Leadership in the Church 5

Hello all!!! I have truly missed you in my time away. I am certainly sorry for not writing lately. As most of you may or may not know The Truth of the Matter is going global!!!! Internet TV that is!! For all of you that have been following the blog you can now join in live to n8tion.com Internet TV Thursdays, beginning August 11, 2011 at 7:00 pm. We will be discussing Christian based topics that might make most people feel uncomfortable, but are subjects that really needs to be addressed! So tune in for information, daily recipes and health tips and any topics that you can think of under the sun! It is our time as men and women of God to speak the truth and nothing but and to learn from one another as we grow in The Word. Now, it is time for me to dive into this continuous topic of Leadership in the Church. What do you do when the Leader of the church falls? How do you rebound? Well, I suppose like most things you will pray like you have never prayed before and forgive. How do we get there? Lately, there has been so many news articles of the bad things that are occurring in the church. People are becoming more and more discouraged and trust is in rare supply. Picture this; you attend church every week and study your Word. Your pastor is following the Word and always seems to be on point with what is going on in the world. He seems kind and compassionate and is definitely a giver. Then you find out the worst!! He has been living a secret life and has done some really terrible acts! What on earth do you do? As with any other subject in life you have to refer to The Word. This situation is no different. The Word tells us about the expectations of Leadership in Romans 12:1-21 (King James Version) 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Pastors are human beings and struggle with the same things that we do. To determine whether or not you can move forward after a Pastor falls depends on the nature of the acts involved. If a Pastor is leading incorrectly and misconstruing God's Word then he is a false prophet. 1 Timothy 6:3 (ESV) 3 if anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of the Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness. This is someone who lies about the Word of God. You are certainly not obligated to follow a false prophet. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). A Pastor is responsible for how he lives and is judged according to a higher standard. Stay away from them! The one who teaches false doctrine not only condemns himself, but also condemns those who follow his teaching. If a Pastor is teaching false doctrine, he must be rebuked and, if necessary, removed (see Matthew 18:15-18 and 1 Timothy 5:19-20 for the procedure to approach a sinning pastor).  However, there are the Pastors that fall because of moral issues. Moral issues are more with the way they are living their life. They can be teaching you the correct Word but not living it themselves.  Again 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 provide the qualifications of elder (Paul uses the Greek word presbuteros in Titus and episkopos in 1 Timothy. They translate into English as “Presbyter” and “Bishop/Overseer” respectively. They essentially describe the same office that we commonly refer to as “elder”). A Pastor should have an impeccable moral record. How can someone that is not living right teach someone to live Holy? This doesn’t mean that an elder can never, ever commit a sin, but an elder should be the very model of a repentant sinner when the occasion calls for it. When a Pastor falls it causes the unsaved to ridicule the church. They began to think the church is full of hypocrisy. It is very important to keep the integrity of the church. Fallen leaders hurt the church as a whole. So can a Pastor be restored?  Going back to Matthew 18, notice what Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15; cf. 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; 7:10-11). If a Pastor that has fallen and truly repents for what he has done then yes he can be restored. This means that the Pastor will have to live a continual life of obedience. It should show inside and outside the church. If their name is kept from any further scandals the evidence of their obedience will be apparent and their deliverance can not only help to restore the church but can also show others that you can be redeemed from any mistakes you make in life. That is the promise of God when you truly repent.  The key to true pastoral restoration is that the pastor is truly repentant. How long that may take just depends on the Pastor and how quick responsibility is taken for what has been done. It is also the duty of the church to pray for the fallen and support their decision to be restored. Together we can all show the world that through God's grace anyone can be forgiven and renewed. Thank you so much for joining me in discussing this topic. It is certainly not easy to see anyone fall from Grace. We have to uplift the man of God because they are under attack. Let us join together in support of those who truly want to change once they have fallen and pray for the people they have hurt and the families that have to come together! Thanks again for tuning in to "The Truth of the Matter. Knowing the truth about everything really does matter."