- Whenever I would go down to Florida to visit my grandmother, or I called her Oma, when I was a child. I could always count on a visit to the Toy Store in the local Mall. I knew it was coming, and I would think about that little trip weeks in advance. Because I knew that whenever we would take that trip to the Toy Store, my Oma would say to me, "Damien, look around the store, and pick out one item, one toy that you want and I will get it for you." Talk about pressure. One out of so many. How in the world was a kid to make such an important decision. But every summer we would walk into that Toy Store, I would look around, up one aisle down the other until eventually I would have to make that tough decision.
- And so God came to Solomon, the great King Solomon and in I Kings 3, God says to Solomon in a dream, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." In this entire world, what is that you want Solomon. Of all things you can choose, riches, power, women, of all the things to choose from which one will you choose. And of all the things he could have chosen, what did Solomon choose.... wisdom. Or as Solomon put it... discernment between right and wrong. Wisdom.
- All of us want to be wise people, don't we? Now don't mistake me, and think I said smart people. No, wisdom and intellect are two different items. We are tallking about wisdom, wisdom that allows us to determine in our life what is right and wrong, good and bad, positive and negative. Wisdom is that ability to handle the situations life offers us and know what the next course of action is to be. Wisdom is that strength of character that is able to do what is right and good, no matter the consequence or danger. Wisdom seeks for the good of not only ourselves, but those around us.
- But where do we get such wisdom? After all their are many voices our there, many different people who believe they have the answers, who believe they are the true source of wisdom. Our schools offer wisdom, the media offers wisdom, Hollywood offers wisdom. There is wisdom that comes from friends and family. Wisdom from so many sources and so often it all becomes confusing, because they contradict each other.
- Well, this morning we are going to take a look at James 3:13ff and we will see two sources of wisdom. And when we talk about wisdom as James describes it, we must remember that James is coming from a Jewish perspective. Wisdom for a Jew was not some heady, intellectual, philosophical, airy type of concept. Wisdom for a Jew was something practical, lived out, filled with action. Wisdom for a Jew sounded something like this... "Faith without deeds is dead." Wisdom for a Jew is seen and acted out, and lived out, not simply spoken about.
- So James begins his discussion on wisdom by addressing once again, teachers and leaders of the church. Remember last weeks exclamation mark. Remember James has already singled out the leaders of the church in verse 1 where he writes.... "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." And now James picks up on that line of thinking in verse 13 when he writes....
- When James writes, "wise and understanding," that is a cliche, an expression for the teachers and leaders of the church. He is clearly addressing them in this passage. No question about it, his focus is on the teachers of the church, the elders, the deacons, the ministers. He is looking them square in the eyes and speaking to them from the heart.
- It's like what my father used to do whenever I got into trouble, which was often. He was a tall man at 6'4" and so whenever he got serious about my misconduct, he would stoop down, lightly put his hand on my shoulder, and look me square in the eyes so that there would be no missing what he was about to say to me.
- Well James is bending down, he's putting his hands on the shoulders of all the teachers and leaders here this morning and he is looking us square in the eyes and saying to us, "This is what a wise godly leader looks like." He is saying there is wisdom and then there is wisdom. There is the wisdom of the world, and then there is wisdom from above, from God. Now since he is looking the leaders square in the eye, does that mean those of you who are not leaders yet, should tune this sermon out. Obviously not, because, all who are a part of this church, who love this church have the responsibility of looking around you, looking at yourself, looking at the leaders and making sure that the leaders of this church fit the description given by James as to what a wise godly leader looks like.
- So what does a wise godly leader look like? Well, James begins by describing what a wise godly leader does not look like....
- Read vs 14-16
- A wise leader is one who is not filled with envy and selfish ambition as James describes. The person that James is describing is the person who does not look out for the best interest of the church, they may say they are, but their actions prove otherwise. This unwise leader does not consider what God wants and desires, but is instead only concerned with and focused on their own best interest. They don't consider the consequences of their actions for God's church, they don't consider how other people will be affected by their choices, they only consider what they want and what they need and what they desire. And often times, the leader who acts in such a way is not always acting out in the open, but is inconspicuously doing things that damages and divides the church. Such a person will be judged strictly and such a leader must be removed.
- You want a picture of the unwise leader. The one described as being filled with selfish ambition. Well, I think this is a pretty good picture. I love Norman Rockwell, ever since a child I have always been fascinated with his paintings as I am sure many of you have been. This one I hold here is a rather famous painting. It pictures 3 boys running in desparation trying to flee whoever it is that is chasing them. It is obvious that they were caught swimming where they shouldn't have been swimming. And they got caught. The expressions in their faces are so descriptive, you can see the fear in their eyes, you can see that up to this point they had no concern for what was right, or what they should have been doing. You can just imagine them sitting around with one another, sweating from the noon day heat, wanting to go swimming some where. But where? And in a stroke of brilliance one of them says what about the swimming hole outside of town. Another says, we're not supposed to go swimming there. But at that moment all they are concerned about is their own interest. It was their own wants and needs and desires that prompted them to do what they did. And they got caught.
- As leaders of God's church it eternally important that we do not find ourselves acting in ways that serve our best interest. It is important that we do not find ourselves caught in the trap of leading for power, or to feel important, or to gain approval from God. Our leadership should arise out of our love for God and for his Church. And as members and those who are a part of this ministry, it is vital that we seek out leaders and hold leaders accountable to the call to be men and women who are not filled with envy and selfish ambition. For the consequences of having such ungodly leaders can be devastating, as James writes.... the church will exprerience "disorder and every evil practice."
- Now James is not done describing the wise godly leader. He has already given us a picture of what a wise godly leader does not look like, and now he offers us a picture of what a wise godly leader does look like. Pay careful attention to the picture given of a leader who seeks wisdom from above, from God.
- Read vs 17-18
- Did you catch the focus a wise godly leaders has... James tells us that a wise godly leaders is...
Pure in their intentions, in the things they do
Peace-loving in the way they deal with other people
Considerate in how they treat those around them
Submissive to those God has placed over us
Full of mercy and good fruit to those who are in need
Impartial in how we see and view other people
Sincere in the we love others.
- All of these stand in stark contrast to the unwise leader. Instead of looking at our own needs and desires, the wise godly leader is filled with the desire to love others, to serve others, to reach out to others. The focus for the wies godly leader is not on self, but on others.
- A story was told at the convention this past week of a young girl named Alice who was a relatively new Christian. Despite her new faith, she met a man and she fell in love with him. And eventually, due to her need for love and affection, he got her pregnant. As soon as this man found out that she was pregnant, he all of a sudden received a word from God, and decided it was time for him to ride his motorcycle all over the country leaving her with the baby.
- She was a single parent, all alone, doing the best she could. A few years later, the same man came back to town, expressing a renewed interest in Alice, and once again, he got her pregnant, and once again he mounted his bike and left her alone, this time with two children.
- Over the course of time, Alice moved away from the city where she went to church, but several times a year she would catch the train and bring her two kids so that she could see her old friends at the church that her demonstrated love to her despite her mistakes. Well one Sunday when she was visiting, there was a guest speaker preaching. And the sermon was filled with extremely harsh and judgmental words that were aimed at people who were in Alice's situation. And in the middle of the sermon, Alice quickly left the building with her two kids and rushed outside where it was pouring rain. This particular church had no overhang, so when the regular minister followed her out, he found her huddled with her kids with a rain coat wrapped around them. And the minister asked her what was a matter, even though he already knew, and she said to him, with tears,
- "He made me feel dirty, he made me feel dirty."
- You see what that preacher did, a wise godly leader wouldn't do. A wise godly leader is one who is filled with such love, such concern for other people, that he or she would understand that love, not condemnation changes hearts and lives. A wise godly leader would understand that the truth must be spoken, but it must be spoken with love. A wise godly leader would not throw the past in people's faces, but would present a glorious future God has in store. A wise godly leader would not degrade, but would encourage and lift up.
- Before we looked at a picture of Norman Rockwell, I want us to see one final picture. You could probably guess what picture I want you to see. But, instead of showing it to you, I want you to describe it to me. The picture I'm talking about is a picture of Jesus. You've seen them right? After all, Jesus is one of the most depicted, drawn, painted figures in all of history. You probable have a picture hanging up on your wall at home. So tell, out loud, what does Jesus look like in the pictures you have seen....
(long brown hair, brown eyes, olive skin, robe and sandals, halo)
- But you know, and I know that we have no idea what he really looked like. All the Bible says about his physical appearance is that "he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him." He was a simple looking man. And if he walked into this church, into your home, farm, into your workplace, into your school. There would be nothing about his physical presence that would attract you to him. You wouldn't even recognize him?
- Or would you? Because maybe his physical qualities would not give him away, there is something that would. Because no matter where Jesus went, no matter who he was around, young or old, rich or poor, upper class lower class, religious leader or prostitute. No matter who he was around... his love and concern for other people made him stand out amongst the crowds. He loved the unloveable, he touched the untouchable. He reached out to those who were hurting and in pain, he gave even though he was poor, he helped even though he was tired. He served even though he was broken, and he died even though he was perfect.
- That is a picture to remember. That is a picture to strive for. That is a picture of a wise godly leader.
- Now I want you to all stand up, and I want you to look around at the people in this room. Look at your neighbor, the person in front of you, behind you, on the other side of the pew. And as you see everyone, as a part of this local body of believers, I want you to ask yourself...
- Who in this room is a picture of a wise godly leader? Who in this room demonstrates on a regular basis a love and concern to meet the needs of others, above their own needs? Only those people who demonstrate in their daily lives a service and love for other people, only those people, according to Scripture, are called to be in a position of leadership in the church.
- Now I want you to stay standing, and close your eyes. And I want you to look at yourself. Your life, the choices you make, the way you treat other people, the reason you do the things you do... Look at yourself, and ask yourself...
- When people see me, when God sees me... does he see a picture of a wise godly leader? Does he see somebody giving of themselves to other people? If he doesn't, then ask yourself, what must God change in me so that I can be a wise godly leader?
