SECRET SINS IN MINISTRY

NOTE: This is a revised version of a blog from last year. 

People often assume that Christians in public ministry are immune to sin and temptation. Christians in the public eye often face the danger of assumed holiness. By that I mean, we often assume because someone has taught it they have lived it. While there are scandalous sins we constantly look out for in the lives of those who are in ministry such as sexual sins, financial misappropriation, and/or failure in marriage, there are some secret sins that often go unnoticed or unchecked. These often render a man ineffective and unusable in the Lord’s work. What makes these dangerous is their subtlety coupled with the lack of sincere accountability in the ministry.

MINISTERIAL PRIDE

There is the obvious and disturbing pride that you can smell and sense from a distance in a person, then there is the deadly and subtle one that rarely comes out publically. It is the pride that has to do with one’s motives for doing what they are doing. Consequently someone can do a perfectly good thing and yet their pride is fueling them. This pride is seen in two forms in ministry;

Glorying in results

In our desire to make a name for ourselves we are so driven that we want results and we want them at all costs. And when the results do not come we are discouraged and want to quit. As a result of this desire for results you find people preoccupied with numbers. How many people came, how many conversions did we get, how much was given etc. Now obviously statistics are necessary but numbers do not equal success. One test for not glorying in results is whether you are satisfied and joyfully serve regardless of the numbers. Does a great Sunday mean it was packed and bad Sunday mean attendance is low? The problem with glorying in results is that you focus on the quantity rather than the quality.

Self-importance

The second sign of ministerial pride is having a sense of self-importance. You soon began to feel you are indispensable to the work or you make yourself the center of the work that you become practically become indispensable to the sustainability of the work. You also want people to praise you and acknowledge your work and efforts. It’s not uncommon to hear ministers say things like “they do not recognize the work am doing” imagine Jeremiah looking for recognition, such kind of whining can be an indicator you have a higher of self than is biblical. The other way this level of self-importance is noticed is in our response to criticism or opposing views. Those of us in ministry should remember we are not all knowing, God is! Statements like I agree with you but… or I see your point however… now obviously there times you have to insist and hold on to your point because you are right, but if you are always right then there is a big problem. Ministers should not behave like politicians who have issues with those who oppose or criticize them. Let us have the mind of Christ (Phil 2:1-10).

 MINISTERIAL JEALOUSY

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.” James 3:14

Pride will breed envy and jealousy. Jealousy is hurt and bothered when others succeed. Jealous is seeing God bless others and question His wisdom in giving others gifts and not you. Jealousy makes us forget that every good and perfect thing comes from the Father, who gives to all freely (James 1:17). In our pursuit for self-importance we turn ministry into a competition, brothers in Christ behave like supermarkets competing for consumers. And doing everything in their power to tarnish the other’s name. Jealousy and its sister envy hinder fellowship and partnership. Guard against this deadly sin, it ruins your soul. Instead let our hearts thrill with joy and gratitude at the blessings and success of others. When it comes to brothers and their ministry resolve to be their biggest supporter and not their biggest critic as a result of envy!

MINISTERIAL LAZINESS

“Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those who send him.” Proverbs 10:26

 There is a danger of laziness in ministry because there is no supervisor checking your logins and logouts. Furthermore a lot of ministerial work is done in the closet so no one can really see whether you are been faithful or not. It is no wonder that ministers are tempted to do everything but their primary tasks of prayer and the study of the word. We should remember that laziness does not always mean idleness, it is also means aimlessness. You might be busy and yet you are busy doing nothing! Is it any wonder that some ministers are often disorganized, terrible at managing time and always doing things at the last minute? Laziness invariably leads to half prepared messages and poor planning and before long the minister and the people suffer from spiritual malnutrition, which then leads to unnecessary friction in the church.

MINISTERIAL BRASHNESS

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 1Thessalonians 2:7

A brash spirit is rash, impetuous and mean. It is the opposite of gentleness. Gentleness is defined as “sensitivity of disposition and kindness of behavior, founded on strength and prompted by love.”[1] It is one of the clearest evidences of salvation in a believer. The temptation to be harsh and mean is ever present for ministers. It is easy to get fed up, irritated with people and treat them with contempt. While leaders must be thick skinned they should have a gentle and tender heart. Hotheadedness and rashness in word, attitude or deed should not characterize a minister of God.   

The words of Spurgeon to his ministerial students are worthy of reflection for any minister.

“When God calls us to ministerial labor we should endeavor to get grace that we may be strengthened into fitness for our position, and not be mere novices carried away by the temptations of Satan, to the injury of the church and our own ruin. We are to stand equipped with the whole armour of God, ready for feats of valor not expected of others: to us self-denial, self-forgetfulness, patience, perseverance, longsuffering, must be every day virtues, and who is sufficient for these things? We had need live very near to God, if we would approve ourselves in our vocation”[2]

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[1] W. Barclay, New Testament Words, pp. 94

[2] Spurgeon C.H. Lectures to my students. Pp 15

Lessons on Preaching

This past July, I started school, and the course’s main focus is expository preaching in the context of the local church. The beauty about the course is that you get to sit under the teaching of different men with vast experience in preaching and pastoral ministry, but they also hold differing theological positions within evangelical Christianity. All this makes for a rich experience for the students and many unforgettable lessons that left me doing quite a bit of self-retrospection.  Here a few that I have been mulling over.

Study hard without data dumping

Someone once said, “A preacher who goes into the pulpit without preparation is a fool. A preacher who goes into the pulpit relying on his preparation is a bigger fool.” The apostle Paul admonishes his son Timothy to labor to the point of exhaustion in his study of God’s Word, so that he may handle it accurately. Study is a non-negotiable for the preacher! That said, preaching should not be reduced to data dumping. The pulpit is not the place for the preacher to bring out all his study tools and expose his knowledge (or lack thereof). The work of a preacher in preaching, after diligent study, is to deliver the truths of Scripture simply and logically. Throwing theological jargon and going on pointless mumblings are the preacher’s real temptation in sermon delivery.

Clarity clarity and more clarity

The basic goal of communication is to deliver your message to the recipients in a manner that is simple and clear for them to understand. Preachers are no different in their task of preaching. Clarity is an essential part of a sermon. Therefore, the message must be conveyed in a language and with concepts the audience can understand. Another aspect of communicating with clarity is that there is a logical flow to the sermon. One reason preachers lack clarity is the problem of preaching to an imagined audience, instead of preaching to the audience in front of you. The gospel message is an important, urgent matter that we cannot afford to lack clarity in our preaching.

Preach doctrine while applying it to the people

There are preachers who claim they do not preach doctrine; they simply preach the Bible. While their intentions are admirable, their logic is self-contradictory. To preach the Bible is to teach doctrine; it is in this light that Paul urges Timothy to teach what is in keeping with sound doctrine. Biblical preaching will shape a congregation doctrinally. However, preaching doctrine does not mean lack of application. In fact biblical doctrine affects life style. And biblical preaching tells both the “what” and the “so what”. The first questions gives you truth (doctrine), and the second question gives you the implications of the truth in your life (application).  

Work on your holiness

This was the most convicting of the lessons. God uses instruments that honor and please him in their lives. The most important work a preacher can do is focus on being holy and fighting sin in his life. That means commitment to the study of God’s Word, prayer and meaningful fellowship with the brethren. This holiness will then be seen in relationships, attitude towards others and ministry. A holy minister is not preoccupied with his reputation or success but on being faithful in the task his master has called him to. As a result, such a minister is not worried about the empty spaces in the pew but instead focuses on the ones that are filled up.

Soak your preaching in prayer

After all has been said and done, preaching is not about the mechanics, study and styles though all those are important. A man might have all those nailed down and still not bear fruit in his preaching because his is not enabled by the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason that preaching must be soaked in prayer if it is to be effective. Unless the Lord works in the hearts of men, the preacher becomes a mere orator. Prayer is an act of dependence of the work and power of God in changing lives, including your own as a preacher.

As a I pondered on these and many other lessons, I could not help but reflect on the words of Walter Kaiser when he says:

“Regardless of what new directives and emphases are periodically offered, that which is needed above everything else to make the church more viable, authentic and effective, is a new declaration of the scriptures with a new purpose, passion and power.”[1]

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[1] Walter C. Kaiser. Towards an Exegetical Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981, (p. 242.)