John 2:24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Denis Diderot quoted, “We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.”
The pressures that come with cult celebrity status and the ego-driven temptations that are available to these select people would be difficult to live with. Once the cash flow that accompanies the rising star of public opinion begins to fill their bank accounts, compromises are almost a sure thing. From sports phenom to silver screen idol, we have seen the character changes that are often ugly and cruel in those who become cult figures. Yet to be idolized is something many want. One of the career choices that young people are now saying they want is to be an influencer. When asked how they want to influence people, they have no real answers except a word salad of nonsense and trendy jargon.
Maybe it is because we are surrounded by a multitude of cults that are now accepted as mainstream thinking within the everyday lives and psyches of those who walk the earth, looking for purpose and the reason for being. “What, who, and why was I born?” is asked over and over with no real answers because we live in a Pan-sexual and agnostic society where anything goes and everything is acceptable if it makes you feel good. Isa. 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! This deception of social tolerance for everything becomes an accepted way of life, which is what happens when the thoughts of man are trusted more than the oracles of God. Jer. 17:5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
We have seen our share of celebrity megachurch pastors, TV evangelists, and Christian authors fall for, and in, the same evil places as the world’s known secular leaders and billionaires have crashed and destroyed their lives. Maybe this is the reason many people do not care about the sovereignty of God, because they see the church as another organization of status-climbing reprobates with a religious vocabulary coming out of their deceptive mouths. What is the difference between the CEO of a Fortune 500 company embezzling the retirement funds and the megachurch pastor embezzling the church funds while leaving his wife and family to run off with the church secretary? Jer. 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Those who serve the Lord need to keep their eyes on Jesus and not the trends of social acceptance.
Jesus did not seek celebrity status when introducing the kingdom of God just to follow a trend or gain prestige. Jesus aimed to demonstrate God’s love. God is all that exists. He is the pinnacle of everything. He does not need celebrity status to be known and heard, as everything created points to his Holy existence. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Jesus never advertised the kingdom of God as a feel-good club that could replace people’s support and therapy pets because of all the things that trigger bad feelings in a soul. He did not defend the Gospel; He proclaimed it, and to those to whom He proclaimed it, they were expected to obey it. In a world where ‘My feelings’ have become my god, we need a reality check, in that being solipsistic is not the plan God has for us.
Salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ is not trendy; it is a matter of eternal life and death. The finished work of the cross does not bring peace to those who want to live in darkness. It only brings life and peace to those who submit to the gift of salvation given through God the Son by God the Father. Otherwise, the cross is an argument of belief in cultural differences judged by humanistic values. 1Cor. 1:23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. The celebrity with cult status often promotes sin and the lifestyle of iniquity in the guise of harmless fun and entertainment. There is nothing harmless when our young people become addicted to deadly substances and develop lethal habits that take control of their lives. Whether addictions or obsessions that control the wanting of the soul, those same celebrities who promoted these vices in the first place will not be there to help the youth recover their lives.
Jesus understood the whims of the crowd and the trends they selfishly followed and promoted. The crowd was ready to make a cult figure out of Jesus because of the miracles, signs, and wonders that were coming from His pure heart. Jesus knew when it was time to remove the celebrity temptation from His life. John 6:15 Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. When Jesus perceived the self-seeking exploitations of others, He acted to preserve His relationship with His Father. What a perfect example for us to follow. When we perceive that the cults around us are creeping into our dialogue and faith, we too should depart to a high place and be by ourselves with our Heavenly Father. How do we recognize a counterfeit teaching that is contrary to what God says? We spend time with our God and know the authentic love He pours out on us.
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