Gaining the Respect and Confidence of Men

In this part of the sermon: Martin reintroduces the series on effective pastoral preaching, focusing on the pastor's relationship with his people. He states the core axiom: the man of God must earn…

R.C. Sproul's anecdote about a preacher not intimidated by a national celebrity because he speaks before God every Sunday illustrates the principle of fearing God more than men.

Now we take up again, brethren, the whole matter of the essential elements of effective pastoral preaching as they relate to the man of God himself, and we've considered this broad subject in several large subcategories. First of all, the man before his God spiritually, intellectually, physically, and emotionally, and now we are considering the man of God in relationship to his people. And thus far we've opened up two basic axioms by asserting that the man of God must experience a growing measure of unfeigned love for his people if he is to profit them by his preaching, and secondly, he must e...

0:03 - 1:18 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin reintroduces the series on effective pastoral preaching, focusing on the pastor's relationship with his people. He states the core axiom: the man of God must earn…

A quote from John Welsh, son-in-law to John Knox, emphasizes that remembering one stands before God's sacred majesty eliminates the fear of any man, reinforcing the antidote to crippling fear of men.

On the bottom of page 124 in the same vein, what said John Welsh, a fervent Scottish minister, son-in-law to the celebrated John Knox, that I should regard or fear the face of any man when I remember and assure myself that I am standing before that sacred and glorious majesty whose word in his very sight I am preaching to his servants and preachers. Believe me, when this thought enters my mind, I could not pay any regard to the face of any man, even if I wished ever so much to do so. So the whole concept of preaching as before the face of God and in the sight of God was the great antidote in t...

2:04 - 3:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't expect your people to confer respect and confidence upon you graciously; you must earn them.

The imagery of stalactites and stalagmites illustrates how a pastor's life, drip by drip, either builds up massive respect and confidence or slowly erodes it like water on hard rock.

However, unless we would resort to Romish superstition and reconstruct the mindless awe and confidence of medieval darkness in the clergy, the bulk of the raw materials of the respect and confidence which we seek must be earned by the quality and patterns of grace, the quality and patterns of grace, the quality and patterns of grace, the quality and patterns of grace, the quality and patterns of grace, and the quality of life lived before our people. Day in, day out, week in, week out, year in, year out, we come back to the stalactite, stalagmite imagery. Your life will either be drip by drip,...

8:04 - 9:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the first 'giant killer' of respect and confidence: laziness. He discusses general ministerial laziness, laziness in sermon preparation, and laziness in…

Paul's use of imageries like a soldier, vine-keeper, husbandman, and ox treading grain in 1 Corinthians 9:6-14 vividly describes the laborious nature of gospel ministry, countering laziness.

That is, to labor, to copiato, to labor unto toil and pain in the word and in doctrine. Or the vivid imagery of 1 Corinthians 9, 6-14 when Paul says God has ordained that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel. In the context, Paul uses very strong verbs to describe the nature of that work of preaching the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9, 6-14 And from these verbs we learn that this is no fool's errand.

21:23 - 22:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of addiction to TV, sports, or puttering around the house, and anything that would cause you to earn the reputation for being a lazy man in general.

The analogy of ecclesiastical relief or abusing the welfare system is used to explain why people resent ministerial laziness, feeling their support is being misused.

Now let me get more specific. First of all let me say a word about laziness in general. Laziness in general that is lack of whole hearted zeal in any or some or all facets of your ministerial labor will be resented by the people because they will feel that you are indulging a form of ecclesiastical relief. The whole welfare system is being abused in their eyes.

22:56 - 23:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of addiction to TV, sports, or puttering around the house, and anything that would cause you to earn the reputation for being a lazy man in general.

The analogy of a time card, promotions, and pink slips in the secular workplace is used to highlight how laziness in ministry, though not outwardly tracked, will still lead to negative consequences in terms of respect.

The man in the world and slack in his work it generally will show up in his time card in the absence of promotions and in his being the first to be given his pink slip when there needs to be a cut back. So brethren since you don't have a time card to punch beware of addiction to TV to sports to puttering around the house beware of everything and anything that would cause you to earn the reputation justly for being a lazy man in general. Listen to the scathing words of Ezekiel to the shepherds of Israel in chapter 34 verses 1 to 4 prophesy against the shepherds of Israel prophesy and say unto t...

24:25 - 25:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of addiction to TV, sports, or puttering around the house, and anything that would cause you to earn the reputation for being a lazy man in general.

Paul stretching out his calloused hands as a tentmaker in Acts 20:34-35 illustrates his diligence and freedom from covetousness, setting an example against laziness.

away neither have you let the sheep go away neither have you broken the law of the ephod and the law of the law of the law of the law of the law of the law of the law of the law of the law the purity of his motives in the work of the gospel. In saying to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, 34, and 35, having stated that he coveted no man's silver, gold, or apparel, he said, You yourselves know, and I can just picture him stretching out loud hands that had pulled thousands of yards of leather and other commodities as a tent maker. You yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities ...

25:54 - 27:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of addiction to TV, sports, or puttering around the house, and anything that would cause you to earn the reputation for being a lazy man in general.

A quote from Ralph Turnbull's 'The Minister's Obstacles' warns against 'laziness through religious fussing about with trifles' as an idleness God will judge, emphasizing the need for focused diligence.

In a very obscure book, probably went through only one edition, The Minister's Obstacles by Ralph Turnbull. It has some very excellent material. Turnbull comments on this matter of laziness. Laziness through religious fussing about with trifles is an idleness for which, God will bring us into judgment.

27:37 - 28:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You can fool some of the people all the time. All of the people some of the time. But you can't fool all the people all the time.

The example of Jack Nicklaus's relentless practice, even to the point of bleeding blisters, illustrates that excellence in any field, including preaching, comes from hard work, not just native talent.

And the production of exegetically sound, theologically balanced, deliciously served sermons week after week, month after month, is just plain hard work. Whatever the measure of native gift you may have, whatever tools you've acquired in this place or any other place, the difference between mediocrity and excellence is hard work over the long haul. The difference, the difference between a Jack Nicklaus and others who had equal native raw golfing talent, but who've maybe never won one major tournament while he's won, what, 17 or however it is? He's up at the, close to the all-time list. Golf is...

29:35 - 30:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You can fool some of the people all the time. All of the people some of the time. But you can't fool all the people all the time.

The story of a young man practicing 20 hours in two days for a Beethoven Festival illustrates the extreme dedication required for mastery, applying to sermon preparation.

It matters no matter what a man's native musical talent is. I remember one young man who placed fourth in the International Beethoven Festival. In, I believe it was in Vienna some years ago. He used to be a member of our church.

30:55 - 31:11 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You can fool some of the people all the time. All of the people some of the time. But you can't fool all the people all the time.

The example of Luciano Pavarotti doing daily vocal scales until his death illustrates the continuous discipline needed to maintain competence, especially in preaching.

20 hours! And the men who make it and stay at the top of their voice game like a Luciano Pavarotti, they do their scales and their, their octaves and their vocalizing two hours a day till the day of their death. Because if they don't use it, they lose it. And it's equally true of any competence in the work of preaching.

31:28 - 31:57 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You can fool some of the people all the time. All of the people some of the time. But you can't fool all the people all the time.

Abraham Lincoln's quote about fooling people is used to warn that laziness in sermon preparation will eventually be evident to the congregation, eroding respect.

And if your people are not worth it to you to give yourself to the arduous task of laboring in the word and in doctrine and you begin to go lazy in your sermon preparation, Abraham Lincoln's statement will soon be true. You can fool some of the people all the time. All of the people some of the time. But you can't fool all the people all the time.

31:58 - 32:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Lose no time; study, pray, confer, and practice to increase your abilities and avoid weakness through negligence.

Richard Baxter's scathing words from 'The Reformed Pastor' rebuke ministers who indulge their own weakness and laziness, pretending the Spirit will compensate for their negligence in study and preparation.

Now listen to Baxter.

33:03 - 33:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Covetousness is presented as the third giant killer. Martin warns against carnal grasping after things, addiction to material possessions, and subtle hints of discontent with…

The biblical examples of Achan, Gehazi, Judas, and Demas are cited as 'ministerial thing-grabbers' to warn against the sin of covetousness.

What a plethora of names, particularly biblical names that are not really household words and you even forgot and you read some of them in the begats and the begats but they'll show up when one announces a birth. But I haven't found one who's been named Achan, Gehazi, Judas or Demas. And what do all four of them have in common? Ministerial thing-grabbers.

51:32 - 52:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The fourth and most destructive giant killer is sexual impurity, which Martin states can irrevocably destroy respect and confidence. He explains why ministers are uniquely…

The analogy of ancient warfare, where the enemy targets the captain or king to demoralize the army, explains why ministers are peculiar objects of satanic attack in the area of sexual impurity.

Confidence and respect will be eroded perhaps never to be regained if you're ever justly suspected of the sin of impurity. The sin of sexual impurity. All respect goes confidence goes and I sincerely question if it can ever be regained if your people have grounds to question your moral integrity. There was one time when all I'd have to say was with those of the opposite sex now you have to say in all sexual matters. Why do preachers so often fall here? Well, number one they are the objects of peculiar aggravated satanic attack. In ancient warfare you went for the captain for the king, the lead...

52:40 - 53:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain vigorous spiritual health in general, as cutting corners on ethical issues can lead to moral falls.

John Owen's counsel that 'no man makes any progress in the mortification of any one sin who does not drive at universal obedience' is presented as foundational for maintaining spiritual health and avoiding sexual sin.

Part of the watchfulness and the prayerfulness in conjunction with avoiding temptation, Matthew 26, 41, is the maintenance of good overall spiritual health. Many a man never, never bargained when he cheated on his conscience on a few dollars on his income tax that that would be the first step to cheating on his conscience in allowing some illicit desire to fester in his heart. And little did he think when he allowed that desire to fester, one day he'd be between the legs of his secretary. And if the proposal of being in bed with an illicit relationship had come at the time he was thinking of c...

57:09 - 58:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain vigorous spiritual health in general, as cutting corners on ethical issues can lead to moral falls.

The analogy of cheating on income tax as a first step to illicit desire and then sexual sin illustrates how small compromises in one area of conscience can lead to catastrophic falls in another, emphasizing Satan's subtle proposals.

Part of the watchfulness and the prayerfulness in conjunction with avoiding temptation, Matthew 26, 41, is the maintenance of good overall spiritual health. Many a man never, never bargained when he cheated on his conscience on a few dollars on his income tax that that would be the first step to cheating on his conscience in allowing some illicit desire to fester in his heart. And little did he think when he allowed that desire to fester, one day he'd be between the legs of his secretary. And if the proposal of being in bed with an illicit relationship had come at the time he was thinking of c...

57:09 - 58:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Slovenliness in appearance, dress, or social boorishness in manners is the seventh giant killer. Martin argues that these external factors impact first impressions and…

Spurgeon's essay 'Our Ordinary Conversation' from 'Lectures to My Students' is commended for its insights on maintaining consistency between pulpit and parlor demeanor.

Here I would commend to you Spurgeon's excellent, excellent essay in Lectures to My Students, pages 166 to 174, entitled Our Ordinary Conversation, in the section in Bridges, pages 112 to 137. 112 to 137. And then the last one I want to touch on, and this is where that article that I gave you comes in, slovenliness or social boorishness. Slovenliness or social boorishness.

72:44 - 73:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Slovenliness in appearance, dress, or social boorishness in manners is the seventh giant killer. Martin argues that these external factors impact first impressions and…

R.C. Sproul's experiment where a seminary class unknowingly selected three well-dressed men to represent the seminary illustrates the powerful impact of clothing and appearance on first impressions of credibility and respect.

If your people begin to sense in you a slovenliness in appearance, dress, or social boorishness in terms of manner, constantly dominating, in conversation, laughing so loud that everyone else is drowned out, it will be difficult for them to respect you. So brethren, don't be insensitive to such things as your clothing. I've given you an article that gives you, as far as I'm concerned, the most helpful distillation of good, sound advice in this area that I've ever found in one place. And very interestingly, in my own collateral reading, I've read through about half to two-thirds of the essays i...

73:20 - 74:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't make earning respect and confidence your primary aim; your primary aim is to be well-pleasing to the Lord.

The analogy of a bank where nickels, dimes, and quarters (respect and confidence) are deposited over time, but can be emptied in a single moment of sin, powerfully illustrates the fragility of earned trust.

And then my last observation, and this is so vital, brethren, respect and confidence earned over many years can be lost in a moment of time. Respect and confidence earned over many years can be lost in a moment of time. And I constantly use the analogy of a bank into which you put nickels, dimes, and quarters over a long time. Well, that's the way you earn confidence and respect, a nickel here, a dime there, a nickel here, a dime there.

79:41 - 80:12 Read in full sermon