“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Matthew 7:3-5
"Churches are built from the planks in the eyes of their members. Unfortunately, they often do not remove them before construction begins."
Raymond Bechard
Why has the church become irrelevant to secular society? Quite simply, The Church, Christ's Body of Believers, continues to judge society and individuals by standards to which they themselves are not willing to abide.
And in order to maintain the look of cleanliness, to boost the egos of their leaders, to gain members and donations, they point their fingers outward - to the sins of society. They claim the problems rest outside the walls of the church and that all is well within. "We are not the problem," they shout. "The problems of the world fester in our society - far away from the confines of our innocence and righteousness." The congregations cheer in victory . . . and relief. The message is clear, "We don't have to change. We have to get others to change. If we get others to live as we do, our problems will be solved."
The problem is that society already is living as most churches and their leaders do: in sin and denial.
And now our culture is becoming acutely aware of the hypocrisy within the Church. We cannot deny it any longer. They know about pastor's cheating, stealing, abusing, hiding, and living secret lives.
This hypocrisy stains the entire church and the lost are turning away. The eternal salvation of those who do not know Jesus is the price paid by those who refuse to look past their pride and fear. They do not dare point inwards to the weakness within the walls of their church or their heart. They believe that to admit or openly share their own faults would put their ministries, their livelihoods, their reputations, and mostly, their egos at risk.
They hide the very sins they point out in others. They ignore the 'planks' in their own eyes while building careers on the 'specks' in others'.
But, when they fall, the Church itself comes tumbling down. Building their churches from the planks in their eyes is dangerous to the Kingdom of God. Because in time the sin permeating those planks leaks down into the very foundation of the church. They may remain out of sight for a time, but eventually they bring rot to the entire ministry. And no structure can stand if its foundation is eaten away by sin.
In fact, no organization - especially a church - can rise above the level of its leader's integrity. Every ministry will eventually reside in the darkest areas of the pastor's heart. That is why it is important to shed light - a VERY bright light - on every area of your heart. Let there be no darkness where destructive sin can hide.
If you are fearful that you will not be accepted in facing your demons and your confessions, consider these two questions:
- Do you want to lead a church, or be a member of one, that cannot follow Biblical principles of forgiveness, healing, and redemption?
- Do you want to face the added consequence of your darkness being exposed by someone else, while it is still your secret?
Here is what you must do to begin your journey, to clean out your basement, to protect your church, and to reach a new level of effectiveness as a leader and a follower of Jesus Christ:
- Confess to God. Usually, someone who has a lot to hide tries to keep chaotically busy in order to drown out the voices of his sin. Have the courage to go somewhere quiet, get down on your knees, confess to God . . . and then wait in silence.
- Don't do anything else alone. Your confession and contrition to Jesus is the only thing you will do alone in this process. Every other step should be taken with others by your side at all times.
- Get a 'Soul Guard." You are about to embark on a journey into the unknown, a wilderness filled with pitfalls. More than a body guard, you must find and take a 'Soul Guard' with you. This is the one person you trust, preferably not a family member, who will be with you EVERY step of the way. They must know and accept everything. They must be your advocate. They must be on your side.
- Build a 'Confessor Team." Confess to those who will understand, guide you, and stand with you. With your 'Soul Guard,' gather those around you who you trust the most; those who love Jesus; those whose lives have been broken and redeemed by the power of God; those who admit their faults and are compassionate to the struggles of others. There may only be a handful of them - maybe less - but these are the people you must tell first and foremost.
- With your 'Confessor Team,' create a plan. After coming clean, make sure you have a plan that includes telling your board, telling your congregation, and telling your denominational leadership.
- Tell your family. This will be more difficult than any other step. But, you must tell them with your 'Soul Guard' and your 'Confessor Team' already in place. You will need the strength of these others to help your family through their pain.
- Tell the world. With those you trust by your side, you must confess to your congregation verbally and in writing. Along with your confession you will also tell them what led up to this moment including the formation of your 'Confession Team,' telling your family, and your plans going forward. Remember, this is an extraordinary opportunity to show the world how to fail correctly and stand tall once again through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Go away. Don't think so much of yourself that your ministry cannot do without you for a while - or forever. Ultimately, and this will come as a shock to your ego, it's not about you. It's about the Kingdom of God and your ministry's role in building it. If you need to take time to heal, for counseling, for therapy, for rest - then do it. These plans should be discussed with your church and denominational leadership before your public confession.
- Give it time. Only the Lord knows the outcome or how long this will take. Not knowing those two things is the reason you are afraid. If you've ever told anyone to put their trust in the Lord, now is the time to take your own teaching to heart. You will have to trust Him now more than ever before.
- Finally, don't be afraid to step out into the light. This will be a difficult path to follow. The SONlight will hurt at first. But in time, you will come to realize that the pain you are feeling right now - the pain you feel from hiding and the fear of being exposed - is far worse than anything that you will experience in the days to come.
Yes, it hurts to fall. But in the end your legacy will be built on how you stand back up again.
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