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Power, Privilege, and Redemptive Influence: Bringing Kingdom Purposes

Explore the assignment of power and privilege to different groups and the potential for both good and evil. Learn how Christians can bring Jesus' redemptive influence into structures of power and privilege for kingdom purposes.

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Power, Privilege, and Redemptive Influence: Bringing Kingdom Purposes

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  1. Power

  2. Power and privilege is assigned to different groups. Because of this, power will be used. The question is, is it going to be used for good or for evil? Our role, as Christians, is to bring Jesus’ redemptive influence into these structures of power and privilege, re-working and redefining them for kingdom purposes.

  3. On Power • God created men and women to have authority, and we are meant to exercise it • Genesis 1 • God’s intention was for us to steward and nurture the earth

  4. On Power • However, we chose to exercise power wrongly… • Against God • In the Garden (Gen 1:4-7) • The Tower of Babel (Gen 11:4) • Against other men and women • Social Injustice (Amos 1)

  5. Positive Examples of Power • Mark 5: Jesus cast out demons, healing the woman  uses power to restore people in society • John 4: The woman at the well  she was the outcast and then is given power by interacting with Jesus and being transformed into a witness for her community. She becomes a missionary.

  6. More Positive Examples of Power • Daniel: given power by oppressive dictatorship  uses it for God’s purpose and for witness • Esther: given power by a sexist  uses it to influence the society and saves her people, even helps the king understand his own power • Paul: uses his power as both Pharisee and Roman citizen to advance the gospel and advocate for the inclusion of the Gentiles

  7. Types of Power • There are different types of Power including • Hard Power • Social Power

  8. Power: Hard Power • Overt forms of power • Governmental power • Military force • Privilege gained in explicit ways

  9. Power: Social Power • Soft power is more subtle • Expert • Character • Role • Culture

  10. Our Power • Before we can know how to use our power redemptively, we need to be able to ID the power we have, own up to it, confess it, and then offer it back to Christ for his redefining work.

  11. Power Exercise

  12. Exercising Social Power MaryKate Morse, Making Room for Leadership p. 47

  13. Example of Hard and Social Power: Luke 7:36-50 • Jesus and the Sinner Woman • Simon the Pharisee • Uses his power to judge and preserve status • Jesus • Uses his power to dignify woman and raise her status

  14. Power: Social Space • Those who have more social power have more social presence • Privilege gained through access of social presence

  15. Power: Social Space MaryKate Morse, Making Room for Leadership p. 94

  16. “Power is God’s gift. Powerlessness is not a virtue; rather, using power to help the powerless is. This is the true meaning of servant leadership. Jesus modeled this use of power over and over. If each member of his body is bold enough to use his or her power for good, then the negative use of power will become less frequent in the church and the world.” • MaryKate Morse

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