Tag Archives: Sin

We all remember the scandal that came out about, “?” You can fill in the blanks. All too often, we hear of a prominent pastor or preacher, across denominational lines, who have sinned publicly. That is sad isn’t it? My question is, “Do pastors ever sin in private?” Of coarse they do. If pastors sin privately, then why do we have such a heart burn when they do it publicly? The answer is very simple, and can be easily understood.

It Is A Matter Of Integrity

When Nathan confronted King David (2 Samuel 12:14), one of the forgotten charges made was that the pagan nations could seize an opportunity to blaspheme God. Pastors are not God, but His divinely called representative. For this reason, the dignity of this office must be kept as holy as can be achieved. When a leader, such as a pastor, sins publicly, then it gives great occasion for Satan to chip away the integrity of the office. The example which he sets forth and the great measure of accountability to God REQUIRE integrity. When this is jeopardized, even lost and unsaved people are hurt by it!

It Is A Matter Of Testimony

While it is true that all of God’s children are ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and must represent Christ in a righteous way, the office of pastor, missionary, and evangelist must hold the standard high. This is not new to the New Testament, but simply what God has demanded all along. If you study the Old Testament standards for the priests, then you will see that God set the standard high. God uses his men to reach the world and they must exemplify His holiness. They are certainly not perfect, but they must give their utmost to please the Lord.

What A Pastor Should Do

When pastors sin publicly, they must be sure to handle things in an appropriate manner. All eyes are on them and they need to have the highest respect for the office in which they serve. Listed below are 5 suggestions as to what a pastor should do when they have sinned publicly.

1. Admit the sin
2. Ask for God’s forgiveness first, then from those affected by the sin
3. Make restitution
4. Submit to accountability
5. Move On

It is very important that the pastor consider the practical ramifications of their actions. God forgives, but man is still scarred. Time can take the sting away, but one cannot expect immediate closure. Depending upon the sin, the pastor may need to step down from his office; even if the church is still desiring his leadership. The office, God’s standard, and public testimony are more important than what a congregation may want.

Conclusion

This is a touchy subject in our day. The modern day consensus is that the standard is too high and we should lower it a bit. The problem with that is we are comparing men with men. God set the standard, not man! It is very important for the pastor to hold the standard high in his own life if he wishes to serve in such a HIGH office. He must be sure to keep himself clean with God privately AND also publicly!

Much more can be stated concerning this issue. Our desire in this post was to place some ideas in front of you for you to consider. May all who claim the title of Pastor/Missionary/Evangelist take great care in living for Christ!

Why Revival Tarries

By Leonard Ravenhill / Bethany House

Leonard Ravenhill’s call to revival is as timely now as it was when first published over forty years ago. The message is fearless and often radical as he expounds on the disparity between the New Testament church and the church today. This book contains the heart of his message, A.W. Tozer called Ravenhill “a man sent from God” who “appeared at (a) critical moment in history,” just as the Old Testament prophets did. Included are questions for group and individual study.

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One does not have to look very far to find modern day examples of pastors and other church leaders who have made shipwreck of their ministries and lives. It seems like every month or two that some church leader is exposed for their embezzlement, adulterous affairs, or for their gross error in new doctrinal positions. It is bad enough for those who are close to the situation, but these type of situations wreak havoc throughout all of Christendom.

Samuel’s Boys

Like Eli before him, Samuel had a problem with wayward children. Not just any children, but his “Timothy’s”. These men were to judge Israel when he was gone. In fact, they were already serving in this capacity. These boys are said to have not walked in his (Samuel’s) ways, to have turned aside after lucre, and took bribes which perverted their judgment! This was a leadership recipe headed for disaster!

(1 Samuel 8:1-3) “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.”  (KJV)

We are shown, many times in the Scripture, how leadership affects people good and bad. Listed below are four common aftershocks of Pastoral Leadership Gone Wild!

1. When Pastoral Leadership Fails, It Gives The Opportunity To Make Things Worse – Usually starts with the infamous, “Well, if he/she did that and they are “*#&^” then I don’t see why I cannot do the same!”
2. When Pastoral Leadership Fails, It Gives Occasion For People To Overreact And Move To The Extreme – A strong willed pastors leaves, quits, etc. then usually the people opt for someone to the opposite extreme! Seen this happen time and time again!
3. When Pastoral Leadership Fails, It Gives Satan An Avenue To Turn People To Wrong Leadership – More times than not, immature Christians will embrace weak/bad leadership when this happens. They are really vulnerable and open to answers about what happened. They usually get the wrongs answers… Satan sees to that!
4. When Pastoral Leadership Fails, It Usually Keeps The People From Achieving The Same Spiritual Plain Of Leadership They Had Previous – The idea is that, “This time we will do it differently!”… and different it remains!

Conclusion

Samuel’s boys caused more problems than they realized. Not only did they dishonor God and their family name, but gave great occasion for Satan to swerve the masses away from Israel’s Theocracy! Israel went to Samuel and said they wanted a king to rule because he was too old and his boys were not right with God. Never mind they did not want to be right themselves. They just found opportunity to move their agenda forward. They wanted to be like all the other nations!

King David may have been a man after God’s own heart, but he was nothing like the King of all ages Who brought them from Egypt! Oh, how we who lead God’s people must be careful to stay right with God and follow in His footsteps! Otherwise it is Pastoral Leadership Gone Wild!

Spiritual Leadership: A Commitment to Excellence for Every Believer

By J. Oswald Sanders / Moody Publishers

Charles Colson called it “the best book on Christian leadership I’ve read.” Discover why this timeless classic continues to equip tomorrow’s ministers—and challenges today’s shepherds—toward greater effectiveness! Revised and updated, Sanders’s hard-hitting study explores the essential qualities of a godly leader—and offers sterling examples from Scripture and Christian history. Includes study guide.
In these pages, J. Oswald Sanders presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms, illustrating his points with examples from Scriptures and the biographies of emenent men of God.