“My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”

Shelley’s famous sonnet Ozymandias introduces us to a traveller who takes us into a desert where he found the remains of a once-mighty ruler, his sneering likeness now broken and half-buried in the dunes. On its pedestal are the words written above, but there are no mighty works left to look at. No army. No palace. Just the ruins of a boast that outlives the man who made it.

That is the problem with empire building. They look impressive and powerful and permanent, then they’re gone like all the rest, with those who gave their lives to make them.

The Teacher in Ecclesiastes knows the futility and tragedy first hand having built many houses, acquired much wealth and becoming more famous than anyone of his day: “There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.” He never stops to ask, “For whom am I toiling?” Ecclesiastes 4:8

For whom am I toiling?

History is full of Ozymandias type leaders and today we suffer under our own batch of rulers and celebrities, influencers and entrepreneurs and, yes, Christians who become convinced by their own publicity or by those who fawn around them that what they have built is amazing and what they have grown surely cannot continue without them. Then ‘the wind blows over it, and its place shall not remember it.’ Psalm 103:16 – how many times have I read that out at funerals?

But before (on ahem, the blog here in my name) I point at politicians, billionaires or celebrity pastors, we ordinary leaders need to ask ourselves that same searching and personal question:

Am I building for the Kingdom of God – or building an empire of my own?

Our hearts are deceptive so it’s harder to answer than it looks, especially because Kingdoms and empires draw on much of the same vocabulary and ideas. Both can talk about vision, growth, impact, influence and legacy. Both can attract followers to draw crowds, raise money, launch ministries and reach communities and nations. The difference is not always visible in the size of what is being built, though you become a bigger target for small minded people if you dream big. It is revealed in the spirit, methods, metrics and ultimate aim of the one building.

What Is Kingdom Leadership?

The Kingdom of God is not primarily about another place we escape to when we die. It is the Sovereign God’s restorative reign over everything, everywhere. It’s His saving, healing and liberating rule breaking into the world in and through the Kingship of Jesus Christ, for His glory. .

Jesus’ first ‘sermon’ established and announced the good news of the Kingdom – God the King is coming to reign! And through His miracles and ministry, death and resurrection, the Lord destroyed the power of sin, defeated the devil and made it possible for old sinners like me to become a new creation like Him.

NT Wright has said it’s important to remember that strictly speaking we do not build the Kingdom of God but are invited to build for the Kingdom – by living and working faithfully for the true (sorry Ozymandias) King of kings. Kingdom leadership therefore begins with surrender, not ambition. It does not ask “God bless and join in on what I am doing” but asks, “Jesus, what are You doing – and how can I join You?” It’s His work, not ours that we give ourselves to: “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV

Empire building starts with a silent shift where a leader forgets who we are building for and begins to think, “How can I use this opportunity, these people and even the name of Jesus – to build something that glorifies me?”

I remember hearing RT Kendall say his ‘life verse’ was John 5:44. I thought, “I don’t even know that one.” No wonder it’s not a famous verse; “How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” Follow the trail from the work to who gets the glory and you’ll soon see the motivation.

Babel – Under Construction

Remember the builders of Babel said: “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves.” — Genesis 11:4, NIV

That one sentence contains the whole operating system of every empire construction project: 

let us build…for ourselves…to make our name.

There is nothing wrong with building. And if the Lord gives you faith – go bigger than you presently ask, dream or imagine. I believe in vision, I know the difference good leadership and wise strategy make toward healthy growth. I want to make the best use and the biggest impact with whatever God entrusts to me. Talents are buried in false humility just as deep as pride covers them in sand. God is not glorified and the Kingdom is not multiplied when leaders play small because they are afraid and won’t take responsibility so the issue is not what we build, but whose name is being made great by it.

I love the church I help to lead but we will start to flounder and fail the moment we start trying to make the name of Ivy Church great. I come before the Lord regularly to invite His search of my heart that we are not building LAUNCH so people will talk about us. A few years ago at LAUNCH our theme song was Casting Crowns ‘Only Jesus’ and whenever it comes on my playlist again I need to ask ‘Is this still true for me?’

If it is, let’s get on with doing the work with joy that we get to do it while we can for the time is short- and as long as God knows our names, we are good to go.

How Empire Sneaks into Christian Leadership

Empire rarely arrives wearing a badge marked pride. It usually enters our hearts disguised as a sense of responsibility, rather than dependence on the Lord and a sense of astonishment that he would use bozos like you and me rather than just doing it all Himself. That’s when:

“I am called” becomes, “The ministry needs me.”

“Do what only you can do” becomes, “Nobody else can do this.”

“We love the vision God gave us” becomes, “Don’t criticise the direction we are going in.”

Of course it’s true we may carry unique responsibilities, and yes vision needs repeating and clarifying. But people who think themselves indispensable make everyone around them dependent.

It’s true on a corporate level too of course. Empire centralises, controls and conserves. Kingdom sows seeds, takes risks and multiplies. Empire uses people to fulfil the leader’s vision. Kingdom leadership casts vision to release the potential, gifts and calling of all God’s people.

Empire counts followers who make a contribution. Kingdom leadership makes disciples who make disciples.

Empire leaders need to be known as the hero. Kingdom leadership is, as my friend Dave Ferguson reminds us, all about being a Hero Maker.

We are a kingdom of priests but Christian leaders are never meant to be the like those who Lord it over others or gather crowds of consumers who know us as their ‘benefactor’, Not so among you! We are here to serve by equipping God’s people for their works of service and then send them out in the power of the Spirit.

As Nicky Gumbel reminds us, ‘If service is below you, then leadership is beyond you.’

Jesus Redefined Greatness

Jesus is great and wants to ordinary people able to do ‘greater things’ – so He is obviously not against greatness. But when He used the word from a Kingdom perspective it flew in the face of how the world defines it. When he saw his disciples jostling for position – again – He did not tell them it was wrong to want to stand out or make their lives count, but the way He did it was to wash other’s feet, not have them bow at ours. How are we meant to be ‘mega’?

“Whoever wants to become great (megas) among you must be your servant (diakonos).” — Matthew 20:26

At Calvary, dead religion, despotic Rome and the demons of hell conspired and combined to crush Jesus. The cross looked like the final proof that the power of empire always wins. Instead, it became the place where the powers were disarmed as the King was enthroned forever. Ozymandias left a broken monument – Jesus left His empty tomb, so His power can fill us all with hope and life by His Spirit.

Six Tests: Kingdom or Empire?

Everyone has mixed motives. Ego questions are really hard if we want to do more with the life we have been given to live until our time here is done. I wrestled recently with whether recently starting on Substack is another attempt of the old me to want to make a name for myself, after all I came off socials partly because I was too invested in what people might think. To discern such matters we need the Holy Spirit, Scripture and trusted people who love us and believe in us but can also tell us the truth.

Here are six diagnostic questions I’m learning to keep asking from what I am doing.

1. Whose name is becoming greater?

Can I celebrate when another leader is invited or someone I developed surpasses me? Kingdom leaders don’t need to diminish their gifts but we remember that’s all they are, not ‘earns’ or awards.

2. Are people being served – or used?

People are never meant to be fuel for our vision. I remember reading years ago a leader who now thankfully is no longer leading a church who said some people are ballast you throw out if they don’t help you go higher. Wow! No! They’re never ballast, they are bearers of God’s image with great potential for His purpose.

3. Am I releasing power or collecting it?

Secure leaders discover, develop and deploy others. They give away real responsibility, not merely tasks as they allow emerging leaders to learn, take risks, make mistakes and grow.

4. What am I measuring?

Buildings, attendance and budgets can tell us useful things, but they cannot tell us everything that matters. At LAUNCH and through my international work with Living On The Edge we look at a much better set of metrics to be a High Impact church. For example:

Are lost people being found? Are disciples becoming disciples who make disciples? Are marriages being restored? Are the poor being served? Are new leaders emerging? Is prayer deepening? Are people being sent to transform workplaces, neighbourhoods and nations? Are we reproducing the life of Jesus or merely maintaining an institution?

5. Can this happen and grow without me?

If our ministry cannot survive our absence, that’s proof of our incompetence more than our importance. It means we have not equipped others.

Kingdom leaders think about what true success is, then succession is about what you are meant to have success-on when you are gone. .

6. Is this birthed and sustained in prayer?

I’ve struggled so much with what title I was comfortable with over the years. I didn’t like the idea of being the Pastor for a long time so I called myself something like the ‘Strategic leader.’ What an ass. Looking back I see how easily empire building often begins with ‘my strategy’ based on the latest management theory book I read then asks God to bless it ‘if it has legs’ once we have drilled down and run it up the flagpole to see if there’s any low hanging fruit.

Kingdom Performance Indicators are that leadership begins on its face – and moves forward on its knees. As a worship song I love to play these days says so well: “Lord, if You’re not in it, I don’t want it.”

Kingdom Leadership Is Not Passive

Rejecting empire does not mean retreating from influence, abandoning excellence or refusing to exercise authority. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go…” (Matthew 28:18–19). Kingdom authority is real authority – received from Jesus, exercised like Jesus, surrendered to Jesus and for the glory of Jesus.

It resonates with the title of a biography I read many years ago about a man whose name I could not recall at first (ironically) who did many great miracles but always prayed four wise words- ‘Take Your Glory Lord’

The world does not need timid Christian leaders, but the Kingdom does not need self important ones. It needs humble life long learners becoming courageous, holy, prayerful leaders who will fight injustice, protect the weak, build healthy organisations and act for the common good and the transformation of culture. We should create, challenge and change things, without believing that everything depends on us.

Build What Outlives You

The kingdoms of this world rise, boast and fall. Scripture tells us of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome which all appeared impressive, invulnerable and immovable in their day. Now tourists photograph their once proud ruins.

The pattern did not end with the Bible. In more recent centuries, Spanish, Dutch and British power rose and receded, the United States emerged to lead the post-war order and China now rises as a formidable rival. Investor Ray Dalio studied ten major empires across five centuries and describes what he calls the “Big Cycle”. Nations rise through education, innovation, productivity, trade, military strength and sound financial systems. Their success gives their currency and institutions global influence.

But the seeds of decline are often sown at the height of their power: mounting debt, widening inequality, internal division, financial overreach and the challenge of a rising competitor. Dalio argues that today’s debt pressures, political polarisation and geopolitical rivalry indicate that the world order is changing again, reinforcing the biblical warning: no human system, however dominant it presently appears, remains dominant for ever. (Ray Dalio, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order)

Dalio charts the recurring pattern; Scripture reveals its final destination. History is not ultimately moving towards the permanent triumph of America, China, Russia, Britain—or our ministry, denomination, network or brand. History is moving towards Jesus.

God is not surprised by the present or nervous about the future. Daniel saw one like a son of man receiving an everlasting dominion that would never pass away. Revelation hears heaven announce”

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” — Revelation 11:15, NIV

May we build in such a way that when our names forgotten on Earth but we rejoice that they are written in heaven, the name of Jesus is the only One to be praised.

A Prayer for Leaders

King Jesus, inspect what we are building and why. Expose the places where vision has become vanity, responsibility has become control or influence has become identity. Deliver me from the need to make my own name great. Teach us to lead and love as you love. Help us develop and deploy others, serve people rather than use them, and build faithfully today for the everlasting Kingdom that cannot be shaken. May our work do good, as our lives bring You glory, as Jesus name is exalted. Amen.

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