ASHLEY MADISON

(Why Pastors fall into Sexual Sin)

After the Sunday morning worship service Sally (not her real name) stopped to talk to me. She had a burning question. This was the question she raised to me. “Dan, why would a pastor subscribe to the Ashley Madison web site?”

In case you are not aware, Ashley Madison is a web site that enabled a person to meet another person for the purpose of having an affair. Someone estimated 400 pastors resigned from their churches two weeks ago because they were exposed as members of this web site.

Sally then revealed her question was much more than an academic curiously. She explained how her former pastor fell into adultery. You could hear the pain and hurt in her voice. Then she said this to me. “I learned so much for him. But why would a pastor allow himself to fall into adultery?”

I then gave a list of reasons why pastors fall into sexual sin. Pastors are under a lot of stress today. They sometimes look for relief from their anxieties in the wrong places. Pastors today are very lonely. They sometimes look for comfort in the wrong places.

I also explained how most churches are looking for a celebrity pastor, and many pastors want to become a celebrity pastor. When this happens there is an unhealthy focus on numerical growth at the expense of spiritual growth. And this puts a great deal of stress on the pastor.

But all the above reasons are just symptoms of a bigger problem. This is the big problem. When a pastor falls into sexual sin this is a clear sign that they have failed to focus on the most important mission in their life and ministry.

What is the pastor’s most important mission? The Apostle Paul kept his focus on his most important mission. Let’s take a few snap shots of his ministry. Then you will know what should be the most important mission in your own life.

The Apostle Paul worked hard at building a ministry team. He did not minister alone. But building a ministry team was not his most important mission. The Apostle worked hard at planting new churches. His method of church planting has been a model for the church throughout the ages. But planting new churches was not his most important mission. The Apostle Paul also worked hard at correcting wrong theology. But correcting wrong theology was not his most important mission.

But Paul’s most important mission can be found in Philippians 3:8. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish…”

Paul’s most important mission in life was to know Christ. To Paul knowing Christ was more important than building a ministry team, planting churches, or correcting wrong theology. As a single minister Paul was able to endure great hardship because his main focus in life was to know Christ.

It’s not always easy to keep the main thing- the main thing. But if our top priority in life is to know Christ then several things are going to happen. We will spend personal time with Christ through personal Bible reading and prayer.

But there’s something else. If I make knowing Christ my most important mission then my wife does not have to worry about playing second to the church. I will love her, and value her. And yes, I will learn to love her as Christ loved the church.

At this point we need to be very careful. People often applaud the pastor who rushes from one thing to another. “Look at them go!” We sometimes think busyness means success. But busyness can rob us of our time with Christ.

There are also times in which we have little or no control over the use of our time. Like the time my wife and I had to take care of her sick parents. But if you normally make knowing Christ your most important mission, your times with Christ will carry you through those difficult times.

Let me ask you to evaluate your life. “What is your most important mission in life?” Is it to know Christ? Or is it to build a great ministry? Please understand there’s nothing wrong with building a great ministry. But if building a great ministry is at the expense of the time needed to know Christ then in the end it will all crumble.

When I was in seminary our church history professor kept warning us with the words found in I Cor. 10:12. “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” One of the ways we take heed to ourselves is by making sure we have a growing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing him is our most important mission in life and ministry.