God is good. Remind yourself daily of His redemptive plan in your life.
At a Saturday meetup with some guys at Starbucks, the discussion of Steven J. Lawson has come up a couple of times in the past month. He has been preaching down in the valley from us at Grace Community Church and one of the guys in the group is going over a book from Dr. Lawson. So he has been on my radar in a positive way.
Dr. Lawson has written many a book, BTW. Here is his Amazon bio:
- Steven J. Lawson is founder and president of OnePassion Ministries, a ministry designed to bring about a new reformation in the church. He is a teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries, director of the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master’s Seminary, and a visiting professor in the Doctor of Ministry program at the Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies. He has written two dozen books, including The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield, and John Knox: Fearless Faith.
Here is the reason for this post. A friend of this Saturday group, who now resides in another state, sent this to me 1:30 AM this morning — 3:30 his time. He had no idea that Dr. Lawson was part of conversation in the group.
This is NOT to point an accusing finger at Dr. Lawson in a spiteful or mean way, but as a call for men to watch their six, in all aspects of their lives.
A Dallas pastor has been removed indefinitely from the church he has served at since 2018 due to him having an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman, according to the church’s leadership.
Trinity Bible Church announced the removal of Steven J. Lawson on its website after its elders became aware of his relationship “several days ago.” The church did not detail the nature of the relationship or identify the woman.
“The elders have met with Steve and will continue to come alongside him and pray for him with the ultimate goal of his personal repentance,” the church said. “Steve will no longer be compensated by Trinity Bible Church of Dallas.”
Lawson, 73, has served as a pastor for over 40 years in Arkansas and Alabama before he became the lead preacher at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas, according to his profile on OnePassion Ministries, a ministry he founded and is president of.
“In light of this, may we be reminded that we are ALL sinners, and Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners – and Christ remains Head of His Church, which is bigger than any fallen man,” according to Trinity Bible Church. “In fact, Jesus Christ will continue to lead His Church, including Trinity Bible Church here in Dallas, just like He has from the start of this work on Jan. 5, 2018.” …
Even though I am a bibliophile, I was not too aware of Dr. Lawson.
Someone I WAS intimately knowledgeable of and have read most of his works was Ravi Zacharias, who fell…
- A more egregious fall, so to speak, probably not redeemed in any meaningful way under those whom he should have placed himself [– but probably did not –] under, for accountability and guidance.
But even though Dr. Lawson may be redeemed in his walk and marriage, which is what I pray for, he has ruined a career that could have grown in influencing generations to come, in a more meaningful way. He has – I assume, if the allegations are true, removed himself from the pulpit for the remainder of his career.
Not only that, but he has also stained the blouse of the larger body politic of the Church.
Instead, he stunted God’s larger plans for his life influencing generations to come.
Obviously, God deals with us in a corporate sense as a “Church Universal,” but also on an individual plane. So, God’s plans of redemption are still in full affect in Dr. Lawson’s life. Which in an individual sense is, coming to the foot of Calvary when we fail.
And, in this way his voluminous writings can still help guide us in learning about God, as Ravi’s resources can still do, but the *asterisk exists in the bio of these men that the world can use in a Satanic [accusatory] way against the Church Universal.
Dr. Lawson is reminded once again that he need a Savior and that pride damages that daily realization and bold walk in our faith as we seek ways to rout God and replace Him with desire.
Which has me thinking about the last two Monday men’s groups at my church, and, as I see it, the two issues that have been at the center of this men’s Bible study sessions.
SEXUAL SIN AND UNCONTROLLED ~ SINFUL ~ ANGER.
Mind you, righteous anger in a stand against evil; and harm to innocence is needed. Psalm 97:10 starts with, “O you who love the Lord, hate evil!”, but here we are talking about anger being part of the problem. Not a Godly solution.
Dennis Prager, a radio personality I have listened to for over two decades, notes often that in the battle against self, men’s two main pillars to fight in their lives are anger and lust. These are typically the two biggies in a man’s life. I was more on the anger spectrum than the lust, but I have a few friends from the “olden days” who are on the “lust” spectrum of the scale.
Last Monday our church group of guys studied a bit of Samson’s life. And I saw a connection between two verses that are so miniscule, in that they are literally two sentences spanning 20-years, that I shared it with my table.
(Table Eleven Rules!)
And wrote a text to my sons to help them benefit from the Biblical warnings to us via the real lives of those who have struggled in their walk. So, we don’t have to. Or that is the plan…
Hopefully and prayerfully.
If you have children, you see that ideal rejected often. FYI, we are God’s children, and He sees this same thing in His relationship with us, His adoptive son’s and daughter’s lives.
Here is that note to them [my sons] to encourage learning from those who are giants in our faith. That these two sentences may open a meaningful study of God’s Word and the impact of two sentences often glossed over:
Added to just a tad for this post
A note to my boys:
We studied the life of Samson in Judges at our last men’s group at church. And I noticed something… 2 sentences. Chapter 15:20, and 16:1. No one at my table had seen it either. But in a group of men – a few of us with long marriages, and one married 10 years, and one getting married in a week – it led to great discussion and is an example of the simplicity of Scripture guiding men in their walk.
- Judges 15:20 — Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
Samson was not a good guy. He has an*asterisk in his bio… a few of them. Yes, he is in the Heroes Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, but he is included as a wretched man who pushed God’s plans away most of his life.
Everyone is redeemable.
That is the point.
But in this simple one sentence, it seems the Bible is hinting that he got his act together to be a judge over Israel. For 20 years, he built a reputation. 20 years.
And much like Reagan warned, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” The same goes for our actions…
- Judges 16:1 — One day, Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there. He went in to spend the night with her.
Our life’s goals and aspirations in our walk in the Lord can be overthrown by one egregious action, or, habitual chipping away at what God wants for us.
[I know this well, as, I am a 54 year old man just entering the “Dave Ramsey” portion of life.]
Marriage is the most fundamental covenant God wants us to be enjoined in. And keeping your and my reputation intact — put God in front of your plans. No matter how small or large. Rebuff desire for fruitfulness.
Love you boys.
After texting with a few guys on the topic, one of them sent some additional information to push the idea of of how important it is to treat our walk with the Lord in our actions towards one’s we love – trustworthy. A discussion of “trust in marriage being treated like fine china” is excerpted below from a book by Paul Tripp, Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make. My friend noted that trust could mean the same as “reputation” in my text to my son’s.
“We will work together to build a sturdy bond of trust. Trusting and entrusting, we will build a strong foundation. We simply cannot have a healthy, God-honoring, mutually satisfying marriage without trust.
In a fallen world, trust is the fine china of a relationship. It is beautiful when it is there, but it is surely delicate and breakable. When trust is broken, it can be very hard to repair. It is trust that allows a husband and wife to face all the internal and external threats to their unity, love, and understanding. It is trust that allows couples to weather the differences and discouragements that every marriage faces. It is trust that allows couples to talk with honesty and hope about the most personal and difficult things.
There are two sides to trust. First, you must do everything you can to prove yourself trustworthy. Second, you must make the decision to entrust yourself into your spouse’s care. What does it look like to engender a marriage where trust thrives? What does it look like to rebuild trust when it has been shattered? What are the characteristics of a relationship where trust is the glue?”
(Wheaton, IL: Crossway, April 2021), 71-72
Good stuff. Another commentary was noted as well in that conversation before church this morning. It comes by way of Don Green via his FACEBOOK. (See more at Pastor Don’s TRUTH COMMUNITY CHURCH on YOUTUBE):
My (lengthy) thoughts on Steve Lawson.
To the best of my memory, I have never spoken with Steve Lawson nor had my picture taken with him. I very rarely was in an audience when he was the speaker. It has been several years, even, since I consulted any of his work in the course of my ministry.
So yesterday’s news about his dismissal from Trinity Bible Church of Dallas due to “an inappropriate relationship” with a woman did not hit me personally in the way that it did many of you.
I briefly debated whether to make this post, but since I think it may help the people of God process the news, I now proceed.
The primary question for which I want to give some perspective is: “How does a prominent Bible teacher DO that? How could he preach the Word, by outward appearances with power, in the midst of such sin and compromise?”
It is a difficult question and one that is not easy to answer to the satisfaction of those who feel betrayed and hurt.
Without much expansion, let me offer you five principles to consider.
1. Exercising a Spiritual Gift is Not the Same as Growing in Sanctification
I’ll stipulate, for the purpose of this discussion anyway, that SL has been a gifted Bible teacher. He wouldn’t have reached the prominence in so many Christian teaching ministries otherwise. But my dear friends, Scripture plainly teaches us not to confuse gifting with sanctification from sin.
You need look no further than the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 12-14. They had spiritual gifts, including speaking gifts, but Paul had to correct them for the carnal and ungodly way that they exercised them.
2. Exercising a Spiritual Gift Is Not the Same as Fearing God
Yes, this one hurts. But in my opinion the fear of God is largely lost on the modern church with devastating consequences. Scripture plainly says:
“By the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)
Do you see a man—any man—who is walking in sin? No matter the outward appearance, somewhere in his life he has forsaken the fear of the Lord.
3. You Can Fool All of the People Some of the Time
This worldly maxim has a biblical counterpart. Judas was a traitor and a thief in the inner circle of Jesus, but none of the eleven suspected him. When Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” they didn’t all look at Judas as the culprit. With broken hearts they entertained the possibility, “Lord, is it I?
Only in retrospect did they see Judas for who he was. He had fooled them all.
So I do not fault those who were close to Steve Lawson for not seeing this sooner. Their trust was broken. Rather, I commend them for taking public action when it became known to them.
4. Scripture Must Be Joined with Faith and Obedience
Now I turn from Steve Lawson to the outwardly professing church of God. Rather than speculate about how a man could do this, the biblical perspective is to turn humbly to self-examination:
12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)
Satan, sin, and even our very selves are deceptive and subject to deception. A man thinks he will never fall, or that he will not be exposed when he does, or that the thrill is worth it. Whatever. Lies, every one of them.
It’s not without reason that Scripture says:
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)
Do you see a fallen leader? Okay. Next question. What unconfessed sin is in your life? There’s your focus going forward.
5. Let the Mockers Be Warned
The usual suspects will chortle over the news. Sinners will be emboldened to dismiss the gospel; others are already smearing other prominent Christians by their association with Steve Lawson. Such is inevitable, but still I must warn them: let you enemies of the truth hold your tongues:
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him. (Proverbs 24:17).
It is a true wretch who can gloat over this news when it greatly hurts and hinders so many lives, families, churches, and institutions. Indeed, I’m not unmindful that the mud splashes onto all biblical pastors by casting unfounded suspicion on them.
The Lord sees it all, and it kindles His wrath when you boast over a fallen one.
Conclusion
This is a time of chastening for the church, but not a time for despair. Christ, the Head of the Church, still reigns and will never forsake us. His Word tells us enough to have perspective to go forward in the battle.
I am sad, frustrated, and even angry at this news. Many innocent people are harmed and betrayed. The dear gospel of Christ is exposed to ridicule due to the sin of one who was supposedly one of its champions.
That’s not okay.
But as for me and my house, our faith and hope are in Christ, and were never in any man—certainly not this man. So I plan to keep walking forward with confidence in the risen Lord and make my path to the celestial city to come.
I invite you to do the same.
Amen. Well put and another example of iron sharpening iron.