Serving two masters put another way

[Bryan Cotton]

My pastor recently said something like this to the congregation:

"You are not to go to other pastors if I'm your pastor. You can't serve two master."

I'm familiar with the verse in the NT Matthew 6:21

No man can serve TWO MASTERS: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

My question is, are our pastors our masters? After all, they are the heads of our congragations, right? While this passage refers to serving God and mammom, it reads as if its comparing two things, like saying Just like you can't serve two earthly masters, you can't serve two spiritual masters.

 

[Cassidy]

No I don't believe that's what is meant by two masters. I really don't like when pastors do this. They are our teachers not our masters and you are not here to serve them, rather they serve you!

Sounds like a power trip to me.

 

[dies-l]

My pastor recently said something like this to the congregation:

"You are not to go to other pastors if I'm your pastor. You can't serve two master."

I'm familiar with the verse in the NT Matthew 6:21

No man can serve TWO MASTERS: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

My question is, are our pastors our masters? After all, they are the heads of our congragations, right? While this passage refers to serving God and mammom, it reads as if its comparing two things, like saying Just like you can't serve two earthly masters, you can't serve two spiritual masters.

I don't think that the passage you are referring to is relevant to the question you are asking. When Jesus speaks of "masters", I believe that He is speaking of our ultimate authority in life. Thus, if a person's master is money, financial motives will dictate every decision that that person makes. He will do only those things that he believes are either directly or indirectly profitable and he will tend to abstain from those things that are not profitable. Likewise, a person whose master is God will do those things that please God and he will tend to abstain from those that do not please God. Jesus says that we can only serve one master. We can serve Him or we can serve another master. Thus, if we decide that our pastor is our master, then we have decided that Jesus is not our master. A good pastor would not even want us to think of him or her as our master, because as far as Christians are concerned, that role belongs to God.

Now, a good pastor is going to take his or her teachings from God. So, generally speaking, we can learn from that person what it means to serve God, but we should not elevate that person to the role of master, nor should we assume that we have some duty of exclusive loyalty to that person. If other pastors and ministries provide guidance that supplements what we learn from our own church and pastor, then there is nothing wrong with that.

On the other hand, we should find a local congregation to serve and be a part of, and we should maintain some amount of loyalty to that congregation so long as it is consistent with our service to God. It is unhealthy to jump from church to church or to be involved on a superficial level in many different congregations. But, these are matters of practical applications of serving God to the best of our ability, not based on any sort of moral principle about a duty to a given pastor.

 

[7angel]

Learning the Gospel, is just the beginning, whether by word of God and the practice of his teachings received the faith, then come to us on the day that we do not expect, the Holy Spirit, and will be our teacher for life In this way, everyone will know God.

 

[toolite]

No I don't believe that's what is meant by two masters. I really don't like when pastors do this. They are our teachers not our masters and you are not here to serve them, rather they serve you!

Sounds like a power trip to me.

I agree.. Only one is worthy enough to have the title of Master. No Flesch can do what he can do.. Who can call you to Heaven? Who can turn your situation in minutes? Who can say you live when the world says your dead? Only Our Lord!!! Just One...

If we say we save someone and take credit for the good that person has done are we rightous enough to take credit for the bad as well... See it's not one sided. If anyone is wondering what we do.. We plant and some even water but, we never save and we can never have the title of a master.. The congregation serves the Lord never a man... But, if someones says this just pray for them and don't worry because God corrects... We can never fix people because we never really know what really wrong with them but, God knows. Sometimes God will show the chosen ones things about people but, they still don't get to see all of what's wrong or whole picture...... God Bless!

All The Glory Belongs To God!

 

[kellyc]

that worries me. if your pastor could so take the bible out of context for his own benefit i think i would go to another church. mammon is wealth not a pastor.

 

[kellyc]

also, you are not serving your pastor, he is serving you supposedly (as Christ did).

 

[Bryan Cotton]

First let me say its Matt 6:24 not Matt 6:21. My bad.

Thus, if we decide that our pastor is our master, then we have decided that Jesus is not our master.

But isn't our pasotrs put in theirs place by Jesus Christ our lord. Isn't our pastors repsresnetives of Jesus Christ as they have recieved a vision of God to start build and grow a church? I don't think the pastor what likening himselvw to Jesus or being worthy of filling the Lords shoes. While they are not the supreme mastors of our salvation, are they not masters of our spiritual growth? Not that I agree with that but I feel like that is were is was trying to go with that verse. I think it was like "Get your spiritual growth from home, not from another house." Although HE didnt say that, I took it as that.

It was the verse he used to do that which torubled me because of the word Master. Also, at the end of Matt 6:44 I beleive it sums the verse up with the meaning: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Mammom from mamwna'ßMammonas (mam-mo-nas'); Noun Masculine, Strong #: 3126: 1. mammon 2. treasure 3. riches (where it is personified and opposed to God)

This makes me think the verse mean you can't serve God and money (or getting money over worshiping God.) Sort of like what KellyC said. So I hear you KellyC.

If other pastors and ministries provide guidance that supplements what we learn from our own church and pastor, then there is nothing wrong with that.

That's what I think. I even told this to my pastor. After a few exchanging of my opinions and his teaching, he told me to go out to whatever churches I wanted to. But sometimes after he said that, he made the comment that I posted in my original post.

 

[kellyc]

i'm glad he allowed (roll eyes here) you to check out other churches. i think a problem with your pastor is that he used that verse wrongly to justify his jealousy or whatever his problem is. there are a lot of pastors who are false teachers, i guess God allowed them the place but they aren't his representative.

 

[Wade Smith]

My pastor recently said something like this to the congregation:

"You are not to go to other pastors if I'm your pastor. You can't serve two master."

Your Pastor is out of order and is abusing his office as a control mechanism.
Proverbs 11:14
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Proverbs 24:6
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.


Notice, "Multitude of Counsellors". Not "one big cheese that thinks he knows it all."

Which totally debunks these pastors who demand you sit in one "church" and park there for years on end, etc.

Satellite Christianity is one of the most unbiblical and demonic things in the modern church, because pastors use their office to abuse the people through guilt and mind control tactics.


But Satellite Christianity can work two ways:

1) It can be the abusive pastor who demands followers hear from him and him only. Which is unbiblical.

2) It can be weak believers who follow a REAL preacher and constantly need to hear from that preacher because they are "empty wagons" and won't seek God for themselves.


"We get everything from our Pastor," Some say.

Wrong!

You are supposed to get everything from the Word of God(2 Tim. 3:16-17) and the Holy Spirit(Jn 14:26), and "Search the scriptures whether it is so"(acts 17:11).


A Pastor in and of himself cannot teach you anything, and he doesn't have the authority to tell you not to go to another pastor, and regardless of what his denomination or non-denomination may claim to the contrary.


If some of these people deluded by the prosperity message and other false doctrines would just read the Bible for themselves, or go talk to one of the pastors who doesn't preach that garbage, then they just might open their eyes and realize their own pastor is in fact a wolf...

I am not necessarily saying your pastor is a "wolf", but I am saying he is out of line.

 

[toolite]

That's the point I wanted to bring up.. Unfortunately, everyone can not hear the word from the Holy Spirit so you do need a pastor to give the word. And only a person who has the Holy Ghost can determine if someone is giving a message from the Holy Ghost. But, Gods spirit was given to every man to profit with so at times things can be said and and everyone can say no that's not right or no that doesn't sound right. I don't want to focus on how a Pastor can be wrong because at times we all are wrong. We do need to know who we serve. Those that can hear follow the Holy Ghost. Those that can not hear will follow the Pastor. It's not all of the Pastors fault. Pastors are people and like to be liked just like you or me but, we all just have to remember there is a line.

All The Glory Belongs To God!

 

[kellyc]

toolite i see your point. a pastor is the spiritual head of his church and he is the spiritual authority of it's members. in this case, we have a choice who we are in subjection to, so we all have to be wise about what church we attend.

 

[toolite]

I agree... we do have to chose a church. I think one that loves- loves people is a great start.

We have a purpose in the Church although some may not be aware of it. Everyone has an assignment.

All The Glory Belongs To God!

 

[kellyc]

i am curious, what assignment do you have in your chuch? i haven't found a church to attend regularly and i think what you said about your role in a church will be important when i finally make a choice.

 

[Bryan Cotton]

I thank you all for your responses. I think you've all made some valid points. Thanks

 

[Bryan Cotton]

i am curious, what assignment do you have in your chuch? i haven't found a church to attend regularly and i think what you said about your role in a church will be important when i finally make a choice.

At this point, I don't have a role. Although I've been talk to about being my pastors armor bearer, and usher, and eventually being a teacher in the church. I'm fairly new there and its a small church.

 

[toolite]

i am curious, what assignment do you have in your chuch? i haven't found a church to attend regularly and i think what you said about your role in a church will be important when i finally make a choice.

I intercede for now. The God I serve is an awesome God! Everything is done in levels and you are continously learning.

All The Glory Belongs To God!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

My pastor recently said something like this to the congregation:

"You are not to go to other pastors if I'm your pastor. You can't serve two master."

I'm familiar with the verse in the NT Matthew 6:21

No man can serve TWO MASTERS: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

My question is, are our pastors our masters? After all, they are the heads of our congragations, right? While this passage refers to serving God and mammom, it reads as if its comparing two things, like saying Just like you can't serve two earthly masters, you can't serve two spiritual masters.

Those who they are master over, it is to keep them from entering.
Search from Genesis to Malachi, from Matthew to Revelation = see if you can find the position of pastor described anywhere....
(read it for yourself, through and through, don't ask anyone else for a definition or you'll never know)

 

[Bryan Cotton]

(read it for yourself, through and through, don't ask anyone else for a definition or you'll never know)

Asking could lead someone to point me in the direction of a scripture(s) to answer things I seek. It would be a shame to want to know what the bible says on marriage, then read the whole bible trying to find it. Asking someone could point me to some suppurtive scriptures on certain topics.

Now I post on forums to discuss things and to get other people's revalation that they got from reading the bible. Surely your not asking me to NOT do that, are you.

And althought I have not read the bible from cover to cover, This year I have managed to knock out the new testiment and have tackled a great chucnk out of the old testiment. When I finsih, guess what. I'm going to do it again and again and again. All the while stopping off to study other topics in the bible and discuss them with fellow believers.

Were would the modern day church be if Paul hadn't wrote all those letters to the early chirsitan church?

 

[Mrs Butterworth]

If the pastor really believes he is your master this is a big problem for you. You might want to question his character. If he twisted scripture in order to justify his beliefs then this is a really big problem for you. All I know about the situation is what you told me but still it seems that he didn't make any honest slip or mistake when he used scripture in an inappropriate manor. It appears that he has bad character and is manipulative. People like this can cause a lot of problems for you. Be careful it appears that he is not to be trusted.