Sermon Tone Analysis

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:

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:

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

An ungodly process will not produce a godly outcome.

A spiritually mature leader understands the process is as important as the outcome.

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.