Theology of Credible Leadership - Lesson 20

Dr. John Johnson
Theology of Credible Leadership
Power in Leadership (Part 2)
Lesson Transcription

So let's come back to look maybe at one more liability. So when we look over here, power definition acquisition, advantages, disadvantages, these two together tell us that power is a neutral term. There are good things about power. So we pray for power every day. Who wants to be powerless? So there are advantages, but then there are disadvantaged, just like character that's neutral.   

There's good character and bad character. There's good power and there's bad power. And in terms of bad power, in terms of disadvantages of power, let me give you one more that's paradoxical here. Power can lead to its own powerlessness. We can use power in an indiscriminate way, and we can use power that then begins to push itself out in endless ways and spreading itself over its periphery and influence.   

Dispersing our power actually has a way then of lessening our power because it thins our power out. Could this be, for example, maybe on the world scale right now when we think of a Putin with a Ukraine, that the more he exercises his power and unleashes his power, the more it's diffused and the weaker he becomes.   

What happens? Geopolitically can also happen right in, the ministry. In a church where a pastor obsessed with power keeps extending his power, extending his power, and then in a paradoxical way, he begins to thin out his power. A power that can lead to powerlessness can also happen when we are chasing after power and discovering that it doesn't generate the change we aspire to because we begin to team up with other places of power.   

We have no business, teaming up with. I can't help. But, notice today when I see a certain amount of churches, Christian leaders who are seeking to tap in and join forces with political power, with the assumption it will give them greater power, greater influence, ability to advance the kingdom of God.   

It actually does the opposite. They, they worsen the problems they were hoping to solve. because they're using power, in all of the wrong way using power. If I could sound rather critical here, to increase their egos, increase their influence, and the process, it actually does just the opposite.   

So power one must be very careful with power. One must be suspicious of power. Power has these these great advantages. But as we see, power has great disadvantages. The kind of disadvantages that whatever power is given to us, whatever power even we find God giving us, we must be very careful to realize that what can be really good can begin to become very corruptive and very bad.   

So let's talk about theology here. And so to definition, acquisition advantages and disadvantages and our course, we keep wanting to come back here to theology.   

So what does power, excuse me, what does theology have to say about power? So I'm going to give you some obvious things that we, I think we know, but we just need to go back to understand. When we think theologically about power, we first of all know why it can be so corrupting. So, so rudeness of our lives as leaders, it goes back to our sinful nature, our sinful nature, which is because of sin distorted, which leads to certain dysfunctions.   

And when we, when we get power, this, this something that's neutral in and of itself, it can become very corrupting. We begin to use it because of our self-centeredness. We begin to use power for ourselves. We begin to use it not to serve people, but to dominate people.   

Sin begins to dilute us. We can't see that the power that God has given us to use for his purposes is a power that when sin gets its grip on us, we use to destroy power turns on us. And in our fallenness, if we're not careful, we begin to go after power chase after power, all the way to the delusion that if we can get enough power, well maybe we can be God.   

And we see this in the Tower of Babel story. In Genesis chapter 11. There is this gathering of the world, so to speak, to make this great tower to, as the text tells us, so that man can make a name for himself. It's always this driving sense, this need, this is actually, I was listening to, a a talk yesterday, yesterday by Gabe Lyons on artificial intelligence.   

And he believes as we're seeing artificial intelligence take over more and more of the landscape, it's all about innocence power. It's about who has the most information and who can use it for their purposes. This is what sin does. We begin to therefore think more and more that we have this power that we can do anything.   

And eventually we begin to think we don't need God at all. I was reading this article just yesterday by Kate Cohen, we of Little Faith. This is her book, and she wrote an article in the Washington Post. She's an atheist and she in a sense is trying to unite atheists to step up and speak with a greater voice, to speak with great greater power as she puts it.   

And here are a couple things I note after underscoring the fact. Again, the scripture is a myth, religion is a fake, and God is a human invention. She says, you know, we need to learn that we can figure things out on our own. We have the means and we can do it. The future of the world is in our hands. What we need is the human power to change the world and take matters into our hands to do what is ours to do.   

It sounds a little bit back to Genesis 11. It sounds a lot like going back to Genesis three, which is what we want. We want to control, we want to dominate. We want to have all knowledge. This is so that we can have all power. This is when sin and power join forces. And in our fallenness, we then begin to become obsessed with it. We want to be near it. We want to be near people with power hoping that their power rubs off on us.   

We want to believe that our power on, in our ways, on our own can advance the kingdom of God, which may be ultimately is advancing our own kingdom. So what do we learn in theology? The first thing is that theology points us back to why we do such screwy things with power and why power if it is not restrained, if it's not given to God, can begin to make us choose soon to be, to be God's.   

Here's the second thing we discover. We discover, and this is why we need theology and why theology is so central, especially to subjects like power. Because it brings us back to a centering place, a centering place where we realize secondly, that it's God who has the power.   

It's God in whom power inherently is rooted. It's in him and his character. Leaders might assume that the power they possess is intrinsic to them, but all power as theology tells us, is sourced in God. Great is our Lord. And mighty and power says Psalm 1 47, verse five, his power and authority we see over and over throughout all of scripture, God declares, reminds us over and over all power is his and he gives his power to whom he desires.   

Nothing, will change this ever. It's always God in his power. As Isaiah 37 puts it, you alone are God over all of the kingdoms of the earth by him.   

Paul puts it this way in Colossians one by him, all things were created, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities in him, all things are held together. Meaning when I think about this powerful, powerful verse that all God has to do is simply let go and there would be, none of us there, there is this, there's this imaginative thinking that we have, that we are in control, but, but we've seen in scripture and theology keeps teaching us over and over that it's a delusion.   

It's God who has the power. That's why he's referred to in scripture as the mighty one or the almighty, the one who rules over all, meaning what? Meaning this, that whatever power, any pharaoh, any emperor, any king, any prime minister, any president, any pastor, any leader has no matter how imposed, imposing, and expansive is at best derived.   

There are leaders today that you and I read in the world seen that walk around sort of like Nebuchadnezzar, assuming that they have all the power, they present themselves as powerful. They have their armies and their parades, and everyone assumes they have this power.   

But the reality is that whatever power anyone has is ultimately drived and comes from God. And when the kings of the earth gather and assert themselves against God, God, Psalm chapter two tells us, God laughs at their pretensions. And, and the power, the power that we think we have is really not there.   

It's goes back to I think of this confrontation with Jesus and Pilate. And Pilate is seeking to impress Jesus with the fact that that whatever happens to Jesus is in the authority, in the power of Pils hands. And you remember, Jesus simply says, whatever authority and power you have, is not derived from you, but it comes from God. And here's a third thing we learn about power.   

The power of God is beyond human comprehension. So when we look at theology, we realize the perversion of power goes back to sin. The the nature of power and the source of power comes from God. Third thing we learn is that we cannot get a handle. We cannot in any way comprehend this power. It's beyond measure. It's beyond our imagination. We can't get our heads around it.   

It can't be measured by size. It can't be measured by weight. It can't be measured by any forms of measurement. It's impossible to comprehend. It's why when you think of a verse like Psalm 1 15, 3, whatever he wills to do, he does is in itself a a verse that for me just goes beyond comprehension. Simply is saying whatever God wills to do, and God can will anything he does, because he's not limited.   

His power has no boundaries. God simply breathes on the rulers of the world with his hot breath as we see in the, the prophetic books. And they wither like flowers on a landscape that, that rise up in the morning and then they're gone. They're swept away as Isaiah chapter 40 puts it, they're swept away like chaff. The power of God means that God is accountable to no one, but himself.   

He controls every movement in nature. He controls all of our movement, all of our speeches, all of our acts. He is, of such power that nothing is too difficult for him. Numbers 11, Isaiah 50, Jeremiah 32, how can we understand such power?   

But this is God's power. And here's where theology, gives us a fourth lesson, and perhaps it's the most important lesson of all. And that is God's power with all of its, its greatness, is counterintuitive to the world's assumptions of power. And this is where theology helps us the the most because it, it turns our assumptions upside down.   

The greatest learning from theology and leadership is that leaders tend to associate power will self with self expansion, with accumulation, with getting greater and greater. But this is inconsistent and contrary to what theology teaches us, what God teaches us about power, real power is gained by yielding one's will in the persuasion of others. The power of God is more about, as Philippians two tells us, it's more about selfing than self expanding.   

It’s giving it away, more than simply trying to accumulate though co-equal with the Father and the spirit. Think about Jesus who refused to use his power to turn stones into bread. He could have. It's not that he was powerless, it's just that Jesus understands something about power we often miss.   

He didn't exercise his authority to call on the angels at Gethsemane. He did not consider his quality with God as something to forcibly hold onto. Rather, Jesus comes and he sets it aside. He sets aside the full weight of his attributes and allows himself to be poured out to teach us something about power. And this was his greatest demonstration of power.   

He, he gave it away. He went to the cross. And the lesson for leaders is that those who choose to model their power after God's power must use power for this, not for posturing, not for asserting themselves, not in order to seek the places of honor like the Pharisees, not to impress others with, rank and position, not in order to use one's authority to control and manipulate and exploit.   

But we're back to the definition of leadership. To use power to serve, which is what Jesus taught in Mark 10 45. True power is a paradoxical mix of strength and weakness when you think about it, it's, it's holding on and it's giving up it's kingdom and it's cross, it's resurrection and it's suffering.   

When Paul came to Christ, all of hiss assumptions of power were turned upside down. Leadership power is not gained by ascending and getting to the top, but by descending and acknowledging one's weaknesses. So Paul could write, for example, in two Corinthians four, verse seven, we have this treasure in jars of clay to show this all surpassing power is from God and not from ourselves.   

As Paul said to the Corinthians in a second letter, my power paradoxically is made, perfect in weakness. Power that therefore is rooted in God beyond comprehension is counterintuitive.   

We discover this, this kind of power, if we can understand this is that is what then becomes essential for leadership. It's what makes for powerful leadership. It's God's power that makes us great in leadership. Without his power, we are really powerless by our own power. Our leadership is severely limited. It's not about our power, it's about his.   

It's about yielding to his power and letting his power take over in our lives. And so we're brought back again in this very centering way in theology to what power really is. From the beginning, power was given from God so that we might cultivate and preserve and protect and rule. We go back to Genesis one again. God gives his power to those who please him is what Jeremiah 27 verse five says, with my great power, listen to these words, with my great power and outstretched arm.   

I made the earth, the people and the animals, and then these words and I give it to anyone. I please learn that power again ultimately comes from him. We tend to talk about how a leader comes to power. I love this quote, this thought here, but theology reframes our assumptions.   

It's not, it's not how a leader comes to power, but how power comes to a leader. You see, that's a, that's a upside down thought, but it's true. We talk about how this particular person has come, come into power. But theology says no. It's how power comes to a leader because God bestows power to whomever he will or takes power away from whomever he will.   

The spirit has this history. When you go back to the Old Testament of sovereignly, choosing in moments where to unleash his power, he goes wherever he will. And the testaments of Old and New Testament are a witness to this. We would be powerless to lead without something of his power upon us. Moses discovered this in numbers 11, Gideon and Judge six s, Samson and Judges 16, Joshua and Joshua, one, five Saul in one Samuel, 11, Elisha and two kings, two Stephen in Acts six.   

And the list goes on. All of these names I've just mentioned are people who came into power, because God in his sovereignty in at his moment, God chose to share his power.   

At every turn, God's will, God's word tells us that power is derived. Whatever whatever is done in our own power becomes weak. Yeah. Can I have you go back to the list? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry. I think that'd be easier to, Yeah, I think so.   

Over and over in scripture, what we discover is that it's God who not only is the source of power, it's God who chooses to give power, to those, that he chooses to for his own purposes.   

So for example, when we go back in scripture, especially in the Old Testament, we see these moments where the spirit of God suddenly comes upon different people. And in that moment there's power. Think of Moses in numbers chapter 11, in which we read about Moses in his, receiving of power from God or Gideon in judges six or Samson in judges 16 or Joshua in Joshua one verse five or sa in one Samuel 11, where it describes Saul in his anointing is suddenly a man who came into power became another man.   

Elisha, two kings, two, Stephen Acts six at every turn in every place.   

We discovered that God's word is telling us that true power, authentic power, real power is derived whatever's done in a leader's own power. Ashley is powerless. It is fruitless, it is in vain. As history shows us, we're back to these core passages.   

Passages that I have over time sought to just remind myself when I lead, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain. Unless it comes by God's power, nothing's going to happen. John 15, five, apart from me, you can do nothing. This is Jesus in the upper room with his disciples that he's preparing now to send out.   

He's passing the baton, but he wants them to know that in and of their own power and strength, they'll accomplish absolutely nothing apart from me. You can do nothing. So what does that mean in terms of how therefore we derive this power? Are we simply at the mercy of a sovereign God who does as he wills? Or is there any role we play in this sin? When we look at scripture, there is some role here, and it goes back to faith.   

Power and faith seem to be these necessary compliments just as powerlessness is the inevitable result of faithlessness. So faith and power tend to go together. Jesus said this to this, his disciples, that if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you have the power to move mountains. That, that's an extraordinary statement just to say that what is needed on our part to unleash this power is a receptive heart, is a, is a heart that believes that is waking up today to say God can do anything He, he wants.   

And I have the, the faith to believe this power, as Paul puts it, is a result of faith, which is the result of hearing and hearing by the word of God. God's power is always available though, to those who take God's word seriously. It's impossible ha to have the same power as Jesus.   

And yet there's this profound statement in John 14 where Jesus says, you, you will do even greater things which he prefaces. Again, this kind of statement with faith, if you believe as he puts it, you can do amazing things. You have the power to be indifferent to anything but God's purposes. That's power.   

You have the power to fearlessly lead and not be overcome ever by fear. You have the power. Think about this. You have the power to say no to sin and it's aims to distort. I think it was Ika who once said, those who sin are simply those who were in the market to sin. James tells us, we don't have to sin. We have the power to overcome, the power to trust God in troubled times no matter what.   

Again, underscored with his passage in John 1412. But it requires belief when a leader neglects, self-leadership ignores, the disciplines critical to godliness becomes on unfaithful, divine power is removed. And we see this in such stories as Saul, whose power began to wane over time from this moment right after this anointing when he, when powerfully changed, his power diminished because he became less and less faithful once he did, in particular with Solomon, who wielded such great power.   

But as he gave himself over and over to his lust, he lost his power. And once certainly thinks of David, when fear replaces trust, God's power can be clenched.   

Scripture tells us, but in a life of faith, we can do the the unimaginable. Perhaps when I think about closing this section on power and all that God wants us to know about power, maybe one of the real centering passages is, is going back to Ephesians three 20 and 21. Now to him who's able to do more than he could possibly, she could possibly think or imagine.   

Remember how it goes according to the power. What power, the power that's resident within. In other words, because God has chosen to take up residence in our lives and because when we walk this earth with God resident in our hearts, God is saying, you could do way beyond what you're thinking.   

You can get out of your small world. But a lot of us, I think we live like the paralytic in John five who actually would prefer to live in a four by eight world rather than to really truly stand up and live in an expansive way. But it goes back to, if we truly understand, it goes back to what we've tried to say over and over, it goes back to getting theologically centered.   

So what we see to close is a world obsessed with power of every day we watch the news. It's really headlines about people falling, tripping all over themselves to get power, power to lead congress, power to lead government power at the executive levels, at the judicial levels, people all clamoring for power somehow to, to get it, to hold onto it.   

And theology says, you're going all the wrong direction. Power is from God. Power is given to us not to be held onto, not to dominate, but to serve and release. And when we do, we'd become the most powerful people of all In the world today. There are people expressing desire to have spiritual power in their lives and the occult offers power.   

Mm-hmm. Cults offer power. And there's, it seems like the, the church sometimes seems powerless. What can we do as leaders to help people understand and help people experience the power of God in their lives individually and in the body of Christ that they're in?   

Well, I think we have to keep pointing people back to the source of power. The one who has the prerogative when it comes to power, not to use God as it seems people do today, to manipulate, to get power for their own purposes, but to come to God and lay ourselves humbly before God and say, God, here, here I am and what power I have to change the world you've called me to impact will only come by your power.   

And I think that power is derived again, if we have the faith to believe this is what Jesus, I think wanted his disciples to understand in the upper room. And, and when in a sense they were so, they were so fearful, he was leaving and he was saying, no, you don't understand.   

I'm, I'm leaving because it's necessary. If I leave, it's therefore when the spirit of God comes, and then when the spirit of God comes, you will do greater things because it's not just, just God incarnate walking this earth. It's now God indwelling and living inside of you. And so God living within inside of you, has this obviously that the power of God to be unleashed through you.   

But, but, but it has to be his power for his purposes. And as, as I mentioned here, what really troubles me a lot today is I see, I see a church, I see people who somehow assume that the way to power is to somehow get to the political levers. And then if we can just get them, then we can really take over culture.   

Then we can assert our power, then we can see things as we need to see them. But, but somebody needs to just wake up a lot of people to say, you have a perverted view of power. Because when you look at Jesus that that's not what Jesus did, right? Jesus didn't come, he didn't come and align himself with the powerful people in the world to say, well, this is how we're going to advance a kingdom of God.   

It was something far more subtle, internal, something that goes back to God himself.