..............................................................................................................................................................
The Frightening
Rise of the Social Media Prophets
it is getting increasingly difficult for contemporary shepherds of
local churches to faithfully feed the flock because of the plethora of cacophonous
voices in and to the church today
Joseph Mattera
Since
the mid-20th century, we have seen the medium of communication go from a
dependency upon the printed book (1517-1950), to broadcasting via radio and TV
(1950-2010), to the present digital age.
The
results have been nothing short of a seismic shift related to the amount of
access the average person has to unlimited voices and information!
This
has served to be both a blessing and a curse.
It's
been a blessing because more pertinent information related to every subject is
now available to the masses (for example, the American Medical Association no
longer has a stranglehold related to what is promoted regarding nutrition and
preventative health research).
Related
to the church, as recently as two decades ago the evangelical church was
influenced by only a small collective of prominent voices (such as James
Dobson, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham and more) who could sway the evangelical
church politically and doctrinally with their teachings on radio and TV, but
now there are multitudes of Christian "influencers" who have garnered
a huge following because of media-savvy content (hence, it no longer takes a
budget of millions of dollars to attract a wide audience).
Out
of this "flat earth" Christian milieu there are now numerous
self-proclaimed prophets proclaiming what they say is "the word of the
Lord" to both the body of Christ and to the nations.
While
many of these prophetic people may be sincere Christ followers, (some are also
charlatans doing it for filthy lucre) the biblical way to disseminate prophetic
words is in the context of the local church gathering, especially so that
mature prophetic/leader types can judge said word.
This
method of vetting words is vital for the health and safety of the church as
well, to ensure proper pastoral application of the word to the recipient.
Related to this vetting principle, the apostle Paul
said the following: "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the
others judge" (see 1 Corinthians
14:29).
Furthermore,
all the manifestations of the Spirit (including prophecy) were taught by Paul
in the context of the local church gathering — which included the observance of
the Lord's supper, starting from 1 Corinthians 11:17 to the end of 1
Corinthians 14 (hence, the healthy and biblical practice of the gift of
prophecy should have a corporate dynamic).
Unfortunately,
in spite of these clear instructions in the New Testament, I have heard of
numerous people in the body of Christ following so-called (internet) prophets
who now find themselves with the ability to reach a huge audience — without
paying the price of being vetted as a mature leader in a local congregation (see 1 Timothy 3:1-12).
Although
we don't know their life, their track record, personal ethics, the state of
their marriage and family, and their accountability structure, they can deliver
a purported prophecy that excites and inspires multitudes!
Furthermore,
many of these same people are promoting "prophetic events" via social
media by offering "a word of the Lord" to all who attend, while at
the same time bypassing the local church and the spiritual leaders God has
assigned to shepherd the (naive) believer enticed to these events because they
are constantly on Facebook, Instagram and other mediums of media.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Obey your leaders
and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an
account. Let them do this with joy and not complaining, for that would not be
profitable to you" (Hebrews 13:17).
With
all of the strange teachings, questionable doctrines and unaccountable
prophetic voices prevalent today, it is getting increasingly difficult for
contemporary shepherds of local churches to faithfully feed the flock because
of the plethora of cacophonous voices in and to the church today!
The
only recourse for shepherds of churches is to continue to be faithful by
consistently teaching, making disciples and preaching the whole council of God
both in public gatherings and house to house.
This
is the only way the sheep can have more discernment and flee from unaccountable
prophetic leaders and strange doctrines that incite questions rather than godly
edifying (see Acts 20: 25-32; 1 Timothy
1:3-7; Hebrews 13:9).
May
all nine manifestations of the Spirit flourish for the edification of the body
of Christ, so Jesus will be glorified in His church. Amen.
(Read
about how the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit were taught in the context
of the local church by reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-27.)
Great Resources to help you
excel in 2019! #1 John Eckhardt's "Prayers That..." 6-Book Bundle.
Prayer helps you overcome anything life throws at you. Get a FREE Bonus with
this bundle. #2 Learn to walk in the fullness of your purpose and destiny by
living each day with Holy Spirit. Buy a set of Life in the Spirit, get a second
set FREE.
Dr. Joseph Mattera is
an internationally-known author, consultant, and theologian whose mission is to
influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of
Resurrection Church, and leads several organizations, including The U.S.
Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition. Dr. Mattera is
the author of 12 bestselling books, including his latest “The Jesus
Principles,” and is renown for applying Scripture to contemporary culture. To
order his books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his newsletter
go to www.josephmattera.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment