The Heart of The Matter ~ Part 2

Proper Protocol

By speaking against God’s established leaders, you are sowing seeds for your own destruction. Remember, Scripture tells us:

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses ~ 1 Timothy 5:19

The passage in Matthew 18 provides us with proper protocol to follow with any church member, including a pastor or a leader who has sinned or is in error.

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained a brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector ~ Matthew 18:15-18.

Even if your pastor is angry and controlling like Saul, you must demonstrate a heart of David. You must refrain from taking the opportunity to “kill” God’s leader (1 Samuel 24). David waited for God to intervene and deal with Saul. May it never be said of you, as it was of Absalom, that you stole the hearts of the people away from your pastor (2 Samuel 15:4-6).

Let God judge your pastor. If you judge him or her, God will be justified in saying, “Since men have taken action, I will step back.” Thus, God will allow us to live with the results of our actions. In addition, by taking judgment into our own hands, we give demonic spirits a legal right to judge, hassle, harass, and come against us, simply because we have acted presumptively and have stepped out from under our covering. Therefore, it would be better to leave a church quietly than to speak against God’s anointed.

Some people erroneously think that because their gifts continue to be used, their actions are sanctioned by God. Remember what the Lord said:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ~ Matthew 7:21-23

Some of us may think that because we are casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead, or prophesying accurately that it indicates God’s stamp of approval. We may think we are within the will of God when we criticize our pastor, but God calls it lawlessness.

As Jesus once said, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). A heart dedicated and consecrated to the Lord honors the spiritual authority that God has established. A heart that rejects that authority allows lawlessness to influence perceptions and decisions.

Please understand that I am not saying we cannot question a spiritual leader who has authority over us. Inquiry is an important process of maturity. However, what we do after a disagreement is critical. If our conversation becomes covert, hidden, and malicious, then we are treading in the realm of lawlessness. Our actions depict lawlessness, especially if our intent is to remove that leader. It would be wise to remember that in the Didache or writings of the Early Church fathers, there were only four reasons that warranted removing a pastor. Those were moral failure; financial impropriety; teaching heresy; rage or uncontrolled emotions.

The Mystery of Deception

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken our of the way ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

The word mystery is defined by Webster as “a religious truth that one can know only by revelation.” Thus, the mystery of lawlessness will involve the condition of being deceived. When individuals are involved in lawless acts, they are often unaware of being in rebellion. They are misled by a mental stronghold of self-righteous thinking and are fooled into thinking they are doing God -- and the church -- a favor. Thus, they have elevated their way of thinking and are trying to correct someone God has chosen as their authority. Their actions demonstrate that they actually despise authority.

The mystery of lawlessness has been and is still powerfully at work in our culture. Satan has subtly persuaded many to embrace relativism -- a theory that ethical truths are defined by individuals, groups, circumstances, and situations. Today, many believe there are no universal absolutes. Each person defines his or her rules. Many believe that “what’s right for one person is not right for another.” Tolerance becomes the cultural buzzword meant to disarm anyone who embraces biblical absolutes.

People who are deceived by lawlessness do not understand that by rejecting God’s laws they are led into even greater licentiousness and enslavement to sin. When lawlessness is practiced, it becomes easier to do it again. Thus, lawlessness leads to more lawlessness.

I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness ~ Romans 6:19

Over the years I have found that many who try to remove a pastor in one church will repeat their actions in another church. They develop a history of causing church problems. I have also discovered that churches launched from a church split often end up splitting themselves. In these situations, the spirit of Jezebel flourishes.

In Scripture, the spirit of lawlessness is linked to the spirit of lust or uncleanness, which corrupt the soul. Those who practice lawlessness walk according to their own ungodly lusts. Scripture calls them “sensual persons” (Jude 19).

Lawlessness results in unfruitfulness and unanswered prayer. It causes us to ask amiss and for personal benefit (James 4:3). Lawlessness causes us to curse men whom God had made, inferring that God was unaware of whom He was making.

With [the tongue] we bless our God… and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. ~ James 3:9.

Throughout Scripture, we are exhorted not to live according to this world, but to pursue peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14). We must also treat authority figures with respect (Romans 13:1-7). When we do, God will anoint us with the oil of gladness and with eternal life (Psalm 133).

God gives us the choice of becoming a vessel of honor or of dishonor -- to be mightily used of God or to be cast away from His presence (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Our willingness to choose obedience, in the midst of disagreement, is key to walking as a vessel of honor.

He who keeps His command will experience nothing harmful; and a wise man’s heart discerns both time and procedure, because for every matter there is a time and procedure, though the misery of man increases greatly ~ Ecclesiastes 8:5-6

A Correct Response To Authority

Since God has placed those in authority over us, we must be willing to submit to them. We should also make it a joy for them to watch over our souls.

Over those who rule over you…Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you ~ Hebrews 13:17-18.

Your willingness to submit to those in authority does not mean that you cannot have different ideas. You can experience great diversity in the midst of great unity. Once a course of action has been taken by leadership, however, you need to support their decision. If you find yourself questioning the direction taken by leadership, then seek another church that lines up with your ideals and calling. Furthermore, when making that change, do so with grace and humility, not with discord or strife. Otherwise, Scripture says it will be “unprofitable” for you.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes ~ Proverbs 21:1

As you examine your own heart, ask yourself: Do you really believe God can turn your pastor’s heart? Then why not step back and pray? We serve a faithful and just God, who is capable of bringing about changes in the heart of your pastor. If God shares your beliefs and priorities for the church, you may witness the pastor responding to divine revelation, which affects a change in his or her decisions and actions. If God does not bring about the changes you desire, perhaps the more important issue is you, not your pastor! Then you may want to ask yourself, “What is God trying to change in me?”

Accepting honest answers to questions such as these may point out areas in your life in which God desires change. In this process, you may benefit from a deeper understanding of yourself. You will also grow closer to the Lord, as you look to Him to influence your pastor.

Some Basic Assumptions

Before going further, you may want to consider the following presuppositions:

Premise 1: Our heavenly Father is infinitely wise and insightful. His knowledge is complete and extends to the past, present, and future.

Premise 2: God establishes all authority in its position.

Premise 3: God allowed the decisions to happen that placed your pastor in your church, knowing exactly what he or she would do.

Premise 4: Having infinite awareness, God is not surprised by what your pastor is, or is not, doing.

Premise 5: As all powerful, God can cause your pastor to stop any course of action, should the Lord choose. He could visit your pastor and tell him or her to stop, if God thought it was important to do so.

Premise 6: Perhaps if God is not correcting your pastor, then He may be using the situation to work in your life, as well as in the life of your pastor.

Premise 7: Assuming that God is working in your life and in your pastor’s life, then it would be wise to remember the words of Jesus: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). In showing mercy to your pastor, you will receive mercy from God.

Premise 8: To challenge pastoral authority (except for the four issues of moral failure, financial impropriety, teaching heresy, rage or uncontrolled emotions) is to act presumptively as though you are God. The consequences of such behavior may be grave.