Everyone has their favorite celebrities. They may be sports players or musicians — and many have their favorite celebrity Christian preachers. But are those really famous celebrity pastors and preachers who claim to be born again really saved?

The short answer, probably not — at least for the most part. If we examine the fruits of these men — and women — even a cursory look at them will expose that the vast majority of them are not in it for Christ, but for the celebrity status and the perks that they bring. Perhaps they’re in it for the money and fame. Perhaps they’re in it to effect some kind of cultural change or social justice. But definitely not for Christ. To them, He isn’t enough.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” –1 Samuel 16:7

The problem with celebrity Christendom is that it steals the glory away from God and puts it on those who are in the business of showboating their own religious piety. Just look at the most popular Christian stars of today from the celebrity churches — Former Hillsong NYC pastor, Carl Lentz, Elevation’s Steven Furtick, and Lakewood’s Joel Osteen, just to name a few. These men have never preached the unwavering gospel truth–even remotely. They preach, if anything, a lukewarm message that the world loves to hear.

Why, because the world is to whom they wish to appeal; the world is who they desire praise from.

In Revelation 3:16, God declares that those who preach a lukewarm gospel are disgusting to Him and that He will “spit them out of His mouth.” That’s how distasteful He finds this kind of church.

With few exceptions, you will not find these celebrities standing bold for the truth of God’s Word in the face of cultural acceptance of sexual abnormality, persecution, or relentless attacks against religious freedom. You will not find these men preaching strongly against the invasion of the sin of abortion in a feministic society. You will not find these men standing bold against the influx of the prosperity gospel — because they all preach it. Doing so would threaten their own celebrity status and their own celebrity is their idol and god.

The truth is, these men are ashamed of the gospel. They are ashamed of the truth. And they are ashamed of who God really is and who God says we are. So they spend their lives and careers trying to distort that message and building a following around their own false gospels. They build preaching and musical empires to counterfeit the truth. All the while they are leading many millions straight to the pits of Hell.

And Jesus Himself has words for those who are ashamed of Him,

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” –Mark 8:38

And that’s the long answer.