✌🏼 The Fall of Christian Superstars

A Call Back To Disciple-Making

The fall of Christian superstars isn’t new. It’s a gut-wrenching pattern that keeps repeating itself. I believe the modern leadership crisis is symptomatic of how off-track “church” has become. Compare the words of Jesus to what we see and hear the most.

Matthew 25:42-43 (NET)

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.ʼ

Compare what Jesus said about leadership to what we see today.

Matthew 20:25-28 (NET)

25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave - 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Christian consumerism exalts entertaining gifts and knowledge. The focus becomes building what attracts the consumers and their finances rather than what Jesus defined as the Kingdom in Matthew 5 and parable after parable.

• We build extravagant, massive buildings rather than housing the homeless.

• We feed our itching ears rather than the poor and hungry.

• We clothe those on stage in finery and the elderly and poor support them with their few coins.

• Jesus said freely give as we have received and drove the money changers out of the temple, and we invite them in to sell merchandise profiting our heroes.

• We pummel sinners outside the church for their sins and excuse and hide the sins of those we admire and like.

It’s like we don’t even read the book that we say we believe. I’m of Paul... I’m of Apollos. Did you read that best-selling book? Have you heard that new song, or that amazing sermon by someone I don’t even know? We need fewer memes and reels and more servants washing feet.

What are most Christians today really seeking?

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NET)

3 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things. 4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths.

This pattern will continue as long as we make it about superstar performers and not Jesus. I know from experience if you stop doing the Sunday morning show and focus on making disciples by teaching them all that Jesus commanded, people stop showing up.

There’s a better show around every corner. We are seeking that, not to seek and save that which is lost. Our love for Jesus has grown cold.

• We love our worship more.

• We love our doctrine and dogma more.

• We love our denominations more.

• We love our politics and politicians more.

And what causes love to grow cold?

Matthew 24:11-12 (NET)

11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, 12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold.

I’m using “we” because I consider myself part of the problem and not the solution. Jesus is what we need. Jesus is what we need to hear about. Jesus’ words and example are what we need to follow in self-sacrificial obedience, serving others - not just going to a service or concert to feel better about ourselves.

You can’t be accountable on a stage. You can’t be accountable in a crowd. Accountability is messy. It’s not glamorous. It takes real, consistent, face-to-face relationships. And people run from it to the comfort of being lost in a crowd.

Kingdom accountability requires vulnerability and honesty in small, simple, intimate settings. This is where real growth happens. It’s easy to hide behind the lights and camera or in the pew, but it’s in the day-to-day, unglamorous real-life moments that we find true accountability.

But we don’t want to be accountable to the words of Jesus ourselves and so we don’t require of our leaders the things that Jesus prioritized. And then we are surprised when they fall.

Bad fruit doesn’t fall from good trees. It’s just that simple, and that tragic.

In our pursuit of building grander churches and producing more engaging services and content, we’ve lost sight of the fundamental teachings of Jesus. He didn’t call us to create spectacles; He called us to serve with love for our neighbors, enemies, and one another. When our focus shifts from humble service to maintaining the facade of success, we stray from the path of disciple-making and the real heavenly Kingdom Jesus proclaimed we should seek here on earth.

Jesus redefined greatness as servanthood and child-like humility. Our leaders are meant to be servants, not celebrities. This upside-down kingdom where the last are first and the greatest are servants is the antidote to the crisis we see today.

How do we get back to the basics? How do we focus on the teachings of Jesus, prioritize servanthood and humility, and build communities where accountability is more than a buzzword? That’s how to combat the superstar syndrome and be the capital C Church that truly reflects the heart of Jesus.

By focusing on these principles, we can start to realign our priorities with those of Jesus, becoming disciples who make disciples who are known for how we serve, love, and hold one another accountable in genuine relationships rather than being known by the superstars we follow.

Jesus is the only Superstar we need. He will never fail you.

Personal Update: I want to thank all of you paid subscribers for your ongoing support. Not much content has been published in the past couple of months and I apologize for that. Thank you for your patience. Finances have required a lot of additional work hours, but I’m also working to produce more consistent content here. Every subscription and share helps, and right now every paid subscription is a literal lifeline. Would you consider becoming a paid subscriber today? Thanks again for your support! And… #MakePeace