Sarah and I drove from Alabama to Virginia this last weekend to attend the funeral of a man who had been a young person while we were leading youth ministry. Being there and seeing the teenagers-now grown people with families-whom we spent nearly every Friday night of our 20s with brought back a flood of memories. I love those people. And I still recognize a familiar connection that is not easily built with people.
In light of eternity, I am reminded that not everything we can involve ourselves with has equal importance. Not all activities or pursuits weigh the same. There are weighty things like righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, that make people uncomfortable to talk about. So they pursue, and try to find purpose in the frivolous and trivial. There is a grave danger in binding your life up in superficial things that have no eternal significance. Coming through The Valley of the Shadow of Death has also caused me to reflect on the eternal weight of glory that was being stored up in youth ministry. There are some things that we do that are far more important than other things. I wholeheartedly believe that Youth ministry is one of the important things that I have ever done.
And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. Acts 24:25
In the name of personal development, I have read some superfluous and shallow books on the topic of Youth Ministry.
While there are many books about Youth Ministry, there are not many books about Apostolic Youth Ministry. As an Apostolic Christian, I believe in the Oneness of God, and have obeyed the commandment of the Apostle Peter-the man with the keys to the Kingdom- in Acts 2:38. This distinction-and many others-set Apostolic believers apart from mainstream Christendom. So when a non-Apostolic attempts to write a book on Youth Ministry it fails to address foundational concepts of Apostolic Christianity. To be clear, I make no claims to being an expert in Youth Ministry. Indeed I have made many mistakes. But I did serve for 12 years as a Youth Pastor and for a while now I have felt the gravity of the need to write about Youth Ministry from an Apostolic perspective. So today is a start at the very least.
The Bible does not contain a youth ministry model separate from adults, children, or elders. There are instructions at times to these demographics, but no formula for a church service that is unique to a specific age group. This is something that was largely ignored in the many youth ministry seminars, clinics, and training sessions that I attended in pursuit of excellence. Something else that was never at the forefront of these training was an emphasis on preaching in Youth Ministry. In fact there was often a strong emphasis on teaching in place of preaching. I think this is a mistake. Without doubt it is possible to build something without anointed preaching, but it will not be an Apostolic Youth Ministry.
I stood in front of that casket this past weekend and relived those Friday night youth services from days gone by. It was not the shoestring budget that we operated on, nor whatever trendy teaching series that was in circulation, or any hip stage design that came to mind-all these things are fleeting. It was preaching and the response to preaching that made the difference. At its essence, Apostolic Youth Ministry must contain prayer, and preaching. And not just any prayer and preaching, but the kind of prayer that shakes the house, and the kind of preaching that turns the world upside down.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. I Corinthians 1:21
I wrestled with a man nearly all night when I learned that I would be saying something at the funeral. Not because I didn’t know what I would say-God had already told me- but because of how important words are, and how not all moments are created equal. I did not get rest until I had prayed and written this out:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Matthew 10:34
Preaching is an offensive action. Its about the most offensive thing that you can endure.
There is no more offensive word than repent. The Word of God is a sharp sword that goes for the jugular. But God chose preaching to save them which believe.
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Luke 16:16
Matthew records this same passage in this manner:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matthew 11:12
There is something combative about the Kingdom of God.
When I think of Brandon I first see a skinny little middle school aged boy sweaty from playing basketball before Youth Service on a Friday night. And there was preaching. And I see Brandon now as a teenager at Youth Camp not as sweaty anymore because he is trying to impress Makayla. And there was preaching. I see Brandon every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, and every Wednesday night with his crooked glasses. And There was preaching. And I see Brandon now as a young man of God in his office praying, and listening to preaching.
The preached Word of God speaks to us in our essence, or our full potential in the Spirit world. This is why the angel of the Lord spoke to a cowering Gideon threshing wheat by the wine press as a Mighty Man of Valor.
I watched Brandon look into the mirror of the preached Word of God and see Brandon, the man of God that could be.
Brandon heard the Word preached, mixed it with faith, and pressed his way violently into the Kingdom of God. And as his youth pastor, I watched him wrestle with heavenly potential. I could cheer him on, but it was his fight alone.
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Genesis 32:24
I can see Brandon in those altars, alone, without his parents, wrestling with God; the Brandon who Was wrestling with the Brandon Who Could Be.
And I see him grab ahold of God and not let go. I see him wrestle some things to the ground. And I see him walk away, limping, and victorious.
At last I see him by faith, leaning on the top of his staff and worshipping as he died.
Brandon…you are the kind of person that I want to be: a man who died In the Faith.
I never really think about who may read whatever you want to call what I write, until I meet them in person and they tell me. If you are in Youth Ministry today I want to speak directly to you. Have a nice stage. But Preach the Word. Have great music and cool lights. Don’t try to give a TED Talk, Preach the Word.
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. II Timothy 4:1-4