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4 Perils of Platform

by JARED C. WILSON

“So his fame spread even to distant places, for he was wondrously helped until he became strong.” –2 CHRONICLES 26:15B

In the age of millionaire YouTubers and Instagram “influencers,” it seems like everybody’s pursuing a platform of some kind. Some chase the spotlight unabashedly. Others have it cast upon them. But Andy Warhol’s speculation that in the future every person will be famous for 15 minutes did not seem to account for the ubiquity of fame in the 21st century. “Fifteen minutes is for chumps. Click on my Patreon and keep me going for fifteen months!”

Is the pursuit of platform always bad? No. But it frequently is, as any good or neutral thing can be when pursued out of the wrong motives. And even if pursued innocently, public platform— whether you’re an author, musician, speaker, or just a guy or gal growing your social media audience—comes with inherent dangers. Like money, platform can be spent wisely or poorly. Here are four temptations anyone seeking or using a public platform should be aware of:

1. PLATFORM AS HEAVEN When I was an aspiring author, I frequently thought of how great it was going to feel when I was finally published. I imagined the satisfaction it would give me, finally fulfilling my dream. I worked long and hard in my pursuit of a writing career, toiling away writing local magazine pieces for pennies (or for free), and tried for 10 years to get a book published. And then I finally did! And it was great. It really was. But it didn’t actually do for me what I thought it might do. The truth is—whether in writing or ministry or anything else—when we put the weight of glory that only God can carry on anything other than him, the goods simply can’t be delivered. Whatever kind of platform you may be praying about or actively pursuing, please remind yourself constant

ly that even if you reach it, it will not deliver on the promise of solving your problems, healing your wounds, or completing your joy. Only God can do that. Don’t look at a public platform as “finally making it.”

The struggle to become and belong has nothing to do with public recognition or validation and everything to do with being reconciled to God and enjoying union with his Son. And on that note:

2. PLATFORM AS VALIDATION The problem with looking to anything external, whether granted or achieved, for our justification is that it can so easily be revoked or eroded. Platforms aren’t forever, so basing your sense of security or self-esteem in how successful you are is really just another form of legalism. You aren’t worth more or less based on your views, sales, or “clout.”

Neither does a rising trend in these areas mean you are doing something right. Any jerk or idiot can attract attention. To equate a growing audience with a virtuous platform is just one of the many ways the church today has imbibed the spirit of the age.

Your validation must come from God and his gospel. That way, when your platform is threatened by critics or simply the waning interest of your audience, your heart will be tuned to the validation that never wavers.

3. PLATFORM AS JUSTIFICATION Some see platform as a validation of their self-worth. That’s one way of looking at platform as justification. The other kind results in even more abuse—the use of platform as an excuse for sin. It’s the “too big to fail” mentality, where one is so drunk on the power of his or her platform, they insulate themselves from loving and prophetic voices who once held them accountable. This is the sin of every megachurch pastor who’s used the bigness of the church as his apologetic for aggressiveness and short-tempered leadership. It’s also the sin of every normative sized church pastor who’s used his position as a means of lording over his flock or fellow leaders.

In the last few years we’ve seen the exposure of numerous public Christian leaders who were allowed to continue in unrepentance for longer than they should have been simply because the ministries they led were growing and “successful.” Their underlings and audiences put up with a lot because the results seemed to be worth it. Some are still working in ministry, their indiscretions excused or covered up. But no amount of success or renown can absolve unrepentant sin.

Your platform is not more important than your integrity. Your public platform is no justification for your private transgressions.

4. PLATFORM AS CURRENCY This may be the most insidious for those who’ve already achieved some level of platform. It is the reason why back in my Christian bookstore days, the worst customers I encountered tended to be pastors. With platform can come a sense of entitlement. You get so accustomed to being listened to, to being followed or lauded, that it becomes your expectation. You “use it” in your daily life as if it has enriched you beyond the common folk.

When platform becomes your currency, you value the haves more than the have-nots. You listen only to those who have achieved some level of success. You look down on those who haven’t. You begin to see people as either of value to your platform or not. Can they contribute to the construction of the monument you’re building to yourself or can they not?

People who treat platform as currency treat people only on the basis of what they can provide, not on the basis of their needs. They are susceptible to jealousy or gossip or bitterness about successful people because they see them as threats to their own success. If your platform is growing, mine must be decreasing. “Platform as currency” is a zero-sum game.

There are so many other spiritual dangers that face the one in the spotlight. These are just four. But I’m convinced they are some of the reasons why James says not many people should be teachers (James 3:1). He mentions being judged more strictly, and I don’t think he necessarily means only by God. In any event, with greater responsibility comes stricter judgment. If the Lord is opening doors of public ministry or other means of wider audience to you, there is no sin in walking through them, but beware of what may be crouching just inside seeking your soul. •

JARED C. WILSON is author in residence at Midwestern Seminary, assistant professor of pastoral ministry at Spurgeon College, director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church, host of the For The Church Podcast, and author of numerous books, including Gospel Wakefulness, The Pastor’s Justification, The Prodigal Church, The Imperfect Disciple, Supernatural Power for Everyday People, and The GospelDriven Church.

Tolkien, Great Reversals, and Hobbit-like Humility

by JUSTIN JACKSON

Pride can creep into a pastor’s life just as easily as it can anyone else’s. One moment, we have just preached a sermon calling people to humility, and the very next moment, we are fishing for people’s compliments toward our clever exposition. In the pulpit, we have implored people to not trust in their own accolades and accomplishments, but the very next day, we can be seen at a network get-together comparing our credentials and church sizes with other local pastors. Left without a challenger, pride makes us into self-exalters who forget that we are here to magnify God and not ourselves. Pride makes us into self-dependent Sauls, believing ourselves to be spiritually a full head-and-shoulders taller than those around us. It makes us into Pharisees, claiming perfect sight, while in reality we are blind and in need of Jesus opening our eyes just like everyone else. It makes us into Herods, who foolishly grasp onto our sense of self-importance and grandeur.

Though not a pastor, J.R.R. Tolkien can help pastors, like me, who are tempted often toward pride. Tolkien’s works are saturated with a subtle warning against self-exaltation. He creatively borrows from the biblical theme of a Great Reversal, in which the proud and lofty are brought low and the humble and needy are exalted. In Farmer Giles of Ham, for example, it is the pudgy, poor, uneducated Farmer Giles who overcomes the dragon and is later crowned king; meanwhile the arrogant, noble-blooded, self-entitled king is sent home humiliated and poor.

The theme extends into Tolkien’s The Hobbit in which it is Bilbo Baggins, a fearful, unassuming Hobbit who does the most for the success of the Dwarves’ quest to the Lonely Mountain. The proud and self-sufficient Thorin Oakenshield ends up imprisoned and in need of rescue, not by his crew of mighty Dwarves, but by the Hobbit whom he so easily dismissed at the beginning of the epic. It is Bilbo who shows courage in facing the dragon. It is Bilbo’s love for his friends that leads him to take bold measures in an attempt to make peace between high-minded Elves and stubborn Dwarves. Though he was the smallest of the characters, by the end of the story, Bilbo proves to have the largest heart and firmest courage.

The Lord of the Rings expounds on the theme even further. Tolkien juxtaposes his righteous characters with their prideful alter-egos. Gandalf, the humble “grey pilgrim,” ultimately proves wiser than the self-exalting Saruman the White. Gandalf, according to Tolkien, “was not proud, and sought neither power nor praise… and desired not that any should hold him in awe or take his counsels out of fear.” 1 Saruman, on the other hand, who was “as great as fame made him,” eventually loses his power and dies in humiliation by the hands of one named Wormtongue. 2

The noble, but humble, King Theoden dies in honor fighting as an ally of Gondor’s true king and speaks of enjoying an after-life feast in the halls of his fathers. His foil, Denethor the Steward of Gondor, desperately clings to his own power and dies in disgrace in the tombs of his predecessors. In an essay about the Palantíri, Tolkien describes Denethor as a man who trusted in his own strength and was brought to despair at the thought of Sauron’s coming invasion. 3

A comparison can also be made between Aragorn and the power-craving Sauron. Aragorn refuses the temptation of the ring, which offers unlimited power, knowing that it will lead only to death and destruction. It is this same ring that Sauron endlessly seeks but never grasps. By the end, it is the dirty and homeless “Strider” who is exalted to the heights of Minas Tirith, where he is given dominion over Middle Earth. In contrast, it is Sauron, the self-exalter, whose tall tower comes crashing down as his dominion is ended.

The exaltation of the Hobbits illustrates the theme of reversal most clearly. Throughout the epic of the ring, the Hobbits are constantly mocked and underestimated. They

1 J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Istari,” Unfinished Tales of Númenor & Middle Earth.

2 Aragorn describes Saruman this way in The Two Towers.

are seen as weak and in need of protection. Ironically, in the end, these little Hobbits stand tallest in the kingdom. The last are made first as the entire kingdom of men and Elves kneel to them in honor. At the end of the journey, evil is not defeated by mighty armies or battle-proven champions like Boromir; neither is it defeated by the cunning of Elves like Elrond, whose wisdom proves to be helpless against Sauron. Instead, the victory over evil belongs to humble Hobbits. When the dust of battle has settled, even their enemies are forced to confess to the halflings, “You have grown…Yes, you have grown very much.” 4

Tolkien’s subtle theme of reversal corresponds with the reversal so often spoken of in Scripture. In the context of Jesus’ incarnation, Mary praises God who “has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Luke 1:51-53). Christ came in complete humility taking on the form of a servant to die for the lowest of mankind. The result of his sacrificial, servant-like death is that he has been given a name above every name. He made himself the lowest, but it will be to him that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he alone is Lord. He who was the Suffering Servant is crowned the eternal King.

All this goes to show that those who humble themselves will be exalted by God in the end. God treasures humble-hearted servants. Therefore, pastor, be a Hobbit. Lower that high head; deflate that proud chest; silence arrogant proclamations of your own power and wisdom. Be weak and unassuming. Do not cling to a self-made throne of importance and Twitter followers. Do not hope in impressive armies of church members and tithers. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Pet. 5:6). You may be mocked and thought of as little; but remember, in the end: humble Hobbits stand tallest in the kingdom of Christ. •

JUSTIN JACKSON serves as the lead pastor as Grace Church in Ovilla, Texas and as an adjunct professor of biblical studies at Southern Bible Institute and College. He has also served as a missionary in East Asia, where his tasks focused on local church planting and pastoral training. He holds a M.Div. and a D.Min from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biblical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife have three children (Timothy, Abigail, and Titus).

What Greta Thunberg Teaches Us About Teenagers

by MICAH HAYES

Our culture is conflicted over teenagers. Some days they are kids, and other days they are young adults. Sometimes they need to be excused for their recklessness, and other times they need to be respected for their contribution to society.

An example of this conflict played out recently on social media over pop star Camila Cabello. As a 15-year-old, Cabello made several racially insensitive posts on a social media site. When the posts were recently uncovered, seven years later, the debate began. “She was a child. We can’t hold someone responsible for the dumb things they did in their teens,” some argued. While others countered, “The age of 15 is old enough to know better. She needs to be held accountable.”

We’ve seen many other examples of this same debate over the last several years. Teenagers have sparked change through nationwide movements, most notably over gun violence. They have met with politicians, spoken out on national television, and influenced legislation. While some dismissed them as ignorant kids, others lauded the leadership of the next generation.

But arguably no other young person has embodied this divide moreso than Greta Thunberg. Her name dominated the news cycle in 2019, with Time magazine naming her “Person of the Year.” The 16-year-old

garnered attention initially through her school strike for climate change in her home country of Sweden. Since then, she has become the global face of climate activism, with her efforts culminating in the world’s largest climate demonstration in history.

Thunberg’s rare passion for a complex issue brought her the world’s gaze. And with that attention also came the world’s scrutiny and division. Those who sided with her placed her on a pedestal and crowned her as the leader the world needs. Those who sided against her belittled her as ignorant, naive, and propped up. Again, we see the conflict playing out. Teenagers are world-changers when we agree with them and immature children when we don’t.

Regardless of the politics and opinions on climate change, one thing is undeniable: a 16-year-old girl is impacting the world. As a student pastor, that gets me excited because it confirms something I believe deeply: we often underestimate young people. We sell them short. We set the bar too low. We make excuses for them.

In the church, we say things like:

“They aren’t ready for the ‘adult’ worship service yet. Their attention spans aren’t long enough. They will get bored. They need more fun and games. They don’t want to study the Bible. They can’t understand it. That’s too deep for them to handle. They are just kids.”

Greta Thunberg and other young leaders in the world today prove that teenagers are able. They are much more capable than we in the church often realize. Teenagers are capable of thinking and learning. In school, they learn foreign languages and complex mathematical equations. They can handle some theology. They are tasked with reading and analyzing Shakespeare. They can handle the Bible. They voluntarily spend hours each week practicing piano, soccer, and theater. They can handle the spiritual disciplines.

Teenagers are capable of leading. Every Friday night in the fall, local high school football games feature student leaders on display. From the field to the band to the cheerleaders to the student section, you plainly see young people influencing and leading others. They have the ability to do the same thing in the local church. They can use that same leadership in their school for Christ and his mission. Like Greta demonstrates, young leadership and youthful charisma is contagious.

Teenagers are capable of challenging the status quo. For some reason, young people can upend traditions and social norms like no other group. When young people join together with a unified passion, adults take notice. They grab headlines and force change. This unique ability to shake things up reminds me of the early church in the book of Acts. What if the unified passion our students held was a desire to see their classmates come to Jesus? What if their rebellion and recklessness was harnessed for the kingdom of God? How might our local churches and communities be shaken up if teenagers were the ones to challenge the spiritual apathy of adults?

Teenagers are capable of impacting the world. Here is the bottom line: when young people are passionate, bold, and relentless, things change. Teenagers today are more connected through technology, more aware of the world’s needs, and more concerned with injustice. These unique qualities give them the potential for a huge impact on the world.

This generation could fulfill the Great Commission. They could reach the remaining unreached people groups. They could plant new churches in every city and revitalize the declining ones. They could baptize and disciple more new believers than any other generation before them.

But here’s the question: Will we help get them there? Will we hold before them this God-glorifying, kingdom-expanding vision? Will we call them to the task they were created for?

Or will we underestimate them? Will we write them off as “big kids”?

If Greta Thunberg can impact the world through climate activism, then teenage followers of Jesus can impact the world through the gospel. •

MICAH HAYES is the minister to students at Blue Valley Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kansas. He received an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He lives in Overland Park with his wife, Amber, and daughter, Charlotte.

By Women, For Women: Jesus’ Genealogy in Matthew

by ALLYSON TODD

A lineage is a personal story. As a child, I wanted to learn everything about my heritage. What does my last name mean? Who are the people that share my DNA? As an adult, I started filling out my family tree and connecting with distant relatives online. It is a human desire to know where you come from. None of us have a perfect family history, but we can look at a tree and see the detailed weaving of human life that eventually resulted in our existence, and we’re amazed.

Jesus’ lineage was more interesting than most. It is a complex weaving of dirty sinner’s lives that eventually resulted in a Holy Messiah. When you stop to consider all the suffering, rebellion, and ungodly behavior that produced God-in-flesh, you might have a few questions. Some of the most surprising grandparents listed in Matthew 1 are four women. In your average 1st-century genealogy, you would be hard-pressed to find a woman named. But then, in the 1st-century archives, we find the genealogy for the most important person to ever live. In it, Matthew adds the names of a few women to tell Jesus’ heritage story. Why?

Matthew followed a common practice of the day and broke Jesus’ genealogy down into 14 generations between Abraham and David, and between David and Joseph, the husband of Mary. To arrive at an even 14 generations, Matthew had to make some cuts (which was common as well). Why, then, would Matthew remove significant generations, but place Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba on the list of Jesus’ Top 42 Family Members? It was not common to list women in genealogies at all— especially not these women. All of them have shameful stories.

Was Matthew simply ahead of his time, making sure to include “token” women along the way to show how “inclusive” and “woke” he is?

These were not token women. They were essential participants in the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and David. They were key players in the Kingdom.

To understand Matthew 1, we need to rewind to some earlier promises. First, God promised Abraham that many nations would be blessed through his lineage (Genesis 12). Second, God promised David that he would raise up a permanent King through his lineage (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Matthew shows us at the beginning of his gospel that these lineage promises have been fulfilled. Jesus is born, and he is both a blessing to the nations and the eternal King.

Matthew is telling us something unique through his recounting of the lineage. He’s showing us who brought forth this King, and how God used both men and women to do so.

Tamar was supposed to give birth to a son who would continue the line of Judah. She lost her husband, and then her relatives were called to fulfill this end. Yet they were selfish, evil, and did not do their part to continue this lineage. So she took matters into her own hands. Her method was unconventional and risky, but she valued the continuation of the line of Judah more than her relatives. Because of this, she contributed to the line of the future King of Israel and ensured that Judah bore a son (Genesis 38).

Rahab did not belong to the people of Israel. Her land was under siege by the Israelites, and she knew their God was with them. So she stood against the king of Jericho, recognized God as Yahweh, and became part of the line that brought forth the true King of Israel. Rahab was grafted into God’s kingdom by faith. Though she did not belong, God continued the story that brought forth his Son through this prostitute-turned-faithful-member of God’s kingdom (Joshua 2, 6, Hebrews 11:31).

Ruth was not an Israelite by blood either. She was part of an enemy nation, but married into the Israelite nation. Ruth takes Israel’s God for herself after her husband’s death, and along with her mother-in-law, she seeks to marry again. She does this so a kinsman-redeemer could give her family protection and status once again. Ruth finds this man in Boaz, but the true redemption comes not at the altar, but when she gives birth to her son. It is this child that points to the promise of a child yet to come—a

true Redeemer who will come from Ruth’s line (Ruth 4).

Bathsheba was the victim of a greedy king. David coerced her to please him, murdered her husband and, as a result of his sin, her baby died. The king took advantage of Bathsheba, shaming her and taking away her purity and her protection. Bathsheba’s sorrow in the loss of her firstborn is a tragic result of sin. But God redeems her circumstances by giving her another son, and this son will continue the line of David that leads to the True King (2 Samuel 11-12).

This King does not take advantage of women but elevates them in his life and ministry. This King does not murder for his own gain but is murdered for ours. This King dies, but unlike Bathsheba’s firstborn, he is raised and redeems all the injustices done to women and men alike.

And how did he do this? He started by being born to a woman. Mary, a virgin pregnant with God’s Son at risk of divorce from her husband and lowly in status, gives birth to Jesus. He is the one who saw the sorrows of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, and redeems their sin-covered lives.

The genealogy of Jesus should be a place of correction for all who believe (or are tempted to believe) that women should sit on the sidelines for God’s redemptive work. It was God’s plan from the beginning that women would be key players in his family tree. He was not afraid of what their messy stories would do to His. Rather, God made his promise to bring the Savior through the lines of Abraham and David. He used these women to contribute to the fulfillment of his promise.

Jesus came to earth by each of these women, for each of these women. If you are a woman who feels unloved, dismissed, or less-valuable than men, look to the Savior. Think much on his heritage and much on how he loved you. Remember that Jesus is for you— he died so that you might live. •

NOTES: I’m grateful to Andrew Forester for his notes on this subject and for his encouragement to write this piece. Additionally, much of the research in this article can be found here: https://thebibleproject. com/blog/jesus-genealogies/.

ALLYSON TODD is an associate editor and intern for women’s initiatives at For The Church. She holds an undergrad degree from Midwestern College, a dual major in Christian Ministry (missions emphasis) and Humanities. Todd is currently pursuing a Master’s of Divinity at Midwestern Seminary, where she works full time as the assistant director of events for Student Life, and is a member of Wornall Road Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Her ultimate desire is to continue learning more about the Word of God and equipping women to make disciples.

3 Words of Counsel I’ve Received from Seasoned Leaders

by TYLER GREENE

In just a couple of months, I will round out my eighth year in full-time ministry. You might say that I’m slowly getting the hang of it. And when I say I’m getting the hang of it, I mean that I’m realizing just how much I have to learn, and how much I need God’s grace to learn it. You also might say that I’m a slow learner. Yet the funny thing is, I first came into full-time ministry with the impression that a lot of the pastors and leaders I had known throughout my life were doing things all wrong. Secretly, I presumed that I was going to do things the right way: “Move over, guys—let me show you how it’s done!” Hello, misguided, youthful arrogance! The longer I serve the local church, though, the more I have come to treasure the wisdom of seasoned leaders whom I have had the privilege of knowing. Learning from these spiritual giants has been incredibly valuable for me. As a result, I have found myself applying the counsel I received from them—counsel that I dismissed at first,

or didn’t yet understand as best. So allow me to share what was passed on to me—wisdom that could only be gained from years spent in the trenches of ministry.

“People are not your source; God is your source.” When my dad first began to sense that he was called to pastoral ministry, my grandfather—who is now deceased, but was a pastor himself for many years—took Dad to lunch to help him process things. As Dad recounts it, my grandfather looked across the table at his then 13-year-old son and said, “Just remember: people are not your source; God is your source.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my dad repeat that story and those words. Unfortunately, when you’re young and your parents tell you the same stories over and over, you foolishly write it off: “Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard that one before, Dad.” But now that I’m eight years deep into full-time ministry, I’m glad my dad told me that story so many times. When I’m tempted to place impossible-to-bear burdens on others, I can hear those words in the back of my mind, reminding me that people make really lousy saviors. When my heart gets realigned with that reality, I can simply enjoy the people I lead for who they are in Christ, instead of using them to assuage my fears and insecurities. A leader who holds fast to the True Source of life is utterly free to love others well.

“Always lead from overflow.” A few years ago, my wife’s grandfather retired from full-time pastoral ministry. Shortly before he retired, I asked him what advice he would give to a young guy aspiring to leadership in the church. Without any hesitation, he spoke four simple words to me: “Always lead from overflow.” In response, I initially thought, “Yeah, okay, that seems like pretty good advice.” But over the years, I’ve come to value it as life-or-death advice. For me, learning to lead from overflow has been the difference between joyfully persevering in ministry and being crushed by its inherent anxieties and pressures. Spiritual leaders ought to be worshiping God regularly in secret long before they ever step out to lead in public. Faithful ministry stems from the reality that God is powerfully at work in the ruthlessly prayerful, Bible-devouring lives we lead behind closed doors. If that isn’t true of us, we have nothing to offer. If you don’t believe me, Jesus puts it quite convincingly: “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).

“Your biggest challenge will be learning to lead from your character, not your ability.” This was one of the first things my pastor told me when I came on staff at the church where I serve today. I’ll admit, when he said it, I had no idea what he was talking about. But as the years have passed, I’ve come to realize how profound it is. Too often, churches assume that those with the most natural charisma and talent are the ones who are best suited to lead. So we make the mistake of putting them up front without giving any real consideration to the patterns of their lives. Before long, though, we’re shocked when they collapse in a fit of moral failure. But the truth is, without godly character, a person’s charisma and talent are liabilities, not assets. For better or worse, a leader’s trajectory in life and ministry will be determined by the quality of his heart. Sadly, poor character is only fortified as a leader places more and more confidence in his own ability. Yet, on the other hand, natural ability and Christlike character, when combined, can create the competency required to lead effectively at a high level.

So there you have it—priceless words of counsel from seasoned leaders that have made all the difference in my life and ministry. I keep coming back to their wisdom to fan into flame the gift of God that is in me (2 Tim. 1:6). And every time I do, I become more and more grateful to God that less experienced church leaders like me are standing upon the shoulders of giants such as these. •

TYLER GREENE serves as the associate pastor of Worship Ministries at LifePoint Church in Ozark, Missouri. He resides near Ozark with his wife, Erin, and their three children.

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