Long ago Israel wanted a king instead of God. 1 Samuel 8:7 “And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” Since that time, there is still the same desire to worship men and women instead of God. Each of us has a desire to worship but that worship is supposed to be reserved only for God. Some worship what was created instead of creation’s creator, which is idolatry. Idolatry is not just worshipping an object but is also worshipping or deifying people. This could be a musician, a sports icon or any famous person. The desire to raise up an object or human to god-like status is idolatry. This not only happens in society but in the church also as men and women from the past and present are worshipped like gods.
To see this, all you have to do is look at the gurus from the past and present which tells you gurus will be around in the future. Many doctrines and theology come from these gurus. Also in the church, when someone has attained success (worldly standards), they are elevated and almost deified. This happened with Bill Hybels and Willow Creek church. Everyone wanted to be Bill Hybels and their churches to grow as his did, that is until his true nature was exposed. One writer said “Hybels, once one of the most influential pastors in America, resigned in 2018 following multiple credible allegations of sexual misconduct spanning decades. An independent investigation commissioned by Willow Creek’s elders found evidence supporting the claims, which included inappropriate comments, unwanted physical contact, and abuse of power.” Yet the church he founded, the one everyone wanted to be like and the training event called Global Leadership Summit still continue and influence the naïve. Both should have been shut down. This was and is a manmade church and summit.
I came across this recent article that shows that man still praises / worships a non-repentant man. Last August 2025, John Maxwell, another powerless guru that is worshipped, made a statement about Bill Hybels. It appears that John Maxwell has zero discernment for such an esteemed guru from human standards. During the conference, “Maxwell told thousands of GLS attendees at Willow Creek, “I would be incredibly remiss if I would not say that every one of us in this room today are a part of the calling and the heart that (Hybels) had to train leaders around the world. And I’ll never forget it. I’ll always be grateful, Bill! Thank you, buddy!” “In addition to those attending the annual conference at Willow Creek, the conference was also broadcast to another 240,000 people at more than 800 sites worldwide. Maxwell’s comments prompted applause from those attending in-person, though some refrained” “Maxwell praised Hybels immediately after receiving a Legacy Award from GLS and immediately before speaking on the importance of character and leaving “a legacy that matters.” Maxwell is then praised as a leader, as if he was a god. One of the victims responded. “Vonda Dyer, one of Hybels’ alleged victims and former director of vocalists at Willow Creek, told TRR she was “disappointed and defeated—but not surprised” by Maxwells’ comments and the response of conference attendees. Years after the truth about his treatment of women came to light, throngs of Christian leaders still choose to honor a man who abused his power, exploited women in multiple ways, and defrauded the church when he took his money and went silent,” Dyer said.”
The reality is men and women still worship men and women. In the conference Maxwell said, “When I started off as pastor of a little country church and I began to study successful people, I came to the conclusion that everything rises and falls on leadership.” You would think he would have said I started studying the life of Jesus, but instead, man was elevated and worshipped. Jeremiah said Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” And nothing has changed! Bill Hybels was a fraud, as is John Maxwell because their success is not anointed by God because there is no power. Yes, they were and are powerful, but Hybels got caught. John Maxwell may not have done what Hybels did, but his statement of affirmation aligns his heart with Hybels, thus making him guilty. Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person.” This can be traced back to satan. satan tried to tempt Jesus and failed but he didn’t fail with the gurus. Luke 4:5 “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Many have taken satan up on the offer.
You may have never heard of Bill Hybels, John Maxwell or Rick Warren and there are many others who are worshipped as gods. So many churches have been influenced by these men and women and what you see happening on a Sunday morning service has been influenced by these men. The very act of worshipping these men and women show that satan is involved. I remember many churches that followed these men (and there are women also) and tried to emulate what they were doing. Some had limited success, but usually nowhere close. What is missing is the power of God. These great leaders (worldly) do not have power from on High, yet they say God gave them the vision to lead and grow the church. But what they have grown looks nothing like how the church is supposed to be. The people everyone wants to be like are powerless against the work of satan, yet still most prefer to worship man instead of God. John 12:42 “At the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.” Luke 20:45 “While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
The part that the gurus seem to have missed is the part where Jesus responded to Peter’s proclamation of which is the rock . Matthew 16:16 “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Yes, God calls His disciples and anoints them to do as Jesus did. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” The power to lose and bind is missing in the church, therefore the church doesn’t have the keys and most are infants being tossed and blown by every wind of teaching. The gurus will tell you they have unlocked the secrets to the kingdom. The gurus have also missed this part. Acts 17:24 “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.” Success for most is what they have built, and their budgets show that most money goes into their own pockets and the buildings.
This desire to worship man has allowed satan to deceive many. The church we see today is not the church that Jesus showed us in the Gospels and then empowered the church to do as He did at Pentecost. There is no power in the church though many appear to be powerful. Success has been redefined and changed to worldly success. God said to Joshua, Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God’s power then went with him. Joshua 3:14 “So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.” Joshua 6:20 “When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”
When Jesus called His disciples, they did as He did because the power of God was present just as the power was present with Jesus. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”
Then the church after Pentecost would continue to do as Jesus did. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 8:4 “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.” Not only were these men called, but they were also empowered with power and authority from on High just as Jesus said they would be.
The deception and delusion is so strong that the church even after having the Gospels in their hand would prefer to worship man instead and follow their ideas supposedly from God. When I watched the video of John Maxwell praising Bill Hybels and then being praised himself, it was disgusting as people stood and clapped for Maxwell. These men offer nothing to the church as everything is manmade which has no power against our enemies. In fact, standing behind most pulpits is satan. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Even those being used by satan as well as those listening, have no idea, even though the church was warned this would happen. Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
This has all happened because the church has rebelled and turned away from God’s word and because of this rebellion the church has lost the power and authority given at Pentecost. This loss of power means that satan, just as we were warned about the abomination that causes desolation, has been able to decimate the church. The only leaders being raised are those who will continue to do as the gurus they follow have done. Jesus responded to satan and said, Luke 4:8 “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Instead, the gurus took his offer and became successful but remained powerless and have done as the teachers of the law and Pharisees did. Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” 2 Peter 2:17 “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.”
When Paul healed the lame man, the people’s desire was to worship Paul. Acts 14:11 “When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.” Today people want to worship men, and they do not even have the power God had given Paul, but Paul responded correctly. 14 “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.”
The desire to worship needs to be directed back to God. Why worship what is powerless and human when you can worship the living God, creator of all things. The problem is most will say they do worship God but in reality, at the same time they are worshiping man. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” You also cannot be both hot and cold. Revelation 3:15 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” You must choose. Deuteronomy 30:19 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
No one compares to God and worshipping any other is idolatry. These idols are like the manmade church along with the other gospels they follow. Isaiah 46:3 “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. 4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. 5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? 6 Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. 7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot save them from their troubles. 8 “Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. 12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness. 13 I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.” Isaiah 40:18 “With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple. 21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Returning to God is our only option and the good news is that return is still an option, though we do not deserve it. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Mark 1:14 “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Romans 13:11 “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Hebrews 3:12 “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
