WISE LEADERSHIP
Book of James • Sermon • Submitted
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· 29 viewsA process characterized by purity, peace, gentleness, openness to reason etc. will result in discovering God's wisdom.
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Wise Leadership
Wise Leadership
If I had had more experience in the pastorate, it’s likely I would not have come to Grace Community Church. Grace Church suffered two significant splits in the late 1980s and a third split two months before we arrived in September of 1991. I have often thought God used my naiveté to bring us to Grace – and we’re grateful He did!
Church splits are devastating. Conventional wisdom has it that it takes a church at least five years to recover. Victims of church splits often become so disillusioned with Christianity, they leave the Faith. Most often, the cause of splits can be traced to a failure in leadership. This is one of the major reasons why a church family must take seriously the process of selecting leaders.
In the previous section (3:1-12), James dealt with the issue of teachers. The teaching of God’s Word is absolutely essential to sanctification salvation. Therefore, it is critically important those who teach be qualified. To that end, James encouraged his people to listen to a brother’s words, in order to identify spiritually mature men qualified to teach the Word of God.
Here, in James 3:13-18, James deals with leaders. Wise leadership is absolutely necessary for healthy churches. Therefore, it is critically important those who lead be qualified. To that end, James encourages his people to observe a brother’s works in order to identify those who are wise and understanding and thereby qualified to lead the church family.
In James 3:13 we read:
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
A wise person is one who skillfully applies God’s truth to everyday life.
A wise person is one who skillfully applies God’s truth to everyday life.
Those who lead the church must be men of wisdom who know how to skilfully apply God’s Word to life. The term understanding refers to a person who has expert knowledge in a particular subject. Those who lead the church must be men who have expert knowledge in the Scriptures.
How are they to determine if a potential leader is wise and understanding? By observing his conduct and general course of life. The character of a wise man reveals itself in his works. I think the New International Version captures well the idea of the second phrase:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
The wise and understanding among them are those who remain steadfast under trial (1:2-4). The wise and understanding are those who ask God for wisdom and in faith do that which He reveals (1:5-8). The wise and understanding are those who are quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (1:19-21). The wise and understanding are those who hear and do the Word (1:22-25). The wise and understanding are those who visit orphans and widows in their affliction (1:27). The wise and understanding are those who show no favoritism but treat each person with dignity (2:1-13). The wise and understanding are those who possess functional faith, their faith expressing itself in works. The wise and understanding are those whose tongues are under control (3:1-12).
The conduct of leaders in the secular world is very different than leadership in the Church. Secular leadership is most often characterized by power and control. Leaders use their position to intimidate or coerce subordinates to back their agenda. Most often, the financial bottom line is the controlling consideration, not what is good and right for employees and shareholders.
It is common that those who are business leaders or community leaders assume they are qualified to be leaders in the Church. It is a monumental mistake for a church to make this assumption. Philosophies and practices acceptable in secular leadership are not acceptable in spiritual leadership in the church.
James explains in 3:14-16.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Bitter jealousy is better translated harsh zeal. Harsh zeal describes a person who becomes so intense over an issue they become dogmatic and aggressive.
Harsh zeal (bitter jealousy) describes a person who becomes so intense over an issue they become dogmatic and obstinate.
Harsh zeal (bitter jealousy) describes a person who becomes so intense over an issue they become dogmatic and obstinate.
This person sees himself as the defender of the truth on the one hand, and, if opposed, as the persecuted victim on the other. There is no middle ground, no room to compromise, it is victory or death.
Harsh zeal readily leads to selfish ambition.
Selfish ambition describes a leader who forms a group which eventually withdraws from the rest of the church.
Selfish ambition describes a leader who forms a group which eventually withdraws from the rest of the church.
Selfish ambition describes a person running for political office by unfair means. In the NT, selfish ambition describes a leader who forms a group which eventually withdraws from the rest of the church. A leader becomes convinced something needs to be corrected in the church. In his harsh zeal he gathers others of like mind. He convinces them they are fighting for God’s truth. He convinces them those who disagree are not “biblical”; are rejecting God’s will. Therefore, in order to defend God’s truth, they are justified in withdrawing from and, if necessary, splitting the church.
A person claiming to follow God’s wisdom, but dividing the church is “boasting and lying against the truth”. They are not wise and understanding. Forming alliances, stifling discussion, bad mouthing opponents, dividing the family, withdrawing from fellow Christians - all these tactics may be accepted in the secular world as the way things are done, but not in the Church. A person who operates in such a manner is unfit for leadership in the Body of Christ. A person who justifies dividing the church is not operating according to God’s wisdom. Rather, they are handling things like the world. How do people in the world handle disputes? They will use any means necessary to get what they want. The gloves come off and people don’t hesitate to lie, to manipulate, to threaten or even to become violent.
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
When a leader leads in harsh zeal, ugly things happen in the church. One party questions the salvation of the other. Rumors fly. Brothers and sisters slander one another. Business meetings turn ugly. Tempers flare. Friendships are destroyed. Christ is dishonored.
Whatever decisions result from a process characterized by these sinful qualities is not God’s wisdom.
In God’s economy the process is as important as the outcome.
The process is as important as the outcome.
The process is as important as the outcome.
An ungodly process will not produce a godly outcome. A spiritually mature leader understands the process is as important as the outcome.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
A spiritually mature leader understands the process is as important as the outcome. A wise leader, working with his fellow leaders in the church will be pure. He is committed to doing what is right and good in the eyes of the Lord no matter the issue or intensity of his feelings. He does not manipulate, intimidate, or politic. He rejects the idea that the ends justify the means.
He is peaceable; it is not “win at all costs”. He fights for relationships, not his agenda. God calls us to live at peace with all men (Rom. 12:18). The wise leader understands that no issue justifies violating the law of love (Col. 3:14).
He is gentle; non-combative. He keeps his cool even when others are unkind.
He is open to reason. He is very willing to listen and to be persuaded by facts. It doesn’t mean he’s wishy-washy, but he is always willing to learn and reconsider based on new information.
He is full of mercy and good fruits. He is sensitive to the needs of others and quick to meet those needs when he is able. Seeing brothers and sisters in the church withdraw from one another and withhold love from each other grieves the truly wise leader.
He is impartial. He will not join one party over the other. His commitment is to the Lord, to the truth and to the unity of the church. His loyalty is to the Lord and not a personality within the church.
He is genuine. What he says to one group he says to the other. He treats everyone the same – gently, thoughtfully and with love.
When leaders function together in the manner described in verse 17 the church can be confident their decisions are wise and understanding. They can be confident they are walking in God’s wisdom.
That’s the conclusion of verse 18; the harvest, the end result, of a process characterized by peace is God’s righteousness.
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
If the process is characterized by peace the outcome will be God’s righteousness.
If the process is characterized by peace the outcome will be God’s righteousness.
If the process is characterized by peace the outcome will be God’s righteousness.
A wise leader understands that the process is as important as the outcome. If the process has the qualities of verse 17 we can be confident we are walking in God’s wisdom.
James 3:13-18 has been extremely helpful in the maturing of our elders. It has given us a very practical way to evaluate our process of decision making. If in counseling together, things get heated or confused, we’ve learned to stop and take time to evaluate what’s happening in our hearts. We won’t move forward on anything until we all are at peace. We may not all agree, but even where there is disagreement there can be peace.
James 3:13-18 also applies to decision making and the wisdom of God. When we are facing a major life decision we need to realize that the process is all important. The “how” is more important than the “what”. If the decision making process is characterized by “disorder and every vile practice” as verse 16 says, then it tells us that either we or someone else in the decision making process is functioning in an ungodly way. The outcome of a disorderly, contentious process will not be God’s wisdom no matter how we spin it.
But if the decision-making process is characterized by purity, peace, gentleness, openness to reason etc., then we can be fully confident that the decision reached is God’s wisdom. This is why I counsel that if you and your spouse are facing a major decision and you are not in agreement, then if possible, delay your decision until you are fully unified and at peace. This counsel does not cover every possible situation, but it is a good general principle by which to live. This general principle also applies to our ministry teams including the elders. If we’re dealing with a difficult issue and tempers flare or we get cross with each other then we’ve learned to back off and take more time until we are at peace with each other and can arrive at a unified decision.
Finally, we are not talking about the will of God, but the wisdom of God. There is great confusion about God’s will. God’s will is primarily moral - think the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) - and general (do the work of an evangelist, serve according to your spiritual gifts, give financially, make disciples). It is not the case in most our lives that God has a specific vocation He wants you to do nor a specific person He wants you to marry nor a specific place He wants you to live. All these things are a matter of wisdom. His will for a husband and father is to provide for his family, but how he provides is a matter of wisdom. As a Christian, God’s will is that I marry a Christian. Apart from that, it is a matter of wisdom as to whom I marry. We don’t have to worry about missing God’s plan A for our lives. If our decision-making process has the qualities of Jame 3:17 informed by biblical principles, we can be confident we are walking in God’s wisdom.