The Sad Truth of Depending on Men More than God

Everything that happened in the past years led me to realize how we have replaced trusting in God with trusting in men and structures. Events of the past years have brought to light an important issue: that people, instead of looking at God and His Holy Spirit, are looking more at their pastors, leaders, and even the structures. When people experience situations like what happened with COVID, when churches could not meet in person, many do not know how to deal with it, and they feel lost and insecure. Unfortunately, this shows a bigger problem. It shows us how some pastors and leaders, instead of teaching people how to have daily communion with God and depend on Him, are wasting time entertaining and manipulating their congregations instead of equipping them to have a life with God. Instead of teaching them to cultivate their spirituality and guiding them to be fruitful and effective temples of the Holy Spirit, they have entertained everyone. It is sad to see how the construction of physical temples and the whole structure has replaced the nurturing of the true temple inside us.

16 Don't you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

Many have forgotten that the structure does not make the Church, that we are the Church. God allowed the creation of physical temples to satisfy our need for a place, but in reality, we are the Church, and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit since He dwells in us.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Acts 17:24-25.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. John 14:16-17.

When we decided to follow Jesus by repenting and asking Him to take control of our lives, upon us came the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Power and Grace. The Holy Spirit came to fill our emptiness, convict us of sin, cleanse and purify us, and guide us in our walk.

26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26.

Unfortunately, many places promote enslaving their followers under the teachings of men, false teachings, instead of leading them to freedom through Christ, who is the only Way and Truth. They have preferred to entertain and numb their congregations so they would not notice all the lies they are teaching them. They have followers, but sadly, people return to their homes the same way they entered, and when trials come, they do not have the means and the tools to cast away the lies of the enemy and thrive. They have lots of people in their churches, but are they saved? They have left people vulnerable and unprotected. After all, they are not learning the truth. They do not have the tools to exercise the purpose for which God created them, to be temples of His Holy Spirit and thus share the good news of truth with everyone. They are being indoctrinated to depend on men instead of depending on God.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name, they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15.

A dependence on men has been promoted instead of leading them to depend on God. Some people do not work if their leader does not tell them what to do; they feel completely lost without someone else guiding them, and without the structure, they feel far from God when the Spirit of God is supposed to dwell in them. The temple has become an obstacle that prevents people from truly relating to God. When a structure is no longer there, people become disoriented; their lives become chaotic, and they do not know what to do. Unfortunately, many have forgotten that the Holy Spirit lives in us and that it is a relationship we must cultivate and nurture.

And do not get me wrong, I have nothing against congregating in a structure. What bothers me is when buildings bring a false sense of salvation and security that deprives the believer of having and cultivating a daily relationship with God. It creates a dependency on the structures in such a way that it makes them neglect their communion with the only one who can save them, with the True Way and the Truth that is Christ. I have witnessed how many people call themselves Christians but feel empty inside because they do not have a real relationship with God.

The problem is when we forget that it is not the structure, we are the ones that constitute the Church, and without the presence of God within the structure and inside us, the place would be just another building. I wonder who we are worshiping? A building, the pastor, or God? Because if we wait for Sundays when we are in the temple to worship God and do not do it everywhere, what game are we playing?

Another problem is that leaders have perpetuated the mistake that the people who attend their churches are theirs, and without them, they are lost. It is a complete lie they are fostering because they are afraid to lose followers. A Church's followers are not owned by their leader; they are God's possession, and God is the only one who can direct them to salvation. Pastors forget they are only instruments, and it is the Lord and His Holy Spirit the one that does the work.

This reflection is a wake-up call so that we return to the essence, so that we depend more on Him and not on structures, so that we learn that He is the only way. We must realize that we should not rely on structures or men but only on God. We should acknowledge that our first ministry is our family, and we must guide them to the truth. May we learn that no matter where we are, if there are two or more united in His name, He is there.

19 Again, I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19-20.