When Ministry Becomes Idolatry — Shane Idleman

The title is, When Ministry is Idolatry and Your Calling is Coveting. Did you know that ministry can become idolatry? And we can covet the calling of others? And so many times, you know, I've been guilty of this.

I'm preaching to myself tonight. But so many times we can hide behind the excuse of, you know, it's my calling or my ministry or my gifting. And that can be a cloak that hides a deep sin issue. When ministry becomes idolatry, and I should define these really quickly.

Ministry, Idolatry, and Coveting

Idolatry, as many of you know, is putting anything before God. And how ministry can become an idol is it becomes in preference to God. And we focus on that instead of God. And the coveting, of course, most of us know what that is.

It's desiring what someone else has and wanting that. And there's so many different levels of coveting and idolatry. There's so many different groups of people that listen to these messages. And it's hard to find what works for everyone.

Because in the Christian music industry or in popular Christianity, this is going to be really applicable. But it's also going to be applicable to those who maybe, you know, you want to start a ministry, or you want to be used of God, or you have a gifting of God.

Most every Christian, I would say every Christian of course, has a, you just don't know what it is sometimes, but you have a gifting. God has gifted you for a particular thing. There's a bent to what God, how he has designed you.

The Coveting Saint and the Danger of Self-Exaltation

And what is so repulsive in the church is not the sinner caught in sin, but the coveting saint. The Christian who appears, you know, one way and is really another. It's hypocritical. And what's very interesting, I'm going to put this into an article too, everything here.

And as I'm working on the article, I'm seasoning it with grace. I'm trying to find soft words. And I'm, and it's just a couple hours into, I realized God doesn't want me to do that in this case. And I think it's okay to say what God's word says.

And we don't always have to worry about how it's going to come across, especially if we've gotten our own hearts, right. And sometimes when we, we soften up what we want to say, it doesn't hit like God wants it to hit.

And so again, I'll be putting all this in an article, but something there's four scriptures. I actually want to put up that I've been just focusing on all week, beginning in first Corinthians one 29. And this is just a portion of that.

No flesh should glory in God's presence. No flesh should glory in God's presence. In other words, when God is moving, if we start to take credit for that and look what we have done, or look what I have done.

And it can happen all areas of ministry. You know, you hear the term I used before prayer warrior, but the more you pray, the more people you see set free, you can start to get pretty proud of yourself, even pastoring, correct?

That's why I tell even, even, I was talking to a younger pastor, you know, make sure your critiques equal the compliments. In other words, make sure you're getting critiqued and you're getting humbled as much as people are praising you because it has to balance out.

No flesh should glory in his presence. Philippians two, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem, esteem others better than himself. John three 30, he must increase, but I must decrease.

Christ Must Increase While Self Decreases

And your Christian walk. Did you know that you're, that Jesus is supposed to increase and you're supposed to decrease. Now you might increase in status. You might, God might grow your influence or grow, but the heart is always pushing Jesus up.

It's not about self exaltation. It's about exalting him. So when God begins to use you, you point people to him and not to think so highly of yourself because he put you there. John four four, I must go to Samaria.

Jesus said, you know why this is so interesting to me? The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords went to Samaria for one person. The people you watch on YouTube, some of the music musicians, you know, the popular ones, and it's, you kind of get hit this brick wall.

You know, sometimes, well, unless there's only for this dollar amount and only if my limousine is 75 degrees and only if the, you know, it's not, I'm kidding about the limousine, but there's a, there's, there's a demand and an uppity ness.

And when we start to, to God starts to use us, we start to get prideful and take glory in what he is doing. Us giving us the glory. Pop star preachers and woke worship leaders love the scent of Babylon.

And we start to get involved even in church. Here are my demands. Here's what I want. God has used me before and, and we come in like a steamroller and we roll people over and we, we, we begin to think more highly of ourselves than we should.

The Business Model Versus God's Model

And what's crept into the church is the business model versus God's model. This is hard because I actually came from, not hard, but it's hard to watch. I know we don't really focus on the business model here, but I came from a business background.

And when you come from a business background and you work for a large corporation like I did, which at that time was 24 hour fitness, many of you know, and I was, I was a district manager and we had a board of directors and I had to hit certain revenue line items.

And it wasn't about the people. It was about the money and the people helped me reach the numbers. And many times, if we're not careful, we put profit over people, image over individuals and revenue over relationships.

That's when ministry becomes idolatry. And we know the Bible says knowledge puffs up, but so does success. People can be popular, but they have no spiritual power. They have ability, but there's tremendous arrogance and there's gifting, but it's vain glory.

Self-Examination, Communion, and God's Discipline

Scripture that's always interested me at 1 Corinthians 11, 31, Paul said, but if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under God's judgment. In other words, if we would examine our own hearts, are any of you tired of getting spanked by God, chastised by God, disciplined by God?

Often, if we would just examine our own hearts and repent, get rid of wrong attitudes, get rid of wrong thinking and wrong actions, we wouldn't receive the chastisement and judgment of God. Now, the context of 1 Corinthians 11, many of you know, is about communion.

Of course, Paul said many people are actually sick and dead in the church because they took communion in an unworthy manner. And that's why he goes on to say, if you would just discern yourselves, if you just look within, look at your own heart, God wouldn't have to discipline you.

God wouldn't have to judge your actions. And it's not like somebody makes a mistake and God judges them. It's a pattern, month after month, and often year after year after year of belligerent pride that God finally says enough is enough.

And it's discerning our own heart. Like the world is a blind beggar, unworthy of our attention. And those four verses are so important that what no flesh should take glory in his presence is basically no one should take credit when God begins to move in their heart.

No one should begin to take credit when God begins to do something. And so many times we've seen it in the church and it's really sad. People say, you know, I've been such and such for five years or I've been such and such for 10 years or I've cast out 10 demons or I've led this kind of ministry and it's puffing themselves up and it's sad.

Letting God Promote Rather Than Pursuing Recognition

Vain glory. No flesh should glory in his presence. Let nothing be done, nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. Isn't it hard though because as Christians it's working within us. You know, you can sing, you wanna be on the worship team.

You wanna be on the worship team, you wanna be front and center. You wanna be front and center, you wanna be on YouTube. Then you wanna be on the radio. It's like this putting others before and let God promote you.

Isn't that wonderful? When God promotes you, it's incredible. Many times, not many times, but sometimes people mail me things in the mail or when I was at the Christian Broadcasting, I don't remember what it's called now.

It's in Nashville, usually it was in San Diego. It's a Christian Broadcasting Network or something like that, big, big convention. And we had to put, you know, we had to say where we're coming from and I had like 91 .9, I was there representing the radio station and the church and all these guys were coming up like, oh man, you gotta listen to my CD.

Man, God, you gotta put this on the radio. And I'm like, what is this? And it's just that self-promotion. And I know it's tough because we're excited about what God is doing and we want to promote things.

And you know, sometimes we should if the heart is right. It's okay to spread that information about what God is doing as long as the heart is right and we're not allowing our flesh to glory in his presence.

And John the Baptist, this is incredible. Probably second to only Jesus at that time. He was the forerunner. He was baptizing everyone. He was the controversial figure. The Pharisees didn't like him. And everybody said, but John, they're leaving you and following him.

He said, that's okay. He must increase and I must decrease. And that position to go up, you gotta go down. To go higher, you gotta go lower. And it's what's wonderful about going lower and humbling ourselves and doing all these things is as we go through and we humble ourselves and we put others first, there's tremendous peace that follows.

Pride, Humility, and the Cost of Coveting Another Calling

The most miserable people in the church are prideful people. But I just didn't get my way today. I want this. It's like a 10-year-old. Actually a five-year-old. Ever see him throwing temper tantrums?

Oh, that doesn't happen in your home? No temper tantrums? I've got my little two-year-old on video. And I showed her today. It was not pretty. Just kick. I want, I want, I want. But it's no different in the church.

We're just not kicking and screaming. We're backbiting and yelling in our heart. Give me, give me, give me. When ministry is idolatry and your calling is coveting, you're coveting other people's callings.

You're wanting and desiring. I mean, think about it. I want the anointing of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah. But do you want to cry out like Isaiah? Woe is me. Woe is me. I am undone. I'm a man of unclean lips.

And I dwell among a people with unclean lips. And I have seen the King of glory. Oh, woe is me. You want that anointing. You better be broken like that. You better be humble like that. God can't use a man greatly until he hurts him deeply.

He breaks him. He hurts him. In a good way. And the anointing of God flows out of that brokenness. Do you want the anointing of David? David at the end there after Bathsheba, he's telling God created me a clean heart.

Lord renew a right spirit within me that the bones you have broken may rejoice. God returned to me the years of your salvation. And the Bible says God, David was a man after God's own heart. He spared the life of Saul.

He would walk before God. Yes, he was not perfect. But the anointing of David flowed from a broken, humble man of God. Same thing applies to us. Do you want the anointing of the Old, the New Testament church?

Do you want to be used by God? Then you have to humble yourself and don't put other things before God. Watch out, God is a heart inspector. We can fool people, can't we? We come in, you're not gonna know somebody's in a bad mood.

They're angry. They're prideful. They're jealous. They're backbiting. They're gossipers. Not gonna hear it. They're not gonna know it. Maybe you might sense it, but God is a heart inspector. God knows, he searches the deep things of the heart.

Isaiah 14 and the Spirit of Self-Exaltation

He knows the heart better than we do. And then one verse that's been just amazing for me from four this morning, just writing it down and studying it. I want to put it up there from Isaiah 14, because what I'm talking about is I, I, I, I.

I want this. I can do this. I'm an expert in this. I have this many years of experience here. I've been called to this ministry.

I, I, I, I, I. And we read in Isaiah,.

I will ascend into heaven. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above God. The stars, I will sit on the Mount of the congregation on the farthest side of the North.

I, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high God. And it's interesting. He's not saying here, I will be God. I will be like, I will, I will. Now the context is interesting because it begins with talking about the King of Babylon.

Many people say, some people say, this is still talking about the King of Babylon. However, if you look at how deep this begins to go and, and, and, and just the context seems to support much more than the King of Babylon.

This is where many say that this is a scripture about Satan's fall. Satan's fall from heaven. And because I love context, I can see both sides of it. And it's no doubt though, this is what could have happened to Satan.

That's why I don't say this is for sure Satan. This is how Satan fell, but it's probably more than likely what happened. I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will.

And so you have the self-exaltation because ascending into heaven is self-exaltation. Exalt my throne, my name. I will exalt my name above even God's name, the stars of heaven. I will sit on the Mount of the congregation.

I will lead the congregation. I will rule and reign in this area. I will ascend above the heights. I will accomplish more than anyone else.

I, I, I, I, I.

Breaking Idols Before They Divide the Church

It's that spirit of self-exaltation. And I realized this morning what God is moving so powerfully here, so is the enemy. And if we're not careful, a movement can become just an afterthought. I don't want to build an idol factory.

I don't want to lead a pride-filled church, and I don't want to fuel egos and build images. And breaking is painful, but it's powerful. Breaking is, is, is hard, but it's powerful. And if you're angry, you're missing it.

You're missing, if you're angry at this, this is God working inside the prideful heart. And putting this type of sermon together was challenging all day, just feeling the demonic weight of it, not wanting to talk about this, or maybe even the video I'm going to share with the congregation, because it's getting right to the heart of Christians, the idolatry, that if we're not careful in self-exaltation and promoting ourselves and wanting to be this and wanting to be that.

The Dividing Line Between True Worship and Ministry Fame

So that kind of sets the stage for this. It's going to be an eight and a half minute clip. So I would just really encourage you not to look at your cell phones, don't fall asleep, be attentive, because it's very powerful.

If we get through it and hear what he is saying, he has a lot of experience in ministry, and seeing what is going on inside the church, the dividing lines are being drawn, because there's those exalting themselves, there's those people in it for the wrong reasons, the wrong motives, and then there's a lot of people who love the Lord.

And the problem with ministry is idolatry and putting too much emphasis on our calling and our gifting is we become prideful and it divides the church. It's a divisive attitude, it's a divisive heart, because they can take charge and they want to be bombastic and they want to just, there's no humility.

And when there's no humility, there's no unity. And when there's no unity, it's hard to work together. And so I'm just going to set this clip up by saying that if you really just take in what he's saying, and I've had this happen just a few times where God just pours into his heart what's going on inside the church, and it might not be real relevant for everyone here or most people here, but I think for those watching and those who watch it later, it's going to be very relevant.

The dividing line between the bride who worships Jesus himself and Babylon who sings songs and filzerinas and concerts with Christian lyrics is becoming more and more pronounced. Perhaps the difference has never been more evident between the two companies.

The Slavery of Ministry Quotas and the Pace of Babel

You see, there is always another tree in the garden that beckons us to eat of its good fruit. Yet it is not God fruit. Friends, it is the choice between being known on earth and being deeply known and recognized in the fiery courts of heaven.

It is the choice between his manifest glory and the temporary applause of men that only births a short-lived fame that will burn like chaff at the throne. The choice is now being offered between earthly wealth, recognition, and fame and the spiritual riches of Christ himself.

That's what I want. It is slavery to a tower named Babel and a system we build and we put it on our own backs only to rename our new idol, my calling. This new idol creation then offers a pace of life that drives us and pushes us beyond his beautiful feet and the rest of his presence.

And then the slavery sets in many times unnoticed and oftentimes celebrated as though the slavery is a breakthrough. Yet we're bound with chains and corporations replace houses of presence. Shows and concerts replace the cloud and heavenly songs that used to fall into the hearts of trustworthy Levites during precious moments of worship are now replaced by the hurry of songwriting collabs and gatherings that demand a quota.

I remember such a story from the word of God. Do you? Do you remember the word quota? Did Pharaoh not place a quota on God's children? The Israelites to build Egypt's cities of sin? And so today, 28-minute talks replace the breaking of the bread of life found in the depths of the scriptures.

Marketing, Performance, and the Loss of God's Presence

Shows replace holy offerings of incense and then friends, the fragrance lifts. Jesus walks away while his gifts remain. But the intangible, I pray this never happens here. The intangible in the air is gone.

His kiss is gone because we've turned our faces to another and the joy in the room is now masked with noise. Gifted musicians replace holy Levites. Gifted vocalists replace Mary's of Bethany. The magnetic pool of his residence among the people is replaced by marketing.

He once drew them, now dollars draw them and we call it wisdom. Church planting initiatives replaces glory yet we continue. We continue because growth takes place and the young childlike born-again believer once listened to songs and teachings with his or her heart.

Their heart was the barometer. It was the presence of the spirit upon our hearts that told us whether a song was even good or a sermon was worth listening to. It was the warmth on our hearts that drew us to worship or to listen.

The choice was made through sensitivity to his touch. There are few ploys from hell that are more riddled with deceit than heavy ministry idols that we construct in our own strength and then rename them our callings.

One Calling: Clinging to the Son

According to Jesus, we have one calling, don't we? For this is the will of the father to cling to the son. Oh, what a tragedy to labor in his name for our entire lives and all the while having been driven by the devil.

There are few motives more putrid than the ones who use the priceless name of Jesus and attach them to their songs. Songs birthed in Babylon from the rivers of Babylon. Yea, we wept. They attach the name of Jesus to their initiatives and the precious name of Jesus that the father adores to further their own agendas and to lift themselves up.

Such initiatives are birthed in the bowels of hell prostituting the Lord's holy name only to make us bigger and more preeminent. Have we forgotten that our good shepherd never drives us? Is he not the cloud?

The one shining in the midst of the cloud who leads and offers rest? All the while we believe we do it for him all in his name. Precious Jesus, deliver your people. Deliver us and have mercy on us all.

Truly be our everything. Amen. Father, have mercy on our weakness. As your word says, you've weird yourself with the multiplicity of your ways. Keep us at the feet of Jesus. Write your story through us.

Destroy initiative and birth yielding. Please never leave us here. I pray our children's children would say, the Lord built the house and they did not labor in vain.

It was the Lord who built the house. Do it, Jesus. Reflect on where our heart is at. Has idolatry crept in? Putting anything before God or coveting, wanting or desiring something that is not ours or that God has not given us?

Guarding the Church Against Pride and Ulterior Motives

And like I said, we don't want to build an idol factory. We don't want to lead and be part of a pride-filled church. And we don't want to fuel egos and build images. And so I think the reason the Lord put this on my heart this week specifically is because we've had two incredible weeks.

I don't even know where to begin with the testimonies. You'll hear, I think, Sunday morning if she's going to make it out, but she came a few times from Ridgecrest and brought her parents. Her dad's not a believer.

I don't know where her mom was at, but of all the nights, she brought him to the testimony and prayer night on Thursday. And we don't know what he thought or anything, but on Sunday morning, they were at home in Ridgecrest watching the live feed and he decided to finally repent and give his heart to the Lord.

And she'd been praying for that for years and years and years. And just the marriage is restored and the addiction's broken. It's just quite overwhelming. We'll be putting together the testimonies. But in the midst of that, I saw a lot of ugliness as well.

True hearts came out. Ulterior motives came out. Jockeying for position. It was sad to watch. And again, I'm not preaching at you. I'm preaching to you as a group. That can slip into my heart just as easily.

No Flesh Should Glory in God's Presence

But we have to be careful. When ministry is idolatry and your calling turns into coveting, God can't use a prideful person. I see so much potential, so much potential in this church. And God is releasing that potential.

But I see so many hearts stopping that potential. The excuses are endless. And I hear so many people, but I've been a Christian 20 years or I've been gifted in this area or my ministry is this area or I've done this and it's a stench in the nostrils of God.

No flesh should glory in his presence. God help us tonight.