Matthew 23:1-12
Then Jesus spoke
to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees
have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do
according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them
on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much
as a finger. "But they do all their
deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen
the tassels of their garments. "They
love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market
places, and being called Rabbi by men. "But
do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. "Do not call anyone on earth your
father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. "Do not be called leaders; for One is
your Leader, that is, Christ. "But
the greatest among you shall be your servant.
"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles
himself shall be exalted.
I just heard the news of a PCA church
hiring a new Director of Ministry Development.
The man they hired was deposed for adultery just three weeks ago. His
name is Tullian Tchividjian.
A pastor has a solemn responsibility to
speak truth. He represents the God who
is truth by proclaiming the message of truth.
Tullian Tchividjian—who has now been approved by the elders of Willow
Creek Church—recently stood in front of God’s people speaking for God even
while he was in an adulterous relationship. Do you see the depth of betrayal and
dishonesty? Imagine if he had been
preparing his sermon when his conscience began to torment him. In this conviction, he called the elders and
confessed his sin, recognizing that he could not live out the sham of preaching
while he was living such a duplicitous life, so he stepped down. Such a situation would be commendable. Instead, Tchividjian pretended to be
qualified to speak for God until the elders discovered the affair and invited
him to resign. Even after his
resignation and deposition, he continues to speak for God. Until the elders confronted him, his conscience
was not burdened. He did not mind the
duplicity. The lie did not trouble him
enough to bring him to action. It is this duplicity that is most troubling and
is least addressed. The hypocrisy that
mirrors the Pharisees is what most disqualifies Tchividjian from office. The hardness of heart required to carry on an
affair while teaching and preaching the Word of God is unfathomable. Surely, he should be given more time to demonstrate a real change before we ask God's people to trust him again..
I am so sad.
