Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 4, 2008
“It Erodes the Integrity of the Game”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“What do you think of our keyboard player?”
“I heard he was living an immoral life.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know, really…but he sure can play the keyboard!”
No, this conversation wasn’t about a band at a nightclub. It was about a church worship team.
Why would a worship team have a member that was living an immoral life?
Because it’s hard to put together a good worship team, and when you do, you don’t want to mess it up. A good worship team will draw people to your church. And, after all, you want to draw a lot of people, right?
Now let me ask you, does it matter? Does it matter if someone on the platform at church is not living a moral life?
Think about it this way. Why isn’t Pete Rose in the baseball hall of fame? Because he placed bets on games. Who cares, and why? Major League Baseball cares, because it erodes the integrity of the game.
Of course, Major League Baseball is so much more than a game. It is big business. And in what I’m about to say, don’t put undue emphasis on the word “game.”
Back to my question, “Does it matter if someone on the platform at church is not living a moral life?” Yes, it absolutely matters, because it erodes the integrity of the game.
And ministry is not a game. It’s not even big business. Ministry is much more important, because we are dealing with the things of God and the deepest part of human lives.
We simply cannot let someone erode the integrity of our ministry just because they are talented. Pete Rose has more hits than any Major Leaguer ever, but he is not allowed to have any part of Major League baseball.
Am I saying that someone can’t be in ministry, even if they repent? That’s easy. Someone who repents is actually a good example. A repentant sinner, walking in the grace of God, actually builds up the integrity of a ministry.
I am only talking about someone who is living an immoral life, is unrepentant, and yet is allowed to be in some form of leadership in the ministry. And in a church, I think if someone is up on the platform in front of everyone else during a service, I think that person is in a form of leadership.
It is so tempting to use worldly standards. What do we want people to see when they look at our ministry? We want them to see talented people and good looking people, skilled and successful people.
Paul addressed this in Second Corinthians 5:12. He mentioned “those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.”
I see this a lot in Christian radio and Christian music. Talented singers are put on a pedestal, even when they are lukewarm about the Lord. Some are there, not because of their fire for Christ, or their spiritual maturity, but simply because they sound good.
When we do this, we erode the integrity of the ministry.
So why do we do it? Part of it’s because we have a worldly idea of success in ministry. Drawing a crowd does not mean you are successful in ministry. Looking good, or bringing in a lot of money, or building an empire do not mean you are successful in ministry.
So how would I define success in ministry?
Success in ministry is when people are becoming more Christlike.
Second Corinthians 3:18 talks about people “being transformed into His likeness.”
Romans 8:29 talks about being conformed to the likeness of God’s Son.
This covers evangelism and discipleship and prayer and even fellowship. All the things churches are so good at – all of them fit nicely under the overall plan of helping people be more Christlike.
And to effectively lead people toward Christlikeness, the leadership must be on the path themselves.
Paul made a bold statement in First Corinthians 11:1. He wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
That should be the mantra of all in Christian leadership. We should be so passionate in our personal pursuit of Christlikeness that when others follow our example, they will become more Christlike themselves.
Please take this to heart if you are a leader in ministry. And take a look around you, at all forms of leadership. If you find someone who is living an immoral life, you must take action. And if they are unrepentant, remove them from leadership.
It doesn’t matter how talented they are, or how important they are. If you don’t, you will erode the integrity of the ministry.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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