Fallen Pastors

Great Job,Bro Larry...I love this board!

 

I think one of the reasons people have trouble re-instating a fallen pastor to his former pastoral role is because they look at sin vertically. Murder, adultery, homosexuality are at the top as the worst sins while stealing a cookie is at the bottom as a not-so-bad thing. Proverbs 6:16-19 reveal God's perspective: "These six things does the Lord hate, yes, seven are an abomination unto Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, and heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among the brethren." Murder and a proud look stand as equal abominations before God. God's view of sin is horizontal. While a sin's consequences may differ from another, all sins are equally wicked in God's eyes. (Ja. 2:10) Unfortunately, many christians do not hold God's view of sin. They react extremely to adultery or addiction in their pastor, but less so, or not at all, to his tempermental nature, or laziness, or arrogance. Perhaps recognizing that a pastor's adultery is ultimately no worse than snapping at your wife, or gossiping, or selfishly cutting someone off in traffic might give you the grace to seek to restore him to useful service to God. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such an one, in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear you one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal. 6:1&2)

Are we as quick to condemn ourselves when we sin as we are our pastor and to remove ourselves from ministry as a Sunday School teacher or Youth Group Sponsor or Bible Study leader? I suspect not. Really, lay people are no less responsible before God to live "above reproach" as any pastor.

The Bible is full of God taking murderers, adulterers, cowards, etc. and making them fit for His use. Having demonstrated genuine repentance and submission to God and having made appropriate and full restitution for his wrongdoing, I think a pastor should be allowed to return to the service to which God has called Him.

[ April 05, 2002, 02:13 PM: Message edited by: aiki ]

 

He also said we would know a tree by its fruit. Sounds like that might require some judging. He also said to judge righteous judgment.

Matthew 7:1 was written to hypocrites.

--Brian C.

 

I don't think Jesus was talking to hypocrites when he told us not to judge one another. He told us to get the beam out of our eyes before we try to remove the speck out of our brother's eyes.

I am not defending any preacher who sins and fails morally but we want to jump hard on someone who falls into adultery etc and ignore the other part of what Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus.

One of the qualifications that I see that preachers fail more on than any is the one where Paul said a minister or a deacon must have control of their families.

So many fail in this area. I see their children who never come to Christ and lives so worldly and the excuse that is given is that it is tough being a preacher's kid or deacons kid but sometimes they maybe looked at closer than anyone else but they also have advantages that they live with Godly parents when other kids may only have one parent who serves Christ.

There are so many preachers and deacons who cannot and who do not try to control their wives.
They are sharp tongued. They dress immodestly.
They are not friendly. They have no burden for the lost. They only get involved in the church to be seen of others not as a sacrifice to Christ.
Their children are out of control. Running amuck.
Yet no one says anything about this. They keep in the ministry or they keep being deacons and everyone seems to be ok with this until they fall into adultery or something to do with sexual sins then lets destroy them.

Its time the church gets a balance on this and handle it properly.

 

Yes,I agree...they should not be qualified to lead/pastor a church of God. Those are areas of concern. He should not have been allowed to pastor in the first place with those problems.

The adultery one is just the obvious one that evryone sees,because the sin is so hurtful and public,all of them are equally important and he should meet ALL of them.