Wrong Reasons for Seeking Pastoral Office, Part 1

Driving home: the claims of conscience are always supreme, but the voice of conscience is not always accurate, let alone infallible.

Martin explains that while the claims of conscience are always supreme, its voice is not always accurate or infallible, just as a judge's authority is supreme but his judgment can be mistaken.

that emphasis. However, the Bible does make it clear that sin has so affected the totality of what we are, and that remaining sin is so active in all the departments of our redeemed humanity, that though the claims of conscience are always supreme, they are not always accurate, let alone infallible. So, if you're writing down anything, put down the claims of conscience are always supreme, but the voice of conscience is not always accurate, let alone infallible.

12:10 - 12:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the claims of conscience are always supreme, but the voice of conscience is not always accurate, let alone infallible.

Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 8 is illustrated with a mathematical analogy: 'Ten plus zero equals ten,' meaning meat offered to an idol (which is nothing) is still just meat, not spiritually defiled.

1 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 4 to 7. Concerning, therefore, the eating of things, sacrifice to idols, we know, this is reality, that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one. though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are gods many and lords many in terms of the name and the titles being given, yet to us, those of us in touch with reality, there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. How be it? There is not in all men that knowled...

13:59 - 15:16 Read in full sermon

The point: When dealing with people under the pressure of a wrongly instructed conscience, seek to instruct their conscience by the light of God's truth.

An example of a child's conscience being wrongly instructed is given, where they believe it's a sin to enter a movie theater, illustrating how deeply ingrained false teachings can become.

and inherently evil, and as the conscience of that child could not think of ever darkening the door of any kind of a commercial motion picture theater to see something that even the Lord Jesus would see publicly, their conscience tells them, I cannot, and it would be a sin for them ever to plunk down whatever it costs to go to a motion picture theater. I don't know, it's been so long since I've been to one. So likewise, they were brought up in a context where all the preaching and the annual missionary conferences and all the youth ministries set forth this standard that if you really come to ...

18:23 - 19:48 Read in full sermon

The point: When dealing with people under the pressure of a wrongly instructed conscience, seek to instruct their conscience by the light of God's truth.

The common evangelical practice of youth walking aisles or throwing 'faggots into the fire' at missionary conferences is used as an example of how young people are pressured into dedicating themselves to 'full-time Christian service,' conditioning their conscience.

and inherently evil, and as the conscience of that child could not think of ever darkening the door of any kind of a commercial motion picture theater to see something that even the Lord Jesus would see publicly, their conscience tells them, I cannot, and it would be a sin for them ever to plunk down whatever it costs to go to a motion picture theater. I don't know, it's been so long since I've been to one. So likewise, they were brought up in a context where all the preaching and the annual missionary conferences and all the youth ministries set forth this standard that if you really come to ...

18:23 - 19:48 Read in full sermon

The point: If you sat under a ministry that pressured you into ministry, ask God to search your being to ensure none of that pushed you into this academy.

Martin shares a personal anecdote of a mother who reared her daughter with the explicit understanding that she was to be a missionary, illustrating the 'unwise ambition' of parents that can wrongly pressure children into ministry.

F-E-C-U-N-D. I first came across it in reading Matthew Henry, on a commentary dealing with contentment. And he was applying, as he often does, and he says, the barren woman complains of her barren womb, and the woman blessed with great fecundity complains of her many children. she had a fruitful womb and he called it fecundity and i said what in the world is that and lo and behold i found the dictionary that contained it so what happens well this error often is the first child of the previous area there are mothers and fathers who were given a bad conscience regarding full-time service and all...

23:37 - 24:58 Read in full sermon

The point: If you sat under a ministry that pressured you into ministry, ask God to search your being to ensure none of that pushed you into this academy.

The psychological impact of parental pressure is described as a child seeing 'missionary' or 'preacher' written across their own forehead, making it an inseparable part of their identity.

a mother and so i'm not talking in abstractions i can think of the situation now and it grieves me every time i do because the horrible horrible scenario that continues to spill out of this false teaching where a mother reared her daughter with the very understanding that i'm rearing you to be a missionary not rearing you as i preached last week so that should it become evident that god's hand is upon you you are not inordinately tied to things that you cannot go and serve christ wherever he would have you serve him that's legitimate but taking that precious child and as the child is emerging ...

24:58 - 26:21 Read in full sermon

The point: If you sat under a ministry that pressured you into ministry, ask God to search your being to ensure none of that pushed you into this academy.

Martin recounts hearing pastors 'brag' about the number of young people from their ministry who went to Bible school or seminary, illustrating the 'unsanctified ambition' of pastors who use this as a measure of their ministry's success.

the color of his hair the shape of his nose or the width of his shoulders and what happens well this pressure of the unwise ambition of those parents is that which brings that person on the threshold of his manhood to feel i must pursue the ministry until such time as god makes it very plain that that's not his will for me now the unsanctified ambition comes through more not with parents but with pastors so the word unwise applies to that parental scenario the unsanctified applies to this ministerial scenario pastors who get a sense of triumphalistic accomplishment in talking about how many of...

26:21 - 27:42 Read in full sermon

The point: If you sat under a ministry that pressured you into ministry, ask God to search your being to ensure none of that pushed you into this academy.

The false standard of ministry success is likened to 'climbing Pike's Peak,' where those in ministry or missions are seen as 'big heroes' at the apex of spirituality, while 'common peasants' at the base are overlooked.

17 of them were praised you almost feel them swelling this is the validation that their ministry is producing what really dedicated people you see how one error gives birth to another because they've set up a false standard in their own mind and the validation of their ministry is how many people make it to the top of pike's peak if pike's peak is going to be the top of pike's peak they couldn't make it to the ministry or the mission field then the proof that your ministry is carrying people to the apex of spirituality you've got 34 who were climbing pike's peak you don't have just little comm...

27:42 - 29:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God to localize, cauterize, consume, and tear out any unmortified pride that has woven itself into your self-assessment for ministry.

Pride's distortion of self-judgment is compared to 'crazy mirrors in the fun house' that twist one's physical image, showing a distorted version of reality.

has bestowed and therefore an accurate or sober assessment of ourselves and of our gifts will result in neither exaggerating nor depreciating the gifts god has bestowed the assessment will be according to the reality of what god has done doesn't come in too high doesn't come in too low now the inaccurate assessment of men is generally rooted in these three major things or these are the three major reasons why people make inaccurate assessments of themselves and of their gifts number one is the horrible devilish sin of pride pride distorts a man's judgment about himself like those crazy mirrors...

45:50 - 47:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Help replace the ignorance of those who think they are called to ministry but lack biblical knowledge with biblical knowledge.

Martin quotes Spurgeon on the unreliability of one's own opinion in discerning a call to ministry and the value of judicious, spiritually-minded people's counsel, including the old custom of preaching before the church.

sun of reality and accurate assessment rises and sets on my fair head, and there's no sunlight left to rest upon the heavens. head of any other person. The way of a fool is right in his own wise, but he that is wise hearkens unto counsel. Chapter 13, a wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer hears not rebuke. I mean, you just go on through and you find it on chapter after chapter after chapter. Spurgeon obviously witnessed this in his own day, and you read, if you read the chapter on his call to the ministry, these words, but I think we do well to hear them again, or having read...

53:38 - 54:46 Read in full sermon