Organizational Discipline

It is necessary, for the overseer to be blameless as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy of base gain.1

A leader is to be blameless at being an overseer. This word is epískopos (derived from epí, "on/fitting contact," which intensifies skopós, "look intently," like at an end-marker concluding a race). Though it has been regarded traditionally as a position of authority, in reality the focus is upon the responsibility for caring for others.2 The primary jobs of a leader is to accomplish the mission and to look out for the welfare of the people; this is household management at it lowest level. The mission here is that I build up my family, teaching them in the ways of God, if I do the promise of God is that my family will not depart from it.3  

Discipline is an important part of any organization. There are principles to adhere to when disciplining. If I bring in new staff and I am not clear on job requirements, then I as a leader have failed in my duties. God doesn't do this to me, so I should not to others. We have instructions in the Bible. the ten commandment are guidelines for us to follow, I should not have to worry as my heart justifies my actions before God, I know his instructions. In His new covenant with us, He puts these instructions in our mind and on our hearts. It's difficult to do this if we do not teach His word. God just doesn't give us His word, he requires that we teach it, that we discuss it with our family so they know the Why.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.4 Notice here that it is not here are my instructions, you figure it out, no, as leaders we are required to diligently teach. Teaching, giving instructions are the primary means the church builds up its members, if instruction is left out and punishment is called discipline then leadership fails. 

A leader is to be blameless as a steward. This word for steward means manager, guardian; (oikonómos (from oíkos, "house, household" and nemō, "to allot, apportion") – properly, a steward (literally, "household-manager")). It is based upon oikonomia which means stewardship, management (administration), i.e. where a person looks after another's affairs. The word nemō is associated with nomos, the law, so it means one who allots or apportions, or administers the law. The leadership principle here is that if I can not measure it I can not manage it. I must know the law to be able to teach it, I must be a good steward not only of his resources but also of teaching of his word.

A leader is not to be self willed. Authádēs (an adjective, derived from autós, "self" and hēdomai, "to gratify self, be indulgent") – properly, a person who gratifies self, i.e. fixed in self-pleasure (engrossed in self-interest). While we usually associate this lack of self will with sexual pleasures, drunkenness, and other external sins, but many believers struggle with the lack of self control. Jesus said to those externally pretty leaders, if you lust after a woman in your heart, then you commit adultery. If you hate your brother, you commit murder. They hated Jesus, the Son of God, they sought to kill him, it is was pleasurable to their senses. Sensual pleasure is what is enjoyable to the natural (physical) senses. One doesn't have to look but at the belt line to see this in the church. The sad thing is we are not being a light, where there is an estimated 1.2 billion people living in poverty, the world is looking to us for hope, and we pat our bellies and say we are blessed, turning our hearts from them.5 

When we as leaders do not put forth core values, operating principles, and teach these things we allow ourselves to operate to sensual pleasures. Leaders operate to sensual pleasures in many different ways, exalting themselves over others, power, control, feelings of importance etc... engrossed in self-interest. Pride. They "wing it", they make up rules as they go, and if they don't like you or feel a need to control you, another rule is added to punish you. They operate like the Pharisees, who added many rules, breaking the commandments of God. At first it would seem they did this to keep themselves and others from sinning, from falling under the mighty judgement of God for disobeying His commandments, but we see later their hearts were far from God. They used these rules to control the people.

A leader is to not to be given to wine. Drunkenness is a sin, the Bible warns of the love of drinking as it does of the love of eating and sexual pleasures. Despite our personal convictions and the negative impact it has had or may have, drinking alcohol is not a sin. We do not label sex and eating as sin as long as they are within the confines of God's boundaries, nor do we wine. Just as we are required to teach, we have a responsibility not to add to nor take away from the word of God. Like the Pharisees many people under the auspices of helping have spent much energy adding to God's word, renaming wine grape juice and such... In my church if I were to do communion with a church, using wine, I would break their rule, the punishment being removed from all leadership in the church for a year. At one time alcohol was the number one preventable cause of death, so justly it was an issue. But now it no longer makes the top ten, it is surpassed by abortion, heart disease, cancer, obesity... 6 

A leader is not to be a striker, or one who just punishes. This word for striker is interesting. I pound, inflict, i.e. (figuratively) to inflict with (calamity) -- smite. The idea here is that without teaching, without discipline, punishment is striking. If my discipline only involves punishment, then I am a striker. Discipline involves punishment when one fails to uphold instructions. but teaching is necessary in that the instructions are being taught. If I inflict punishment without teaching, I am one who punishes or strikes. Some use discipline wrong in this sense, spare the rod spoil the child, so called discipline in beating the demons out of someone, smiting the child. My step-father bought this older horse, she didn't like to be rode, he would beat it with a water hose to break it. One day I saw him riding it, so that weekend I set out to. As I rode across the field I thought, he surely did break it. But as I got close to the tree line, the horse took off under a tree branch, trying to knock me off. Yes, he broke her but she could not be trusted. Striking is against God's principles.

A leader is to not be inclined to anger. Does everyone know in your organization when you are angry? Some leaders put forth this inclination as righteous anger but mostly it is not so. This word orgílos – means that they are prone to anger and harbor resentment, nurturing long-standing anger (prejudice, bitterness). Have you ever heard, I will never work with this person... This is not to be so with God's leaders. There is a time and place for righteous anger. There are principles I can adhere to as a leader. One is to not reprimand people in public. This keeps me from acting on anger and its respects my people, which is important. Another is I do not reprimand in training. It is my duty to train new staff to meet my expectations, and that of my organization, if I do not I fail. I should not put new members in key roles in my organization. The Bible says this can cause the sensual pleasure of self, pride. If I have not fully prepared my people and I reprimand them, especially during training periods, then I have failed. My people should trust me.

There is a teaching of church discipline that says I am to remove fellowship from a person under punishment. The teaching is based loosely on Paul's writing to the Corinthians, were there is a man in the church who is sleeping with his step-mother. It is important to note that under Jewish Law this was incest and a sin, the punishment would have been a casting out from among the people.9 So Paul instructs the church to cast this man out of the church, to be given over to Satan. Now many have used this teaching as a model for church discipline, and to justify punishment of this type for drinking alcohol and other so called sins. The problem with this is that it teaches the church to throw out those who struggle with alcoholism or other addictions, and it promotes belief that these people are not Christian if they still struggle with addictions, or sin as they call it. I whole heartily disagree with this. It is also important to note, that Paul states he cannot speak to this church as spiritually mature, they are babes. Surely his letter to this church should not be as a model for organizational discipline without other scripture to back it up. There is more studying needed in this area and attention should be brought to it. 

A leader leads not out of self gain. From aischros (base, disgraceful) and kerdos (gain, advantage, profit). The word kerdainó comes from kerdos, I gain, acquire, win (over), avoid loss. This definition comes from an ancient mercantile term for exchanging (trading) one good for another; (figuratively) to exchange (trade out) what is mediocre ("good") for the better, i.e. "trading up." Our society has become a trading up society, seeking gain in material possessions, more and bigger buildings, nicer cars, and younger wifes. It is the kind of profit or gain that Jesus spoke of when he said, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.7 Notice we can lead to avoid loss, this is the thinking we only have two paradigms, I win you loose or I loose you win, so we seek to avoid loss. However, there is a third solution; win/win. A leader is to seek eternal gain in God's kingdom; this means accomplishing the mission He has set before us, but it also means caring for his people. The Bible speaks of those who will overthrow sound doctrine because of base gain, because of pride or material profit.8

A leader is to be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.8 There can be no sound doctrine without it being in the light, taught as guidelines within our organization. Again the emphasis is on being taught, on training, and discipline. 

The Proof Of Your Love