Watch Out

Over the past couple of years, I've found a lot of encouragement in ministry and life from reading the blogs of many Godly men and leaders in the Church. Those blogs all appear on the right here.

Most of them are church planters. Men who have been where I'm at right now, and are in places now that I hope to be in a few years in terms of seeing Kingdom growth in their churches. It's been a real joy to follow these guys and to see God move in might ways in their lives and ministries to build His Kingdom.

There's a certain danger in this though. Sometimes, I unintentionally elevate them to positions that I shouldn't. Sometimes, they're even wrong in the things that they write. Sometimes, I look to them for the vision in doing this that should only come from God. By and large, I've been able to engage with their writing and take it for what it's worth. And I've found a lot of encouragement and wisdom in their words.

When I read this post by Gary Lamb yesterday I was blown away. Gary is probably the one blogger that I've most identified with over the past couple of years. He reminds me a lot of me. A good old boy who acts like a knucklehead a lot of the time. A warrior for the Kingdom who doesn't mind stepping on the right toes. A guy who tells it like it is. A guy who is hot or cold, on or off, black or white. A guy who has a huge heart for people who are far from God and is doing what it takes to reach them.

I've never met Gary. Never heard him speak live or anything like that. Just always enjoyed and appreciated his perspective. When I read that news yesterday, I had a couple of different reactions. I felt sick to my stomach. I mourned for his wife and kids. My heart broke for his church.

It's always a huge disgrace to the cause of Christ when a pastor or leader falls like this. But having been in ministry, I know that the temptations that cause many pastors to have significant moral failures are real. Satan knows that one of a man's greatest weaknesses is lust and sexual temptation, and he'll prey on that at every opportunity. When I hear of news like that, I just think, "How could you?"

And it's a reminder to me that nobody - even pastors who are leading great movements of God - is immune from temptation. Even Jesus was tempted. But it's also a huge reminder to constantly be on guard against temptation and to constantly guard your heart and mind. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked a lot about sin and where it comes from. He made no bones about the fact that it begins in our hearts and minds.

In Gary's letter, he openly admits that his failure began with his lack of attention on his own walk with God. It's easy to get caught up in doing - even when the doing is "for God" - and to forget about being with God.

So if you're reading this, pray for Gary and his family as they navigate this difficult time. Pray for Revolution Church. Pray for God to continue to show his strength and power to people who are hurt, betrayed and disappointed by this. Pray for me, and for other leaders in the Church, that we would be strong in our walk with God and that He would enable us to flee from temptation when it comes. And pray for yourselves, as Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Another pastor, Perry Noble, who is on the Board of Overseers for Gary's church, had these wise words to say. There's so much truth in these words.

It's a tragedy, for sure. But it's not beyond God's grace and God's power to restore Gary and to continue to do great things at Revolution.