Christ Church - West Campus
"Unchecked Power"
“The Intoxication of Power”
2 Samuel 11-12
“Yet each was the author of his own downfall. Nixon let his demons gain ascendance, and Clinton could not manage the fault lines in his character. They were living proof that before mastering the world, a leader must achieve self-mastery. Or, as Heraclitus put it more succinctly, “Character is destiny.”
The greater the opportunity the greater the need in our lives for character and healthy accountability
Pursue a shadow mission
Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
Underestimate the power of sin
David was the man who wrote, Psalm 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
Don’t expect God to meet the desires of your heart
2 Samuel 12:8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
When we royally mess up; blame, excuse, rationalize but don’t own it
“On any team, in any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.” –Extreme Ownership
Live with no sense of accountability while neglecting the hard work of character growth
With God our failures are not the end of our stories…
2 Samuel 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
2 Samuel 11:1-5 ESV