Ministers of the Gospel or franchises of the entertainment industry?

By JAMES PRESTON

So this blog will be updated by a number of the youth pastors in the Highway area.  Ockie's asked me to grace it with its first entry.  That's an honour which I am pleased to take on.  But when addressing such high capacity, talented individuals in this “industry” (for want of a better word) it can be a challenge thinking of what to write.

Ok, so it took me about a minute to think about it.  Write the thing I am most passionate about:  The Gospel.  I would say if there was one piece of advice I would give youth pastors (and anyone in the ministry), it would be what I am about to say here.

Being youth pastors, we are all familiar with the challenges of coming up with fresh ideas every week and keeping everyone interested.  The pressure can be enormous.  But what we have to realise is that we are ministers of the Gospel, not franchises of the entertainment industry.  There's a big difference.

Don't get me wrong, and don't hear what I'm not saying, I think making the youth enjoy themselves is paramount.  But that should not be our focus.  And I know from experience it is easy to make that your focus.  After all, you're dealing with the Facebook generation.  They need entertainment if they're going to keep coming back!  But that's the key phrase...  keep coming back. 

We can so often become influenced by what is going to keep the people coming back, that we can lose focus of the real reason we are in this position in the first place.  The very reason your church exists is to sound a clear call to the nations that we have what they're looking for.  Namely:  The Gospel.  The Good News that there is a God who loves them and wants intimate relationship with them.  Every other ministry should revolve around this point.  Including youth.  We aren't a babysitting club.  We, like any other “pastor” called into the ministry, exist to tell the world the Good News!

Now, you may not know if you are “called”.  Well, that's ok.  You're doing the best you can.  And God will give you the grace to do it.  Get around people who are sure in themselves and their calling.  Find people among your youth who are excited about the Word and the Gospel, and draw from them.  Maybe get them to preach.

My prayer for you is this:  That the Gospel would become your number 1 passion.  That all the distractions that make this job so fuzzy and blurred would fall by the wayside, and you would be consumed by this Glorious Good News of our Saviour!

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

This verse gets quoted a lot.  But I find the focus is on the wrong side.  We look at the first part where Paul declares his unashamed heart.  But that's not the point.  The crux of this verse is “The Gospel is the power of God”.

We all want more of God's power.  Everyone wants to see the power of God, especially the youth.  Let me tell you, when you preach the Gospel, the power that is released in transforming people will do so in measures we can't even begin to understand.  Preaching the Gospel is the most powerful thing we can do as leaders.

If we would simply do that, and rest in this following promise of Jesus, we would sleep a lot easier...

Matthew 16:18

...and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Jesus promised that HE will build His church.  Notice that HE is doing the building, and it's HIS church.  Our job?  Jesus said it a number of times in Scripture:  “Go into all the world and preach the Good News...”  I am sincerely convinced that as we make it our primary focus to preach the Good News (our part) Jesus will build His church (His part).  After all, the rock Jesus was referring to in Matt 16 is the fact that Peter had a supernatural revelation of Jesus being the Christ.  Our job is to preach the Good News of who Jesus is!  (Acts 8:35)  When we do that, Jesus will do the rest.

Of course, from these many examples in the synoptic Gospels we see Jesus also said to “preach the Good News of the Kingdom.”  This is important.  The Message of the Kingdom of God IS The Gospel!  They are directly related.  They are one of the same.  The Kingdom Message is just as much Good News to a dying world!

Now, we may not see radical results immediately.  But I am convinced the more passionate we become about this Good News, the better we will preach it, and the more people will be transformed by it and eventually the more people will come to hear it.  (And, if you want to really take Jesus at His Word, step out and trust Him for signs & wonders after your preaching!)

When you preach this Good News, you are preaching the Power of God.  A Message anointed by God.  It carries an anointing and it carries power.  Like the seed in the parable of the sower (Mark 4), it will land on the hearts of your people, and if they're hungry, it'll penetrate them deeply.  When it does, my friend, you will end up with some of the most quality, high capacity leaders you could ever have asked for.  That's what the Gospel does!

So that's all I wanted to encourage you with.  As we all face another year, may you get passionate about the most important call of all:  The call to preach the Gospel.  May it be your focus.  May it excite you more than it ever has before!  May it grip you so deeply that it will ruin you forever.

Do all the other stuff.  The games, the fun, the connecting, the entertainment.  But keep the Gospel at the centre of it all.  Because when you preach the Gospel, which is the Word of Christ, faith will naturally rise up within your people.  If you want your people to have faith, which I am sure you do, your best bet is the Word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 (ESV)

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

The Word of Christ is the word about Christ.  The Good News message that He has taken away the sins of the world and reconciled us to the Father!

May that be your focus this year!

2 Corinthians 5:17 – 19 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

You are all amazing.  I am sincerely sorry this is so long.  But when I get writing about the Gospel, I could go on forever!  I look forward to seeing you all soon.  It is a privilege to partner with you in reaching our beautiful city with the Gospel.

Love James