This document discusses the proper use and understanding of power according to the Bible. It begins by summarizing Jesus' teaching that whoever wants to be great must be a servant to all. It then notes how Jesus exemplified this by humbly serving and sacrificing his life. The document concludes that the quest for power must be pursued through serving others according to God's design, not for one's own gain. True power comes from having the Holy Spirit and being witnesses for Christ.

2. God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life
Matthew 20:17-28
Found on page 825 in our guest Bibles.
Today’s Scripture:

3. I had no idea who I
was, or what I could be
away from tennis. I was
depressed and afraid
because so much of
my life had been
defined by my being a
tennis champion. I was
completely lost.
“
~ Chris Evert

4. Winning made me feel
like I was somebody.
It made me feel pretty.
It was like being
hooked on a drug. I
needed the wins, the
applause, in order to
have an identity.
“
~ Chris Evert

5. To what do
I look for
a sense of
power
?

7. 17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he
took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he
said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to
Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered
over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will
condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to
the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and
crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Matthew 20:17-28

8. 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came
up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him
she asked him for something. 21 And he said to
her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say
that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your
right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you
are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am
to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
Matthew 20:17-28

9. 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to
sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to
grant, but it is for those for whom it has been
prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten
heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You
know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their great ones exercise authority over
them.
Matthew 20:17-19

10. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever
would be great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever would be first among you must be
your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not
to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.”
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Unison: Thanks be to God!
Matthew 20:17-28

11. Power is a
good thing1

12. Power corrupts.
And absolute power
_________ ___________.
“
”
~ Lord Acton

13. Power corrupts.
And absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
“
”
~ Lord Acton

14. My idea is that every
specific body strives to
become master over all
space and to extend its
force (its will to power)
and to thrust back all
that resists its
extension.
Friedrich Nietzche, Will to Power
“

15. Every agenda is only
a ploy to get power
and oppress others.
Postmodernism

16. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness. And let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the
heavens and over the livestock and over all the
earth and over every other creeping thing that
creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

17. And God blessed them. And God said to them,
‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and
subdue it and have dominion over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the air and over
every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
~ The Prophet Moses in Genesis 1:26-29

18. “Made in God’s image,
man has the unique
responsibility to ‘subdue’
the earth and rule over
every living creature.
This subduing involves
the bringing out of all the
potential within the
creation which might offer
glory to the Creator.”

20. Power is good.
Dangerously good.
Key Point

21. Power
can be a
blinding thing
2

22. “…the rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them….”
~ Matthew 20:25

23. “A dispute also arose
among them, as to which
of them was to be
regarded as the greatest.
And he said to them….
“Who is greater, one who
reclines at table or one
who serves? Is it not the
one who reclines at table?
But I am among you as
the one who serves.”
~ Jesus of Nazareth in
the Gospel of Luke, ch. 22

24. “Jesus, knowing that the Father had
given all things into his hands….

25. “If I then, your Lord and teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to
wash one another’s feet. For I have
given you an example, that you also
should do just as I have done to you.
Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is
not greater than his master…”

26. Power
should be a
redeemed thing
3

27. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever
would be great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever would be first among you must be
your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not
to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:17-28

28. image: Christopher Brown
Have this mind among yourselves, which
is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he
was in the form of God, did not count
equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of
a servant, being born in the likeness of
men. And being found in human form, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross.

29. image: Christopher Brown
Therefore God has highly exalted him and
bestowed on him the name that is above
every name, so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
~ The Apostle Paul in
Philippians 2:5-11

30. The quest for power must be
pursued in line with God’s design
& in the service of others.
IOW, it must be selfless.
Key Point

31. 1 Take some time to do
some soul-searching.

32. Receive power as a
gift to serve others
2

33. Don’t forget
your
Power Supply
3

34. “But you will receive
power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon
you, and you will be
my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all
Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the
earth.”
~ Jesus of Nazareth
in Acts 1:8

36. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiceaux/7981947
flickr images courtesy of:
Christopher Brown: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7853490@N07/3531948937/
Pablo Fernandez: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hadock/9377824124
Tony Gladvin George: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drtonygeorge/3215773584
Marie Coleman: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drtonygeorge/3215773584