Danger in the Local Church
Part 6
by Dr. John Tetsola

Last month we disclosed how the spirit of disloyalty and betrayal is drawn and attracted to active and energetic people looking for opportunities for promotion, with an intention to eventually carve out an agenda, a ministry, a church, or a group for themselves. This spirit wins people by deception and will always rest on someone who looks good. Additionally we discussed the Absalom spirit that operates mostly at eldership, deacon, home group and worship levels, and seeks to subtly win the hearts of people away from the leader to another authority in the church. Keeping in mind the words of our Lord, who said in Matthew 12:25 that every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand, let's unveil two additional characteristics or identifiable patterns of this Absalom spirit which has the potential to cause splits and division in the local church.

Criticizing Leadership Decisions

And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. And on this matter did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
2 Samuel 15: 3-6

Another step in the process of disloyalty and betrayal is that this spirit uses his own ideas as criteria for judging decisions of leadership over him. The carrier of this spirit, even though he is under authority, judges the authority over him in any decisions they make by his own criteria. Always watch it when you see yourself in a position to judge decisions that are made by leadership over you, wherever you happen to be planted. What you want to watch for is a questioning spirit. A questioning spirit is not somebody who asks questions, for we have to know things and asking questions is not wrong. But a questioning spirit is asking questions with the spirit or an agenda to divide, to create doubt and suspicion. "I wonder what he meant by that?" It is the inflection of your voice and the tone of your spirit that can actually reveal the true motivation of your questions; it will determine if you are attempting to cast doubt on the one that you are asking the legitimate question about. You normally don't ask the question legitimately. You are asking it to create doubt in your trust in someone else. It is a critical spirit. It is a divisive spirit.

The Spirit of Competitiveness

The spirit of betrayal is always competitive. Absalom had a competitive spirit. He always felt threatened. He always felt he had to compete with any new person on the block, in a team, in a business and in a church for the affection and attention of leadership. Whenever anyone gets ahead of him or gets close to leadership, he always feels threatened, despite the assurances of leadership about his place or his post. We are never to compete for attention in the kingdom of God. We are to complete one another and not to compete with one another. We are different parts and functions of the body that should complement one another. It is insane and immature to compete with one another.

When Absalom or an individual with a disloyal spirit cannot make himself taller, he cuts the legs of a taller man. He will undermine someone around him to bring them down to his size, because he is jealous due to having a competitive spirit. When you allow this spirit to use you, you end up forgetting who you are. Every leader serving in some capacity in a church must understand that they are only there by invitation to help the set man of that house, not to run the church as the director or visioneer. God does not put two heads on anything. The home group leaders of a church, the worship leaders, and the prayer leaders are not there to guide the church. They are only there to carry out the instructions of the one who appointed them to that position. They serve only by invitation. That means, they must remember that they are serving because they were invited to do so by the set man. You cannot use the position given to you as a platform for your unfulfilled ambition. Don't forget who you are. Serve by invitation only, and not by right. If not so, any opportunity and position of service will become a platform for your unfulfilled ambition.

When you know in you that you are serving by invitation only, and not by right, at any time when the leader decides to change you, you don't take it personally, become offended at the change and leave the church or the team. Learn to die to your ambition, to your self, and to your rights.

by Dr. John A. Tetsola