The Pastor's Replacement Bride
Copyright© 2023 by George H. McVey
Chapter 20
Joshua
The hymns had been sung and Deacon Wilson prayed the prayer over the sermon. Now, Joshua stepped into the pulpit to give the hardest sermon of his life. He looked out over his congregation and his eyes came to rest on Hattie. He nodded once and took a breath.
“Today’s sermon is going to differ from any I’ve ever preached before. I hope y’all bear with me. It’s different, but I’m sure it’s what God wants me to say. For some of you, maybe, it won’t apply directly, but I pray that you’ll ask God how it applies to you. Let us start with a passage of scripture God brought to my mind just yesterday. Then later, we are going to go to first Corinthians chapter seven, if you want to put a marker there. But first, let’s look at a couple of verses.
“First, in Hebrews 4:14 and 15, Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. 15 For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.”
“Now I hope y’all know, even though I’m your pastor, I am not perfect. I struggle with sin and temptation, just like everyone else.
And this week I’ve really struggled. I haven’t given in, but I’ve been tempted and allowed the temptation to lead my thoughts in directions they shouldn’t go. It happens to us all sometimes.
“What I found interesting in this verse, which I’ve read several times before, is that Jesus was tempted this way as well. What overwhelmed me is that if we believe this verse, and we must as it is scripture, that makes it truth. Every temptation I’ve ever had, that you’ve ever had, that anyone has ever had, Jesus had too. It says he was tempted in all points like we are. That means that as I have struggled with my thoughts about my mail-order bride and how beautiful she is and how I want to be married to her, Jesus was also tempted by those kinds of temptations.
“Now, I’m standing here admitting my temptation and when it comes to thoughts, I haven’t been able to stop them. That’s where Jesus and I are different. Hebrews tells us He was tempted but never gave in. He never sinned. Now, I have a feeling I’m not the only man here this past week who has struggled with this. After all, ten lovely ladies joined our community this week. Seven of which are still unmarried.
“Yes, they are all courting, and I can report that they are all being chaperoned at every turn, including myself. Which has and will continue, to protect these young ladies’ reputations and virtue. But that doesn’t stop the temptation.
“Now, I’m not a woman and I don’t know how they think, but I bet you ladies have temptations too.
You married men and women have some too, maybe not the ones I’m struggling with right now, but you know what yours are. Isn’t it kind of comforting to know that Jesus, our Lord, went through the same temptations?”
Joshua saw heads nodding all over the congregation. He could also see the looks of concern on the faces of his deacons, all except his Uncle. “But there’s another scripture I want you to see really quickly. It’s in First Corinthians chapter ten verse thirteen. Listen to this, ’No temptation has taken you but such as man can bear. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.’
“This is also truth because, again, it’s scripture. Paul tells us that our temptations are the same as others. In fact, none of us is tempted to do something that another person hasn’t been tempted to do. But look what else he says, God is faithful to what? Make a way of escape for us. He’s faithful, He lets us be tempted, but He always provides a way out of the temptation without sinning.
“So, in my case, I had to wonder what that way was. Look, I’m going to be very open and honest, and if what I say makes the deacons want me to leave, then I will. However, I think you would rather have a pastor who is willing to admit he is just like you, than one who sits himself on a platform of lies and deceit and acts like he isn’t a sinner saved by grace, just like the rest of us.
“Here is my problem, I am supposed to be your pastor. I’m supposed to set an example. In this case, with Miss Long, that example is what society says is proper. In other words, she is here to marry me. But society says we should court for a proper period of time and then I should ask her to marry me. If she agrees, then we would announce our engagement and have the banns posted and read here at church. After that is done, then we would marry.
“Now, Mrs. Lyman, you’re the mayor’s wife and I’m sure well versed in proper etiquette in this situation. Have I stated it right? Is that not the proper way? Please speak up. It’s okay this time.”
The woman looked pleased to be called on and stood. “Yes, Pastor, you are correct. That is the proper etiquette for a courtship and engagement.”
“Thank you. As your pastor, and the example to these men who have brought in brides and the others who will want to in the future, that is the proper thing to do. But, here is my problem. I have, as is proper, spent time with Miss. Long. I’ve seen her interact with our community and with this congregation. As some of you know, I’ve asked her to do some things that are in line with what a pastor’s wife would and should do. She has done them, even though they aren’t easy for a single young woman to take on.
“She has also responded to some of you, as is more befitting of the pastor’s wife, than of the recipient of the pastor’s suit. To be honest, because of what I have seen in her and the conversations I have had with her, I must admit I’ve already fallen in love with her.
“Now, I’m going to confess some things to you because scripture tells us to confess our sins one to another so we can pray for each other, but you need to know the temptation that I’m struggling with before we can go on in this sermon.
“I love her. Nothing wrong with that, after all the purpose was to see if that was possible. If we could love each other and make a marriage work. But this is my problem, I love her and find myself wanting to hold her, to kiss her. I go to bed at night wishing she was beside me, to fall asleep. I wake up wishing she was in my house to spend time with me. You all know what I’m struggling with and scripture says God is faithful to make a way of escape. But I couldn’t find one, short of not seeing her. That isn’t the solution, as I must court her to uphold my proper example.
“Yet the more I’m around her, the more I’m tempted. It was so bad that, yesterday, I sat trying to prepare a sermon for today, and couldn’t. So I did the only thing I could think of. I cried out for God to help me. As I was doing so, I opened my Bible and laid my hand on it. I opened my eyes, and the passage jumped out at me. It was First Corinthians chapter seven. Please go there with me.”
Joshua waited till he saw those that had Bibles turned. “I’m going to start where I did yesterday, at verse one.
”’1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me. It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife. 5 Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. 7 Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. 9 But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn.’
“Now you have to know. That last verse jumped out at me. I mean, I could see what it was saying, but that couldn’t be my answer. After all, it wasn’t proper. Was it? Yet I couldn’t misunderstand what the scripture was saying. I’d specifically asked God how to escape this temptation I’m not able to handle. This is the scripture He led me to, so I believe this is the answer. However, scripture also tells us to seek wise counsel about things, so I am going to do that, if you’ll bear with me a bit.”
Joshua left the pulpit and people started murmuring, they’d seen none of their pastors do that. He walked back to the pew where Deacon Lyman sat.
“Deacon Lyman, you’re the head deacon of our church. You’ve heard my confession and my struggle. Am I correct that God, in His scripture, is telling me the way to escape my temptation is to marry Miss Long right away, regardless of proper etiquette?”
The deacon sat straighter and Joshua could see that he’d gained ground with the deacon by asking him first. He never needed to know he went to his uncle yesterday.
“Pastor Bryce, let me start by saying you are right. We don’t want a pastor here who thinks he is without sin. Our former pastor was my good friend, and he also was a sinner saved by grace. I think you’ve proven every bit his equal as our pastor today.
“In answer to your question. What society says is proper isn’t important next to what scripture says. I think all your deacons will agree with me when I say, yes. God is telling you to marry the woman, if she’ll have you. The sooner the better.”