Temptations for Church Leaders
Andrew Hamblin, a twenty-two year old Pentecostal minister in Tennessee, was been charged with the possession of fifty three venomous snakes. He used them in his church services. He takes literally those words in the questionable verses at the end of Mark (that are not found in the earliest manuscripts),
“They will pick up snakes with their hands; . . .” Mark 16:18
It is perhaps typical of such thinking that the verse is not completed - it goes on to say,
“. . . and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all.” Mark 16:18
The claim to immunity from poisoning by the snakes is presented as evidence of the power of God working through the preacher. The young minister claimed that he had been ‘called on by God to handle the creatures and that their appearances were shows of divine power.’ In contrast a wildlife agency spokesman said that the prosecution was being brought because the minister’s storage of snakes in a back room was simply a serious public hazard, not because he was being persecuted for his religion.
There are approximately 125 snake handling churches in that region of the United States, many of which hold these services in secret. Andrew Hamblin likes to open his services to the public and hopes to open a snake-handling mega-church in the state.
One minister, Mack Wolford, who led one of the best attended snake-handling churches, was killed last year after being bitten by a poisonous timber rattlesnake. Mr Hamblin stated,
“I can understand not wanting to endanger another’s life. . . But in 100 years, there have only been 10 deaths in Tennessee from serpents.”
In 2010 Mr Hamblin was bitten on his knuckle and ended up at death’s door. He is still unable to make a fist with his right hand. In spite of this setback he claims that God has told him to continue this form of ministry. Subsequent to this a snake has also bitten him on his neck, but other than soaking his shirt with blood he was unharmed.
The justification for such strange activities is the effect it has on people – they come to his church and are impressed. One 20 year old devotee said,
“Just weeks ago I was far from God. Whisky, beer or moonshine – I was a full blown alcoholic. But when I took up serpents I was right there in the presence of God. I felt approval for the first time. What once was deadly, He made harmless.”i
Snakes may not be the most popular way for churches to advertise themselves and get a following but many churches do use the spectacular to attract an audience.
Priorities
If such techniques are effective, what is wrong with using them, particularly if they have some relationship to Bible teaching?
Christians, or Christ’s-men, are here to represent Jesus Christ. Our techniques as well as our teaching should emulate his. We should not emphasise what he did not emphasise. Jesus demonstrated who he was through his truly supernatural healing ministry. This fulfilled the old Jewish prophecies which said that supernatural healing would be a characteristic of the Messiah. When vast crowds flocked to Jesus because he was healing people, he was clearly perturbed. He rose early in the morning and went to pray in a solitary place. When he returned Jesus announced that he was not continuing with his miraculous ministry in that area, saying to his disciples,
“Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:38
Jesus came primarily to teach about God’s kingdom. He was willing to forsake popularity, choosing instead to suffer in obedience to his Father’s will.
Paul similarly recognised that his priority was to pass on the ‘secret things of God’ (1 Corinthians 4:1). He recognised that he would be judged by God on how he had fulfilled the ministry he had been given. Obedience to the Word of God was fundamental and he wanted all Christians to understand this,
“. . . so that you may learn the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” 1 Corinthians 4:6
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he acknowledged that the ministry he had been given could be very tough. People were rejecting his message about the glory of Jesus Christ, they could not see its importance - they were spiritually blind.
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:4-5
He was obviously tempted, as all ministers can be, to move away from proclaiming God’s message onto using other means to draw people into their church; but he recognised this would be wrong. It is so easy to rely on psychological and oratorical techniques to manipulate people, but what is needed is a deep work of God’s Spirit in people’s hearts as God’s Word is taught.
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-2
Paul continued to make this his priority throughout his life. Shortly before he was beheaded in Rome he wrote a final letter to Timothy who was to continue this task. At the end of this letter he gives a final reminder that Timothy will also be judged by God. He gives this awesome final charge, relevant to all involved in Christian ministry,
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
‘Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and with careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.’” 2 Timothy 4:1-4
There has always been a temptation for church leaders to move away from emphasising the proclamation of the Bible’s message into giving people what they want to experience or hear.
The Temptations of Jesus
The temptations that Jesus faced at the beginning of his ministry were based on similar pressures. Jesus had just been baptised in the Jordan where he had heard His heavenly Father say to him,
“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22
Immediately after this high point, he faced temptations to doubt what God had just said. He knew that he faced a tough public life ahead which would climax with his cruel execution. Naturally he shrank from this prospect, just as any person would. He was ‘tempted in all ways, just as we are – yet was without sin’ (Hebrews 4:15). The testing Jesus faced was surely whether his horrendous future, as foretold in the Jewish Scriptures, was necessary. It was about what sort of Messiah he was to be; was he to teach, live and die as God had taught, or could he obtain the same ends through popularity and the use of the spectacular. The temptation many church leaders face today is also what sort of minister they are to be; are they content to teach and live as Jesus did or do they want to establish their own kingdom’s through other means.
God alone should satisfy my needs
Jesus had been in the desert for forty days and must have felt extremely hungry. His need was for some food. And this is where the devil tempts him first, on a very reasonable human need.
“If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:3
The devil suggests that Jesus use the power he has as God’s only Son to satisfy his hunger. Why not prove his divinity by making bread from the stone? All these temptations have, at root, the desire to cause Jesus to move away from a simple trust in and obedience of his Father.
Jesus replies by quoting from the book of Deuteronomy in the Torah which clearly he had bothered to learn earlier.
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’’” Luke 4:4
He had just heard the Word of his Father and had been told that their relationship was secure and that he was loved. This temptation was to use a God given need and open the door to doubting God’s word. To question what God has affirmed is not the way to grow spiritually – we must trust what god has said.
Modern ministers usually have a real longing to be successful in their ministry, drawing people to God and teaching them the Word of God. However this need may not be immediately met and it is then that the temptation comes to use other means to satisfy the need. Clearly it is right for a minister to ask whether he is teaching well and making the message clear, but our ministry must primarily be the authoritative proclamation of the Word of God. The temptation has always been to change direction and major on satisfying peoples other needs, whether social, emotional or physical.
The Rev Paul Flowers was an ordained Methodist minister. His gospel changed from promoting Jesus into satisfying the earthly needs of both himself and others. He became a local councillor, an active member of the local Labour Party and through these connections was appointed to the board of the Co-op group and eventually became chairman of the Co-op Bank, even though he had no banking experience. He resigned from this position just a few days before regulators disclosed that a £1.5bn capital shortfall had been found. At the same time he left the board of the Co-op Group, over concerns about his expenses claims. Earlier he had been a trustee of the Lifeline Projects charity but in 2004 he had also resigned from this organisation, again over concerns about his expenses. He hit the headlines recently when the police charged him with buying illicit drugs and exchanging text messages about drug use. This extreme example demonstrates what can happen when people take their eyes off, or never had their eyes on, the service of the Lord Jesus.
God alone is to be worshipped
The devil next takes Jesus to a high point that overlooked the countries around, all of which were under the rule of Rome. It must have been a magnificent view. The devil offers to give him the rule of all the kingdoms of the world; this would mean his having a higher status than even the Roman Emperor. All he had to do was to compromise and recognise that Satan’s methods could help him achieve this goal.
“The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will be yours.’” Luke 4:5-7
The devil would be worshipped if he compromised with him; and this would mean denying that God alone is sovereign. God has made it clear that no other god is permissible in his presence, that pluralism is unforgivable.
“You shall have no other Gods before me.” Exodus 20:3
This temptation must have been strong for Jesus. To achieve worldwide domination without the suffering and the cross must have been very attractive. But it would mean compromise; he would be acknowledging another god and he would not be trusting his Father to fulfil his plan his way. Jesus’ kingdom, God’s kingdom, is not of this world. He had not come into the world to create a politically powerful world-ruling church, nor to bring about a social revolution, physical healing, or democracy. Jesus had come to save sinners who were living in rebellion against God. He wanted them to enter God’s kingdom and then live as his representatives till heaven comes. So Jesus answered,
“It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Luke 4:8
This quotation is again from the book of Deuteronomy. Jesus clearly recognised the authority of the Bible, that it’s words were ‘the very words of God’ (Romans 3:2).
Ministers face the same temptation. ‘I would love to lead a mega-church’, ‘I would love to be recognised as a great leader of men,’ is common ambition. One day Jesus will be recognised by everybody as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But this will be in God’s time. Christians will receive God’s full recognition on that day – if we remain faithful to him now and refuse to compromise with the world to achieve our goals.
Self-ambition and an excessive regard for my reputation is a great problem for Christian leaders. It can be seen in the story of the tower of Babel, where people built a high tower ‘so that we might make a name for ourselves’. This has been called the ‘Babel syndrome’.
God and His Word are alone to be Trusted.
The third temptation was again to do with testing his status as the Son of God. The devil took him to a high point of the temple and suggested that he jump down and so prove God’s love for him. The devil was suggesting that Jesus could thus be assured that God would care for him in every situation. ‘Jump and enjoy God’s protection’ was the suggestion. In fact the devil was sowing seeds of doubt in the Word of God.
It is no coincidence that these three temptations came straight after God’s affirming words about his Son. What is particularly noteworthy is that this time the devil uses a verse from Scripture to support his suggestion.
“The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Luke 4:9-11
How often Christian leaders have been misled and have misled others because of a lack of understanding of the Scriptures. It is so easy for individual verses to be taken out of context and out of the thrust of the Scriptures as a whole. The devil accurately quoted from the Psalms but the adjacent verses make it clear that this phrase should not have been understood literally. This psalm is saying that the enemies of God’s people will be overcome.
“If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.” Psalm 91:9-13
This psalm is all about the Lord being a refuge for his people and that we can trust him to rescue us. He will be with his people, whatever the trouble.
The ‘snake evangelists’ have not taken other parts of the Bible seriously either. Jesus talked about snakes elsewhere in Luke’s account but there he was clearly talking figuratively and not literally.
“The seventy-too returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke10:17-20
Jesus recognised that the devil’s challenge was to make him doubt God. He was tempted to want further proof of God’s love. We have all the proof we need concerning this in the person of Jesus, in the Bible and in the evidence of changed lives around us and in history. Too often church leaders succumb to this temptation by trying to offer healings, and other experiences supposedly to bolster faith in Jesus. We all, like Jesus, should get to know and then follow the Word of God. That is enough – our role is to follow what God has revealed.
Jesus recognised that the challenge behind this temptation is to doubt God’s word. It was not about proving his relationship with God but about distrusting what God has said. To follow the devils suggestion would be an act of unbelief. This is why Jesus replied with another quote from the Torah,
“Do not test the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 6:16
This is a striking claim. It was Jesus who was being tested, and by quoting this verse he is affirming that he is one with Jehovah, the Lord God of the universe. Whenever God’s name, ‘JHWH’, comes in the Hebrew text it is translated with the word ‘LORD’, using capital letters. Yet here he applies this title to himself – blasphemy if it is not true!
There is no point in his jumping off the pinnacle. God’s reliability does not need to be tested or verified by an examination! Scripture clearly forbids this. To jump would be both an act of vanity and a denial of God’s word.
The key to Jesus’ victory over temptation is his close walk with his Father, his knowledge of God’s Word and his determination to obey God above every other pressure.
Conclusion
Jesus, at the beginning of his ministry gives a clear lesson to all of us his followers. It is relevant to us, whatever form of Christian ministry we are in. All Christians must have some defined ministry and we all face similar temptations.
The first man, Adam, was tempted by the devil and disobeyed God. We have all followed after him. The second Adam, the Lord Jesus, also confronted the devil but remained obedient. He didn’t pander to his own physical needs, he did not seek to establish an earthly kingdom by any means, and he would not doubt God or his Word. We who have been adopted into God’s kingdom and are now co-heirs with Christ must live with the same priorities. We must live in the certain knowledge that because of the Lord Jesus, and his death for our sin, we are secure children of God. All Christians have been given the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. The evidence of this is that we love the Lord Jesus and want to follow him. It is not worldly success or glory that matters but obedience to the Word of God.
BVP
i Story taken from article by Jon Swine in the Daily Telegraph, November 23 2013
