Walk The Talk

INTRODUCTION — WHEN GOD TALKS TO PASTORS

Malachi 2 is a pastor’s passage.

God isn’t addressing the crowds; He’s addressing us—those who carry His Word, lead His people, and bear His name.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of ministry—its loneliness, its expectations, its hidden temptations—then Malachi 2 feels like a mirror.

But before the rebuke comes the revelation: God remembers the original design of ministry.

> “My covenant was with him of life and peace.”

Ministry was never meant to drain life; it was meant to carry life.

It was never meant to divide peace; it was meant to bring peace.

The ministry was never a treadmill—it was a walk.

A walk with God, not a sprint for God.

And if you are a startup pastor—building a congregation, juggling a young family and an older dream—God wants to remind you:

Before you can talk for Him, you must walk with Him.

---

I. THE CALL TO WALK BEFORE YOU TALK

The text says, “He walked with Me.”

That’s not a job description; that’s a relationship.

Long before Levi ever lifted his hands to bless Israel, he learned to lift his eyes to behold God.

Before he led others to truth, he learned to walk in truth.

That is the secret of ministry that never burns out.

It isn’t charisma, marketing, or followers—it’s companionship.

God told Abraham, “Walk before Me, and be thou perfect.”

Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow Me.”

The assignment begins—and ends—with a walk.

A. Walking Comes Before Working

You can plant a church, launch a livestream, craft sermons—but if your feet aren’t walking in communion, your words will lose conviction.

The most dangerous thing in ministry isn’t failure—it’s success without intimacy.

B. The Danger of Substitution

Pastors often substitute movement for moment.

We move fast, preach often, post regularly—but moments with God grow rare.

You can’t outsource prayer to elders or delegate devotion to your spouse.

The people you lead can only drink from the well you dig.

To walk with God means to adopt His pace—obedient, unhurried, intentional.

To walk with God is to live at the speed of grace.

---

II. THE CHARACTER OF THE WALK

> “The law of truth was in his mouth,

and iniquity was not found in his lips:

he walked with Me in peace and equity.” (2 : 6)

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about alignment.

When you walk with God, what’s in your mouth matches what’s in your life.

A. Truth in the Mouth

Truth means authenticity.

A truthful preacher isn’t one who never errs in doctrine, but one who never lies about devotion.

Your congregation can forgive mistakes, but they can’t follow a mask.

God doesn’t anoint personas; He anoints persons.

B. Integrity of Speech

Many ministries collapse not from heresy but hypocrisy—words untempered by grace, promises unkept through neglect.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,” Paul said.

A careless word can undo a careful ministry.

C. Peace and Equity

Peace speaks of inner calm; equity speaks of outer fairness.

Together they form credibility.

A peaceful spirit disarms conflict; a fair spirit builds trust.

Your congregation may forget sermons, but never how you treated them.

---

III. THE COVENANT OF LIFE AND PEACE

> “My covenant was with him of life and peace;

and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared Me.” (2 : 5)

God’s covenant with Levi wasn’t a contract of performance but a covenant of presence.

Life and peace are the two things every pastor needs and every ministry tests.

A. Life — the Vitality of Communion

When you walk with God, sermons become overflow.

Dead priests can’t raise living congregations.

B. Peace — the Stability of Character

Peace isn’t the absence of pressure but the assurance of presence.

It anchors you when applause turns to silence.

C. Fear that Births Friendship

“I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared Me.”

Holy awe is the root of healthy ministry.

Reverence keeps ambition sanctified and motives pure.

---

IV. TURNING MANY AWAY FROM INIQUITY

> “He turned many away from iniquity.” (2 : 6)

That’s the fruit of a true walk.

You don’t have to be loud to be heard when your walk has witness.

People can resist arguments, but not authenticity.

Influence doesn’t come from innovation—it comes from intimacy.

When you walk with God, you carry His fragrance.

Your sermons stop sounding like borrowed notes and start feeling like burning hearts.

---

V. THE CYCLE OF FAITH AND FAILURE — THE PATTERN THAT NEVER DIES

Every revival begins with a return to what was lost.

Malachi closes the Old Testament on that note—a weary priesthood, a drifting people, and a faithful God still pleading, “Return unto Me, and I will return unto you.” (3 : 7)