Rock Star Ministry

In ministry, like anything else, the inevitable popularity thing begins to take shape.  If in youth ministry, kids will look up to you, in public and in private.  There are many instances in which one does not even realize that a certain kid looked up to them and saw them as such a great example.  This happens with adults too.  People flock from message to message or from church to church to follow the person delivering it.  St. Paul tells us we are not to follow himself, Apollos, Peter, or any mere mortal.  The only man we are to follow is the Man-God, Jesus Christ.  

Oh but how hard it can be to not fall into such things.  But it ain't easy being a star.  Because those in ministry are human, no doubt ego's can develop about how well they are performing.  For youth minister's, one of the things they may tend to obsess over is how cool they come off to the kids.  A way to keep oneself in check is to realize that there is nothing cool at all about a young man or woman spending their time in a church with kids younger than them.  Kids may think you're cool, for a time anyway (Doug Fields has an actual age he pinpoints as when one is no longer cool).  Another way to keep oneself in check is to realize although you or others may think yourself to be a rock star (however foolish this may be) you are without debate and question not the Rock.  We are mere dirt and soil, not a rock, let alone the Rock.  

Who is this Rock?  "On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand!"  Go ahead, for a while and chase the dreams of the world, even in ministry by conforming yourself to the image of the world.  But any minister, teacher, or theologian worth their penny knows for sure that at the end of the day "dust you are, and to dust you shall return."  Read Job, read about John the Baptist, read Paul's letters.  These are not rock stars, these are servants.  Even King David, arguably the biggest rock star in the Bible, was humbled repeatedly by the Lord and shown that he was nothing more than mere dirt.  

How can your ministry be measured as a success?  Line it up next to Jesus:  If you preach Christ crucified and risen.  If you care for those you serve with this message.  If you encourage a discipleship that rises above the mess that the world is.  That is what one needs to do.  If the people fall away it is not because you aren't cool enough or aren't a rock star.  It is because they reject to use the Rock as their foundation, and choose to live a life of desolation.  In this post modern world, combat the worldly influences and games with a heavenly battle cry.