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Lately, we have witnessed a resurgence of moral failures among spiritual leadership. Needless to say, there have been responses from all spectrums of society. Those who sat under the ministry of one who has fallen into sin are reeling from their Pastor’s acts of betrayal. Unanswerable questions stream from the Believers, as well as from the disillusioned and doubters. Joining the chorus of the confused are the skeptics and critics that live for the moment to see ministerial failures. Satan applauds the lapse of moral integrity. He suggests through the thought pattern that “vessels of clay” are prone to respond to the physical temptations of life. Believers have been taught to forgive their fallen leaders, claiming that no one is perfect and we should expect there will be times of spiritual failure.
There will be proclamations decreed from pulpits that pastors are not different from any other Christian. Parishioners are urged to follow Christ and not the Shepherd, for the human leader will fail them. It sounds good, but is it Biblical? Are the five fold ministries just a fulfillment of human desires and self appointment? (See Eph. 4:11) Can anyone start a church and self proclaim himself a Pastor or Evangelist? Can a person simply read the Bible and study its content, and then stand in a pulpit as an authority on God’s Word? Does attending a Bible School and receiving a diploma make a person a Pastor? What about mail order degrees? Is one who has been appointed by a denominational edict qualified to proclaim God’s Word in an assembly of Believers? Some of the biggest problems in the Church today come from leaders who have volunteered for ministerial leadership without having a “calling.” Whenever someone assumes spiritual leadership of a local church, there must be accountability to the One whom they are required to represent. If an individual has not been “called,” he will be accountable to no one but himself. He will also be vulnerable to carnal leading and fleshly temptations. A large percentage of moral failures among the clergy are directly related to the self ordained. When preaching takes on the characteristic of people pleasing instead of God honoring, Satan has gained a foothold within that assembly. There are 24 qualifications for those who would be elevated into ministry roles. (Titus 1:6-9, I Tim. 3:1-7) How many Pastors today have met the criteria?
What about the moral failure of those who have been called by God? Pride and self promotion opens the door to deception and vulnerability. When those who have been divinely appointed begin to transfer the cause of their success from God to themselves, their mind lays exposed to the things of the flesh. Success begins to be defined by numbers, such as how many people attend, how much money is in the coffers, and the square feet of their edifice. Soon there is confidence that whatever is attempted will meet with success. Lucifer thought so highly of himself that he believed he could be like God. Even though the called of God will never admit it, there is a temptation to believe that everything is permissible to God’s chosen. Whenever a Pastor begins to believe his own publicity, the road to irresistible temptations lays before him. A tempted Pastor needs to understand that if he allows lust to seed in his thoughts, it will not be long before that lust will turn into a sinful act. A tempted Pastor needs to realize that if he commits an act of sin, it is done in full view of Jesus Christ, who has promised never to leave him. When he looks at pornography, Jesus is right there with Him.
Where is the fear of God? One can be so wrapped up in himself that he begins to believe in his own deity. Forgiveness originates from God and is passed on by Believers to one another, but to grant forgiveness is not to diminish the consequences of sin. When a Pastor violates his Godly ethics, there will be an accounting to God for his actions. To be trusted with the lives of countless numbers and than to wound them by the same acts that he has preached against is grounds for a “dishonorable discharge” as an officer in the army of the Lord. A Pastor can be forgiven, but for him to be restored to spiritual authority is another question all together. One who is entrusted with representing and exemplifying the Gospel is to be held in higher regard than other Believers. There is a greater accountability and consequence for their actions. To willfully and, in some cases, habitually sin is grounds not only for dismissal, but a forfeiting of any future ministry. It is not to say that a fallen Pastor cannot be involved in the Church as any other forgiven Believer, but not in the capacity which he once held.
Every Believer needs to continually pray for their Pastor. Satan’s main target in the Body of Christ is the Shepherd. If he can take down the Pastor, there will be collateral consequences. Never worship the Pastor, but always hold him in high esteem, for he has been chosen of God to be His proclaiming servant.
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