A Bookshelf Full of Moral Failures
Recently, I built (aka assembled) a bookshelf in my office.
But on one shelf, there is a peculiar row of books. The shelf sits beside the chair where I have my quiet time each morning.
You might think that the shelf would be filled with my favorite books, or books from my spiritual heroes, or maybe books that have left me deeply impacted. But that shelf isn't filled with those types of books. Instead, it is filled with entirely different books.
. The bookshelf has books from pastors who've had a significant and public moral failure:
Brian Houston
Perry Noble
Mark Driscoll
James McDonald
Etc.
We praise the Lord that many of these men have repented of their sins and have been restored to Gospel ministry. But the fact remains, they were once my heroes, but now they're not.
You could say they are my old heroes.
Old Heroes
There is a song by Ben Rector called Heroes that hits my heart when I think about this.
“I miss when Andy McAuthur was the fastest kid there was. And the fastest kid there was ever gonna be. Ken Griffey Jr. was a giant, before parents got divorced. And I learned that there was gravity. I miss my old heroes. I had to give them all away. I miss my old heroes, yeah, yeah. God, I wish they could've stayed. Cause it turns out that the hardest part of growing up's not getting old. It's learning how the real world goes.
Did you catch that? — “I had to give them all away.”
I'm going to be honest. When I look at that shelf of heroes, I have to grieve. I grieve that some of them are now my old heroes.
You know what really sucks?
I have an entire shelf of old heroes in my office.
But even more excruciatingly, I have a whole bookshelf of old heroes in my heart.
I've had to give them all away.
I bet you've had to, as well.
We all have a litany of people who were once role models, who, because of the riches of this world or the deceitfulness of sin, have walked away from a life or ministry of faithfulness.
And it hurts.
It has to be grieved.
So what do we do?
“In The Year King Uzziah Died”
The Prophet Isaiah dealt with something similar during his call to ministry in Isaiah 6.
[1] In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. [2] Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
[4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (ESV)
It's important to note that Isaiah locates his call to ministry “in the year King Uzziah died.” Remember who King Uzziah was…
He was a good King.
He was a godly King.
He was a great, heroic King.
Until he wasn't. At the end of King Uzziah's life, he…
Shunned the word of the Lord.
Disregarded the wisdom of the mighty men.
Entered into the Temple unworthily.
Rebuilt the high places.
He became an old hero.
And Isaiah locates his call to ministry in the year that the Lord struck Uzziah with leprosy for his sin, which ultimately led to his death.
So, what does Isaiah do?
“Woe Is Me”
Notice how quickly Isaiah moves past Uzziah's failures. For example, the name Uzziah is not mentioned anywhere else in the book past verse six.
He doesn't talk about the effects of his leadership.
He doesn't process his leadership trauma for all to see.
He doesn't share his status as a victim of Uzziah's sin.
Instead, he immediately moves on to his sin. He says in verse five, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…”
He doesn't look at Uzziah's sin.
He doesn't look at the surrounding nation's sin.
He looks at HIS sin.
How Do I Not Make It On The Shelf?
I often ask myself — how do I not make it on the shelf?
In other words, how do I personally ensure that the riches of this world or the deceitfulness of sin do not lead me away from a life or ministry of faithfulness?
How do I not become Local Church's old hero?
How do I not become my kid's old hero?
How do I not become my wife's old hero?
I think we need to take a cue from Isaiah, get our eyes off of the sins of others, and begin to ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts for our OWN sinsI'mI'm reminded of what 1 Corinthians 10:12 says:
I'm reminded of what 1 Corinthians 10:12 says:
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. - The Apostle Paul
Because the fact of the matter is…
No one is beyond ruining their marriage.
No one is beyond destroying their ministry.
No one is beyond becoming an old hero.
And no one is beyond ending up on the bookshelf full of moral failures.
For The Local Church 📍
Pastor Landon