One of
the most subtle poisons to afflict the Christian is power and position. Even in
the church we often see people striving for, clutching at and even destroying
one another for power and position. As humans we crave it, we admire it, we
dream about it.
Clearly
having power or position is not evil, and we all aspire to it. It gives us an
amazing ability to change a situation, even to change the world. It is not
wrong to be honoured with a position, or to have some sort of power, which can
range from political or financial through to relationships.
One of
the most subtle poisons to afflict the Christian is power and position. Even in
the church we often see people striving for, clutching at and even destroying
one another for power and position. As humans we crave it, we admire it, we
dream about it.
Clearly
having power or position is not evil, and we all aspire to it. It gives us an
amazing ability to change a situation, even to change the world. It is not
wrong to be honoured with a position, or to have some sort of power, which can
range from political or financial through to relationships.
With
great power comes great responsibility. We are often happy to embrace the trappings
of power and avoid any responsibility, but as President Harry Truman
said, “the buck stops here.”
But it
has been well said that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!
The power or position is not poison, it's the temptation to abuse it and the
way it can poison your life that is the real problem.
When
you are a boss it is tempting to abuse your position, same for a church leader.
In the home as a parent, you have a position… And many parents abuse their
children. Power corrupts, unless we
handle it carefully!
Power
left unchecked can easily destroy us, and the greater the power, the greater
the tendency to abuse and destruction. Don't believe me? Just look at history,
the power and influence of great men, everybody from Caesar to Hitler, from
Napoleon to Stalin… So powerful, so corrupt, all gone in an instant.
Loved?
Admired? Feared? In the end it doesn't matter, and all of them are deceived by
the devil. Many Christians, even in our service for the Lord in church, find
themselves afflicted by this poison.
So why
do we love power and position so much?
THE
POISON OF POWER AND POSITION
Speaking
about politics, 16th century Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli insisted
that compassion got in the way of eminence. If a leader has to choose between
being feared or being loved, Machiavelli insisted that the leader should always
go with fear. Love is overrated.
We
all want the trappings of power, the respect, the admiration and the riches but
not all of us are up for the responsibilities power and position require.
So what
us the big attraction of power and position? What drives ordinary people to
become Prime Ministers or Presidents, CEOs or even Pastors?
1.
FAME/RESPECT
People
know you, they look up to you and they treat you special. Folks go out of their way to honour you, and
they curry favour with you.
2.
WEALTH
With
position and power comes an increased ability to generate wealth. Frequently
this is corrupt, as in Sepp Blatter and the entire FIFA hierarchy who are
currently under investigation by the FBI.
3.
SERVICE
People
long to serve you to be a part of your team. In church, many times being in
charge of an area means people will do all the things you do not want to do.
4.
INFLUENCE
In
power you have the chance to bring influence, to implement policies or changes,
for good or for evil, for others or for yourself.
To
examine the lure, the subtleties and the tragedy of the poison of power and
position, I want to examine a specific story from the Bible
Judges
9:1-57, Abimelech, the illegitimate son of Gideon.
He was
deeply infected by this poison. And wanted to be king at any cost (not unlike
Hitler, Stalin, even several of our recent Prime Ministers.)
Abimelech
wanted to control the key city of Shechem. Once Satan trapped Abimelech with
the first strands of his lust for of power, He became enmeshed in a web of deceit
and violence that brought about his ultimate destruction.
POWER
PLAYS… POLITICKING WITH POISON
Judges
9:1–57
The
story of Abimelech, the son of Gideon, is the story of a series of power plays
carried out by Abimelech in his quest for authority over the city of
Shechem.
This
guy had no idea how tragic the consequences of the poison of power and position
would be. Here are some of the stages of
the poison he went through…
1.
RATIONALISATION
Judges
9:2
“Say in
the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all
seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’
Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
He
rationalised he situation, conveniently ignoring his own selfish agenda. When
people are infected with this poison, don't expect it to be easy to pick. When
they present their ideas, things may sound pretty reasonable, but underneath is
a hidden agenda that could cause tragedy.
Hitler
did not seize power, he was elected by the people. He seemed very rational at
the time, a perfect leader to restore Germany’s fortunes.
2.
DISCORD
Judges
9:3
And his
mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the
leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they
said, “He is our brother.”
The
next step is planting the seeds of doubt about other people. People infected
with this poison will often try to get around everybody, or send others
the “spread the word” about how bad someone else is. They try and stir up
dissent, usually in a way that says, “I'm not one to speak ill of others
but…”
This
has happened to me already in the church since I stepped up to be pastor. I bet
at some stage it has also happened to you in the church, so we need to look at
the fruit. If someone is spreading discord or stirring up trouble, chances are
they are infected by the poison of power and position and not of God. If the
fruit is not holiness and unity, keep away!
3.
DEBASEMENT
He
elevated himself by devaluing others…
Judges
9:2
“Say in
the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all
seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’
Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.”
Comparisons
are never good. If the other guy is better than you, you feel depressed. If you
are better than him, you are prideful. Many try to elevate your opinion of them
by running someone else down… The tall poppy syndrome is alive and well!
4.
FACTIONALISM
Judges
9:4
And
they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with
which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
Factionalism
occurs when you seek out others who will reinforce your plan, even if they are
not people of repute. You keep working your way around until you find people
sympathetic to your point of view, or maybe just anti your opponent, and then
you organise these into a destabilising faction. In the church we call it a
power base, and it is more common than you might think!
5.
POWER MONGERING
This is
the poison at it absolute nastiest… You eliminate the opposition. That's what
Abimelech did…
Judges
9:5
And he
went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of
Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal
was left, for he hid himself.
Hitler
did it in the night of the long knives. Stalin sent millions to the gulags,
including almost all of the 1938 Party convention. I'm church you tend not to
kill them, but you neutralise them out of the picture. You eliminate your
rivals.
6.
RUTHLESS CRUELTY
Judges
9:45
And
Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed
the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
Judges
9:49
So
every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it
against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that
all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.
This
guy went on the warpath, in much the same way Stalin or Hitler did, and evil
cruelty became the hallmark of his reign.
And
that's the seductive part of the poison of power and position…
Power
corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Abimelech
probably never realized his self-destructive tendencies. He never understood
the truth that leadership means service. That true leaders defer their personal
gain for the good of others. That they build up their power base as they serve
in humility. They strive for unity and deal with others justly, mercifully and
honorably.
Abimelech
was willing to do whatever it would take to accomplish his goals and put
himself in a place of power. Instead of rising to prominence, his life was
marked by contention and bloodshed. His self-centered lust resulted in the
destruction of his family and his own death in a manner he couldn’t possibly
have envisioned, via a millstone being dropped on his head (see Jdg 9:51–54).
Perhaps
Abimelech’s most important lesson to us is that the web of self-destruction can
be cast with only a single strand: the lust for power and position. It was true
then, and it is certainly true now!
THE
PARABLE OF THE PLANTS
The
only survivor of the Abimelech massacre then stood up and delivered a speech,
the first parable in the Bible…
Judges
9:7-8
When it
was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud
and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to
you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the
olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
The
olive Tree, the fig tree and the vine all say they are busy producing fruit,
but the bramble is available to lead. This highlights a valuable lesson for us
too.
These
plants take pride in their posts, in their service and the good that they
provide. Why abandon fruitfulness? In
the end, only the thornbush takes the offer, because it is not producing fruit.
Be
careful, the story instructs. In a desire to be great, one might cease being
any good. That's the poison right there, and the devil is happy to use it to
destroy the good you might be able to do.
So
here's the thing… Not everyone is destined, nor should they be, for
leadership. Not every teacher is
equipped to be a principal. Not every carpenter has the skill to head a crew. Not
every musician should conduct an orchestra. Promotions might promote a person
right out of his or her sweet spot. For the love of more, we might lose our
purpose. (From Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado)
SERVE
WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED
Where
has a God planted you, either at work, at home or in the church? Do you crave
being higher up the food chain, better paid, better respected? Nothing wrong with that, unless it starts to
poison you, and your service where you are.
And
here's the thing… The fastest way to grow your ministry is by serving another
ministry. I was a little known Christian musician traveling from country town
to country town to play for 9 people and a dog. I longed to see my ministry
flourish and the touch people around the world, but I had no money, and little
opportunity.
I was
asked to travel 7 hours each way to sing 5 songs at a Bill Newman rally, but
that changed my life. God linked us up, and I started to minister for Bill.
About a year later God clearly told me to give up my ministry and just
serve Bill. That meant no posters with my name on them. Bill Newman and team,
and I'm the team! I had to lay down my position and my ministry.
But
since then I have ministered all over the world to hundreds of thousands of
people. Tonight I fly to Sydney to lead worship for Billy Graham's grandson
Will. I'm not doing this, God is.
Psalms
127:1
Unless
the Lord builds the house,
those
who build it labor in vain.
Unless
the Lord watches over the city,
the
watchman stays awake in vain.
THE
POISON OF POWER AND POSITION IN THE CHURCH
Like
any other institution, the church has its share of power hungry individuals. We
tend not to have murderous purges, but many think that because they are in a
certain position of the church, they can demand whatever they like and
orchestrate things to benefit themselves.
Rich
men are at the top of the list. They give a lot to the church, and thus believe
they have the right to control it. In Coast Church we have some generous and
godly business people who give and do not crave power or position, and I
believe God will bless them for this.
So how
can you tell if you are infected with the poison of power and position? Here's a quick test…
THE
TEST
1. DO YOU ASK OTHERS TO DO WHAT YOU WOULD NOT DO YOURSELF?
Having
a position is not about being able to order people around. If you wouldn't do
it yourself, can you really ask others to do it?
2. WOULD YOU KEEP SERVING IF THERE WAS ZERO RECOGNITION?
This is
an acid test for your attitude and motivation… Are you doing this out of pure
motives, are you leading for the Lord, or for what others think of you? If no
one saw what you did, would you still do it with all your heart?
3. DO YOU RAISE OTHERS UP?
Some
leaders, even some pastors, are so paranoid about their position the push down
rather than raise up others, for fear that they might become better, more
popular or more significant that they are! Raising others up is the hallmark of
a great leader.
4. DO YOU MICROMANAGE/CONTROL OTHERS?
True
leaders trust the people they raise up. They don't micromanage them, and they
don't control them. They give freedom within established boundaries, and they
trust them to do a good job. They my offer tweaks, but they don't control every
aspect of other’'S ministries.
SUCCESS
VS SIGNIFICANCE…
There
is a difference between success and significance. You can have a position, you
can have power, but are you really making a difference in the lives of others…
Ken
Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy contrast the ideas of success and significance:
”The
successful person has learned how to make money, but the significant person has
learned how to give it away—how to be generous, to share the blessings of money
with those who are in need or those who help meet a variety of social and
humanitarian needs.
The
successful person has achieved great things—sadly sometimes at the expense of
others. He or she is proud of what has already been accomplished. The
significant person understands that the greatest thing anyone can accomplish is
to serve others and to help them achieve their goals.
Finally,
successful people have attained a measure of status. Others look up to them and
maybe even see them as role models. We often discover later that those who have
become our role models let us down … In direct contrast, the significant person
is one who values relationships. They become trusted friends and invaluable
mentors, and they invest their time in others rather than in striving to build
status.”
The
question is, will you use your power and position in the family, the office or
the church correctly, or corruptly?
THE
ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF POWER AND POSITION
James
and John were afflicted by this very poison in Mark 10…
Mark
10:35-37
And
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher,
we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do
you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your
right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
In
other words, we want the power and position of being your special ones. We want
the top job. Jesus promptly rebuked
them, and went on to say this…
Mark
10:42-45
And
Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are
considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones
exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever
would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among
you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Serving
with a humble heart is how this sinister poison is neutralised. In Coast
Church, anyone in any position including myself needs to first be a servant. We
need to think of others first. We need to wash someone else's feet, not line
our own pockets. We must accept full responsibility, and when we are
criticised, we need to keep a humble, servant attitude.
The
abuse of power and position is not an issue here in our church, but that
doesn't mean we should ignore this poison. It sneaks in as soon as we let our
guard down, so be vigilant, and keep taking the antidote… Keep on serving!
If you
have a desire in your heart to serve the Lord in this place, and many of you
do, not for power or position but to serve Jesus, and the body of Christ, then
come and let's pray for you.
