My heart is heavy at the moment as I just heard the news of my favorite preacher, Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida, resigned his position this weekend due to a marital failure. I do not know all of the details but because his granddad, Billy Graham is world-famous, it is all over the news. I think more than that it's because he's a christian and a pastor.
I quote Tullian all the time as his preaching (by the power of the HS) has set me free in many areas of my life. He preaches the unadulterated good news that Jesus came to do for sinners what sinners couldn't do for themselves. I've read (or am reading) all of his books and his am an avid listener of his weekly podcast.
I thought it was odd that over the last few weeks CRPC was having guest preachers as Tullian was in the middle of a series on the book of Acts called "Unstoppable" which I was very much enjoying. I knew he had taken some kind of sabbatical but thought it was only for some time for him and his family to get away as he does most summers.
As I walked through Target waiting for the kids to look at toys I saw someone on my FB page post "tell me this isn't true..." and a blog titled "The age of the unknowable Pastor" with Tullian's picture. My stomach sank into knees. I began to read the words in the blog and the dread words "extra-marital affair" appeared. My heart was broken. But why? Why did my heart ache for Tullian and his wife? Why did it become surreal at the moment I read it?
Idolatry is why. John Calvin said, "the heart is an idol making factory" constantly fashioning idols and replacing them with each other. Our hearts are dark and sinful and should not be listened to, no matter what your sunday school teacher says. Tullian had become that in my life. This is why when you hold someone in such high esteem, it's like they die. It's like someone takes the ground out from underneath you. God does these things because He loves you. He does this because he deserves to be number one, not someone you just call on when things get bad.
Tullian is exactly who I thought he was. He is, as Paul says in Romans 7, "oh wretched man that I am, who can save me from this body of death?" Thankfully this isn't where Tullian's story ends. This isn't the last we have heard from him. Why? The world is watching. How do we forgive one of our own? How do we love our own when something like this happens? How far does our grace really reach? The breath of fresh air comes after the statement Paul makes at the end of Romans 7 into Romans 8. So we stand and say to you pastor Tullian, "There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, Tullian. You are exactly who I thought you were...a wretch like me."
http://www.crpc.org/statement-from-coral-ridge-leadership
