Pastor, have you met a kingdom seeker? He walks and talks just like a God seeker. He is the tares are sown in wheat field. He is the wolf in sheep’s clothing. He sits in your church right alongside those who give their lives away, while all along, he’s looking for fame and the opportunity to promote themselves.
He listens to your sermon with a well-worn Bible, and nod their heads in agreement. He flatters you! He pray; He worship and responds, “Oh, Pastor, that sermon was so good!”. He smiles. He fellowships and quote verses.
But there’s something wrong. You can’t put your finger on it. But look a little closer. Can you smell it? The stench is pungent and putrid. It rots like a piece of dead flesh inside his soul. This foul agent has a name. It’s called…
PRIDE.
Kingdom seekers will do anything to acquire their kingdoms, while God seekers will do anything to acquire God. Kingdom seekers appear kingly. They’re from the linage of Absalom- larger than life; often attractive and have trained themselves to speak smoothly with compassion, but it’s only a means to an end. What they really want is a kingdom.
By contrast you may not see a God seeker at all, and if you do, he’s most likely serving where no one cares to look. God seekers aren’t looking to build a kingdom. They build people.
A kingdom seeker hopes others will be unhappy with the present kingdom. And the present kingdom is likely your church. Discontentment is his opportunity, you see. He is drawn to the whispers of negativity within the church and the “injustice” spoken of in you, Pastor. He sits quietly, adding not a word to the murmurings. He thinks of himself as far too noble to offer mere opinions. He waits. He is poised to speak, but only when the fray has quieted down.
When all have cast their gaze upon him, he offers the words of a humble sage. But secretly he’s savage. He shares insights to every problem and solutions to all that is amiss in the kingdom. He erodes confidence in the present leadership and plants seeds of suspicion. He uses spiritual platitudes, sympathetic looks and a reassuring touch to make disciples, and they follow him. Followers look to the kingdom seeker to make right all that is wrong in the church, but in his mind, right and wrong are secondary to his ascent to power.
Again, I ask you, have you met a kingdom seeker? If so, show him the door before his pride spreads! Because even God seekers have been known to catch his disease.
And only one vaccine can offer the cure. This cure runs in the veins of God seekers, like an antidote it will make you immune. “What is the antidote?” you ask. You guessed it.
HUMILITY.