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Half the diseases of
Christianity
(J.
C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Matthew" 1856)
"These are the names of the twelve apostles . . . and Judas Iscariot,
who betrayed Him." Mt. 10:2-4
We are taught here, that all ministers are not necessarily saved men. We
see our Lord choosing a Judas Iscariot to be one of His apostles. We cannot
doubt that He who knew all hearts, knew well the characters of the men whom He
chose. And He includes in the list of apostles one who was a traitor!
We shall do well to bear in mind this fact.
Ordination does not confer the saving grace of the Holy Spirit. Ordained men
are not necessarily converted. We are not to regard them as infallible,
either in doctrine or in practice.
We are not to make popes or idols of them, and insensibly put them in
Christ's place. We are to regard them as "men of like passions" with ourselves,
liable to the same infirmities, and daily requiring the same grace.
We are not to think it impossible for them to do very bad things, or to
expect them to
be above the reach of harm from flattery, covetousness, and the world.
We are to prove their teaching by the word of God, and follow them so far as
they follow
Christ, but no further.
Above all, we ought to pray for them, that they may be successors not of Judas
Iscariot; but of James and John. It is an dreadful thing to be a minister of
the Gospel!
Ministers need many prayers.
It is plain that the life of a faithful minister of Christ cannot be one of
ease. He must be ready to spend body and mind, time and strength, in the
work of His calling. Laziness and frivolity are bad enough in any
profession, but worst of all in that of a watchman for souls.
It is plain, for another thing, that the position of the ministers of Christ is
not that which
ignorant people sometimes ascribe to them, and which they unhappily sometimes
claim for themselves. They are not so much ordained to rule as to serve.
They are not intended so much to have dominion over the Church, as to
supply its needs, and serve its members.
Happy would it be for the cause of true religion, if these things were better
understood! Half the diseases of Christianity
have arisen from mistaken notions about the pastor's office!
Money can hire workers.
Universities can give learning.
Congregations may elect.
Bishops may ordain.
But the Holy Spirit alone can make ministers of the Gospel.
Letters of J.C. Philpot
We are overrun with a shallow, superficial ministry, which is
destitute of all life, savor, and power. A dry, dead-letter scheme of doctrine,
as mathematically correct as the squares of a chess-board, prevails, where what
is called "truth" is preached. And to
move Bible texts on the squares as pawns, is called "the
art of preaching".
How simple is truth!
Man's misery--God's mercy.
The aboundings of sin--the super-aboundings of grace.
The depths of the fall--the heights of the recovery.
The old man--the new man.
The diseases of the soul--the balm of a Savior's blood.
These lessons learned are in the furnace of inward experience. How different
from . . .
the monkish austerity of the Ritualist,
the lip service of the Pharisee, and
the dry Calvinistic formulary!
What a dreadful lack is there of true preaching now! I look round and see so few
men qualified to feed the church of God. We are overrun with parsons, but, oh
dear! what are they? I cannot but attribute much of the low state of the
churches to the ministers!
Ezekiel 34 is a true picture of the false shepherds.
J.C. Ryle "The Gospel of Luke" 1858
“The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively plotting
Jesus' murder." Luke 22:2
High offices in the church do not preserve the
holders of them from great blindness and sin.
The first step in putting Christ to death, was taken by the religious teachers
of the Jewish nation. The very men who ought to have welcomed the Messiah, were
the men who conspired to kill Him. The very pastors who ought to have rejoiced
at the appearing
of the Lamb of God, had the chief hand in slaying Him! These were the very men
who crucified the Lord of glory! With all their boasted knowledge, they were far
more ignorant than the few Galilean fishermen who followed Christ!
Let us beware of attaching an excessive importance to ministers of
religion because of their office.
Ordination and office confer no exemption from error.
The greatest heresies have been sown, and the greatest practical
abuses introduced into
the church by ordained men!
We must test all teachers by the unerring rule of the Word of God. It matters
little who says a thing in religion. But it matters greatly what
it is that is said.
Is it scriptural?
Is it true?
This is the only question.
The lengths to which men may go in religion, and yet be without grace, is far
greater than we suppose.
Arthur Pink
"In ourselves we are poor, sinful erring creatures, and
daily do we have occasion
to blush and hang our heads in shame. Therefore we respectfully request that
none will address us as 'Reverend' No worm of the dust is due such a title."
Charles H. Spurgeon
I very much demur to the designation, "To the Reverend C. H. Spurgeon," for no 'reverence' is due to me!
Assuredly, 'Reverend' and 'sinner' make a curious combination. And as I know I am the second, I repudiate the first.
To me, it is surprising that such a
flattering title should have been invented, and more amazing still, that good
men should be found who are angry if this title be not duly given to them.
"It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must REVERE." Deut. 13:4
".... so that you may learn to REVERE the Lord your God always." Deut. 14:23
".... REVERE this glorious and awesome name: the Lord your God." Deut. 28:58
".... REVERE Him, all you descendants of Israel!" Psalm 22:23
"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world REVERE Him." Psalm 33:8
".... holy and REVEREND is His name." Psalm 111:9
"I know that everything God does will endure
forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing
taken from it. God does it so that men will REVERE Him." Eccles. 3:14
"Who should not REVERE You, O King of the nations? This is Your due." Jeremiah
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A CHALLENGE FOR THE PASTORS -Spurgeon, "Come from the four winds, O breath!" If the Holy Spirit does not come, and give spiritual life, we may preach until we have not another breath left, but we shall not raise from the tomb of sin even the soul of a little child, or bring a single sinner to the feet of Christ. Look sir, you may study your sermon; you may examine the original of your text; you may critically follow it out in all its bearings; you may go and preach it with great correctness of expression; but you cannot quicken a soul by that sermon. You may go up into your pulpit; you may illustrate, explain, and enforce the truth; with mighty rhetoric you may charm your hearers; you may hold them spellbound; but no eloquence of yours can raise the dead. Another voice than yours must be heard! Other power than that of your thought or persuasion must be brought into the work, or it will not be done. You may organize your societies, you may have excellent methods, you may diligently pursue this course and that; but when you have done all, nothing comes of it if the effort stands by itself. Only as the Spirit of God shall bless men by you, shall they receive a blessing through you. Whatever your ability or experience, it is the Spirit of God, who must bless your labour. We are nothing; you are nothing. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts," is a message that should make us lie in the dust, and utterly despair of doing anything in and of ourselves, seeing that all the power is of God alone. It will do us good to be very empty, to be very weak, to be very distrustful of self, and so to go about out Master's work |
| Article | Author | |
A Bad Sign
.gif){kind=small} 8-26-06 |
William Tiptaft | |
| A Challenge for the Pastors | Charles H. Spurgeon | |
| A Minister's Confession | A Puritan Prayer | |
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An Apostolic Face and
a Judas Heart
8-26-06 |
J. C. Philpot | |
| For The Reverends | Arthur Pink | |
| Half The Diseases of Christianity | J.C. Ryle | |
| High Offices in the Church | J.C. Ryle | |
| No Child's Play | Charles H. Spurgeon | |
| No 'Reverence' is Due Me | Charles H. Spurgeon | |
| The Art of Preaching | J.C. Philpot | |
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A Minister's Confession
(A Puritan Prayer)
O God,
I know that I often do Your work without
Your power, and sin by . . .
my dead, heartless, blind service,
my lack of inward light, love, delight,
my mind, heart, tongue moving without Your help.
I see my sinful heart in seeking the praise of others.
This is my vileness—to seek my own glory. It is my
deceit to preach and pray—in order to generate
admiration; whereas I should consider myself
more vile than any man in my own eyes.
Help me to rejoice in my infirmities and to
acknowledge my deficiencies before others.
Keep me from high thoughts of myself or my work,
for I am nothing but sin and weakness. In me no
good dwells, and my best works are tainted with
sin. Humble me to the dust before You. Root and
tear out the poisonous weed of pride, and show
me my utter nothingness. Keep me sensible of
my sinnership. Sink me deeper into penitence
and self-abhorrence.
Break the 'Dagon' of pride in pieces before
the ark of Your presence!
Demolish the 'Babel' of self-importance
and scatter it to the wind!
Level to the ground my 'Jericho walls'
of a haughty, rebel heart!
Then grace, free grace, will be my experience and
message. This is my ministry, my life, my prayer,
my end. Grant me grace that I shall not fail.
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An apostolic face and
a Judas heart (Letters of J. C. Philpot) Many think that a minister is exempt from such coldness, deadness, and barrenness, as private Christians feel. And the hypocritical looks and words of many of Satan's ministers favor this delusion. Holiness is so much on their tongues, and on their faces, that their deluded hearers necessarily conclude that it is in their hearts. But, alas! nothing is easier or more common, than an apostolic face and a Judas heart. Most pictures that I have seen of the "Last Supper" represent Judas with a ferocious countenance. Had painters drawn a holy, meek-looking face, I believe they would have given a truer resemblance. Many pass for angels in the pulpit, who if the truth were known, would be seen to be devils and beasts in heart, lip, and life at home. "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy--full of greed and self-indulgence! You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 23:25, 28 |
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A bad sign (William Tiptaft) It is a bad sign when a minister has the smiles of worldly professors. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. No servant is greater than his Master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also." John 15:18-20 |