COME DOWN OFF YOUR THRONES

God's Word to the American Charismatic Church 

“You need to come down off your thrones” was the word I heard as I sat on the platform with other staff and faculty members of the Institute where I taught courses in Bible and Theology. It was a Day of Prayer and as I quietly prayed, I was drawn to observe the height of the platform on which we sat and how high we were above those seated in the auditorium. I sensed it was the Holy Spirit highlighting this contrast and then I heard those words in my heart, “You need to come down off your thrones.”

Unbeknownst to me there were, at that very moment, individuals on that platform who were secretly plotting to oust the leadership that had founded that ministry and led it, at great sacrifice, for more than fifty years. It was an attempted “power grab” by Christians who believed they were better equipped than the present leaders to guide and govern that ministry.

The ouster failed but caused much hurt and painful separation. I now realize that “Come down off your thrones” was a timely word, not only for that situation, but for the church worldwide where divisive power struggles are all too common.

Love and Power Do Not Mix

The well-known sociologist, Willard Waller, discovered that there seems to be an inverse relationship between love and power. He noted that in interpersonal relationships as love increases, power decreases; and as power decreases, love increases. He coined the term “principle of least interest” to describe the phenomenon, revealed by his studies, that power lies in the hands of the person who cares the least about the relationship (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 8).

For example, a husband and wife go to a counselor to try and save their crumbling marriage. The counselor can immediately tell which one loves the least. It is the one in the power seat and making the demands. The one willing to make any sacrifice to save the marriage is the one that truly loves. Love and power, it seems, cannot coexist, at least in this world.

To Show His Love, God Let Go of Power

It is, therefore, not surprising that in the Incarnation, Jesus let go of the power He had eternally known with the Father (Philippians 2:7). Instead of being born in a place of power–a castle or palace--He was born in a lowly stable to a poor family who offered up two doves or two pigeons in the temple, an alternative offering allowed by Scripture for poor families who could not afford a lamb (Lev. 12:8; Luke 2:22-24).

He grew up in Nazareth, an insignificant and despised village, well away from the power centers of Jerusalem and Rome. And when He began His ministry at the age of 30, He did not seek either power or approval from the civil and religious institutions of His day.

We, therefore, should not be surprised that Jesus directed his disciples away from visions of “power” to thoughts of “service” regarding His kingdom. When, for example, James and John requested the two most prominent seats in His kingdom, Jesus rebuked them for their preoccupation with “power” and told them they were thinking like Gentiles, i.e., like people who did not know God.

He then presented to them a new and radical model of leadership that would be characterized, He said, not by power, but by humble service (Mark 10:35-45). They must have been shocked when He told these original apostles they were to function as diakonoi, a Greek word meaning “servant,” with no connotations of status, importance, or power. 

Jesus made clear that the “apostolic” was to be characterized by “love” and “service” to others rather than “power “over others. John G. Lake, whom many consider to have been an apostle to South Africa, understood this and wrote,

The modern conception of an apostle is usually that he is a big church boss, but that was not the conception Jesus left. An apostle was not to be a big boss; he was to be like his Lord-a servant of all (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 22).

We Must Let Go of Power

I believe in present day apostles, but my issue with so much of the modern “apostolic” is that it is wrapped in visions of power and control rather than humility and service. In an article entitled, “The Marks of a Genuine Apostle,” J. Lee Grady wrote, “No matter what continent I visit these days, a genuine apostolic movement is being challenged by foolish wannabe apostles who are drunk on power and position.”

This preoccupation with power is a sharp departure from what Jesus taught about the apostolic. It is also a departure from what Paul taught. Diakonos is one of Paul’s favorite words and he often uses it in referring to himself and his own ministry. For example, to the Corinthian believers who were idolizing different apostles and forming factions around them, Paul rhetorically asks, Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but servants (diakonia) through whom you believed.

Paul obviously saw his apostolic ministry in terms of service rather than authority and power. Indeed, the entire New Testament carefully avoids using words that carry connotations of power, authority and office. Words such as archon (ruler), despot (master, boss) and timē (honor, value), are used of secular rulers, but never of leaders of the churches. This is why the Catholic reformer and theologian, Dr. Hans Kung, wrote,

In the New Testament, not only is the word ‘hierarchy’ consistently and deliberately avoided, but so too are all secular words for ‘office’ in connection with church functions, as they express a relationship of power. Instead of this, an all-encompassing term, diakonia, service (really ‘serving at table’), is used, which can nowhere evoke associations with any authority, control or position of dignity and power (Hyatt, Apostolic Leadership, 131).

We Must Come Down Off Our Thrones

If we are to see genuine heaven-sent revival in the churches of America, we must come down off our thrones. There must be a return to the diakonos (servant) model of apostolic leadership taught and modeled by both Jesus and Paul. This is the call and promise of God in II Chronicles 7:14, when he exhorted,

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

 This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's latest book, Apostolic Leadership, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.