All you need is to become a celebrity and people will start to believe everything you say. I recall someone asking me if I believe advertisements more when they are endorsed by celebrities. Unfortunately, I had no clue who were celebrities and who was not, having only recently relocated. Now I know the difference and see why some people do all in their power to become celebrities. They command worship. The decision, therefore, for the believer is what shall it be? Will you choose correctly between hero worship and Jesus worship?
In other words, if Jesus says He is coming soon and your favorite celebrity says not so fast, who will you believe? Please note that this is not an academic exercise, for two very important reasons. The first one is that most celebrities, perhaps in order to be a celebrity, feel the need to deny Jesus. Hence you find most heroes on the opposite end of the fulcrum from Jesus. If He says you need to live holy, they are likely to promote the precise opposite.
The second reason this subject is important is within the church. You now have men of God who constantly seek fame. They do everything to build up their religious resumes. And members buy into that and turn them into heroes – the religious type. For instance, Jesus says you need to believe in Him to have eternal life.
These heroes of religion (not of the faith, mind you) say that you can buy your way into heaven. They ask you what you need Jesus for as long as you pay your tithe. Forget about Jesus, they persuade. Who will you believe? Because who you believe is who you worship. Will you be able to choose between hero worship and Jesus worship?
A Believer Has To Choose Between Hero Worship And Jesus Worship
It is not only in an advertisement that you need to differentiate between hero worship and Jesus worship. Or put another way, there is the lie that the celebrity wants you to buy because it is him. And then there is the truth. As you may know, there is no truth outside of the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His name is Jesus.
Naturally, if this is only in advertisement and you believe the celebrity, you end up with a worthless product. If, on the other hand, you believe the truth in spite of the celebrity, you get the genuine product. Your choice is important, in a manner of speaking. But not as important as in spiritual matters.
Because when you worship the pastor or priest, your worthless product is a secure place in hell. Once that happens, it is too late to obtain the right product, in this case, eternal life. Absolutely too late, unlike when you receive a fake product. In that case, you can always trash the celebrity-endorsed product and go for the real thing. All you have lost is the money you spent on your celebrity’s say so.
Not so in spiritual matters. How you choose between hero worship and Jesus worship has everlasting consequences. And that is the crux of this teaching, to help you avoid the everlasting consequences of a wrong choice. A believer must carefully choose between hero worship and Jesus worship since there is no chance for a do-over.
Learning to Choose Between Hero Worship and Jesus Worship
If any of your priest’s pronouncement gives you even the slightest pause in your spirit, start by rejecting it. Don’t joke around with such a declaration. Because this concerns eternal life versus everlasting damnation, be serious about rejecting the fake. Even if you are not sure it is fake; if you only think it might be, reject it.
Next, go in search of the truth for yourself because nature abhors a vacuum. If you reject one and do not replace it with the truth, the devil will attempt to do it for you. and then your latter end might be worse than your former.
Mercifully, the bible is the written word about the living Word. It will never steer you wrong. Once you discover the truth of God, hang on to it, no matter what bad names your pastor calls you. And be sure that he will, because he sees plainly that you have chosen right.
Your priest knows that you have the right handle on the choice between hero worship and Jesus worship. Never mind that some men of God try to play God in your life. You must resist that. Make the right choice between hero worship and Jesus worship and you are on your way to everlasting life.
John on The Island Of Patmos
Because hero-worship in spiritual matters did not start today is what makes this teaching so critical. Worshiping God is far from being our default. Hero worship of a different being seems to be hard-coded into our being.
Consider, for instance, the experience of John on Patmos Island. Mind you this is not a spiritual neophyte. We are talking here of John the Elder, marooned on Patmos for the faith. And yet, he fell at the angel’s feet in worship. At that point, the angel was John’s hero.
Fortunately, the angel knew better than to accept worship, which is more than we can say for your pastor. He reprimanded John for not rightly choosing between Hero worship and Jesus worship. The angel commanded John to worship only God.
Because, as the angel said, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The choice is therefore quite clear – between hero worship and Jesus worship. But John the Elder was not the only man to refuse hero worship. God can use any man to give you an accurate prophecy or to heal you.
Take the time in Lystra as an example. The Apostle Paul and Barnabas healed a man who was lame in his feet. Pronto, the people adopted them as gods. Or, you could say, superheroes. The next thing Apostle Paul knew, the people were falling down before them in worship.
Thank God for Paul, that he is not like most modern-day preachers. He restrained them from the wrong choice between superhero worship and Jesus worship. By explaining that they were mere men also, he was just able to stop them.
You Don’t Have To Choose Between Hero Worship or Jesus Worship
You are probably wondering how you can avoid a tendency that is hard-wired into our souls. Simple, at least in my view. Make Jesus your hero. Think about him first thing in the morning and last thing at night and every moment in between. Swoon at his every pronouncement. You then do not have to choose between hero worship and Jesus worship.
Developing Eyes Only For Jesus
By now, you are wondering why you didn’t think of that. Well, now you know. With Jesus as your hero, you no longer have to choose between hero worship and Jesus worship. It totally simplifies your life.
Try it if you dare to let go of your baser heroes. Most will not dare – they are so sold of them. But if you dare to do it and make Jesus your hero, the dividends are huge. First, it frees you from having to decide between hero worship and Jesus worship. Next, you are free from baser, ephemeral heroes – up today, down tomorrow. Finally, you have an assurance of eternal life.
Maranatha!
