’m still reluctant to either calling myself a Reformed or not. There are more questions to discover and some interpretations that I’m still skeptical about. There are strengths and weaknesses in every form of a theological system. And, there is no Biblical mandate or obligation to make the decision (although it is helpful to know where one stands theologically). For sure, I’m more REFORMING than I was before reading this book. If it’s good, then Soli Deo Gloria!
Here are some helpful YouTube videos to help me comprehends this book further:
1) Teaching Series on What Is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul at Ligonier Ministries [12 parts], CLICK HERE
2) Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism [4 hours 18 minutes documentary], CLICK HERE
3) Why I Think Calvinism Is Unbiblical by Mike Winger, CLICK HERE (Check out Dr. Leighton Flowers’s YouTube ChannelSoteriology 101 too for more videos challenging Calvinism teachings. I encourage you to read and watch the other videos and debates by those who have opposing beliefs than you. This is a constructive way to learn and test your beliefs.)
Ini ialah nota bagi sesi temu bual saya dalam video ini tentang topik Celebrity Pastor vs. Biblical Pastor. Saya ada membuat penambahan dan penjelasan ringkas bagi setiap poin.
1) Kenapa Topik Ini Penting?
n Jika orang menerima atau menolak Kristianiti kerana PENGINJILAN (EVANGELISM) yang Alkitabiah, maka ia memang perkara yang sudah dijangkakan
n Jika orang menerima atau menolak Kristianiti kerana APOLOGETIK (APOLOGETIC) yang Alkitabiah, maka ia memang perkara yang sudah dijangkakan
n Jika orang menerima atau menolak Kristianiti kerana TEOLOGI YANG PALSU atau TIDAK MEMADAI (FALSE or INADEQUATE THEOLOGY), maka ia ialah suatu masalah besar
n Jika orang menerima atau menolak Kristianiti kerana CARA HIDUP YANG DUNIAWI (WORLDLY LIFESTYLE), maka ia ialah suatu masalah besar
Masalah besar yang timbul dari budaya Celebrity Pastor ialah dua hal ini: 1) Teologi yang Palsu atau Tidak Memadai; dan 2) Cara Hidup yang Duniawi. Jika ada orang menerima Kristianiti kerana dua hal ini, maka besar kemungkinan mereka ialah para pengikut yang palsu atau delusi. Jika ada orang menolak Kristianiti kerana dua hal ini, maka mereka akan ada prejudis dan salah sangka dengan ajaran Kristianiti yang sebenarnya. Kedua-dua hal ini menutup orang daripada masuk ke Kerajaan Allah!
[Nota: Bolehkah TUHAN menggunakan Celebrity Pastor untuk kemuliaan-Nya? Tidak dinafikan, boleh. Dia ialah Tuhan. Sedangkan keldai dan ikan besar - kamu dan saya! - pun digunakan-Nya. Adakah semua Celebrity Pastor sesat? Tidak. Tetapi ini tidak bermaksud kita mengiyakan sikap dan budaya ini atau harus menutup mata untuk dua masalah besar yang telah dinyatakan di atas.]
2) Apakah yang Dimaksudkan dengan “Pastor”?
Secara ringkas, ayat pastor berasal dari bahasa Latin yang bermaksud “Shepherd” atau “Gembala.” Dalam Alkitab, TUHAN Allah ialah Gembala (Mazmur 23:1), Yesus Kristus memanggil diri-Nya sebagai Gembala yang Baik (Yohanes 10:11, 14) dan para pemimpin gereja dipanggil untuk menjadi gembala bagi jemaah Allah (1 Petrus 5:2). Pemilik atau Tuan jemaah yang sebenar ialah TUHAN Allah; model yang utama ialah Yesus Kristus; dan panggilan pastor ialah untuk menjadi gembala yang telah dipertanggungjawabkan oleh Allah untuk menjaga jemaah-Nya.
Ada Tiga (3) Tugas Utama Pastor:
a) CARING & INVOLVING - melibatkan diri dalam hal ehwal dan kehidupan para jemaah
b) PROTECTING & EQUIPPING - menjaga para jemaah daripada ajaran, pengaruh dan guru palsu & membangunkan mereka dalam kematangan rohani
c) TEACHING & PREACHING - mengajar, menegur, membetulkan dan mendidik jemaah melalui Firman Allah ke arah kebenaran
[Nota: Tidak semua pengkhutbah ialah seorang pastor. Tetapi salah satu tugas pastor ialah berkhutbah. Namun begitu, berkhutbah atau berkongsi Firman Allah ialah BUKAN satu-satunya tugas seorang pastor. Keep this in mind.]
3) Apakah yang Dimaksudkan dengan “Celebrity”?
Dalam French “Celebrite” bermaksud celebration dan dalam Latin “Celibritatem” bermaksud frequented, popular atau well-known. Ada kamus yang memberi definasi ini: “which means to honor something with the proper ritual.” Orang yang terkenal atau yang diraikan atau diketahui ramai atau popular. Maksudnya hampir-hampir (tetapi tidak) menjurus kepada seorang yang disembah.
4) Apakah yang Dimaksudkan dengan “Celebrity Pastor”?
Atau lebih tepat lagi, apakah yang dimaksudkan oleh saya dengan istilah ini? Terlebih dahulu saya ingin berkata bahawa istilah ini ialah oxymoron (Bahasa Malaysia, oksimoron) kerana secara Alkitabiah, panggilan seorang pastor ialah BUKAN untuk menjadi seorang yang terkenal atau selebriti. Pastor tidak boleh menjadi selebriti; selebriti tidak boleh menjadi pastor. Mesti pilih satu dan tinggalkan yang satu lagi! Namun begitu, dia memang dia tidak boleh mengawal pendapat orang lain tentang siapa dia tetapi dia harus mengelak - malah menghindari dengan tegas - dirinya daripada dianggap sebagai seorang selebriti.
Definasi saya bagi Celebrity Pastor ialah seorang pastor* yang bersikap [attitude], berfikiran [thinking], berhasrat [expecting] untuk dilayan dan dilayani [treated] oleh para jemaah seperti atau sebagai seorang selebriti.
Pada pendapat saya, ada Tiga (3) Ciri-Ciri Utama Seorang Celebrity Pastor:
a) Become the Center in the Church - nama gereja dan dia sangat sinonim (contoh, orang akan berfikir bahawa gereja X ialah gereja pastor Y atau apabila dia seringkali berkata, “Gereja saya…”; “Jemaat saya…”), dia menjadi idola bagi para jemaat (dalam segala hal dan urusan gereja mereka berkata, “Pastor kami cakap macam ini itu…”, malah Firman Allah dianggap sebagai sekunder berbanding dengan kata-kata pastor itu), poster, iklan, latarbelakang dan sebagainya semuanya berpusat kepada dia. Dia menjadi ikon dan maskot gereja itu.
b) Entertainment Sermons - lebih kepada man-centered (you-you, I-I, me-me) berbanding dengan God-centered; lebih pleasure-focus (feel good, people pleaser) berbanding dengan the-whole-counsel-of-God; lebih relevant-concern berbanding dengan the Revelation-of-God. Khutbah mereka lebih dipengaruhi dengan ajaran motivasi, pemikiran positif, self-help, business, New Age dan apa sahaja yang menarik minat orang ramai. Firman Allah digunakan hanya untuk menguatkan hujah atau idea sendiri.
c) Worldly Lifestyle - cara hidup yang sangat duniawi sehinggakan tidak boleh dibezakan diantara seorang artis dan seorang pastor; fesyen mereka tidak mencerminkan kesederhanaan; dan secara luaran, sangat materialistik.
Banyak lagi hal yang boleh diperkatakan, contohnya apabila berkhutbah membaca beberapa petikan ayat Firman dan berleter panjang lari dari konteks ayat, menjadi hero dalam khutbah sendiri, hubungan mereka dengan orang-orang terkenal, network sesama sendiri, mengendalikan gereja seperti korporat sekular dan mereka sebagai CEO, pengaruh musik dalam latarbelakang mesej, memanipulasikan orang dengan menempatkan cheer leaders atau crowd controllers di baris depan pentas, strategi marketing, dan sebagainya.
[Nota: Pada pendapat saya, Emergent Church Movement, New Apostolic Reformation, The Pentecostal and Charismatic Movement (lebih-lebih lagi dengan ajaran Injil Kemakmuran) dan ditambahkan lagi dengan revolusi teknologi & perkembangan sosial media, banyak mempengaruhi kemunculan para Celebrity Pastor dahulu dan sekarang.]
5) Beberapa Perkara yang Kita Harus Berhati-Hati
Dalam kita menilai Celebrity Pastor, kita harus berhati-hati untuk tidak hanya menilai mereka dari segi luaran SAHAJA. Ada ramai juga pastor yang setia dan benar dan pada masa yang sama mereka juga terkenal dan popular.
a) Ianya BUKAN tentang berapa bilangan jemaah atau saiz gereja tetapi tentang bagaimana dia dianggap atau dilayan seperti selebriti
b) Ianya BUKAN tentang fesyen atau tren semata-mata tetapi apakah impresi (impression) yang ingin ditonjolkan sebenarnya
c) Ianya BUKAN tentang gaya (style) dia berkhutbah tetapi samada isi kandungannya Alkitabiah atau tidak
d) Ianya BUKAN tentang betapa terkenal dia sekarang tetapi adakah mesej dia benar atau berkompromi
e) Ianya BUKAN tentang berapa banyak harta yang dia kumpul dan miliki tetapi dimana hatinya tertumpu - harta di syurga atau di dunia - dan sedikit sebanyak boleh dinilai secara luaran iaitu bagaimana mereka menggunakannya
6) Apakah yang Dimaksudkan Dengan “Biblical Pastor” dan Apakah Ciri-Cirinya?
Secara ringkas, Biblical Pastor, dalam definasi saya ialah seorang pastor yang melakukan tiga (3) tugas utama yang saya sudah senaraikan tadi iaitu a) CARING & INVOLVING; b) PROTECTING & EQUIPPING; dan c) TEACHING & PREACHING. Tiga hal ini ada pada Tuhan Yesus Kristus sendiri, dalam kepimpinan rasul Paulus dan juga boleh diperhatikan dalam kehidupan beberapa pastor yang setia dalam gereja-gereja awal. Contohnya, Charles H. Spurgeon.
Ada banyak teks Alkitab yang boleh kita rujuk untuk melihat ciri-ciri pastor atau pemimpin gereja yang Alkitabiah, diantaranya ialah 1 Timotius 3:1-13 & Titus 1:5-9. Ini ada beberapa ciri-ciri yang sangat berbeza dengan Celebrity Pastor:
a) Mengamalkan kesederhanaan
b) Berkebolehan mengajar (Alkitab)
c) Tidak tamak akan wang
d) Bukan seorang yang baru beriman (iaitu matang kerohanian)
e) Pandai menguasai diri, tulus, suci dan tertib
f) Menggalakkan orang menerima ajaran benar
Oleh kerana kebanyakkan Celebrity Pastor berpegang kepada teologi yang palsu atau tidak memadai, jadi adalah penting bagi seorang pastor - jika ingin menjadi Biblical Pastor - untuk menyampaikan “ajaran yang selaras dengan asas kepercayaan yang benar” (Titus 2:1) atau “beritakanlah apa yang sesuai dengan ajaran yang sehat” (TB); “sound [or healthy] doctrine [or theology].” Rasul Paulus mengingatkan Timotius untuk: “Beritakanlah firman Allah [Preach the Word of God], bersedialah pada setiap masa, baik masanya sesuai mahupun tidak. Tunjukkan apa yang salah, tegur dan nasihati mereka dengan seluruh kesabaran dan ajaran” (2 Timotius 4:2).
[Nota: Untuk pengetahuan, buat masa ini, TUHAN tidak memanggil saya sebagai seorang pastor dalam gereja walaupun dalam pelayanan saya ada melakukan tugasan seperti seorang pastor. Kurnia yang diberikan oleh Roh Kudus kepada saya ialah mengajar dan kepimpinan. Namun begitu, ciri-ciri di atas HARUS ada dalam sesiapa sahaja yang dipanggil dalam pelayanan Kristian. Ini saranan saya, jika kamu ingin menjadi efektif dan terus setia dalam pelayanan, baca, kaji dan ‘makan’ tiga surat ini: 1 Timotius, 2 Timotius dan Titus.]
7) Nasihat Saya Kepada Pastor atau Pelayan Kristian Amnya
i. You are no better than the Celebrity Pastors out there if it were not for the grace of God and the Holy Spirit restraining power.
ii. You are tempted too (even on a small scale) although you're not that popular or well known for now.
iii. Beware of the opposite sins, namely, jealousy ("Why my ministry is not like them?"), pride ("I'm not like them! I'm humble...") and wrong judgment (criticize without doing research or parroting what someone else says on social media)
iv. We are called to be FAITHFUL, not SUCCESSFUL like the Celebrity Pastor. If we are successful in some sense, praise the Lord; but if you're faithful, surely, you will be persecuted (read 2 Timothy 3:12).
v. Live, teach and lead with grace AND truth. Chris Hodges, in his book The Daniel Dilemma, said it well: "Here’s what we need to remember: Truth without grace is mean. Grace without truth is meaningless.” We need both.
8) Nasihat Saya Kepada Jemaah Gereja atau Orang Kristian Amnya
Jangan mengidolakan pastor kamu! Menghormati dan menghargai dia itu baik - dan seharusnya jika dia terus setia - tetapi jangan sampai kamu mengagung-agungkan dia. Layan hamba Allah seperti hamba (servant or fellow servant) yang mengembalakan kamu BUKAN Tuan (Lord or Master) atas kamu. Salah satu penyumbang kepada tercetusnya budaya Celebrity Pastor ialah apabila jemaah gereja sudah mulai berpaling daripada iman yang sebenar sebagaimana yang dinubuat oleh Roh Kudus kepada Paulus dalam 1 Timotius 4:1, “Roh Kudus menyatakan dengan jelas bahawa pada akhir zaman sesetengah orang akan berpaling daripada iman, mengikut roh-roh yang memperdayakan dan ajaran roh-roh iblis.”
Begitu juga, oleh kerana jemaah gereja dan orang Kristian sudah tidak mahu menerima ajaran yang benar, mereka ‘mencipta’ Celebrity Pastor menurut gambaran yang mereka ingini dan meninggikan dia sebagai ikon kehendak daging mereka! Dalam 2 Timotius 4:3 ada tertulis: “[Akan] sampai masanya mereka tidak menerima ajaran yang benar, tetapi mengumpulkan ramai guru mengikut kehendak mereka sendiri untuk mengajar apa yang ingin didengar oleh mereka.” Jadi, masalah budaya Celebrity Pastor secara tidak langsung mencerminkan masalah jemaah gereja juga. Berhati-hatilah dan bertanggungjawablah! Selidiki iman kamu dan berdoa untuk pastor(s) kamu kerana dia akan mempengaruhi kamu, dan kamu akan mempengaruhi dia.
9) Akhir Kata
Secara ringkas, kepada Celebrity Pastorbertaubatlah dan kepada para Pastor dan pelayan Kristian ingatlah: “Berhematlah tentang dirimu dan ajaranmu [Watch your life and doctrine closely, NIV]. Lakukan terus-menerus, kerana dengan demikian engkau akan menyelamatkan dirimu dan mereka yang mendengar kata-katamu” (1 Timotius 4:16). Amen.
