Video- Man-made ministry

Man-made ministry- August 2009

by Will Graham

Introduction

In times of revival and refreshing for the church, the people of God rejoice in the majesty and splendour of their great God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He becomes All in all. God sends men to the pulpit who exalt the excellencies and glories of the Triune God- Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Richard Sibbes wrote, “If a man has the Spirit of God, his way of life will be upward and heavenly; his mind is on the things of God, and he does not grovel here below”.¹ That’s as true for the preacher as it is for the believer. When true Biblical revival comes, the people of God are blessed with a God-ordained ministry: God-centred, God-obeying and God-glorifying.

But the antithesis of God-ordained ministry is man-made ministry. Keith Daniel told us back in 2007 that, “the single greatest tragedy this world faces today is compromising Christianity”. I said ‘amen’ when I heard that statement from the man of God: never have truer words been spoken. And I would propose to you in this hour that the single greatest curse that can come upon any land that has ever known the Gospel is something by the name of man-made ministry. It has spread like a deadly plague and is everywhere to be found in our 21^st century churches.

This message has been birthed out of much pain, tears, heart-felt sorrow and anger. If you’ve come here for a ‘tickle-your-ears’, ‘feel-good’, ‘ego-soothing’, ‘bless-me’, ‘man-centred’ message, you can leave right now. I haven’t come here to preach to goats; I’ve got no time for tares. I’m here to speak to men and women that love God and that are genuinely concerned about the glory of the living God in this generation.

In this sermon, I’m going to obey the rule of medical science- that before you heal the wound and apply ointment to it, you’ve got to expose and analyse it for what it is. God is a promoter of hard-realism. So we’re going to open our Bibles in the book of Jude and read the first four verses. If you please, you can accompany me there.²

1  Richard Sibbes, ‘Glorious Freedom’ (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2000 [first published 1639]), p. 22

2  Jude 1-4, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Jude

The whole theme of the book of Jude is summed up in one word: apostasy. The stench of decadence is potently sensed throughout the reading of this divinely-inspired epistle. It’s the only book of the New Testament exclusively dedicated to warning the saints of God about the spiritual and moral depravity that was to face the church before Christ’s return. Its message is still as clear, powerful and relevant as when it was first penned.

From the passage we’ve just looked at, Jude, who we believe to be one of the physical brothers of Jesus, is urged to exhort the saints to contend earnestly for the faith because of the certain men who had “crept in unawares”- ungodly men, who turned God’s grace into a licence for sin, and who denied the Lord Jesus Christ with their sham of a life. They were man-made ministers who preached a man-made message.

I want to show you today from the Scriptures that a man-made minister is three things. Number one, he is an actor or a hypocrite. Number two, he is a tax-collector. Number three, he is a prostitute. And after our analysis of man-made ministry I will suggest how we must deal with such nonsense in this perverse and degenerate age.

Let us pray, that God may give us light and revelation, regarding His Word on this day.

I.- An actor/ a hypocrite “certain men crept in unawares” (v. 3)

The man-made minister is an actor or a hypocrite, a tax-collector and a prostitute. In first place, let’s talk about an actor or a hypocrite. Acting in its purest form is the art of deception and hypocrisy. The person that acts pretends to be something or someone that he is not. If a preacher arrived at the door of a church and proclaimed, “I am a false prophet, let me in the pulpit!” Who would be foolish enough to grant his request? The man-made minister with a man-made Gospel comes in secretly. Verse 3 mentions certain men “crept in unawares”. The threat from outside of the church was never as nearly as dangerous as the perversion that rose up from within. They’ll come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Paul said to the Ephesians, “I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). The wolf is a hypocrite- he pretends to be a sheep. He is an actor.

If there was anything Jesus condemned more than anything else in His ministry, it was faked religion- a spurious spirituality. He reserved his heaviest threats for the pretenders, the actors and the hypocrites. In Matthew 6 He talks of actors- people who pray to be heard, fast to be admired and give to be seen. Jesus has no time for actors or anyone else who messes about with that nonsense. He said, “They’ve already got their recompense!” The hypocrite always does things to be seen and noticed. If the actor’s not the centre of attention, he’ll never be happy- he’ll huff and he’ll puff and he´ll let everyone else know all about it. The whole thrust of his life is self-centred; his whole ministry is to get him reputation, fame, riches and the respect of many. He acts holy when he has to, but his mask of righteousness is a cheap gloss over a wasted life of foolishness and lightness. Clowns wear masks, and you’re not meant to take them seriously. The Bible says that the hypocrites hope will perish (Job 8:13).

He would do anything to get into the pulpit, and when he gets there, his performance turns into his god. He learns off every action, he knows when to raise his hands and when to let them down, he knows where to lay stress with his voice so as to get a ‘hallelujah’, ‘amen’ or a round of applause from the listeners. He moves the masses with ease and knows all the tricks in the book. They told an evangelist friend of mine, “If you want to look real spiritual. Call the folk down to the altar and get them to raise their hands. With their hands up, they’re off balance, so just push their forehead and they’ll fall down!” Deception, hypocrisy, sham, filth- and all in the name of Almighty God! If God wants a man to fall to the ground with a sense of His glory, He can do it, not man!

The actor pretends to be something he’s not. He preaches a spirituality that he doesn’t have. He’s bankrupt. The actor also is out of contact with reality. He lives in a different world where he’s the centre and God is his little puppet. The actor doesn’t lament the lack of holiness and power in the church, because the church is just there to serve his purposes- not God’s. Hell may be closing in around his generation, but he continues to play his ‘happy-clappy’ religious games with a big grin on his face. He can’t discern the state of things because he’s not awake. He’s been seduced into his role that leaves him oblivious to all else around him.

The word of God is a mighty burden that crushes the true man or woman of God. Malachi 1:1 reads, “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi”. That same burden came unto Habakkuk, Zechariah, Nahum and all of the prophets. The prophetic word is a crushing weight upon the shoulders of the servant of the Lord that he is unable to resist. It rests upon him a deadly python that is slowly choking him to death. It must be cast off!

The word must be preached! It cannot be held back! It won’t let you sleep at night. It consumes the man of God and eats him up. Jeremiah couldn’t hold the fire back. Amos had no other option but to preach the heavy burden of the word of the Lord. It’s a word of holiness, purity and repentance. When the God-ordained minister preaches, conviction falls. But then the actor steps into the pulpit to finish the meeting off with a feel-good song so that nobody goes home with tears in their ears and a broken heart. After all, we don’t want anyone upset: do we?

The true Spirit-led slave of Christ sees the mess that needs undoing, and it causes him pain. The actor doesn’t- his flashy sunglasses block his vision. He’s not aware of the wound that needs treating. Such a person isn’t willing to lay their life on the line to be used by God. He cries, “Peace, peace” and there is no peace. “They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly” (Jeremiah 8:11). They say all is well when all is but well. They say we’re in revival when we’ve the same amount of pregnant teenage girls in the church as outside of it. The crime rate is higher than ever! Our prisons are filled to overflowing. Who knows what percentage of believers are addicted to porn? And in the midst of it all, they cry- revival, revival, revival! This isn’t revival! If this is revival, I don’t want it! If it were revival, our streets would be different. Things would change. Families would start to function again! People would start to live right, dress right, talk right and walk right. The fear of God would fall upon our cities.

I’ve seen so called servants of God talking about the dangers they face on the mission field, telling sad stories to swindle the money out of people- and once there, they spend all year eating ice-cream and chatting on the Internet, flirting about with any young looking thing they come across. Actors! Hypocrites! Our age calls for fire-filled saints!

II.- A tax-collector “they have... ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward” (v. 11)

The man-made minister is an actor. He pretends to be something he’s not, and as a consequence, he lives out of touch with reality. The man-made minister is a tax-collector. Jude 11 reads, “they have... ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward”. The term “ran greedily after” implies that nothing will stop him in his egoistic quest. It’s the same word used when Acts 1:18 speaks of Judas’ bowels “gushing out”. Nothing could hold them back. A tax-collector will use you for what he can get from you. You’re a means for his end. He loves money and nothing else. He continually seeks his own benefit. 2 Peter 2:3 warns, “Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you”.

Their only interest is to feed themselves, and they will take advantage of the sheep to do so. Their whole message is one that will get the financial support of the people- prosperity, happiness, healing, health and wealth. He just tells the people what they want to hear. Promise a trouble-free life, success and promotion- and sit back and watch the thousands flock in! Any fool can preach that nonsense! You don’t have to be born again to share those principles. That’s the world’s way- no effort, no pain and no commitment. Just confess something positively, and see it come to pass. Such preachers don’t seek God; they seek goods. Tax-collectors in Biblical times took more than was due. They were hated because they conned their own people. Rome put a price on every head, and the tax-collectors didn’t only take what was owed to Rome, but added on a little something for their own welfare too. The moment Jesus called Matthew, he left that business behind. Salvation had come! He was a disciple of Christ! No more lies; no more cheating; no more taking advantage of helpless people. The first thing he did when he started to follow Jesus was to make him a great supper- how could it be? Matthew the tax-collector! The one that robbed his own! Now he puts on a feast for His Master. Selfishness had been struck dead in his heart. His was another kingdom- He was translated into the kingdom of light, the joy of following Christ. Zacchaeus was another one- although he had more authority than Matthew. He was “the chief among the publicans” (Luke 19:2). The tax-collectors gave account to him. And guess what? “He was rich” (v. 2). But when salvation came to his house, the first thing he said was, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). True repentance works restitution. Zacchaeus showed by the fruit of repentance that he had come into a saving relationship with Christ. There are two kingdoms- the world or heaven. Which do you serve? Which do you live for? Which do you dream about?

Christ talked so much about money because he know it was the biggest threat to the true worship of God. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). I can’t remember the last time I heard a sermon on that passage in the modern church. You tell parent’s they’re kids aren’t behaving right in school, and they couldn’t care less. But tell them that they’re wasting their money if their kids behave like that, then their ears prick up and take notice. The reason 95% of people woke up this morning in this nation is to go and make money. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with riches, but what’s dangerous is when that becomes our motive in life over God.

The servant of Christ is generous because he has an eternal perspective. But the tax-collector is focused on the here and now. He opens doors for himself, promotes himself and preaches for popularity. His is a humanistic religion- he doesn’t preach because he’s burning with a ‘thus saith the Lord’ but because he knows there’s a generous offering coming after his sermon. He’s only interested in preaching to big numbers, although he’ll use small flocks to get to his desired destination. He builds his own kingdom, not God’s. Haggai 1:4, “Is it time for you, o ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts: consider your ways”. Such a preacher would sell his soul to get on TV or to have his message projected online. They’ll say anything; go anywhere; shake anybody’s hand, just to get a few dirty bank notes in their pocket. Pride is such a subtle thing that it can become the driving force of any preacher’s life: anything for a name! Anything for fame! Anything for riches! Anything to get a big name in the preaching industry!

How many friendships and families have been forsaken in the fight for fame? And at the end of the day, where does it get you? What do you achieve? What good will the whole world do for you if you lose your soul? Will your CD ministry save you on Judgment Day?

In stead of time spent in prayer, the 21^st century church is wasting her time in planning schemes and strategies in an attempt to get somewhere. But the tragedy is that to get somewhere without God is to get nowhere! 2 Peter 2:15 says, “which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness”. The wages of unrighteousness will lead you astray; the wages of righteousness will lead to live everlasting and the glory of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

III.- A prostitute “these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion” (v. 8)

The man-made minister is an actor or a hypocrite, a tax-collector and a prostitute. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, the man-made minister defiles the flesh. He speaks perverted words and lives a perverted life. Prostitutes earn their cash in bed, disgracing themselves and those they infect. Any type of sexual conduct outside of marriage is completely forbidden by the Bible. Prostitutes live on bed, so they’re always half-asleep. God spoke against the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day, “I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed!” (Jeremiah 23:25). When dreams and so-called new revelations are exalted over the authority of the Holy Scripture, you can write Ichabod over such a movement- “the glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:21). If your vision or dream doesn’t harmonize with the healthy doctrine of the Scripture, then you can forget all about it.

The prostitute is sedated and drugged, half-asleep, has been with a thousand partners and is plagued with disease. They live at night because the darkness hates the light. The straight preaching of the Word of God is the most hated thing in the carnal heart. Sinners cannot stand the awesomeness of a holy God. People hide in the dark, and the man-made minister hides a secret life of sin that he keeps quiet from everyone else. He’s covering up a life of iniquity that he refuses to deal with in the light of God’s Word.

We long for holiness in the church in days when dignity is not even respected. I’ve seen women in meetings dressed up like a piece of meat, leaving nothing to the imagination. You’d expect that from pagans on the street, but in the church of the living God? The only thing I’ve ever seen getting excited about a piece of meat is a dog- so why in the name of Almighty God do you dress to attract the hounds of hell? Jesus told the prostitute to go and sin no more (John 8:11)!

There’s nothing complicated about holiness- it’s the most practical thing imaginable. It’s not about sitting on the top of a pole or in the middle of a desert for ten years without saying anything and having scores of mystical visions- true holiness is walking in the fruit of the Holy Ghost, reflecting the love and holiness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. A man of God will go to the right places and act right, and the same goes for women of the Lord. It’s that simple. It’s not emotionalism. That’s the realm of the prostitute and the flesh. I have seen men preach with sway and emotion, moving the listeners and gaining the applause of all around- but in private, their lives were far from praiseworthy.

The ex-Episcopalian priest John Shelby Spong is teaching that the Apostle Paul was a repressed homosexual. When you get that twisted, when homosexual theology is a growing movement- how far can we be from the Second Coming of Christ?

Anything goes in the prostitute church. Protest is taken out of Protestant. The prostitute lies down and takes anything given to her. If ever there’s a picture of our religious situation, that’s it. Prostitutes put a price on their heads. I know of so-called men of God who will only preach in places where they’re promised thousands of pounds. The pastors of Juarez (Mexico) told me no-one goes to preach there anymore- why not? Because it’s dangerous, there’s no money and no popularity for the preacher.

The prostitute deals with the flesh. Animals act by instinct and so it is with the sensual who have not the Spirit (Jude 19). So-called believers whose eyes cannot cease from sin bring every type of worldliness and foolishness into the church. We’ve every type of gimmick and publicity stunt- flashy lights, churches designed like pubs, disco-type praise music and bright colours. Christian magazines have front covers that look pornographic! Even the ungodly are laughing at us! If you use that garbage to bring people into the church, then you’ve got to use that same rubbish to keep them there. I’ve got some news for you: the only attraction to the church of the Lord is the cross of Jesus Christ- nothing more, nothing less. And if you don’t come upon the ground of the cross, you have no place here. The cross kills off the odour of this word.

Where did we learn to switch spirituality off? Folk come to the altar with tears in the eyes and five minutes after the meeting they’re jumping all around the place, laughing and calling attention to themselves. Whatever happened to the days when conviction fell so strongly upon sinners that they lay paralysed for hours or screamed out for God to have mercy on their soul because they knew hell was closing in on them? Today, our so called saints laugh off conviction. There’s no Holy Spirit at work; it’s an unholy spirit. It’s Babylon for the most part- a godless religious system that has no time for the Lord of the Scriptures.

As we’ve just established, the prostitute operates in the realm of the flesh, and the flesh is the world of emotions. The emotional are touchy and moody- you’re afraid of speaking to them. Every word is misinterpreted as an assault on their character. Such a person doesn’t know anything about being a slave of Christ- with all their rights giving up to God. How can we expect revival with this type of ministry?

Why do we want revival- for money, fame, recognition? If that’s our motive, then we’re just under the same law of the jungle as everybody else in this wicked and perverse generation. There comes a time when we have to get fed up with these vicious religious animals who are moved by nothing else but their own lusts and desires and who don’t have a shadow of grace in the hearts. But who’s going to speak out? Who’s going to do something about the mess? Who’s going to put their life on the line for the Truth of the Gospel?

IV.- How must we react?

The man-made minister is an actor or a hypocrite, a tax-collector and a prostitute. We are surrounded by such ministries, and if you don’t know anyone like that, then count yourself blessed. I believe we must react with tears. God called the ministers to weep in Joel’s day for repentance over the religious state of affairs. We must weep. And I also understand that we must get angry. Anger, contrary to common opinion, is not a sin. Moses got angry. Christ Himself was angry. The reason we don’t believe in anger any longer is because we’ve taken the wrath of God out of our theological textbooks. Paul said, “Be ye angry, and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26); he didn’t say, “Don’t get angry”. Anger for the wrong purpose is sin; but a zealous passion for the glory of God is the healthiest sign of spiritual life that ever existed. Anger is a powerful tool that burns in our bones. Luther burned with holy wrath against catholic superstition and idol-worship, and the Protestant Reformation was the result. We’ve got to take sin by the throat and choke the life out of the thing. And our lives must reflect what we believe. A committed disciple cannot remain indifferent. King Jehu exclaimed, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord” (2 Kings 10:16) and he expelled the worship of Baal out of the land. Achan’s days are numbered when there is a people hungry for the reality of God. When revival comes, when God’s people get thirsty again for a genuine moving of the Spirit, then the pulpits will be cleansed. The reason we have so many ungodly messengers in the pulpit is because we love to have it so.

Jude speaks of apostasy, but just before finishing his epistle he gives some advice to the true servants of the Lord. When surrounded by actors, hypocrites, tax-collectors and prostitutes, he says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20-21). Our only hope of spiritual survival is to walk ahead in a holy faith- not a hypocritical faith- a holy faith. A godly faith says no to sin at every corner. A holy faith leads to a holy, pure life separated for the glory of God. A holy faith is characterized by a lively fear of God, a passionate love for Him and a profound desire for His glory.

We must abide in the fullness of the Holy Ghost, that’s where the secret of our boldness and holiness lies. A holy people walk in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If others are going to be man-made ministers, make sure you are not. Abide in the holy love of God and rejoice in that mercy that leads to eternal life. Preach a good Gospel, call sin by its name and show people where they’re at with God. Babylon is coming down. Only that which has been birthed of God will overcome in the day of tribulation.

Conclusion

By means of conclusion, I repeat my initial proposal- that the single greatest curse that can come upon any land that has ever known the Gospel is something by the name of man-made ministry. Man-made ministry is the greatest curse that is keeping multitudes from the reality of God. The hypocrite will get his reward- in fact, he’s already got it. It is soon to perish. The tax-collector will find his eternal riches in the lake of fire and brimstone. The smoke of the filthy prostitute will rise up forever more (Revelation 19:3). Man-made ministry is reprobate, depraved and rejected of a holy God. God’s glory will stand forevermore and anything contradictory to that will soon see its end.

God will raise up godly shepherds, God-ordained ministers in the midst of this growing confusion and disease of man-made ministry. Get back to prayer. Get back to the Word of God. Christ will guide us through thick and thin, “I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even my servant David; He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd” (Ezekiel 34:23). Are you a man-made minister or a God-ordained minister? Did you run by your own account, or were you sent by God? Shine with the glory of Christ. Live like a Christian, in public and in private. Calvin said it would be better for the preacher to fall down and break his neck before getting into the pulpit, if he wasn’t going to live what he preached.

Be holy, be faithful and love God above all things! It’s the hour for God-ordained saints to arise to bring this man-made dirt to its knees.