I am referring to Ted Haggard, famous fallen pastor. Ted is on HBO tonight discussing his homosexual and drug activity while he was pastor of a mega-church in Colorado. Now before you get too excited, I have problems with neither. But I do share something with Ted.
When one of us falls publicly, we all fall to a certain extent. While Letha and I were watching the news tonight, Haggard was being interviewed, and was being asked about his sexuality. I realized that most of the members of our church who were watching the story probably wondered if I could ever be guilty of such things. While I hope that they all dismissed the idea immediately, we have to know that for some, we are guilty by association. Without doubt, some people are saying, “they are all the same!”, “all pastors are fakes”.
So in a sense, Ted’s struggle becomes my struggle and your struggle. We all pay the price.
I come out of this with a few observations:
• We have met the enemy and he is the devil. He wants to destroy us, plain and simple.
• Don’t get overconfident. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (I Corinthians 10:12 NKJV)
• Pray for leaders. The more visible you are, the higher the price on your head.
• Trust takes a lifetime to earn and one second to lose.
• What you do is somebody else’s business. Stay thoroughly accountable.
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I,ve been a Christian for almost sixty years and have seen many terrible failures and also great revivals in the Church.
ReplyDeleteI've seen church people horribly abuse pastors and pastors abuse their congregations. I've seen strong Christians and pastors fail morally and ethically. The damage is often very great and leaves an opportunity for scoffers to ridicule believers.
It doesn't take much looking into church history to see the same patterns. Horrible evil interspersed with times of great revival.
Sometimes I think of David's words of lament over the death of Saul and Jonathan:
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 2 Sam 1:19
When the mighty fall in the church it's a tragedy. Yet, the Word of God remains. I've come to the conclusion that the Word of God is independent of the vessel which exprsses it.
Scoundrels preaching the Word with arrogance bears fruit. Ethical men preaching the Word with humility also bears fruit. Although, it may seem like less fruit until the mighty are fallen. Then the good fruit remains in both cases.
The thread that runs so true is the pure Word of God.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17
Just preach the Word and leave the result to God!