Ministerial Pride
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Ministry brings with it it's own set of pitfalls and snares. And any servant of God can be pulled into the subtle traps that would actually destroy a powerful and successful ministry. One of those traps is the idea that we have accomplished something great for the Lord. This is the success trap, and it is a huge problem within current evangelical Christianity. The church growth movement has fed the frenzy of preachers thinking that big is better, and that mega-churches indicate our successful service for God. Pastors have become obsessed with measuring ministerial success by this artificial criteria.
Christ says “well done good and faithful servant” in the exact opposite situation from that which we are discussing. He does not thank the faithful servant for bigness and greatness. He does not applaud the faithfulness that it takes to build a mega-church. He commends the faithful servant for being faithful in smallness and little things. Look!
Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
A man who labors with a congregation of 20 or 40, and who draws His people into a right relationship with God, while working two or three jobs to help support his family, is actually doing just as much, or maybe even more, than the pastor of a mega-church of 20,000 who sits in a gilded office surrounded by secretaries and driving a BMW back and forth to his mansion, or flying around to speaking engagements on a private jet. Ministry is never measured by the world's false standards of success. The labor of a man of God is not that of a corporate CEO or Wall Street executive. We serve the Servant King who humbled Himself and pitched his tent among the outcasts and offscourings of this world. He warned frequently against pride and it's associated boasting of self.
The idea that accomplishment in Christian service is measured by outward success is antithetical to the very nature of the Kingdom of God as a spiritual entity. His kingdom is not of this world, and it's successes or failures are never measured as the world measures success. “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
Christianity , at it's very core is a spiritual matter, and is non-materialistic. God does not look at the outward things but at the inner things. God looks at the heart of a pastor, and the heart of a church to determine it's success or failure in the implementation of the gospel precepts.
1Samuel 16:7 ...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
What great things we think we have accomplished, (i.e. that the spirits are subject unto us), are not the things we should be glad about at all. Whatever is done for Christ, is done by Christ! He “worketh all things” according to “his purpose” (Ephesians 1:11). We have done nothing, and we can only do nothing (John 15:5). He does it all! And we do absolutely none of it. That's why He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending of everything.
A misplaced sense of accomplishment is a grave sin among pastors, and servants of Christ. It dishonors our Lord. If we appropriate the glory that belongs to Him alone, and take it to ourselves, we steal from Christ, and rob Him of His true treasures.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Jesus is to receive all the glory, all the time. And we are to receive none. In Him all the fulness dwells, not in us! Self-infatuation, self-glorification, self-approbation, self-approval, and self-satisfaction are sure signs that pride has entered our hearts and taken a serious toll on our relationship with Christ. We can imagine that we are godly spiritual giants, when we are in fact vile, evil and very far from God.
Pride is always a self-deceiving sin. It always gives you false ideas about your spiritual condition. It keeps you from looking at God's actual barometers of Grace, and sets your mind on things that deceive your heart. It tells you: “all is well”, when all is actually horrible. It sings: “How great thou art!” in your ears instead of in Christ's ears. It whispers: “Take thine ease. Eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19), when you are even at that very moment sitting on the edge of a very dangerous cliff over which you are ready to fall. But you don't see it. You don't know it. Your are unaware and numb to your danger, because you are too busy looking at yourself in a shiny full-length mirror. Pride blinds you. You are in huge danger, but don't know it, because you cannot see. “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Shame on you, O man of God, if you allow yourself to fall into this simple snare of the devil. Are you ignorant of his devices?
2Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Have you studied your Bible and not studied your own soul? Have you labored in word and doctrine, and not labored to resist your enemy, so that He will flee from you (James 4:7)? Have you tried to watch over the souls of others and not kept watch over your own heart? Have you warned others about the enemy who roams about seeking to devour them, and you, yourself have become his victim?
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Ministerial pride has disqualified more men from service to Christ, than any other sin. I am reminded of the thousands who were rejected as soldiers in Gideon's famous army. Only 300 men were used by God to defeat an army of 50,000 Midianites. It is absolutely crystal clear in the account of this miraculous deliverance that the issue was all about pride.
Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
When you read the amazing story of how thousands were too many to save Israel, and how God chose only 300 hundred...300 who were not proud enough to think they were in no danger...300 who watched for danger at all times, because they were not self-sufficient, and self-satisfied. Those are the kinds of people that God chose to defeat an army of tens of thousands; 300 humble souls, who knew they could do nothing on their own. That's the kind of people God uses.
The text I have chosen for this study reminds us of one more thing.
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
It reminds us that the simple things, like our names being written in heaven, are really the important things. Pride causes misplaced values. Casting out demons, may seem like a very important and great thing, but in the actual scheme of things, God places very little emphasis on it. The human tendency is to place great value on the showy gifts of the Spirit, the miraculous things that capture the eye, more than they capture the soul. This is precisely the reason why Corinth had so many problems with the noisy gift of tongues. Church in Corinth, before Paul corrected their errors sounded like clanging symbols, loud gongs, and trumpets making unrecognizable sound. The showy gifts won everybody's attention, and created pride and contention. In fact they robbed Corinth of the decency and order which God expects us to maintain in church. I am not speaking against the gift of tongues, or any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit here. I am saying what the text says. It is not the fact that spirits are subject unto us which is of any real importance at all. It is the fact that we are saved. That's what's really important. Misplaced values concerning the importance of spiritual gifts is actually a dangerous snare, that is counterproductive to true spirituality and true vitality in the Christian life. I am not saying that spiritual gifts are not important, certainly they are, but they are never supposed to be the main event. They are relatively unimportant in comparison to the great truths of the gospel. We need to heed Christ's warnings and not imagine that demon chasing, or any other gift from the Holy Spirit, is as important as the precious facts of salvation itself. Rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven. Guard your soul, O man of God, against the perils of misplaced emphasis, and ministerial pride.
© 2012 Rev Earl Jackson www.RevEarlJackson.com
This article may be reproduced on any website or blog in its entirety without alteration or change, provided that this copyright notice and a link back to this website is made. Please inform us if you use this article. And please send us the link to where you have placed it. Use this CONTACT PAGE.
You may not reproduce this article in any other form, such as hard copy, and it is not permitted to sell it or otherwise use it for money making purposes.
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Ministry brings with it it's own set of pitfalls and snares. And any servant of God can be pulled into the subtle traps that would actually destroy a powerful and successful ministry. One of those traps is the idea that we have accomplished something great for the Lord. This is the success trap, and it is a huge problem within current evangelical Christianity. The church growth movement has fed the frenzy of preachers thinking that big is better, and that mega-churches indicate our successful service for God. Pastors have become obsessed with measuring ministerial success by this artificial criteria.
Christ says “well done good and faithful servant” in the exact opposite situation from that which we are discussing. He does not thank the faithful servant for bigness and greatness. He does not applaud the faithfulness that it takes to build a mega-church. He commends the faithful servant for being faithful in smallness and little things. Look!
Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
A man who labors with a congregation of 20 or 40, and who draws His people into a right relationship with God, while working two or three jobs to help support his family, is actually doing just as much, or maybe even more, than the pastor of a mega-church of 20,000 who sits in a gilded office surrounded by secretaries and driving a BMW back and forth to his mansion, or flying around to speaking engagements on a private jet. Ministry is never measured by the world's false standards of success. The labor of a man of God is not that of a corporate CEO or Wall Street executive. We serve the Servant King who humbled Himself and pitched his tent among the outcasts and offscourings of this world. He warned frequently against pride and it's associated boasting of self.
The idea that accomplishment in Christian service is measured by outward success is antithetical to the very nature of the Kingdom of God as a spiritual entity. His kingdom is not of this world, and it's successes or failures are never measured as the world measures success. “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
Christianity , at it's very core is a spiritual matter, and is non-materialistic. God does not look at the outward things but at the inner things. God looks at the heart of a pastor, and the heart of a church to determine it's success or failure in the implementation of the gospel precepts.
1Samuel 16:7 ...for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
What great things we think we have accomplished, (i.e. that the spirits are subject unto us), are not the things we should be glad about at all. Whatever is done for Christ, is done by Christ! He “worketh all things” according to “his purpose” (Ephesians 1:11). We have done nothing, and we can only do nothing (John 15:5). He does it all! And we do absolutely none of it. That's why He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending of everything.
A misplaced sense of accomplishment is a grave sin among pastors, and servants of Christ. It dishonors our Lord. If we appropriate the glory that belongs to Him alone, and take it to ourselves, we steal from Christ, and rob Him of His true treasures.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Jesus is to receive all the glory, all the time. And we are to receive none. In Him all the fulness dwells, not in us! Self-infatuation, self-glorification, self-approbation, self-approval, and self-satisfaction are sure signs that pride has entered our hearts and taken a serious toll on our relationship with Christ. We can imagine that we are godly spiritual giants, when we are in fact vile, evil and very far from God.
Pride is always a self-deceiving sin. It always gives you false ideas about your spiritual condition. It keeps you from looking at God's actual barometers of Grace, and sets your mind on things that deceive your heart. It tells you: “all is well”, when all is actually horrible. It sings: “How great thou art!” in your ears instead of in Christ's ears. It whispers: “Take thine ease. Eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19), when you are even at that very moment sitting on the edge of a very dangerous cliff over which you are ready to fall. But you don't see it. You don't know it. Your are unaware and numb to your danger, because you are too busy looking at yourself in a shiny full-length mirror. Pride blinds you. You are in huge danger, but don't know it, because you cannot see. “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Shame on you, O man of God, if you allow yourself to fall into this simple snare of the devil. Are you ignorant of his devices?
2Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Have you studied your Bible and not studied your own soul? Have you labored in word and doctrine, and not labored to resist your enemy, so that He will flee from you (James 4:7)? Have you tried to watch over the souls of others and not kept watch over your own heart? Have you warned others about the enemy who roams about seeking to devour them, and you, yourself have become his victim?
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Ministerial pride has disqualified more men from service to Christ, than any other sin. I am reminded of the thousands who were rejected as soldiers in Gideon's famous army. Only 300 men were used by God to defeat an army of 50,000 Midianites. It is absolutely crystal clear in the account of this miraculous deliverance that the issue was all about pride.
Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
When you read the amazing story of how thousands were too many to save Israel, and how God chose only 300 hundred...300 who were not proud enough to think they were in no danger...300 who watched for danger at all times, because they were not self-sufficient, and self-satisfied. Those are the kinds of people that God chose to defeat an army of tens of thousands; 300 humble souls, who knew they could do nothing on their own. That's the kind of people God uses.
The text I have chosen for this study reminds us of one more thing.
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
It reminds us that the simple things, like our names being written in heaven, are really the important things. Pride causes misplaced values. Casting out demons, may seem like a very important and great thing, but in the actual scheme of things, God places very little emphasis on it. The human tendency is to place great value on the showy gifts of the Spirit, the miraculous things that capture the eye, more than they capture the soul. This is precisely the reason why Corinth had so many problems with the noisy gift of tongues. Church in Corinth, before Paul corrected their errors sounded like clanging symbols, loud gongs, and trumpets making unrecognizable sound. The showy gifts won everybody's attention, and created pride and contention. In fact they robbed Corinth of the decency and order which God expects us to maintain in church. I am not speaking against the gift of tongues, or any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit here. I am saying what the text says. It is not the fact that spirits are subject unto us which is of any real importance at all. It is the fact that we are saved. That's what's really important. Misplaced values concerning the importance of spiritual gifts is actually a dangerous snare, that is counterproductive to true spirituality and true vitality in the Christian life. I am not saying that spiritual gifts are not important, certainly they are, but they are never supposed to be the main event. They are relatively unimportant in comparison to the great truths of the gospel. We need to heed Christ's warnings and not imagine that demon chasing, or any other gift from the Holy Spirit, is as important as the precious facts of salvation itself. Rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven. Guard your soul, O man of God, against the perils of misplaced emphasis, and ministerial pride.
© 2012 Rev Earl Jackson www.RevEarlJackson.com
This article may be reproduced on any website or blog in its entirety without alteration or change, provided that this copyright notice and a link back to this website is made. Please inform us if you use this article. And please send us the link to where you have placed it. Use this CONTACT PAGE.
You may not reproduce this article in any other form, such as hard copy, and it is not permitted to sell it or otherwise use it for money making purposes.