Is Jesus My Senior Pastor?

This past weekend my wife and I traveled to Colorado to visit family and friends. It was our first time meeting nephew #2 since he was born this spring and he’s doing great. We also spent our weekend with some friends and joined them for an awesome worship experience on Sunday morning.

During the service Scott Hamilton preached a sermon that has been on my mind all week. Northern Hills is doing a series called “Saints & Sinners: A reminder of who we are.” In 1 Corinthians Paul is dealing with one main problem within the church. People were not identifying themselves with Jesus Christ, rather they were focused more on the men preaching the gospel. As a result their focus was on themselves which led to division and arguing in the church.

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into
the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” – 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

I wonder…are our churches experiencing this very same issue today? Are we putting too much focus on the men preaching from our pulpits? When you think of a church in your community or well known churches across the country do you immediately identify with that church because of the person leading it or because of what Jesus is doing through the lives of everyone in that church? “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11

If we’re going to become united as one body we MUST indentify with Jesus. Jesus has the right and power to do what he wants because he’s the ultimate authority over EVERYTHING. So why do we indentify with the person/s behind the pulpit, the church name, or church building? If we’re going to boast about anything we should only boast about Jesus. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:31

Is Jesus the program director of CRC? Is Jesus the head of my household? Is Jesus my Senior Pastor?