Sexy Ministry
As a college minister, I've noticed something about our generation. I'm not sure whether it's good or bad at this point. It is a ministry trend that has been gathering masses over the past 10 years. The ministry trend I'm talking about is flashy, full of ritz and dazzle. It washes over you, giving you goosebumps, and usually has a few big-name faces that go along with it. For lack of better terms, I'm calling this sexy ministry.
Disclaimer: what you won't find while reading this post are names, bands, and associations that can be categorized as sexy ministry. Instead, I want to talk about the effects it has on us as people who want to grow deeper in their journey with God.
The world we live in is very fast-paced. Ask the Class of 2019. Ask Apple CEO Tim Cook. Ask your friend that has his schedule booked up for the next millennia. It's fast-paced and it's something that we've grown accustomed to in our daily lives.
Not only is the world fast-paced, but it's very advanced. Even looking at just one popular company, we see how far we've come since the day of visiting people face-to-face and having audible conversations that required no keyboard or finger-tapping on a screen. Advancements in technology, health, and entertainment (to name a few) have shaped us as a culture.
Put fast-paced and rapid advancement together and you get what fuels industries, organizations, and the local church have going through their systems. Because of this, it should be no surprise that sexy ministry is popular with our culture and generation.
I want to be honest and say that I am just as prone to lean toward sexy ministry as anyone that may be reading this. Because of that, I am just as susceptible as you to fall into these traps. Sexy ministry is fun and gives you the sense that you're part of something, as Trump would exclaim, "huuuuugggeee." But it's not necessarily the track to stay on. Here are three things I've noticed about sexy ministry
1. Wanting the sexy ministry, but unwilling to commit to make it grow.
Not all minstries look the same. Again, our world is fast-paced and well advanced. How submerged we are in today's culture will determine what we look for when we join a ministry's efforts. A popular question that is asked, "How many people go here?" This question isn't bad, per se. Rather, it's the heart motive behind it that poisons. What people are really asking is, "Is your church the biggest around and the most popular?" If they find that it isn't, they'll search until they do find it or won't attend at all. It's easier to attend something that is on the pinnacle versus something that may call you to invest time and energy in to make it grow.
However, committing to make something grow will not only have lasting effects on what we commit to, but it will have growing effects on us.
2. Trading "know" for "show"
Sexy ministry has a way of making you feel good throughout the service. The music could be top-notch and you could hear everybody singing. The minister could give a very uplifting message that makes you want to pat yourself on the back. You might sing another song of positivity and then head out the door and enjoy the rest of your day.
If you were to keep attending this gathering for weeks on end, what kind of follower of Jesus would you be? To put it more plainly, would you be growing in your faith and knowledge of God each week? For some that are just beginning their journey with God, this could be true and that would be fine. There needs to be a season of that.
But if you've been a believer for a while, I would argue that you're still playing in the shallow end of the pool and that the lyrics in "Oceans" are hollow for you.
A.W. Tozer once said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." ("The Knowledge of the Holy")
Different scriptures talk about how we not only should worship God with our hearts, but also with our minds.
"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." Deuteronomy 11:18
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ Matthew 22:37
You get the idea. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. If you feel like you want to grow in your relationship with God and get to know Him better, I suggest spending extended, quality time with Him. Read a book of the Bible, not just a chapter. Spend 30 minutes in prayer, not just 5.
Maybe you don't have the time to do any of that. If that's the case and you truly want to grow in your relationship with God, make time. Find a way. Get up earlier than normal. Cut out Netflix binging. You'll start seeing results in your daily life when you give God extended, quality time.
3. There is nothing sexy about Jesus' message of "Come and die"
This is probably the hardest one for people to take in. Sexy ministry will very rarely tell you to die to your desires and pleasures in order to serve God better. After all, is it sexy for a leader to tell his followers to come and die with him?
“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
This is not sexy. It is, however, attractive. It is attractive that a Savior would come and die for the world and merit us with his grace so that we would not have to pay the penalty of sin.
It is not without a call, though. What Jesus follows with is humbling to our ego, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."
So is sexy ministry worth it?
Some questions to ask ourselves as we move forward in our journey with God...
- What is appealing to me as I seek a ministry to get involved in? Why is that appealing to me?
- Will this ministry cause me to grow in my journey with God? Why or why not?
- What comes to mind when I think about God? Is there desire in me to personally know Him better? Why or why not?
- What's keeping me from dying to myself? What actions will I take to put myself aside so that I can stay on track with God?
