Amen, so I want to preach a message message tonight entitled what makes a man of God what makes a man of God?
And of course, you know, this is probably one of the when you think about what makes a man of God
this is the chapter you return to because this is where you find all of the
qualifications both for the bishop and the deacon and
Which we will see here in a minute is what a man of God is a man of God is somebody who's been
ordained in the ministry
We'll see in the Old Testament to that
It wasn't just anybody that was a man of God. It was men that were specifically called to be leaders in God's ministry
But you know, this is the one we would think about in the New Testament
You would go there and we'd say we'd look through this list and it's a good list and say, you know
You got to meet all these criteria and you have to check all these boxes off if you want to be somebody
That's a man of God, you know an ordained minister
That's what makes a man of God
And the first thing I'd point out too is that you know
There has to be a desire to be a man of God right it starts with a desire, you know
We often talk about you know, you'll hear people say, you know, I was called into the ministry and you know
There's kind of two schools of thought. There's two ways to kind of take that and think well
You know, is there really this calling into the ministry that God, you know somehow just you know
Puts a calling on someone's life and it's irresistible. They just have to do it
You know, I don't necessarily buy into that
But there's definitely the idea that God might put that desire in someone's heart, you know to be a man of God to be a minister
Certainly that can be there but even then it might just be that
Somebody just has that desire the desire as it says they're a good work, you know
They just love the Lord. They see a need
They just want to fill that need and it might not even be something necessarily that God even puts in their heart
It's just something that they have a burden to do. They have the right motives and that's a good place to start obviously
That's where you want to start when it comes to being a man of God you want to start with that desire
You should never be somebody that is you know, just forced into it
You know not by constraint as he says in 1st Peter, but of a willing mind and not for filthy lucre's sake
Okay
But then you know the desires not enough obviously you have to go through this list and we've we've all probably read this list heard
This list preached of all the different things
They have to be in order to meet the requirements to be a man of God. The desire is not enough
You know, we read it here just a moment ago, but if you would go over to 2nd Timothy chapter number 3 2nd
Timothy chapter number 3 see these are these are the things that are necessary to be a man of God
Well, you have to be you know, just generally speaking you have to be you know, married
You have to have children and not only can you just have children
But they actually have to have them in subjection with all gravity
I feel the rule your own house as the Bible says
For for man know not how to rule us on house own house how eventually take care of the Church of God, right?
So there's a proving there's a testing
Here in 1st Timothy 3 and Titus
1 if you wanted to read that to that that shows us that there's certain criteria that you have to meet in order to be
considered
meet for the ministry
But I want to get into here something else that maybe doesn't isn't just explicitly spelled out here in 1st, Timothy
Something that you know, there there still has to be some things that that that will make a person a man of God
There's certain characteristics
So you have to have certain characters traits that have to be there in order to be a man of God now
You're there in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 look at verse 6
It says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it's profitable for correct for doctrine for proof correction for instruction and righteousness
That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished into all good works
So again, this is Paul writing to Timothy so we can see that in the in the New Testament
You know the man of God is referring to
You know the preacher it's referring to the pastor it's referring to someone who's ordained in the ministry
right, and we'll see that elsewhere where Timothy again is called a man of God by Paul and
You know, we have all these New Testament qualifications
But you know that that term open the man of God is something that's used throughout the Old Testament
We really don't have time to go through tonight to look at all the different examples of people that were referred to as men of God
They were always leaders. They were always
Prophets some of them were named specifically some of them were more obscure
Some of them weren't even mentioned beyond just that they were a man of God. Okay
so
What I want to look at is more what's in the Old Testament and just draw a few thoughts just a couple things tonight
About what it make what makes a man of God. What does it take to be considered a man of God?
What kind of characteristics do you have to be what have to be really?
What I'm getting at is what is your motive to be a man of God? What is the motive behind it?
And look at the end I'll tie it up you say well, I'm you know, I'm I'm never gonna be a minister
I'm you know, you know, that's something that's reserved for men
You might be a lady and say well that doesn't really apply to me
but there's still something that we can learn from this and when it comes to
All of us can learn that when it comes to what it takes to be a man of God
there's an application that we can make here and take home tonight, but
You're there in 2nd Timothy 3 you read that go to Exodus chapter 4, you know
one of the Old Testament, you know men of God that we're gonna look at is
Moses you know and Moses is a great example and I think he serves as an example of the kind of
Characteristics the kind of character you have to have if you want to be somebody
That is a man of God or at the very least someone who just wants to serve God
You know, maybe being a man of God is just not something that's gonna
Be your lot in life. That's just something that you're never gonna fulfill but you know at the end of the day
we can all serve God and
We could look at these characteristics of these Old Testament in the in the Old Testament characters and and learn some things about
You know serving God just generally speaking, okay
Now Moses was referred to as a man of God as it says in Deuteronomy 33
This is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death and what's interesting about
About Moses is that he was somebody that was though called, right?
We would say there was definitely a calling in his instance, right? The God came to him in a burning bush
I mean, I don't know how much more of a calling you need, you know, you need to call it a calling
But he was also somebody who's very reluctant to go into the ministry
He was somebody that didn't just say well, of course, it's about time, you know
I've been waiting for this
I've been watching this bush for decades now waiting for you to light that thing up and and see my true talents, right?
Moses was actually somebody that was very resistant into going into the ministry
if you look there in verse 10
He has this whole dialogue of Exodus chapter 4 verse 10 with the Lord where he's kind of you know, he's disputing almost
He's almost disagreeing with God and saying no you got the wrong guy
He says in verse 10 and Moses said to the Lord. Oh my lord
I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor sense hast thou spoken unto thy servant, but I am of slow of speech and of a
slow tongue
So what's his excuse? He saw I can't get up. He's you know, he has a fear of public speaking, you know
He's like I'm not eloquent. I can't get up and move people
But is that really what we need to be able to do as somebody who's preaching the Word of God?
You know Paul told Timothy preach the word the instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine
Right, but he said preach the word, you know, and that's some of the best advice
I ever heard when it came to preaching, you know
If you want to deliver a message just preach what the Bible says, you know
People don't come here to just you have some emotional experience
They don't come to churches like this for people to get up and just move them with their eloquent speech
you know they come here because they want to learn something from the Word of God and
Look we all know something from the Word of God, you know
We should all be able to teach other somebody something out of the Word of God
You know if we've been saved for a long time or even a short time
Look, even if you've been saved for a very short time, you at least know how to get somebody saved
You've learned something, you know, we all have something that we could share we could teach others, right?
That's why I told Timothy look preach the word
It doesn't matter about being eloquent or having you know
This great speaking ability now obviously you have to be apt to teach when you're gonna get up behind the pulpit
There is a certain level of aptitude that you need to be able to you know
Clearly teach what the Word of God says I understand that but it doesn't have to be this eloquence
It doesn't have to be this, you know, the high
Standard of being able to just wow people with the way you speak
I'm walking proof of that. You know, I mean I get up here. I stutter I stamper
I misspeak all the time
But you know what I'm doing my best to try to preach the word and that's what
Benefits people the most is when the Word of God is preached. It's not about the messenger. It's about the message
Okay, again, there has to be an aptitude, but it's not this, you know over-the-top eloquence, you know
and you'll see guys like this that get up in these pulpits and
Some churches where it's just it's it's like an act, you know, they'll every sermon they're crying
You know, but then you talk to them outside the pulpit and everything's fine
You know, every sermon is just this it's just as drama it's like a it's like a play or something. Okay?
That's not what God's looking for. That's not what he needs. Okay, and that's kind of what Moses is throwing at the Lord here
You know people could talk about was Moses right to do this or not
Look Moses was a man of like passions and I can understand him not wanting to you know
Maybe be put in that position, you know, and it's actually a good thing
You know that people you know that I'm not saying he was right or wrong
But I'm saying at least he wasn't just someone who was so arrogant and full of himself that he was just like, yeah
I got this. Yeah, of course
You know, I'm a great speaker, right?
But there was some hesitancy there, but you know at the end he was willing to go and do the job
He says there
He says but I am slow speech of a slow tongue verse 11 and Lord sent him
Who hath made man's mouth or hath made that make it the deaf or?
Who make it dumb the dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind have not I the Lord?
He's like you don't think I know how you how you speak Moses, he's like, I'm the one that made that mouth
I'm the one that formed that tongue before you were even, you know brought forth, you know before you were born
I know how you speak you think I don't it's like he's saying you don't know what I'm you think
I don't know what I'm doing Moses. You think I got the wrong guy
He's saying I know how you speak. I know all of this and some people might say well, maybe Moses was lying here
I don't know. I'm not gonna lay that charge. I think maybe he was just reluctant and just had some self-doubt, you know
He goes on and says now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say, you know
And that's a great
Passage to encourage people, you know
if you ever find yourself as somebody that maybe has to get up behind the pulpit and and fill in or
Maybe be a preacher one day or even out soul winning again going back to the idea of preach the word
Remember if we're preaching God's Word, we have the Holy Spirit. God's gonna be with us. He'll help us
He'll give us the words to say I'm not saying he's gonna take over
Right, but he's given us the things to say right here. You know, we have the whole counsel of God
There's a message in here on every page, you know
If we just take the time to read it and think about it
We'd all have something to share God will be with our mouth if we're in his book
Okay, so that's just kind of some advice there
But he said in verse 13 and he said oh my lord send I pray thee by the hand whom thou wilt send
Now he's still fighting him. He's saying look I made your mouth. I'll be with you. He's trying to
Bolster his confidence here right because you know, he comes he calls him
Moses kind of has this reply
I'm not eloquent and then God corrects him and you would think at this point that Moses would just be like, yeah
You're right. I'll go with you
But he's sitting here and he's arguing with the Lord which is you know, to me always this story always kind of blows
My mind right? He's it's a burning bush. It's obviously God
You know and here he is he's and he's he's arguing arguing with him
He said ascend by thee
I pray thee send by the hand of him that whom thou wilt send and
The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said is not Aaron that I the Levite thy brother
I know that he can speak. Well, he's like so, you know, I he's taken away his excuses, right?
and he said also and also behold he cometh forth to meet me and
when he seeth he he will be glad in his heart and
Thou shalt speak unto him and put his words and put in his expert word
Excuse me and put words in his mouth and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall
Do so he's saying look I'm gonna take away your excuses
You keep coming up with excuses and I'm just gonna I'll tell you what to tell Moses to tell Aaron and that's what we'll do
He's gonna be your mouthpiece, right?
verse 16 and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people and he shall even
And he shall be even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him instead of God
And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand wherewith thou shalt do signs
So he's really just giving Moses no excuse right and Moses went returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said unto let me go
I pray thee and he let him go right and that's how the story goes but notice
What's the point here is that when men of God are called to do to the ministry when they are?
You know when they're when they're given that job to do it's something a lot of times that they're often unwilling to do
It's something that they have to be talked into doing and something that they have to be persuaded like no you can't
Do this, you should do this you need to do this and they have to do it
Another example of this I think would be Elisha if you would go over to 2nd Kings chapter 19 or 1st Kings 19
excuse me, 1st Kings chapter 19 and
2nd Kings chapter 5 it we we learned that Elisha was called the man of God and it was so when Elisha the man
Of God had heard that Israel the king of Israel had ran his clothes and this is a story of name sinner
I'm just pointing it out to
To show us that Elisha is another one that is called the man of God you have Moses and again
There's a multitude of people
But there it seems to be this, you know
This this reluctance or and not not so much in Elisha's case
But we do see that they're brought into the ministry by another person with Elisha
It's not really that there's a reluctance
But it's it's rather that I'm making the point that somebody else called them into that
Somebody else said hey, this is something you need to do
Right and first Kings 19 verses verse 19. He said so he departed thence. This is the he there is Elijah
And found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen before him and he with the 12th
You know, there's a lot to say right there about the character that Elisha had. This is a guy who was a hard worker
Somebody he was already employed at something else somebody, you know
He's sitting there plowing with the 12 yoke of oxen and he with the 12th like he's in the yoke with the oxen
He's not driving it. He's actually in that yoke pulling with a bunch of oxen
So really when you think about it, you know, there's a whole nother
Aspect to this man of God here is that you know, he was there's nothing really beneath him when it came to work
You know if he if the job needed a gun get done
He's gonna get in there and do it
You know
That's the kind of character that you need to have if you're gonna be somebody that's going to serve and you'll see more about this
About about this when it comes to Elisha that he was somebody that
No task really was beneath him when it came something you need to get done
That's what he do
that is the kind of attitude you have to have if you're gonna be somebody who goes into the ministry because there's a lot of
Little things to do a lot of things that you know
They're gonna go unseen that people aren't going to appreciate and that's not why you're doing it people think
Oh, I'm gonna go in the ministry and I'm just gonna be up in the lights
You know, I'm gonna be the one on the camera. I'm gonna be the one with everyone's attention
Well, but they don't see is all the nitty-gritty that goes on behind the scenes
They don't see you know Elijah here getting in with the yoke of oxen and plowing with them
In fact, that's probably not the most impressive thing to me. We would look at it say wow, that's that's cool, right?
But somebody else might walk by and see like why don't you just get another ox, you know?
Look at this guy. He doesn't even have enough money to get another oxen. He's he's in there with him
It's kind of a demeaning thing when you think about it
But anyways, the light say it goes on it says there and Elijah passed by him and what cast his mantle upon him
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah said let me I prayed he kissed my father my mother and then well
I will follow thee and he said go back again for what have I done to thee?
And to me that just kind of gives a little bit of a window into to what Elijah might have been like
I mean cuz it's kind of doesn't that sound kind of dismissive the way he talks to him
He comes to him and throws his mantle upon him and Elijah comes running and he says what have I done to you?
He's just kind of it's kind of like he's just kind of blowing him off a little bit
I don't know that, you know makes me kind of think that maybe Elijah wasn't exactly the the friendliest guy
You know, maybe he was a bit of a grouch a little bit. I don't know
He just seems kind of a kind of a curt thing to have said there and it says a verse 21
and he returned back from him with it and it took a yoke of oxen and slew them and boiled their flesh with the
Instrument of the oxen and he gave one of the people and they did eat
Then he arose and went after Elijah and ministered unto him
So again, he goes from plowing with these oxen to ministering unto a guy who you know
Just from that little interaction isn't exactly maybe the nicest guy, you know
He's he's kind of dismissive
But you know what that was who Elijah had to go and minister unto and I'm not saying Elijah was some bad guy
Or anything like that, but you know what? Maybe he wasn't the the most gentlest boss, you know and
Elijah was the type of guy that could take that, you know
And again, that's something that you have to have you have to have thick skin if you're gonna go into the ministry
You're gonna have to have handle somebody, you know telling you you did wrong here you didn't do this, right?
You got to fix that, you know that there's that correction that always comes and that's something that's just for everybody, right?
We could all stand to have thick skin, especially these days when everybody's getting thinner and thinner skin
You can't tell anybody that they did something wrong anymore
So Elijah here, he has some thick skin, right?
He's going to go serve under this guy who's you know, kind of dismissive and just saying you know what?
Go kiss him don't kiss him do whatever you want, you know, I'm moving on okay
but the
Excuse me. The point is this is that
Elijah was brought into the ministry by another person. He didn't go find Elijah, right?
He didn't go find him and say hey, I know I'm the one that's supposed to follow in your footsteps
I'm the one that's gonna pick up your mantle literally
You know that was something that came to him. He wasn't expecting it
So again, it's good to have that desire right that's obviously that's we want that there
But at the same time you don't want people that are what insistent on being in the ministry
That's usually a bad sign
That's usually a red flag when you have people who insist on being a pastor or whatever
When they clear even especially when they clearly don't even meet the qualifications, you know, they might get some
Ordination from somewhere else they might go through some Bible College and they'll ordain just about anybody these days
You know, I've seen them send out people that aren't even married and say call them or drain Amos pastors. They don't even have a wife
Okay, and that's and that's not uncommon, you know in in these colleges and I'm talking about Baptist colleges independent fundamental Baptist colleges
That type of thing has happened and then they insist on being in the ministry, you know
Maybe they do that just out of ignorance. They haven't really considered what the Bible says about that
But then I've also seen people that have been told look you don't meet the qualifications
The best thing for you to do would be to just join a local church and serve there faithfully
And then when you do meet the qualifications we can talk
But a lot of times they'll just insist on no, I'm just gonna go ahead and do it anyway
Now that doesn't necessarily make them rotten people
It just means that you know what?
They probably don't have the type of character to be in the to be in that position to begin with because as we'll see
Here in a minute. It's not about you. It's not about the minister
It's about the one that they are the ones they are ministering to
They're brought into the ministry by another person
It's not something they insist on another example of this and if you would go to 2nd Kings chapter 3 2nd Kings chapter 3 as
That they are, you know, they're brought in the ministries by another another example would be Timothy, right?
I mean Moses was found by the Lord the Lord had to come find him and and
You know call him into it
Elisha was sent to go and cast his a lot his mantle upon Elijah or I got that around around Elijah's went to cast
upon Elisha
Right and called him into the ministry
Another one great example of this is Timothy and Timothy is referred to as a man of God in 1st Timothy 6
You're there in 2nd Kings 3. I'll just read to you
He said but thou thou o man of God flee these things, right?
So Paul writing Timothy's calls him a man of God. He says oh man of God
But when when Paul first found Timothy, he wasn't a man of God
He's something buddy that was trained and became and was ordained as a man of God
He says in Acts 16 then came he you know
Paul to Derby and Lystra and behold a certain disciples there named Timotheus as the son of a certain woman
Which is a Jewish Jewish and believed but his father was a Greek which was well reported of by the brethren
That were at Lystra and Iconium. So there's this principle here that when Paul, you know had to find another
companion and travel when he went to looking for one and he found Timothy what what tipped him off was that he had a
good reputation
Right. He was well reported of by the brethren and they were saying hey consider Timothy, you know
Cuz he's been faithful. He's been you know serving already. He was found somebody that was found
already serving right as
It says in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 that I steward it moreover
It is required and stewards that a man be found faithful, right? And that's the case with Timothy here
that was the case with Moses and
Elisha and
specifically Tim Timothy
He was somebody that was already found being faithful in his local church and then was called into the ministry
By Paul and was trained by Paul
You know, and that's the same thing again going back to the example of lie show you're there in second Kings chapter 3
Look at verse 11
It says but Jehoshaphat said is there not here a prophet of the Lord that we require of the Lord by him and
one of the kings of Israel
Israel servants answered and said here is Elisha the son of Shafat and how is he known as known as the great and powerful?
Elisha
The this mighty man of God, right? No
He was known as Elisha the son of Shafat who poured water on the hands of Elijah. I
Mean that's a pretty humbling job, right?
I mean I've asked favors of people in this church
You know to help me in the building or something that people have come to me and said AIDS or anything you need me to
Do I have yet to ask anybody to wash my hands for me?
Right because you got to think about why is he pouring water in his hands?
Well, they didn't have plumbing back then, right?
So back then they would come with a pitcher and they would pour it on his hands that he would wash his hands
You know before he ate that was one of his duties. That's a pretty
Humbling task if you ask me, I mean we're talking about a grown man here
Helping another grown man wash his hands right he that but that's how close he was
He that was he was Elisha's or Elijah's servant
He was the servant of Elijah, you know when you think about Joshua
He's known as the servant of Moses, right?
And he was somebody that eventually of course took the reins and led the peace but with Israel after Moses's death
But that's not how he started out. He started out as a servant
They were people that were brought into the ministry as another. How did they start out though?
They started out as faithful servants where no task was beneath them. Whatever needed to be done
that's what they were willing to do and that's how you know men like
Timothy earned that reputation and I don't know that they said he was well reported of the brethren because you know
He was just some great speaker or was it rather because he had a reputation of being just faithful being
Willing and just you know wanting to help out and doing what he can anything that he could you know
Another great example of this would be Paul right if you would go over to Galatians chapter 1 Galatians chapter 1
These are people that are just found as faithful servants. That's what they're there for and this is what makes a man of God
You know, we want to read over the qualifications in first Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and just say well, there you go
That's all it takes. Yeah, those things are definitely necessary
I'm not dismissing those but there's more to it to being a man of God to being somebody's ordained to being a sermon of
Christ there has to be a certain type of character
There has to be a certain type of attitude that goes along with those qualifications of humility
Somebody's willing to serve somebody who's not just in it to be a big shot
Okay, and that's not what Paul was Paul's not in it to be a big shot
And in fact here look at Galatians chapter 1 verse 11
He said but I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man neither. I was
For I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ
For you have heard of me
Ye have heard of my conversation in times past in the Jews religion how that beyond measure
I persecuted the church and of God and wasted it and was and profited in the Jews religion
Above many mine equals in mine own nation. He's saying look I used to be a big shot in the Jews religion
They knew who I was. I you know, I was the one that took letters and had people arrested
I wasted the local church. I was
Pro- I profited above many mine equals right many my equals in my own religion being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition of my fathers
But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's room and called me by his grace
To reveal his son and me that I might preach him among the heathen
He's talking about his conversion and remember his conversion and look if anybody had
Something to you know, get puffed up about or tout themselves about it was Paul
you know a lot of he's the only one where
you see Jesus Christ showing up and manifesting himself after he ascended into heaven and
Speaking directly to him, right?
Remember that in Acts 9 on Damascus Road, right the road of Damascus that Paul's conversion. That's how it takes place and he's blinded, right?
Did any of the other apostles could they have said that now they definitely saw the resurrected Christ
That's part of being an apostle. They walked with Jesus, but then this seems like, you know, the Lord really singled him out
And he could have gone. Hey, well, hey Peter
Did he did he has he appeared to you since he left as he come back and and and manifest you
Did he speak to you like that?
You know, he's like all he did for you was catch some fish, right?
That's you know, he did some miracles right but here Paul is referring back to it
But notice how he describes what happened afterwards and and you know
There's some debate and speculation about exactly the timing all of all this and Paul's life
I'm not really gonna get into that because I'm not a hundred percent sure about it anyway
But he's saying look he says he said in verse 16 to reveal his son to me that I might preach him among the heathen
Immediately. I conferred not with flesh and blood
But went into Arabia and returned again into Damascus now
He's saying there some people say oh he conferred now with flesh and blood meaning he went off to be by himself
I don't think that's what he's referring to
I think what he's referring to is the fact that he didn't go to confer with the Apostles. Okay, because remember when
People say oh he had to go off into the Arabia and contemplate his new faith and get his head straight or something like that
Okay, and and maybe that is what play. I'm not I'm not saying that's exactly what happened
Maybe I don't think the Bible is explicitly clear on that
But to me with your beat he's calling him to what to go preach under the Gentiles, right?
He's saying what Paul is a chosen vessel to preach under the Gentiles to bring the light unto the Gentiles
I mean he made it real clear what his job was
I don't think and to me it just seems like if if Christ is speaking to you if you manifesting you're going blind and
Having the scales removed from your eyes. You don't have to sit there and contemplate him. Is this real that this really happened?
What is it? I'm supposed to do again. It seemed pretty clear-cut what God wanted to do
I don't feel like he had to go out and spend all this time the desert. Maybe he did
Okay, but it says he went into Arabia and returned again on Damascus now
It says then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him 15 days
He said then I went to confer with flesh and blood, right?
He's saying I didn't do that and then immediately just go to the apostles and say, you know, God called me
I'm here to be a light on the Gentiles
I'm here to do the job that you guys are failing to do
To some degree because remember the apostles are always hanging back in Jerusalem
They're not you know, God is trying to get them to go into these other nations
Which is why in the book of Acts, you know towards the latter half of it is all the acts of one man Paul
right because it's just
The apostles aren't getting out of Jerusalem like they were told to do they weren't going to all nations, right? That's another sermon
But the point is this is that Paul didn't just immediately run off and go beat his chest with the apostles
He said I conferred not with flesh and blood
But after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him 15 days
But of the other apostles side none say James the Lord's brother
What am I getting at is that Paul was somebody that was called in the ministry. He was brought into it
Right and you want to talk about somebody who was reluctant to go into the ministry
He was destroying it when they found him
But when that happened, he didn't make himself into some big shot
He wasn't in going into the ministry to make a name for himself and by you know
And inadvertently is probably you know outside of Lord Jesus Christ the most popular Christian that we know of
I mean, he's a very prominent character in the New Testament, right? But is that why he went into it?
Did he think he went into it saying I know that every letter I'm rights going to be preserved
It's going to be considered the Word of God
Obviously, I think a lot of things he did right. He knew were were under the inspiration Holy Ghost
But you know, I don't think that's why he went into the ministry
Why did he go to the ministry because he wanted to preach under the Gentiles to bring the gospel of Christ to the heathen
That's why you read in Ephesians chapter 3
He said unto me who I'm least than all this of all the Saints
Does that sound like somebody who has an attitude of being a big shot?
He's saying look I'm the least of all the Saints not just the Apostles
He didn't say he said also, you know, I'm as one born out of due time
You know, I am the least of all the Apostles. He's saying look I'm the least of all Saints
Is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ?
Paul didn't get called in the ministry to be a big shot
And look if people want to go into the ministry just to make a name for themselves
They're in it for the wrong reason if they're in it because they want to brag about their you know, YouTube subscribers
You're in it for the wrong reason
Because it's not about you. It's not about being a big shot
And this is something that guys can fall into even if they go into it wrong with the with the right motives
You know, they start getting invited to all the you know
The the conferences and things like that and this is something that's pretty prominent in the new life or the old IFP
And look I'm not against the conferences
I think we've got some great ones in the new IFP and even the old IFP has got some good conferences
I've been to them but after a while it, you know, there's always that temptation
It's a possibility that some of these guys just want to get into it to have their photo on
You know the invite or whatever they want to be the guy dr. So and so, you know
They want to you know, dr. This is going to be preaching and they end up just want to be big shots
you know and
That's something I used to drive my old pastor crazy is these guys that would just they would they were qualified
They could they could settle down and run a church
but all they wanted to do was just go guest preach and get in their RV and
Just drive around the country and just preach at everybody else's churches and never and this is how we put it get their hands
dirty
and actually do the nitty-gritty of the dirty work of the ministry of
Dealing with situations and people and helping others because that's not gonna make you a big shot
You know going around and preaching the same six messages that you've polished and memorized that's gonna make you a big shot
But is that gonna help you preach the the unsearchable riches of Christ?
Is that gonna really minister to people the way that you need to be ministered to?
So that's what you know, that's another these are the that's what we're talking about tonight
The the real motives for being a man of God what makes a man of God?
It's more than just these qualifications
There's got to be a certain type of attitude. There has to be a character
You have to be somebody who's not insisting on being in the ministry
So that you can be a big shot and get yourself a name and be somebody
You know John the Baptist I think is another
Great example of this we'll close on this example if you would go to John chapter 1 John chapter 1. I
Mean look when you're the guy
That baptizes Christ you're whether you want to know it whether you men or not. You're kind of a big shot
You know if John the Baptist showed up here tonight, you know, besides how amazing that would be just in and of itself
You know, we would probably take the time to acknowledge him. You know, I probably say hey you want to preach?
You know, I'll step down. I'd love to hear that
Right. I mean, but what does that what he did it was he a big shot. Did he make himself a big shot?
The Bible we know when Luke how you know
We learned some things about John the Baptist and he wasn't somebody that was on the scene very long
You know, he came baptized preached and then was beheaded, you know shortly thereafter
But it says in Luke 1 and speaking of his birth and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts
Till the day of his showing unto Israel
So he's not I mean think and if you understand remember the story behind his birth
the angel is showing up in in the in the temple with Zacharias and
Pronouncing his birth and Elizabeth is learning about it and it's this miracle that's taking place
You know Zacharias has made mute because he doubted
Right, and then God tongue loses his tongue after he's you know, names him John like he's supposed to I mean
Wouldn't you think there'd be a little bit of a mystique around this child when people go?
Wow, did you see everything that happened to the high priest and the son was born to him?
then it was in their old age and how amazing it was and
And they would have probably made a big deal out of him, right
So what does John end up doing and it sounds like it's you know
Something that happened fairly quickly when he was eight as soon as he's probably able to fend for himself
You know
He waxed strong and spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his appearing of his showing unto Israel
So I don't think it was like, you know
They gave birth to him and then just took him out and and set him out in the bushes somewhere
Let him grow up, you know, but he could have been they knew who he was
No doubt people must have known who John the Baptist was even before he was known as John the Baptist
John the son of Zacharias and everything was behind his birth, right?
He was a miracle baby. Okay, but
They were that where does he go out into the deserts, you know, just wandering around
He's basically when you think about it homeless, you know, he's he's kind of he's kind of a
Basically people might have looked at him said he's he became a vagrant, you know, he's a derelict
He's just out there wandering around the deserts and in Matthew
We learned that what his meat was locusts and wild, honey
Don't you know who I am? I'm John the Baptist. Where's my t-bone steak? Where's my you know, where's my garlic mashed potatoes?
Where's where's my?
Asparagus, you know, which is the nice fancy way of saying asparagus
And if you want to get real fancy you put parmesian cheese on it
Somebody's Parmesan, but I use parmesian, right?
But he could have made himself something. I'm not gonna go out in the desert and eat bugs and wild, honey
Now the honey part I'm for wild, you know, get yourself some organic honey, right?
Brother, amen. It's good, huh? Yeah, I got a witness right here. I
Can recommend you some good honey. All right, but I'm not gonna do it from the pulpit until they start paying me
I'm kidding. No
True love honey, get you some. All right
But I'm all for that but he's out there eating locusts
He's eating bugs and we learned that he you know, he had can't his Raymond was camel's hair and a leather girdle
We where's the three-piece suit? Why isn't this guy a raid and silk?
You know, why isn't he had this these comfortable garments?
Why isn't he just being kept in the lap of luxury and fed all the best things?
Because he's not a big shot because why cuz it's not about him
You know, his ministry was not to make himself into something. It was to appoint others to Christ, right?
And that's what he did. I had you go to John 1, right?
He said in John 1 29 the next day John seeeth Jesus coming unto him and he saith behold the Lamb of God
Which taketh away the sin of the world?
John's mess it wasn't behold John who was born of Zacharias in his old age
Did you hear about the story about my birth and how amazing that was?
No, his whole point was to point people to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world because that's not something
John could do I
Mean, what's the big deal? You can't take away the sin of the world, but you know what Jesus can and does and
He's the one that he's pointing people to
This is he of whom I said
After me come with a man which is preferred before me for he was before me
He's saying look he's better than me go over to John chapter 3 John chapter 3
This is the motive and the character that you have to have if you want to be one
That goes into the ministry if you want to know what it's gonna make up your character
What's gonna make a man of God? It has to be one of humility. That's not about you
It's not about being a big shot. It's about other people. It has to be there
Otherwise it'll fail and look this is the application for everybody
You know your service for Christ is for Christ and for others and I know I mentioned this earlier
But I'll mention again don't ever don't ever think that you're coming into church to serve me or any other person in this church
Well, you know because people get bent out of shape and then they go after everything I did for the pastor
Oh, is that why you were doing all that? I thought you were doing it because you were serving Christ
Don't you know, it's if that's not your motive then don't do anything
If your motive for serving a local church is
Anything other than to serve Christ in the local church then don't serve because you've got the wrong motive and don't you know
And don't and don't do it to trying to make yourself into some kind of a big shot
You know, and and I don't think we have that here, you know
And I don't I don't believe that for we have that here for a second, but we always got to keep that in check
You know, I have to do that for myself
You know, I can start to think well my man my preaching is getting you know, it's getting better
I'm gonna say oh my preaching is getting so good man. My talents could be used elsewhere. You know, I could have such a bigger church
You know that that could that happen to a preacher sure it could
You know, even if they go into it with the right motive, you know
They could get a big head and think that you know
It's not about the people that they're ministering to that. It's it's about them
It's about you know, what they're you know, what their talents are worthy of or something like that
And
Look that's not to say that every guy that has a big church or something is in it for the wrong reasons
There's just there's a lot of reasons why people have bigger churches than others a lot of that has to do with location
Especially if you're you know, if you're in a big city and you're the only game in town, you know
You're gonna have a big church
Like the first guy goes out to the East Coast and goes to one of these major
Metropolitan's, you know, New York that area they're gonna have a huge church, right?
But is that the reason to go there, you know, not necessarily
but we don't want to fall into that trap of thinking, you know me serving Christ whether it's as a minister, you know behind the pulpit or
Serving here in the local church or going out and preaching the gospel in
Whatever capacity you serve God don't ever do it for any other motive than for Christ and for other people
Because it's not about you. That's what we learn about John the Baptist
Again, somebody, you know who we would look at and say is a big shot, but you know what he's as Christ
What made himself of no reputation?
Look at John chapter 3 verse 29
John 3 verse 29. He said he that hath the bride bride is the bridegroom
but the friend of the bridegroom
Which standeth and heareth and rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice and this my joy therefore is fulfilled
Look, he's saying look. I'm just glad that I get to bear witness to this
I'm happy just to stand here and and see Christ and his bride and
And see that taking place that union, you know in salvation, right?
And he goes on and says in verse 30 he must increase but I must decrease
That's the attitude. We all have to have if we're gonna serve God and make it is that you know what?
It's not about us. We have to decrease if he's going to increase
If you want more of Christ's power
You want to be able to do more for God then it has to be less about you and more about him
He that cometh from above is above all and he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh above earth
He that cometh from heaven is above all
And that's who we serve today just like John we serve him
Who is from above who's from heaven and speaketh of heaven, you know, we're worth of the earth
We speak we're earthy, you know, we're faulty. We make mistakes. We're not perfect. It's not about us folks
it's about him and that's the motive you have to have and
And that's you know, that's the takeaway for everybody tonight, you know that Josh that John's you know
His motive to serve God his humility. That's something that we can all share not just men of God
Let's go ahead and pray