“Pastor, our church pastor was sentenced to prison because of something he did. Although he’s out now, but I don’t feel like listening to him or reading his books anymore. What can I do?”
I totally understand the mixed feelings you have right now, but just because your pastor goofed doesn’t mean the things he has preached and the books he has written are now false. Look away from the flaws and study his materials, you’d be amazed what you’d find as you listen or study his books.
I recall Apostle Joshua Selman telling a story of a man of God whom nobody liked because of his flawed ways. In fact, it is said that people who didn’t even know the man of God also disliked him once they heard the story. It was that bad. One day Apostle Selman decided to do a study about the man and to his amazement, he encountered a spiritual gift that has helped him in life and ministry today.
Let’s beware, the attack on spiritual leaders in this end times will be even more than we’ve ever seen. It’s a strategy of the devil to shift the faith of believers. He wants to plant an idea in your mind that “if your pastor can’t obey God’s word, then who can?”. Only God knows how many believers have derailed today only because a pastor flawed.
I’m not making any form of excuse for pastors, especially those ones that have completely yielded to the flesh, but let’s beware of Satan’s strategy. One of the responsibilities of a Christian is to discern the strategies that the enemy is using to impede spiritual growth. If he’s using the strategy of weakness by our spiritual leaders, then we must be wise enough to forgive our leaders and move on. I see no reason why we shouldn’t forgive our spiritual leaders if they’ve repented.
My desire is to follow Jesus till He returns, but imagine for a moment that I derail and the news spreads everywhere, would you still read my articles even after I repent? If you cannot deal with this, then you’re right where the devil wants you to be, a place of confusion. This means that you’d have nothing to do with all my resources, especially the volumes of books I’ve written. Do you have an idea of how much transformation the contents of those books will bring to your life? Why would you sacrifice your transformation for an unforgiving spirit?
The sin of a spiritual leader doesn’t make him any less a man of God or a brethren in Christ. From experience, giving him a second chance would even strengthen his faith in God the more. Let’s learn from Apostle James. In his letter, he made it very clear how believers in Christ should deal with the issue of sin.
James 5:
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Did you see that? We don’t only confess our faults to God, we also confess it to one another so that we can pray about it as a brethren and receive healing. Verse 19 reveals that there’s a possibility of erring even as a brethren in Christ, but let that person be open to someone who can counsel and possibly pray with him. Pastors are not exempted from this principle. Just because we’re pastors doesn’t mean we’re no longer brethren’s in Christ. I’m not ashamed to share my weaknesses with a Christian brother whom I know will counsel me and pray along with me. And just incase the matter spreads to the entire church, let’s remember that I’m a brethren and I need prayers to be healed.
There’s a place for judgement and a place to pray. Don’t judge a brethren when you should be praying for him. Your judgement may cause even more people to fall into sinful ways. It’s one thing to fail, but an entirely different thing to live with the fear of failing. God doesn’t want us to live in fear, the bible specifically tells us that God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear but of a sound mind. Unfortunately, the average minister of the gospel lives in fear, fear of being judged by people when he fails. And that’s also why most of them can’t walk in great authority and power – because they have fear in them.
How do you think I’d feel if I know that people will still listen to the gospel that I preach even when I make an obvious mistake? How do you think I’d feel when I know that you all will be there to encourage me to keep pushing – knowing that the devil is coming really hard at me? The fear that you’d leave me when I fall isn’t really helping me as a teacher. If God gives me a second chance, would you also give me a second chance?
Let’s restore that forgiving spirit in the church. If we do, the devil and his operations will be far from us. It was while we were sinners that Christ died. Let’s not judge our own over something that Christ died for. Rather, let’s uphold him in prayer till he’s perfect and complete in Christ. Let’s deal with the flaws and restore the brethren in a timely fashion. Possibly, let’s put a closer watch on him. I’m pretty sure that Jesus longs to see a church like this; a church where faults are resolved with love and the kingdom keeps advancing.
I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.
Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!
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