Following the Message, Not the Messenger

It's been just over a month since I moved out of Austin, and my heart has been longing to be back in Austin High School worshiping at the Austin Stone. I have truly been struggling to come to terms with the fact that I need to get settled back into church-life in Houston. During the past three years at the Stone I have really grown spiritually, and so I have many positive associations with my time at this church. The worship, the pastor, the church body, the spiritual atmosphere -- everything about the Austin Stone is incredibly moving. At the same time, I have always known in my heart that I am not supposed to be in love with this particular church, for it says in the Bible that our heart's affection is to be to God, for whom the church was created.


After mulling over this issue for some time,  I decided to listen to a sermon I knew would help ground myself in the word of God and to help remind me who it is I am truly in love with (of course, the podcast is from the Austin Stone, but that is besides the point!). On January 12, 2008, Matt Carter preached a message titled "Following the Message, Not the Messenger," during which he discusses the problem with the church in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 1:12, Paul, the author of this book of the Bible, said, "Some of you are saying, 'I am a follower of Paul.' Others are saying, 'I  follow Apollos,' or 'I follow Paul.'" Paul's reaction to these churchgoers is evident in his response in verse 13: "Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!" Followers of Christ should not also call themselves followers of certain church leaders, although we are to honor our church elders. By saying that "I follow Paul" or "I follow Matt Carter," we are in essence dismissing our faith in Jesus, as He is the only One who is worthy of our worship and praise and in whom Christians should have an unmovable faith. Matt does point out that the Bible says we must respect the elders of the church, but we must never submit to them to the point that the submission brings division to the church of Jesus Christ.


"Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit." - Hebrews 13:17


Another application of the verse from 1 Corinthians is the importance of recognizing that religious preaching and messages come from God Himself, and therefore, we should celebrate His word alone and not idolize the various messengers around the world who speak His word. In the sermon, Matt discusses various examples of people idolizing Christian leaders, both dead and alive, and how when we make it to Heaven, all humans will be on their knees, side by side, praising Jesus Christ, and how in that moment, it will not matter which of us wrote bestselling Christian novels or sang chart topping Christian hits.


This is an important issue to think about, as I believe it is easy for us to look to people on earth whom God uses to spread the Gospel and to think that these individuals are higher and more worthy of God's praise than the rest of us. For example, when David was a young boy and defeated the giant Goliath, the Israelites spoke of David's triumph and sung his praises instead of being in awe of the power of God. The Bible clearly says, "So the Lord saved Israel that day" (1 Samuel 14:23), and so the Israelites should have been celebrating God's presence in the battle. I understand this struggle, as there are definitely people in my life who have helped me grow stronger in my faith, and sometimes I feel inclined to give them more credit than is due. Of course, I still need to continue to honor and respect these "messengers," but I must always remember that God moved them to move me.


Lastly, the sermon really ties into my struggle to accept the fact that I will no longer be able to attend the Austin Stone every Sunday. The message was an excellent reminder that God is the same God all across the world. Although Matt Carter may not be always be the messenger, pastors in Houston are preaching about the very same God. I will keep praying for this to resonate in my soul and that I, and other Stone "graduates," will be able to find a new church home that moves them like the Austin Stone does.


As I was writing this post, "Praise the Father, Praise the Son" came to mind, which seems fitting, given that Chris Tomlin was the worship leader at the Stone for my first year of attendance. "Oh praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the Spirit, three in one. Clothed in power and in grace, the name above all other names."


Click to listen to Praise the Father, Praise the Son :)


In His name,
Ailee