What We Gained — and What We Lost
When Faith Seeks Power
Purpose of This Study
This week invites us to examine a difficult truth:
Christianity did not begin as a religion of power — but it eventually became one.Our goal is not to condemn the church, but to understand how power reshapes faith, and to ask whether our modern instincts still reflect this shift.
Opening Prayer
Jesus,
You walked among us without seeking power,
refusing control even when it was offered to you.
As we reflect on faith and authority,
give us humility to see clearly,
courage to release what does not belong to us,
and wisdom to follow your way rather than our own desire for influence.
Teach us to trust truth without force
and to walk faithfully, even when faith costs us power.
Amen.
Core Scriptures
Matthew 20:25–28
“The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… It shall not be so among you.”
What does Jesus’ clear rejection of domination suggest about the relationship between faithfulness and power?
John 18:33–37
“My kingdom is not from this world.”
Why does Jesus refuse political authority even when it could protect him, and what does that reveal about the kind of kingdom he proclaims?
James 4:1–6
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
How might the desire for power or control distort faith, both personally and collectively?
Before Christianity Had Power
Faith Without Authority
Discussion Questions
- What do you notice about how Christianity spread before it had political power?
- How might faith feel different when it offers no social advantage?
- What is gained when belief is chosen rather than expected?
Community Insight
Before Christianity had influence, faith depended on witness, service, and costly commitment. Without power to compel belief, discipleship required intention, courage, and trust. Christianity grew not because it ruled, but because it endured.
Jesus’ Refusal of Power
Read Together: Luke 4:5–8
“To you I will give their glory and all this authority… Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Discussion Questions
- What kind of power is being offered to Jesus in this moment?
- Why might this temptation have been appealing—or effective?
- What does Jesus’ refusal tell us about how he understands faithfulness?
Key Idea
Jesus does not misunderstand power — he refuses it.
The Turning Point
When the Cross Meets the Throne
Discussion Questions
- What benefits came when Christianity gained political legitimacy?
- What risks emerge when faith becomes culturally expected?
- Can faith remain unchanged when it is protected by authority?
Community Insight
The alignment of church and empire ended persecution — but it also changed how faith functioned. Christianity became something people belonged to by default, not only by conviction. Power did not erase faith, but it reshaped it.
What Power Cost the Church
Read Together: Peter 5:2–3
“Tend the flock of God… not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
Discussion Questions
- What dangers does this passage assume come with leadership?
- How does domination differ from spiritual authority?
- What happens to faith when obedience replaces discipleship?
Key Idea
Power can preserve institutions while weakening witness.
A Temptation That Remains
Faith, Fear, and Control Today
Discussion Questions
- Where do you still see Christianity tied to authority or control?
- What fears drive the desire for cultural or political dominance?
- What might faith look like if it trusted Christ more than power?
Gentle Prompt
This is not about rejecting history or blaming the church. It is about noticing how easily fear can reshape faith — and how often Jesus invites us back to trust.
Quiet Implication
(Read Aloud)
Faith that seeks power
forgets how it once survived without it.
The Gospel does not need an empire.
Christianity did not begin with authority. It began with vulnerability.
For centuries, followers of Jesus lived without protection, legitimacy, or control. Faith was not inherited or enforced; it was chosen. To follow Christ meant risk, loss, and often suffering. Belief carried weight because it carried cost.
When Christianity gained power, much was gained—safety, stability, public presence. But something essential was also lost. Faith slowly shifted from a way of life into a social identity. Discipleship became expectation. Obedience replaced formation. The church learned how to govern—but struggled to remember how to witness without force.
Jesus warned against this long before it happened. He rejected domination, refused kingship, and chose the cross over control. His Kingdom was never meant to mirror empire. It was meant to transform hearts through humility, service, and love.
Power promises protection, but it reshapes faith.
It tempts the church to secure truth through authority rather than trust God through obedience.
Walking His Way does not ask us to reject history or deny the good that has been done in Christ’s name. It asks us to remember what kind of faith Jesus formed—and what kind He consistently refused to build.
The Gospel does not need an empire to endure.
It needs disciples willing to follow Christ without power.
Faith is clearest when it is chosen,
strongest when it is humble,
and most faithful when it trusts God more than control.
Personal Reflection
(Journaling or Silent Prayer)
- Where have I associated Christianity with authority, influence, or social power rather than lived discipleship?
- How have good intentions—such as wanting to protect moral values, truth, or community—shaped my openness to using power or control in the name of faith?
- What would it look like for me to follow Jesus without seeking protection, dominance, or enforcement of belief?
No one is required to share.
Practice for the Week
(Choose one)
- Reflect on a moment when faith cost you something rather than protected you.
- Pray for humility and trust rather than influence or control.
- In a conversation where faith or values come up, choose curiosity over persuasion. Ask a genuine question instead of making a point.
- Pay attention this week to where Christianity is presented as authority or dominance (in media, speech, or behavior). Notice your reaction without trying to correct it.
Closing Prayer
Jesus,
You walked the path of humility when power was offered to you.
You chose love over control,
truth over dominance,
and faithfulness over authority.
As we continue walking your way,
teach us to trust you more than influence
and obedience more than protection.
Shape our lives into quiet witnesses of your love,
so that others may encounter you not through force,
but through grace, courage, and faithful presence.
We follow you—not for power,
but for life.
Amen.
Practical Notes
- Expect discomfort—this is normal and meaningful. Conversations about faith and power can surface fear, grief, or defensiveness. Discomfort here is not disloyalty; it is often a sign of honest discernment.
- Be cautious when using modern political examples if/when participants raise them. This study is not about endorsing or opposing specific leaders, parties, or policies. Keep the focus on Jesus, history, and how power reshapes faith.
- Affirm that questioning power ≠ rejecting Christianity. Naming the costs of power is not abandonment of faith. Jesus himself warned against domination long before Christianity held authority.
- Reinforce: Jesus rejects coercion, even when power is available. When tension arises, return to Jesus’ words and actions—his refusal of kingship, his rejection of domination, and his choice of the cross.
If tension arises, remind the group:
This study does not ask us to deny the good done in Christ’s name.
It asks us to examine what happens to faith when it seeks control.
Walking His Way does not diminish Christianity.
It invites us to recover the kind of discipleship Jesus actually modeled.
Additional Guidance
- Let tension remain. This week names loss as well as gain. The goal is not resolution, but clarity shaped by Christ.
- Invite reflection, not defense. Encourage participants to notice emotional reactions without rushing to justify history or protect identity.
- Affirm questions as faithful engagement. Wrestling with the relationship between faith and power reflects serious discipleship, not weak belief.
- Re-center if domination is defended. If power is framed as necessary for faith’s survival, gently return to Jesus’ trust in truth without force.
- Model humility as a leader. It is faithful to say, “This is difficult,” or “I’m still discerning.” Leaders are witnesses, not arbiters.
- Protect the dignity of the community. Conversations about history and power can carry shame or grief. Ensure disagreement never becomes dismissal.
- Bring the focus back to lived discipleship. Ask: How does power change faith? What kind of disciples does Jesus form without it?
Closing Reminder
Walking His Way is not about rejecting history or influence.
It is about forming disciples who trust Christ more than control
and choose faithfulness over dominance.
Let the Spirit shape what power never could.
Walking His Way 