Video Transcript: Spiritual Warfare and Board Ministry
Welcome to this final session of how to be a productive board member. We're going to talk about spiritual warfare and board ministry. There are five points that we're going to cover in this session, recognizing the enemy schemes, discerning between personal and board interests, pursuing Kingdom interests, staying on mission and wrestling not against flesh and blood. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. He said, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. The apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 2:10-11. Now whom you forgive anything I also forgive for if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, Lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. Every effective ministry, every high functioning board, will engage in spiritual warfare. Will encounter storms, to that will one test them, two that will tempt them, and recognizing first that storms will come is is helpful for the productive board member. Every ministry is going to experience spiritual warfare and being prepared for it. As the Apostle Paul writes, We are wise to the enemy's schemes. We see his fingerprints. When we see a conflict arise, we recognize that he's trying to divide the board. We recognize when he is trying to get us to argue and with with other people and argue about who's right and take sides rather than pursuing peace. So storms come to every board and ministry. And John 6 and Matthew 14 help us learn how to respond to these storms. It's the account of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14. Matthew tells us that the Lord instructed the disciples to get into a boat, go to the other side. And so the disciples were just being obedient, obeying the Lord. They got in the boat, and they started for the other side. And then the storm came. In the middle of their obedience, the storm came, and while they are fighting the storm trying to continue rowing. Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and the disciples were afraid. And Jesus says, Fear not. And you know the story, Peter then gets out of the boat, asks the Lord if he can come to him. He invites him out. He gets out of the boat, he starts to sink. His Lord rescues him. And then what happened next is what I want you to remember in terms of what you must do when your board encounters a storm. And it's found in John 6:21 where we read then they willingly received him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going, rather than walk in fear, rather than walk in failure or doubt, rather than argue take sides and divide the board over a contested issue, the productive board member is going to willingly invite Jesus into the boat and when Jesus comes in the boat, we're going to arrive at our destination. He is our destination. And when we invite Him into that board meeting, when we invite Him into that contested issue, he changes everything. He rescues the board. He helps us. He delivers us from fear and failure and doubt. One of the skills in fighting these storms walking through them as a productive board member, is being able to discern between personal interests and board interests, asking ourselves the
question, Am I being led by the Spirit or my own self interest? Am I seeking what's best for the organization or what's best for someone or something else? There's also the matter of pursuing Kingdom interests, rather than worldly interests. When these storms occur, we're going to apply wisdom, and some boards are going to apply what the Scripture calls worldly wisdom in the book of James, and other boards will apply, seek to apply Godly wisdom. Now these are both wisdom. It's not that worldly wisdom is foolish, it's just that worldly wisdom is focused on the earthly kingdom. Godly wisdom is focused on the Heavenly Kingdom. It's different, it's a different type of wisdom, and these two types of wisdom are laid out for us in James 3:13, reading, who is wise and understanding among you, let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but it's earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. This is worldly wisdom. It is self interested. It's rooted in envy, jealousy, and the word of God tells us this type of wisdom doesn't come from above. So when we're arguing for our view on a ministry matter, and we want we know we're right, we believe we're right, and we are willing to take that hill on that issue and win that win that argument. It's it's easy to fall into the trap of applying worldly wisdom, seeking what we think is best, Godly wisdom is described for us in chapter 3:17, where we read, but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then it's peaceable, gentle, willing to yield full of mercy and good Fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. This is godly wisdom, and the productive board member discerns the difference when we are starting to apply worldly wisdom and when we are applying Godly wisdom, Godly wisdom will display itself peaceably, mercifully, gently, willing to yield, without partiality and no hypocrisy, powerful Godly wisdom. This is a productive board member, bringing the board back to when it starts to divide, when what starts as a appropriate conversation when it becomes disruptive or divisive, even more so, the productive board member is going to step in and apply Godly wisdom, pursuing peace, gently entreating others on the board to show mercy, to continue the dialog with a with godly wisdom, rather than self seeking powerful a powerful board member who does that. Ephesians 6:12, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Whenever there is a board, distraction, disagreement, conflict, recognize we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. The enemy loves to disrupt an effective ministry loves to take our eyes off of Jesus Christ and get them on a problem, get them on a brother or sister who we disagree with or who might be disruptive in some manner, and take our focus off of mission, off of Jesus Christ, and hinder the work of the ministry. But a productive board member in those situations is going to remember to stay on mission, remember that the Lord's at
work. Remember to pursue peace, to give thanks and bring the board back to Mission and away from the distraction, to recognize and call out the spiritual warfare that it's the enemy who wants to divide us. The Lord isn't trying to divide us. The Lord is wisdom. Is gentle, it's peaceable, full of mercy. This is a productive board member. A powerful servant of the Lord, a kingdom minister, bringing blessing to a ministry, bringing blessing to other board members and the staff of that ministry, and those whom that ministry serves, reviewing this session, discern the enemy schemes, willingly invite Jesus into the boat, apply Godly wisdom, stay on mission, and remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Well, I thank you for taking this mini course. I pray that the Lord blesses you in your board endeavors, whatever they may be, God bless you and glory. Make Glory to Jesus Christ, result from your kingdom service as a board member.