The Bulldog
My kids love donuts, and occasionally I’ll make my way to the donut shop on Saturday mornings to feast on carbs and sugar. On one Saturday morning, I crossed paths with a new friend. Let’s call him Bob. Bob attended a struggling local church. At his local church, pastors came and went. The instability cultivated an unstable culture. The church was about to close its doors until The Bulldog entered the picture. Bob shared with me that a prominent local pastor met with him and other key leaders in the church with the goal of taking over the church. “He came in like a bulldog,” quipped Bob with dissatisfaction. I don’t know if he was referring to an English, American, or French bulldog, but I understood his point. I assured Bob that God was sovereign and wished him the best.
Later that day, I did what every good Christian would do. I located The Bulldog on the World Wide Web. And then I pressed play on a video of his sermon. It took me 30 seconds to find out that The Bulldog is about one thing; The Bulldog is concerned for the fame and glory of his own name. He was concerned with being perceived as strong. He was charismatic and handsome, features I would like with my resurrected body. Many people followed him, but I wonder how many followed Jesus. Perhaps I am projecting, but The Bulldog highlighted one trend I see with pastors in America – a desire to be seen as a strong leader. A leader who “has it all together.” A leader without weakness.
Give Me A Thorn
Jesus has a different vision for his undershepherds. Jesus has a different definition of strength. Jesus isn’t looking for a superstar pastor. Jesus cares little for the celebrity pastor movement. Jesus is looking for men to acknowledge weakness and see weakness as an opportunity for Christ to dwell within. If a pastor wants to be like Jesus, then he needs to embrace weakness. In 2 Corinthians, we read Paul had a thorn in the flesh. What was the thorn? Your guess is as good as mine. If you grab five commentaries, you will receive five answers. My thorn in the flesh comes while I am running, and eventually, a side crap kicks in, but I digress. Now back to 2 Corinthians. In chapter 12, we read about the Lord Jesus speaking to Paul.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
A bulldog’s teeth on red meat is not an acknowledgment of weakness. It’s a demonstration of strength. But God seeks the opposite from pastors. If a pastor gives a killer sermon in his own strength, he is not walking in God’s will. If a pastor numerically grows his church in his strength, then it grows in vain.
Give me the thorn so that in every effort, I realize it is God at work.
A Weak Pastor and His Strong King
It says in 2 Corinthians 12 that the power of God is made perfect in weakness. So what should be the aim of a pastor (and every Christian)? Is it to show his personal power and might or the power and might of the King?
What I am talking about is the pastor must realize his whole life centers on God. God takes pastors and Christians who know they are weak and causes them to be strong. If my energy and effort bring me glory, then it’s a hard pass. If a thorn in the flesh is what I need to make much of Jesus in front of a watching world, then find the rose bush. What God is looking for in an undershepherd of the chief shepherd is a weak pastor who desires to make much of his strong King.
So what about that Bulldog of a pastor? The Bulldog should find the closest vet and become neutered.