Supporting Decision Makers

God has determined that His purposes are outworked through authority structures. He is the authority above all authorities. All works well when He is acknowledged to be such and submitted to as the One who always makes the right call on any matter because, after all, He is God. Questioning His decisions is always a futile and worthless endeavour.

But what of lesser authorities who are not blessed with infallibility? How should we respond to them? Decision making is a part of leadership and exercising authority. Parents, especially fathers, husbands, employers, governments and church elders are all examples of those God has ordained to take leadership roles.

If we are godly then our inbuilt disposition is to support those who are in positions of God-ordained authority. Whenever this is not so it is an indication of rebellion.

Those in authority positions are called upon to demonstrate their calling through making decisions. All of us have responsibility to support them in this, particularly when their decisions making is undertaken in a realm that affects us.

There will inevitably be times when these decision-makers make decisions which are neither godly, good or helpful. We may consider such to be the case and be right and justified in our conclusion. The problem comes when we make a big show of demonstrating that the decision-maker is wrong.

We should remember that decision-makers are to be supported in their decision-making. This does not mean that we applaud bad decisions, but it does mean that we are careful not to make a song-and-dance about the failures of those in authority in making decisions.

A deflated decision-maker is likely to shun making further decisions and that is bad for all. We need to encourage those in authority to make decisions. The adage that “a bad decision is better than no decision” has some credibility. We should encourage parents, employers and church leaders in making decisions.

Furthermore, we have to remember that in making their decisions they generally have access to far more information than we have. We may see flaws in a decision, which would soon be swept away if we knew the full facts.

So I say to wives, children, employees, church members be careful how you react to the decisions of those over you in the Lord. Your causing a hullabaloo about a decision may ultimately cause a lot of harm because you undermine the confidence of those in authority.

Finally though, if decision-makers are making decisions to exploit others and aggrandise themselves. then they need to be called out for their nefarious activity and called to account.

The Leaders We Need

We read theses words at the end of Esther concerning Mordecai: he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people (Esther 10:3b).

Let us consider some of the attributes of this man which made him such a great leader:

1. In the believing community multitudes warmed to Mordecai. It does not say all warmed to him, but a vast majority did. True elders among God’s people can never expect universal acclamation. However, if he is not popular with the majority of the church then questions need to be asked as regards to the suitability of a man to be a leader.
2. He was not seeking a position for himself, but seeking to use whatever position he had for the benefit of others. Those who are seeking to gain postilion for self-seeking gain should not be elders among God’s people.
3. He was looking out for the welfare of God’s people. he wanted the best for them; he cared for them. Mordecai expended his energies in order that God’s people would prosper in the Lord’s ways.
4. He spoke peace to God’s people. He was not set for harshness or division, but for harmony and peaceableness among God’s people. We must notice that this was for all the people even those it was not so easy to love. Speaking peace does not exclude speaking firmly, but it does prohibit nastiness.

In all these things we see shadows of our great true leader; our Lord Jesus. The ultimate One to seek the welfare of His people; the One above all others who speaks peace to all His people. The One who with overwhelming sacrificial love came to bless his people.

Elders And Employers

In the listing of the qualifications for elders we read he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil (1 Tim. 3:7). It is important that an elder has a good reputation among outsiders.

In view of this, I suggest, that it is a good practice, when considering someone for eldership, to do some investigation among outsiders who have awareness of the prospective elder. One good thing to do is to contact their employer and find out what that person’s view is of their charachter.

In doing this we are exercising due diligence to make sure that we are only recognising those as elders who fit the requirements of scripture.

We need to remember that leadership is a significant role on the church and that leadership effects the health of the church “big time”. God has given us the pro-forma for elders in scripture and we should make sure that we get those as elders who are aligned therewith.

Taking On Responsibility

To a greater or lesser extent all of us come to junctures in our lives when we have to take on responsibility. That may be in the family, in the workplace, in the community, in the church or wherever. Alas, many of us drift into these situation with little thought or preparation.

Joshua was faced with taking on responsibility as leaders of the nation of Israel. Moses, in Deuteronomy 31:7-13 being aware of this focuses on toe things which will be necessary for Him to have if He is to effectively carry out his responsibility.

The Right Attitude. Joshua is called to Be strong and courageous (v7b). With responsibility come challenges, struggles, opposition and difficulties. If we do not set ourselves to persevere through these then we will soon go the way of the snowflake in a heatwave. We will soon disappear from the scene of our responsibility. We may still have the office thereof, but we will cease to function effectively.

So we need those of courage in all different realms. Elders of churches need to be displayers of this.

The Right Dependence. We are not just to be those of courage in a stoic kind of way. We are those of courage because we have a God who we can depend upon in all the struggles of life. Moses tells Joshua It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed (v8). Such a God is worthy of our trust. To survive and prosper in any position of responsibility we need to trust in Him.

The Right Guide.     Having commissioned Joshua, Moses in vv9-13 delivers the Word of the Lord to the priests and the elders of Israel. They are to have custody of the law and make sure it is read every seven years. Implicit in this is that all the people including Joshua will have the Word of God to guide them. Jesus must lead according to the Word that all the people know. Otherwise His leadership will be of no account and should be rejected.

So fellow leaders, have courage, depend on the Lord and follow His Word. Then you will be a blessing in your sphere of responsibility.

Awareness

One of the key monikers of a church leader is “overseer”. The person called to lead among God’s peoples is to be a person with an in-built inclination to oversee the church. Crucial in this is to have an awareness of what is going on in the church.

One of the striking things about the account of the slaying of Goliath by David is the complete lack of awareness that Saul had of what was going on. In particularly I note in 1 Samuel 15:55-58

As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” And the king said, “Enquire whose son the boy is.” And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

The lack of awareness displayed by Saul is breathtaking given that in the previous chapter we see recorded how Saul had gotten David brought from his father Jesse to play soothing music to him (see 1 Samuel 16:14-23.) And then he had actually spoken to the same David before David went to defeat Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17: 31-40).

All this shows us a man who was not fit for leadership. And in saying that we are reflecting what had happened. He had been deprived of leadership capacities because of his prior unfaithfulness the Lord.

I have come across able end even good men in church, but they do not have this characteristic of awareness. People and happenings just seem to pass them by. They may be great assets to the church, but they would be great liabilities if considered as elders.

To have this inclination to watch over the fellowship of God’s people is one indication that a a younger brother is being raised up to leadership. Existing elders there by should be looking out for this as they pray for the raising up of elders in the fellowship.

Who Are The Elders

Upon coming to a church, the newly arrived christian asked; who are the elders in this church? The response given was, that the believer who was coming into the fellowship should come back in a month ( I believe that was the time period) and say who they thought the elders of the church were!

Now, the degree of reliability of the feedback from this suggestion will depend upon the wisdom and spiritual maturity of the person concerned. However, it does raise certain issues:

1. It is the church who have to own the recognition of people to eldership. Imposition, whether it be from an outside body or the present elders, is not acceptable.  In the same way that the church at Jerusalem selected and trusted those selected into deacon service (see Acts 6:2-7) so it is with elders.
2. The appointment of someone to eldership does not make them an elder. The church, under the guiding of the present elders, has a responsibility to recognize those whom the LORD has already made elders. So Paul says to the Ephesian elders Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood (Acts 20:28). It is the Holy Spirit who makes overseers not the church.
3. The concomitant truth to this, is that the church cannot prevent someone operating as an elder. If they fail to formally recognize him, he will still operate as an elder.
4. In seeking out elders the present elders should keep a keen ear open to what the church is saying about certain men in the church. A groundswell of conviction in the church, about a brother may be the Holy Spirit leading the church to recognize that brother as an elder.
5. As shepherds tend to the sheep in their flock so spiritual shepherds tend to the sheep in their flock. Eldership is a calling to and within a local church. So Paul writes to  the Thessalonians and says Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you (1 Thess. 5:12). Those who are doing the shepherding are among the Thessalonians.

We have a great need for true elders in the church of God. May the LORD be gracious to raise them up among us. And may we be given wisdom to recognize whom the LORD has raised up.

(Originally published at Venabling on July 31st 2013)

Eldership Test

We had a leadership seminar at Feltham on June 15th. One of the exercises which we were given was to score ourselves out of ten for the various characteristics which should be being displayed  by an elder. The list was taken from those revealed in scripture. We were then instructed to go away and ask others who know us well, whether that be in family or in whatever realm, to similarly mark us out of ten. We could then compare our self-awareness with how others perceive us. The list is this:

1. Above reproach
2. Faithful to his wife
3. Temperate
4. Not overbearing
5. Loves what is good
6. Upright
7. Holy
8. Disciplined
9. Self controlled
10. Hospitable
11. Able to teach
12. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught
13. Not given to drunkenness
14. Not violent but gentle
15. Not quick tempered
16. Not quarrelsome
17. Not a lover of money
18. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect
19. He must not be a recent convert
20. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders

If you are an elder it will provide a good exercise, if not perhaps a little painful. So why not try doing it? And when you have got a spread of responses make a point of working on the characteristic which you scored worst on.