Recently, Pastor John MacArthur said a leader’s life should match the teaching and that is integrity. MacArthur spoke about what he perceived as President Trump’s narcissism and failure related to that. Watching the former President Donald Trump’s exit from the White House prompted some “profound-HD” lessons in leadership that MacArthur wanted to share.
On Wednesday, Grace Community Church held The State of the Church address that took the place of their postponed annual Shepherds’ Conference. Pastor John MacArthur and OnePassion Ministries‘ President Steve Lawson took on the speaking duties for the one-day livestream event. The Shepherd’s Conference posted this message on social media “While we had to postpone the Shepherds’ Conference, we recognize the need to encourage the global church and its shepherds.”
MacArthur said the lessons he was about to share had nothing to do with Trump’s politics, economic viewpoints, or the former President’s success in getting things accomplished. MacArthur said there were “some stark realities” as Trump’s presidency came to a close “as I watched him exit essentially by himself.” With little support that even his Vice President Mike Pence demonstrated during Trump leaving the White House, MacArthur said, “You ask yourself the question ‘How does somebody with that kind of influence, that kind of power, that kind of potential, that kind of resources, that amount of people…end up alone?’ “
Trump’s Narcissism Leadership Failure #1: Taking Credit for Things You Didn’t Do
John MacArthur called the leadership lessons “profound” and “universal” and asked “What’s the fastest pathway to leadership failure?” “It’s taking credit for things you didn’t do,” he answered and believes this is the first fastest way that led to Trump’s presidency demise.
Calling Trump’s actions an expression of pride, MacArthur said it “is destructive to what you need the most…which is HELP.” MacArthur explained that for four years that President Trump’s cabinet was changing people at a more rapid rate than he had ever witnessed. The 81-year-old pastor believes the reason for so many people leaving Trump’s staff was due to the President taking credit for things others “behind-the-scenes” were accomplishing. In reference to Trump’s behavior, MacArthur said it “was about what he had accomplished….when the mic was in his hand…it was always about him.” MacArthur pointed out, “That is very destructive to building a team. First of all, people right away find out you don’t tell the truth.”
“It explains why people couldn’t survive in that environment,” MacArthur added, “because asking that much of them at that level [and] working that hard and then usurping the credit they deserved was more than people could handle.”
The temptation for being successful and admired leads to wanting to take credit for things they didn’t do, MacArthur said, “You can’t do that in ministry because you’re betraying a lack of integrity,” and he cautioned that is the fastest way for a leader to lose their credibility.
He gave a warning for all leaders, saying, “Narcissists always do this [and] it’s un-curable.” MacArthur explained, “It is something that is so deeply ingrained in their need to be the most significant person, that rarely can it ever be countered.” Then he painted the picture that eerily mimicked President Trump’s White House departure and said, “A narcissist literally [will] run himself out the door alone before he changes this very strong tendency.”
“You would do yourself a great service if you focus your whole leadership style on giving ALL credit to other people,” MacArthur told everyone watching. “You don’t need to take credit for anything. Because you’re in leadership you already have a profile that is very visible and that’s sufficient for your pride to handle without you embellishing by taking credit for things you didn’t do.”
MacArthur went as far as to say, “Even when you deserve the credit, don’t take it…so that people feel like you are there to elevate and lift them up and show honor to them.” By resisting the temptation to claim the credit, leaders will have a team that will last a long time (Philippians 2-3:4).
Trump’s Narcissism Leadership Failure #2: Inability to Embrace the Inevitable
The second fastest track to leadership failure MacArthur gave was “The inability to embrace the inevitable.“
There are certain things that you face in leadership that are inevitable,” MacArthur said explaining his second point, “and one of them is you lose an election.” Referring to Donald Trump, he made the comment, “But narcissistic people can’t even take the inevitable. And what was left of the vestiges of the people surrounding the President was–whatever energies and talents were left–were all gathered up in one utterly hopeless effort to overturn a national election.”
“People were used to build up the man. [Trump] Then they were used again to try to overturn the inevitable,” the pastor pointed out and said those people got worn out and eventually there was no one left. “This is deadly to leadership,” he said.
Christian leaders need to be in the flow of what God is doing, which MacArthur called embracing divine providence (Who has God placed around you? How can you maximize the tools and resources you have? Because they are the ones God has given you). “I don’t want to live in a world where God is not in charge, [a world] where He is adjusting as He goes and tries to makes sense out of nonsense,” he said.
He encouraged leaders that whatever you have going on in your ministry, it is because that’s where God put you and there’s a work to be done and “there’s a flow if you embrace the providence. “99% of my life is God’s providence and 1% is something I planned,” he said and gave all credit to God for all he has been doing over the years of ministry.
MacArthur called the election results God’s providence by saying, “We watched the President try to unscrew the unscrewable, to reverse the inevitable because he couldn’t cope with it…you can’t change providence. God has a flow of redemptive history…you should love providence.”
Leadership Failure #3: Sin
The third and final fastest track to leadership failure MacArthur gave was “Sin.”
Citing that this one is obvious, MacArthur said this is something we see the result of all the time when ministers fall due to their transgressions. With so many people searching to exploit your failures in this world, survival of living a second life would be difficult. “You have to start with a clear conscience,” he instructed from 2 Corinthians 1:12 showing “excellency in your character” so that people will give glorify God.
Pastor MacArthur, referring to how much sin is in the world and the church, said “I often thought that if it weren’t for Jesus, I don’t think I could sell Christianity to anybody in this culture because there are so many disappointing agents that represent our savior Jesus.”
MacArthur left the leaders with one last thought before the session concluded and spoke about compromising.
He said, “The assets that are most valuable to you in leadership are trust and respect.” In others words, continue to be what people believe you are, so don’t lose those assets. Building trust builds respect and it can be easily lost.
If you were to do something that is inconsistent with what you have been preaching and living and it breaks the trust between you and those you have been leading “this is an epic failure…because now they don’t know if they can trust you,” MacArthur pointed out.
Using the example of the popular Oak Hills Church Pastor Max Lucado who recently apologized for preaching a 2004 sermon against homosexuality when the LGBTQ community confronted him while preaching at the Washington National Cathedral this year. MacArthur said, “What you just did [referring to Lucado] is cause all the people who trusted you to stop trusting you.” He explained that the dire question of courage and conviction is placed in the minds of all those that trusted him.
Don’t send confusing messages to people who thought you had certain convictions but feel now you have betrayed those convictions, he pleaded. “Protect your integrity…you can’t make some type of big shift without losing your followers.”
Closing the livestream, MacArthur told the leaders to “Be bold! Open your church. The world needs desperately to hear from you…call your people back, be patient and loving with them as they adjust to being together if you haven’t had that.”
Jokingly, but also honestly he said, “They’re not going to be able to shut us all down if we get a ground-swell going…it’s going to be impossible for them to take us all on. So join the group of bold saints and preachers who are saying let’s have church…So open your church and faithfully preach the Word of God.”
You can watch this session of The State of the Church here and here.