August 2, 2026
Imagine a pastor and church acting like a politician and political party. They’d hire marketers to survey the community, gather feedback, then craft strategies to appeal to public opinion. The marketing team would advise on language to boost support and develop a plan to result in community leaders’ approval. Ultimately, the church would cater to popular wishes instead of needs, letting community opinion set the agenda.
Reflecting on this, it’s clear that this isn’t how the pastor and church should ideally function. Yet, often, both subconsciously fall into this trap. Many of us tend to think of the church as operating like a democracy, with ultimate authority resting in the hands of the people. Even more concerning is the belief that the church’s power comes from external opinions, like those from outsiders or pagans. Perhaps most troubling of all is the idea that the pastor’s personal views hold the sole authority within the church.
Tragically, we have all seen fights in the church over the years, where various groups fight for control of the church. The pastor says one thing, church members say another, and then the pagan on the street says something else.
In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul says that he really does not worry about what anyone else thinks. He says, “1 Let a person regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries! 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that a person should be found faithful. 3 However, with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. Indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 I am not conscious of anything against myself, but this does not justify me. He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore, do not judge anything before the appointed time, before the Lord comes! He will bring to light the things that are hidden in darkness and will expose the plans in people’s hearts. Then each one will receive his praise from God” (4:1-5).
Paul isn’t being arrogant or hateful; he simply considers everyone equal and secondary to Christ. He answers to Jesus, not people, and cares little about others’ opinions because Jesus is the one who examines him.
As a church and as a pastor, we do not answer to mankind’s opinions, feelings, or desires. Neither yours nor mine control Christ’s church, which is not a democracy or subservient to the world. It is not a reed shaking in the wind or yielding to popular opinions. As members of Christ’s church, we don’t wear soft robes or bow to the world’s fickle desires. The Lord disregards our feelings and status in life; instead, He desires His pastors and church to be faithful, not seeking human praise or approval.
Now, does this mean we spit in the face of each other’s opinions? Do we kick the dust off our feet and put our noses in the air towards worldly opinions, showing our disgust and hostility? Heavens, no! Again, the Apostle Paul does not despise the people of Corinth and is not advocating that Christians be rebellious and arrogant.
It is important to recognise that we may encounter pitfalls if we adopt one of two extremes. The first occurs when we become overly boastful, under the mistaken belief that we are superior to others around us; this attitude leads us astray. Conversely, excessive reliance on worldly and manmade opinions also presents a danger, placing us in a different form of error. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that engaging in either of these behaviours indicates a lack of trust in Christ. To clarify, whether we elevate ourselves through pride or submit to human judgments, we fail to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord. When human, worldly judgments dominate our decisions, or our ego dictates our actions, we cannot truly accept Jesus as our Master.
But isn’t this how it often goes for us Christians? Don’t we easily drift into these extremes of listening to that which is closest to us? Are we not prone to listen to worldly manmade opinions and listen to ourselves because these voices are the loudest in our lives?
We are all guilty of this, which is why we need to remember the impact of Advent and Christmas. In other words, if we had a distant god—a god off in the distance who wasn’t really that involved in the world’s affairs—it would be easy to learn to trust our own egos or get caught up in the world’s status-approval game. A distant god is just that—distant. If we had a distant god, then it would make sense to trust in ourselves or listen to the judgments of mortal humans.
However, God is not distant. Jesus has come to humanity and is not remote. Through His incarnation, He has provided everything for us. He lived, died, and was resurrected for our justification. He empathised with our weaknesses. He proclaimed His Word so that we may hear it. He sanctified water to serve as a generous cleansing of our sins. He established a Supper to fortify our faith. All of these actions were undertaken so that we may place our trust in Him as our Lord, without concern for our standing in popular opinion or the need to assess ourselves.
Pastors are to be servants of Christ—stewards of the Word and Sacraments. They are to be faithful in delivering the goods of Jesus and not peddling the judgments and opinions of mankind.
And parishioners are not in the church to gobble up whatever suits people’s fancies or whatever the influential and mighty of the world judge to be good for a particular time. Like pastors, parishioners too are to be faithful. Together, we are to be faithful in giving and receiving the gifts of Jesus, for we have a God who has come to us to be our Master—and we, His servants.
Because Jesus is our Master, it should matter very little what other people think about us. Because Jesus is our Master, we don’t need their approval. And as a church, it should matter very little to us what the world thinks of us and even less where we rank in popular opinion here in our country. The reason is—the world and even our own opinions are not our masters—Jesus is our Master. And as our Master, Jesus has done all things well, so we need not compare, compete, doubt, or fight. We already have everything we need in Christ Jesus, our Master.