It’s easy to point out the big failures in the American church. Another one happened over this past weekend. We will wrestle with another celebrity pastor and how their church failed to handle the situation.
Tish Harrison Warren reminds us that for all the press coverage of a failed leadership problem there are so many faithful pastors who have worked so faithfully in smaller places and they are worn out. Please take the time to read her column and be reminded of those who lead faithfully and get it right… and are still harassed far too often and driven out of ministry far too frequently.
We heartbreak on both ends of the spectrum in the America Church… and we are STILL failing to acknowledge them. We won’t mourn. We won’t repent. We cry out to God and wonder why HE is deaf? We go through these messes because we are broken and refuse to be healed.
I was reflection on 1 Timothy 6 this morning and specifically these verses:
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
I jotted these notes in my notebook:
All we are going to get with false teachers is dissension, strife, malicious talk… and constant friction between people of corrupt minds. These are people bereft of truth. It is about them. They have found religion to be a means of financial gain. If they get in the “God game” and make money, they are IN. Fame. Wealth. Adoration. Attention. The story is the same generation to generation. The emphasis changes from time to time. One generation may be financial gain. Another generation it may be accumulation of power. Another generation it may be simple narcissism. We need to be aware. We need to be alert. But most of all, we need to build a mature church driven by character traits of the beautiful Kingdom of God.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 