INTRODUCTION
• VIDEO CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• Sometimes otherwise brilliant people do not make good decisions.
• Leadership is not easy. It is not easy being a leader because there are so many pressures from so many directions.
• We have seen many great leaders make fatal mistakes in judgment that will haunt them throughout history.
• Over the past few weeks we have been looking at some of the elements that are necessary for one to be a leader.
• As I have said each week during this series, we are all leaders in some capacity or we will be.
• Today we are going to dig into the issue of wisdom. From our knowledge of history, disgraced former President Nixon, who was otherwise an intelligent man, made some fatal mistakes during his Presidency that ultimately caused him to resign from office.
• How did this leader of the free world allow this to happen?
• I would imagine on a smaller scale we have all served under leaders who made a few or many poor decisions that made us scratch our heads.
• Leaders have to know how to deal with issues, make good decisions. They need to be able to see the big picture. They need to know how to put everything together so that everyone has a chance to succeed!
• Today we are going to be in the book of 1 Kings chapters 3-4. King David has died and now his son Solomon has ascended to the throne.
• In chapter 3, something special is going to happen to Solomon.
• Let us open up with our fist observation.
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. Wisdom is a valuable asset for a leader.
• Here is Solomon, a young man, anywhere from his late teens to very early 20’s when he seated as King. His son Rehoboam was 41 when he took the throne (1 Kings 14:21).
• He seems to be a fine young man.
• Having told us of Solomon's exceptional achievements, the author of 1 Kings tells us that Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David.
• Solomon is the only post-Davidic king said to love the Lord, which in the context of 1 Kings meant to give God exclusive loyalty, heartfelt devotion, and practical obedience. At this point Solomon was following David's example.
• We are told Solomon offered worship in the HIGH PLACE, which before the temple was complete was an acceptable practice; however, after the Temple was completed, this type of worship was not acceptable.
• Throughout the Book of 1 Kings, kings are judged by their attitude toward the high places: good kings abolish them; mediocre kings tolerate them; and evil kings patronize them.
• Solomon’s long-term commitment to the High PLACES would be a chink in his armor that would hurt him later as he allowed his many wives to lead him astray.
• SO here is Solomon, a very young man who is king. Something special is about to happen to him!
• SLIDE #3
• 1 Kings 3:4–5 (HCSB) The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?”
• God comes to Solomon in a dream and asks him what should I give you?
• WOW! What would you ask for?
• Solomon tells God that he is grateful for being king, that there are a lot of people to rule and that he is young and inexperienced.
• Solomon knows he has a tough job ahead of him. He could have asked God to kill all his enemies, he could have asked for fame and fortune, he could have asked God to give him sever al hundred years of healthy life. All very tempting things to ask for.
• So here is what he asks God to give him.
• SLIDE #4
• 1 Kings 3:8–9 (HCSB) Your servant is among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
• Solomon asks for wisdom, or discernment. According to the dictionary, wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment, the quality of being wise.
• Solomon KNEW that wisdom was a vital element for a leader to possess. Wisdom allows one to make good decisions, it allows them to take the knowledge they have and apply it in a proper way.
• SLIDE #5
• Proverbs 1:7 (HCSB) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.
• If you desire to be a good leader, you need wisdom. For those in Christ, you can receive wisdom from the source!
• SLIDE #6
• James 1:5 (HCSB) Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.
• God is so impressed by Solomon’s request that God not only grants the request, but He also gave him wealth, prosperity and a long life contingent on Solomon walking in God’s ways and keeping God’s Statutes as David had done. 1 Kings 3:10-14.
• Wisdom is important in part, because….
• SLIDE #7
II. Wisdom allows a leader to creatively solve problems.
• One of the jobs of a leader is to deal with problems and solve them.
• Leaders are hit with problems from every direction. How does a leader handle a crisis?
• Some leaders run around like their hair had caught fire, others use the magic 8 Ball for making decision.
• Wisdom can be a great assess to posses when it comes time to solve problems.
• People will wisdom can attack a problem from a different angle than those who do not possess it.
• To be a good problem solver, you need to be able to think outside of the box at times.
• A good problem solver will be able to cut past the presenting issue to get to the root of the problem.
• Solomon will get to exercise his wisdom and problem solving skills with a situation brought before him.
• In 1 Kings 3:16-27, two prostitutes came before the king with a problem. Both ladies lived in the same house, both had babies. Lady one’s baby died because she laid on top of the infant, so Lady one traded out her dead child for the living child of lady 2.
• Lady 2 realized the child was dead and claimed the child lady 1 had was her child.
• Then a nice argument broke out in front of Solomon.
• Solomon repeats the story Lady 2 told him to make sure it was correct.
• Now think about this. This is before DNA testing, and to many babies look a lot a like. What would you do? Well, Solomon does something astonishing.
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Kings 3:24–25 (HCSB) The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought the sword to the king. Solomon said, “Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
• WOW! In a million years would you have thought of that solution? Solomon in his God-given wisdom knew a real mother would protect her child at any cost. Look what happens.
• SLIDE #9
• 1 Kings 3:26 (HCSB) The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion for her son. “My lord, give her the living baby,” she said, “but please don’t have him killed!” But the other one said, “He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two!”
• Wisdom prevailed!
• SLIDE #10
• 1 Kings 3:27–28 (HCSB) The king responded, “Give the living baby to the first woman, and don’t kill him. She is his mother.” All Israel heard about the judgment the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God’s wisdom was in him to carry out justice.
• This leads to another observation concerning the possession of wisdom.
• SLIDE #11
III. Wisdom allows a leader to be respected.
• Solomon was young, I am sure there were folk who doubted his ability to lead and rule.
• When we have been given new leaders or bosses in our lives, many of us wait in the weeds to see if the person is capable. We want to see if this person can lead before we totally buy-in to their program.
• Once we feel like they are capable, we respect them and will follow them wherever they lead us.
• This happens in the church when folks are skeptical of a new minister. They are used to the old ways, the way the former minister did things, whether they worked or not.
• For leaders in new positions, it is important for them to get an early win or they may never get the respect of those they are trying to lead.
• Solomon gets this early win and the people were in awe.
• When one possesses wisdom, it allows a leader to do all the other things we have spoken of during this series. It allows one to invest wisely, and to understand the importance of personal integrity.
• Wisdom allows a leader to delegate responsibilities to the best people and it allows them to cast a challenging yet reachable vision for the organization.
• Look at what happens to Solomon because of the gift of wisdom God gave to him.
• SLIDE #12
• 1 Kings 4:34 (HCSB) People came from everywhere, sent by every king on earth who had heard of his wisdom, to listen to Solomon’s wisdom.
• When you possess wisdom, people will pay attention!
• Also it will make you a more joyful person!
• SLIDE #13
• Proverbs 3:13 (HCSB) Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding,
CONCLUSION
• Wisdom is an essential part of being a good leader. A leader can have charisma, positon, and even integrity, but if they cannot make wise decisions, they will not be followed or respected.
• For you parents, you will need all the wisdom you can muster while raising your children!
• Next week we will examine the issue of Courage, being able to lead people where they are not comfortable going!
