Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10222 - 7 Keys For Better Spiritual Leadership - Exodus 18

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#10222 - 7 Keys For Better Spiritual Leadership - Exodus 18 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Open your Bibles to Exodus
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chapter 18. Exodus chapter 18.
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I've entitled our Bible study tonight, 7 Keys for Better
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Spiritual Leadership. The end of our Bible study today
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will be a list of seven things that are simple enough but also
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profound and will help you and me as we pay attention to them,
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the better spiritual leaders in every realm of our life.
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But you'll remember the last time we were together, we
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studied chapter 18 in its entirety.
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It was very encouraging. Moses is leading the children of
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Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land the best that he
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can. But there were still problems
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and we may just need to pause there for a moment and
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understand as you move forward, as you give God your best, as
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you live in obedience, there are still problems.
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Problems will always be with us. There will always be challenges.
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And so don't equate like perfect obedience.
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That's going to eliminate every single problem.
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Because as we are learning in pre, in other studies, hey,
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while you're in the middle of a trial, the enemy comes with the
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2nd and the 3rd and the 4th just to get you off your game.
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And here Moses is doing the best that he can with, I believe, the
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purest motives that he could have.
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He just wants to serve them. You remember, we'll see it in a
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moment. But he just said, what are you
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doing? He goes, well, they come to me.
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That's what I'm doing. I'm just responding to the
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people. I don't want to send them away
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empty handed. And from morning to night, the
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people are coming to him with their problems and he helps them
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and he moves them along personally and powerfully gives
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them insight from the law. And he does have some elders
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that are overseeing the various tribes.
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But really of two and a half, 3 million people, the leaders that
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have been mentioned thus far by name are just 4.
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You have Moses, Aaron, her and Joshua.
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I believe there are more, but they're yielding to the
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leadership of Moses. And Moses needs insight.
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So let's just pick up in verse 6 and verse 6 of chapter 18.
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Now he said to Moses, this is Jethro his father-in-law.
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I your father-in-law, Jethro, and coming to you with your wife
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and her two sons with her. So Moses went out to meet his
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father-in-law, bowed down, kissed him, and they asked each
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other about their well-being and they went into the tent and
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Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to
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Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship
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that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had
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delivered them. Jethro brings back his wife and
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children. They talk about all the great
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things that God has done. I love verse 8.
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If you haven't marked it, you need to because this needs to be
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a habit in our lives. When somebody asks us our
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well-being, they ask us how we're doing.
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It is an open door to share. Notice all that the Lord had
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done. It's a great open door for
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anyone, believers and unbelievers alike.
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It'll also be encouraging to you as you share in the midst of
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whatever you're going through, whatever you're facing, to be
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able to share. No, this is what the Lord is
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doing. This is what He has done, and
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I'm sure this was very encouraging.
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Verse 9. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the
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good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom he had delivered
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out of the hand of the Egyptians.
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And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who's delivered you out of
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the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under
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the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is
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greater than all the gods, for in the very thing in which they
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behaved proudly, he was above them.
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Then Jethro, Moses father-in-law, took a burnt
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offering, sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with the elders of
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Israel to eat bread. With Moses, father-in-law before
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God, they're rejoicing in all the good that God has done.
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And that night, I believe Jethro becomes a believer in the
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atmosphere of worship, in the atmosphere of Thanksgiving, in
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the atmosphere of the power of God.
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It was noticeable. It was obvious.
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They're surrounded by two and a half million people.
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The the noise in the camp must have been unbelievable.
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It was amazing what God has done.
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Which reminds me to remind you that worship, especially in
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song, is a key component for a leader.
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It is not just enough to serve, serve, serve and find more
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things to serve. We must take in before we can
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give out. There needs to be that healthy
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rhythm of coming to their. Our service always grows out of
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a relationship with Christ and this is a big mistake.
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You have to understand the reason why God raised you up in
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the 1st place is your faithfulness in the little
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things. You were faithful in the little
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things. He gave you more and he gave you
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more. And so, you know, you see the
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breadth of the responsibilities been given to you.
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But what happens is, and what can happen is I can get to
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someone's head, they can come very prideful, or they can begin
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to think that they, yeah, here I am.
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I've got a title, I've got a position.
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Now my job is no longer to be a worshipper.
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My job is to be a boss. But that's not from the Lord.
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We never stop worshipping and we never listen, especially in the
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Church of Jesus Christ. We never become a boss there.
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There is there is no room with the church doesn't need more
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bosses. The church needs more servants
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and we we want to follow the leader and not even Jesus, the
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head of the church is our boss. He's our shepherd.
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He leads and guides and takes care of us.
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It's not good that we leave the sanctuary and we leave the time
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of worship. When we leave the time of
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communion and we leave the time of pressing in, it's not good
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that we serve, serve, serve, and we're not in the rhythm of
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receiving and worshiping. All true Christian service comes
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from true Christian worship, whether that's be in song,
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whether that be in prayer, whether that be in reading of
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your word, abiding in Christ, developing your first and
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foremost your personal relationship with the Lord.
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Verse 13. And so it was on the next day
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that Moses sought to judge the people, and the people stood
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before Moses from morning until evening.
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So when Moses, father-in-law, saw all that he did for the
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people, he said, what is this thing that you're doing for the
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people? Why do you alone sit and all the
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people stand before you from morning until evening?
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And you got to love Moses. Answer he says, Because the
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people come to me to inquire of God, and when they have a
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difficulty they come to me, and I judge between 1:00 and
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another, and I make known the statutes of God and his laws.
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He's not defensive. He's not upset.
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Moses answers the question, Why am I doing what I'm doing?
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Because this is what happens every day.
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I get up and the people find me. So I found a place to sit down
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so they could all find me easily, and they bring all their
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problems to me. And essentially what he's
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saying, I feel such a responsibility to God that I
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want to help them with their problems.
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I realize my leadership, I realize God's hand upon me, and
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I just want to help them. But you know, as we studied last
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time, this is not what Jethro's speaking to.
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He's not speaking to the what that Moses is involved in.
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He's speaking to the how. What he was doing is very good,
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very honorable, very reflective of a man in tune with the Lord,
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a man that cares for the flock, as Peter would say later,
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someone who shepherds the flock of God, that's among him.
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That's Moses. Jethro's not calling into
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question the what. He's calling into question the
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how. You see, Moses had set up a
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system to oversee the needs of the people.
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And as ministries grow and as organizations grow, as as groups
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of people grow, systems naturally develop, or
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unnaturally. But it's necessary as Jesus, as
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the Bible tells us that God, he's a God that is, does things
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decently in an order. Not even systems are the wrong
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thing to do. Creating a system isn't wrong.
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Although we can create wrong systems, we can't have the wrong
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functionality that's that exists.
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But the idea to organize so that you can do things more
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effectively, the idea to organize so you can serve more
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people, organization's a good thing.
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God loves things done decently and in order.
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But Moses system had him sitting all day listening from morning
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to evening. What he had was a functional and
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in the beginning I believe a very manageable system for
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Moses, but he created problems. He didn't think ahead.
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He was only in the moment. And he he answers, Jethro, I'm
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here because they're coming to me, which was an accurate
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answer. It's true because God was Moses
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was God's representative and the people did come to him.
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He was the right man to come to he.
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He was the one that God recognized and elevated among
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the people. Even as you read later in Joshua
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after the death of Moses, the Bible says that God elevated
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Joshua among the people to take his place.
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And Moses was the right man to go to, but he set himself up for
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failure and God sent him a messenger to help him.
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If he would listen and notice with me in verse 16 or excuse me
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in verse 17, the assessment of Jethro verse 17, his
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father-in-law said to him, the thing that you do is not good,
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both you and these people. So the system that you've set up
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is affecting you and it's going to affect the people in the
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future, in the near future, he says you and these people who
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are with you will surely wear yourselves out.
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Jethro could see something that Moses couldn't see.
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He could see down the road a little bit farther than Moses
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could see down the road a little bit farther, and Moses needed
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Jethro's advice. He says this thing is going to
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be too much for you. Verse 18.
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You are not able to perform it by yourself.
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Listen now to my voice and I'll give you counsel, and God will
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be with you. Stand before God for the people
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so that you may bring the difficulties to God.
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You shall teach them the statutes, the laws.
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Show them the way in which they must walk and the work that they
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must do. So it's not good, Moses.
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It's not good. Jethro is bothered by what he
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sees. He's not impressed with Moses
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leadership style or the fact that he was there all day and
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night. You know, sometimes there'll be
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those that put in hours and hours and hours and hours and
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hours and hours. And part of their expectation is
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people will be impressed by all the hours that they put in.
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And then you'll get somebody like Jethro.
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You go, bro, I can get that done in two hours.
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You don't need to spend 15 hours.
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I can show you a way to get it done in two hours.
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And if you're not careful, you go, wait a minute, don't you
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know all that I've done? And then Jethro, you need
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someone like Jethro. You need to be someone that will
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listen to a guy like Jethro. Where Jethro goes, hey, what
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you're doing is not good. What do you mean it's not good?
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14 hour days, 16 hour days. I'm giving my life to the Lord,
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but it's not good. You're not going to make it.
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This isn't going to last. You're going to be worn out.
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The people are going to be worn out.
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And then what good is that? You're not going to be there for
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him. They're not going to have
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anybody to come to. He's not impressed with Moses
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leadership abilities or style. Moses has a blind spot here,
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even as all we, every one of us have our own blind spots and we
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need those around us like Jethro to help us out so that we can
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see. What we can't see isn't amazing.
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There are things in your life right now.
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There are things in my life I can't see.
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I need to see it, but I can't see it.
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And that's where collaborative, cooperative leadership is so
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important. Here's what Jethro saw, if
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you're taking notes. I think a few things to
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consider. I, I believe he's viewing Moses
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here and he sees Moses became a problem shuffler.
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A problem shuffler. What I mean that that all day
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long all he did was take care of problems.
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He'd heard the complaints, he heard the issues, the problems,
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the misery. But once one got solved, they
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had five more. And then once five got solved,
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he had 10 more. And once word got out that Moses
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was the problem solver, then everybody with problems came to
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him and they didn't attempt to solve their own.
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And it wore him out and took him away from things.
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Here's something a leader you need to understand.
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You need to understand this as a spiritual leader, especially in
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the church. But anything, there are things
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in your role and responsibility that only you can do and you
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should be the one doing them. But there are far more things
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that other people can do and you should delegate them.
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You got to give them away. There are things and what
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happens is either a leaders don't delegate things because
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they're just afraid and insecure and they don't want to see, or
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they, they find themselves in a place where they don't even do
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the things they're supposed to do and it just creates chaos.
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Leaders are things that only you can do and should do, and then
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all the rest you can give away. And what do we call the world
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calls delegation? What do we call that in the
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church? Discipleship.
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God is crawling people, calling around people around you,
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calling up people around you, I should say, to help you so that
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you can do more, not less, so that you can be entrusted with
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more and not less, so that God can accomplish more through more
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people. If you will learn to let go and
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if you will learn just to say, hey, I think that you are
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someone that God's hand like, you know, like my brother Jean
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put a hammer on. Hey, I thought that was a great
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devil, but and he had something to share into my life.
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The thing that you do is not good.
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What do you mean? What are you talking about?
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Well, I think, I think I've got a tool.
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I've got something that can help you and I want you to come
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alongside. I want to help you for the long
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haul. Jethro.
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He speaks the truth and he's reminding them that this isn't
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just a functional solution, it's too much for you.
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Here's what happens when men and women especially, I'll speak to
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the church, but I saw in the corporate world as well, but
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this is what happens in the church, in the leadership.
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Men and women take too much upon themselves and they create undue
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stress in their lives. There's a lot of stress, a lot
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of talk about stress in the world today and there's a lot of
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talk about stress in the church. I mean, you could see it on
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people's face. You just look at him, man, that
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bro is he's stressed out and you want to get to the bottom of it.
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What is wrong? Is it something out in the
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world? Is it something in the church?
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What what is it? As the demands of life and the
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expectations in this world press in against us, you can expect
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the stress levels to increase. Stress as they study things has
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been related to everything from divorce to discouragement, from
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heartburn to heart attacks. And and here's here's, here's
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the danger. Sometimes it's like that in the
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church. I mean, it's pretty obvious to
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see a stressed out leader or a stressed out servant.
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They usually wear it on their sleeves, on their face.
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And there seems to be a philosophy that's been adopted.
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Not around here. We do not subscribe to this at
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all at all. That's why I'm teaching you the
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alternative way. But in some churches, it just
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seems like the badge of honor in a church leadership is to be the
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most exhausted. Somehow.
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The most exhausted means that you've worked the hardest and
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the best. They think the saying goes,
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exhaustion is next to godliness. It's not true.
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Others might even say, and I've heard this phrase, so it's not
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just something I've picked up. I have literally heard people
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say this, I want to burnout for Jesus or I would rather burnout
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than rust out. They would say.
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So let me just ask you a question.
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What good is a burned out Christian?
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That's your end result. That's where I want to be.
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I want to be somebody that's so miserable, so stressed out, so
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exhausted that I'm no good to the body of Christ.
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How good? What?
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What? What do you mean you want to be
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a burned out Christian? Why?
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Why would you say such a thing? I don't believe it's OK to burn
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out. I don't believe that's God's
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will for your life. So if you're headed for that
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right now, here's the voice of Jethro through the Holy Spirit
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in my voice. The thing that you're doing is
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not good. It is not good.
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I don't want you burned out here, quitting, giving up.
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You know what burnout does? When you get tired and you're
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doing too much and you're exhausted and stressed, You know
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what that does? It makes you angry at the very
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people that you've been called to serve.
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I'll give you an example. You sign up.
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I don't know. We put out something in the
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connect. Hey, we need your help and
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you're we we need this many people to sign up.
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And you're the one that signed up.
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And you heard in the announcement we needed twenty
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people to sign up. And when the day comes, you're
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the only one that throws up. And you're like, I thought you
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needed twenty. We did.
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I thought you said 20 signed up. They did.
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Well, where are they? Right here.
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You're the one. Didn't you sign up?
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Yes. Aren't you one?
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Yes. Then what's your problem with
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the other 19? Because they didn't show up and
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I did. Yeah, but the Lord has you.
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You don't need to be upset with the 19.
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God will take care of them. Why are you even worried about
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them? Well, why is that even an issue
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for you? I thought this is how it worked.
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You heard an announcement, you heard a bunch of things around
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it, but the Holy Spirit said, I want you to sign up.
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And you said, OK, Lord, I will sign up and I will show up and I
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will serve. I didn't know that all those
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commitments were OK Lord, I hear you.
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I will sign up if 19 other people do, and I will serve if
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19 other people do. And I will be happy if 19 other
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people serve with me. And before you know it, you're
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upset with 19 people you haven't even met yet.
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And so now you're walking around the church.
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Are you one of the 19? Are you one of the 19?
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You rotten Center? You said you would be here.
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And before you know it, like, like, stop.
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It'd be better that you don't even show up and sign up and
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that zero show up and we just shut something down.
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It's not OK to be all stressed out and mad.
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Not only you become angry with people you're supposed to serve,
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but you also begin to resent the ministry or resent church or
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whatever that represents to you because you've forgotten.
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You've forgotten that there's a pace that God has for you and
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you just want to be faithful. I believe that God has given us
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enough time and enough energy and enough wisdom to do exactly
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what He wants us to do, not more and not less.
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Now, will we be tired at times? Of course, of course we will.
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You know that because we're warned against weariness and the
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step before weariness it tiredness and the Bible says in
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Galatians 6, you can jot it down.
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It says let us not grow weary in well doing or while doing good
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for in due season we will reap if we don't lose heart.
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And it's this principle, this principle that we learn that and
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we've adopted that we as the language of ministry like we do
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it together, but we do it together individually.
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We're serving the Lord. I don't.
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I don't make the commitment to serve if 19 other people do
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because God's ministering to my heart.
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I don't make the commitment to serve if I get what I want
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because I already got what I want.
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Jesus forgave me of my sins. I don't make the commitment to
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serve if some outcome takes place.
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I'm not here for the outcome. I'm here to be faithful and let
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the Lord sort that out. He he says I'll reap in if I
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don't lose heart and due season. I don't know when that season
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is. I just got to wait for the Lord
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to give me the season. All I know is I need to watch
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myself. I need to not grow weary.
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I need to slow down. I need to take things.
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I need to take what's been asked to me, and I need to really
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pray. Should I be doing that?
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Should I not be doing that? But ministry is always teams.
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It's always teams. Even Jesus sent out two by two.
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But teams are only made-up of individuals, personal
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commitments. And we don't want to become
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angry or resentful toward the people that are around us.
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And so notice the answer to the issue in verse 21.
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I want to spend a little bit of time on this and then we'll go
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through a list of things that will help us serve in a few
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moments. But here's the here is the the
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direction. Actually jump back up to verse
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19. Listen now to my voice.
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I'll give you counsel. God will be with you.
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Stand before the people or before God for the people, so
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that you may bring the difficulties to God.
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You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show
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them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.
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Moreover, you shall select from all the people, able men such as
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fear, God, men of truth, hating, covetousness, and play such over
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them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of
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50s, rulers of 10s. Let them judge the people.
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You see that phrase in the English?
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Let them empower them, encourage them, help them, release them.
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But you got to let them, Moses, you got to let them do it.
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Let them judge the people at all times.
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And then if there's any great matter, they'll bring it to you.
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But every small matter, they themselves shall judge.
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So it'll be easier for you and they will bear the burden with
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you. If you do this thing, verse 23,
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and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure.
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And all this people will also go to their place in peace.
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We mark that we as the language of ministry.
22:36
We want to do things together, and as a solution to the
22:39
problem, Moses chooses God's new direction.
22:42
He did get confirmation. Jethro was speaking from the
22:45
Lord. It was wisdom.
22:47
And what does he do in verse 21? He selects and appoints men who
22:51
feared God, men of truth. He they feared God, but they
22:56
didn't fear men. The fear of man is a snare.
22:59
They were men of truth. They hated covetousness.
23:01
They gave and Moses gave them responsibilities consistent with
23:06
their callings and abilities. We see that in the distinction
23:09
between some could oversee more than others.
23:12
Some had, like Jesus would teach us later, some have greater
23:15
capabilities than others. It doesn't mean that they're
23:17
better than others. But let's just say you have
23:19
responsibility over 1000 and you have responsibility over 10.
23:23
They go, oh man, I wish I had more than 1000.
23:25
No, God made you for 10. Be faithful with the 10.
23:29
But this brother over here, the sister, she can handle 1000.
23:32
And then, you know, you go, well, look at me.
23:33
I can handle 1000. No, no, no, you got to
23:35
understand, the only reason you can handle 1000 is because God
23:38
is faithful. That's it.
23:39
And you're faithful to him and he's faithful to you.
23:42
It doesn't make you any better than the 10.
23:43
The person that overseas 10 faithfully and the person
23:46
overseas 1000 faithfully is on the same team and we all make
23:51
progress together. Nobody's better.
23:54
Nobody's better than anyone else.
23:57
And that's what he says. There's going to be
23:58
distinctions. There's thousands and hundreds
24:01
and 50s and 10s. I just want to be faithful to
24:04
what God has called us to do. The important thing about
24:09
delegating is the responsibility to have people demonstrate both
24:13
their abilities and their proven character.
24:16
The essence of anyone serving is their character, their
24:19
relationship with the Lord. That is always more important
24:23
than ability. No one should ever be chosen for
24:26
their abilities. They should be chosen for their
24:28
character and the integrity of their lives.
24:31
We see that throughout the scripture.
24:34
Now I want to pause here for a moment.
24:35
As you'll recall in our study last time, I mentioned how many
24:40
people will come to this passage of Scripture and with the phrase
24:44
Moses model of leadership, they'll create a caricature of
24:48
some man that failed as a leader and then automatically come back
24:53
and go, well, you know, Moses model of leadership.
24:56
It's just not today. It's not New covenant.
24:58
And I want to show you that this is a model throughout the
25:01
Scripture. And here's the model.
25:03
God chooses a man to lead and then surrounds that man with
25:07
capable men and women to help him lead.
25:09
It's all throughout the Bible. You cannot miss it if you're
25:12
looking for it. So let me just share a few
25:14
things for you so you can see it if you want to jot it down.
25:16
God raising up a man to lead his people, giving him delegated
25:20
authority, than to select able men and women to serve alongside
25:26
of them. It's repeated throughout the
25:27
scriptures. If you're taking notes, just jot
25:29
them down. I'll read them to you because
25:31
there's quite a few. Second Corinthians chapter 10
25:34
verse 13. Paul says we however, will not
25:37
boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which
25:41
God has appointed us. So God is the one that places
25:45
the limitations upon us and He limits our sphere.
25:48
First Timothy chapter 2 verse 7, for which I was appointed, Paul
25:53
says Paul says I was appointed a preacher and an apostle speaking
25:58
the truth in Christ. Jesus himself was given
26:01
authority and he chose able men. Remember Luke chapter 6 verse
26:06
13? When it was day he called his
26:08
disciples to himself and from them he chose 12 John chapter 15
26:14
verse 16. You did not choose me, Jesus
26:17
said, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should
26:22
go and bear fruit. The early church we learned in
26:25
depth not too long ago in Acts chapter 6.
26:28
The first big problem in the church was this revelation of
26:32
what Moses was dealing with thousands of years earlier in
26:35
Acts chapter 6, verse one. Now in those days when the
26:38
number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a
26:41
complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their
26:44
widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
26:49
Then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and
26:52
said, It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God
26:56
and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out
27:00
from among you 7 men of good reputation, full of the Holy
27:04
Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
27:08
Seek them out, find them. Paul chose Titus and Timothy.
27:11
Remember to lead churches. It was Paul's choice as the
27:15
leader in first Timothy chapter one, verse 3.
27:18
As I urge you, when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus,
27:22
that you may charge some. They teach no other doctrine.
27:25
Titus, chapter one, verse 5. For this reason I left you in
27:28
Crete, that you should set in order the things that are
27:32
lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you.
27:35
Then you'll remember that Paul instructed both Titus and
27:40
Timothy Timothy for them to choose elders.
27:43
He said this in second Timothy 22.
27:46
The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses
27:49
commit these two faithful men who will be able to teach others
27:54
also. Titus chapter one, verse 5.
27:57
For this reason, I left you in Crete that you should set in
28:00
order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in
28:03
every city as I commanded you. This is a common theme
28:08
throughout the scriptures and what we learned.
28:12
What we've learned is that if the system of government or
28:15
leadership fits within the pale of scriptures, then what's most
28:20
important because there's primarily 3 forms of government
28:24
if you're taking notes within the scriptures, 1 is what's
28:27
known as an elder run type of church.
28:30
You may have come from that where there is a plurality of
28:33
elders and no one elder is more important than the other and
28:36
they're the ones that get together and vote on things for
28:39
the direction of the church. Very simple explanation but an
28:42
accurate 1 I believe another form of government is a
28:46
congregational LED government within the church.
28:49
And way that works is all the issues come up through
28:52
committees and different meetings and then the church
28:55
votes on everything. We'll colour the carpet, we'll
28:57
colour the chairs. They vote on everything, which
28:59
creates a lot of division, a lot of difficulty and a lot of
29:02
slowness. And it really removes any power
29:05
from the pastor and he's becomes a politician trying to form
29:09
everyone and trying to help everyone that that really isn't
29:14
a form of government that you see in the Scriptures, by the
29:17
way. You don't really see in the
29:19
Scriptures this idea of everyone voting on everything.
29:21
It's nowhere actually in the Bible.
29:23
It's more informed, I think from our current cultural pressures
29:28
and than anything then biblically.
29:30
And another form of government could be the Episcopal type of
29:34
form of government where there is a leader, a pastor leader.
29:38
Now sometimes the older form might say there's one elder
29:41
that's equal. But above all, and I understand
29:43
that they're trying to accomplish what a pastor LED, or
29:46
what a Moses LED, or what a Jesus LED, or what a James LED,
29:50
or what a Titus LED or a Timothy LED church all throughout the
29:53
Scriptures that there is conveyed authority in a man and
29:57
collaborative and cooperative ministry of accountability among
30:01
many. But there is one leader.
30:03
And in the church that you're in right now listening to me or
30:06
listening on the radio, this is a pastor LED church.
30:09
It was a pastor LED church when we moved here and there were
30:11
only 30 people attending this church.
30:14
And it's going to be a pastor LED church.
30:16
And for the foreseeable future, this is God's will for our
30:20
lives. And God has raised up over the
30:22
years capable, faithful men as elders and pastors and board
30:27
members to help lead this church into the future.
30:30
And as we come and celebrate almost 25 years, we look back
30:34
and we just thank God for the faithful men and women of the
30:37
church over the years that that is a viable methodology.
30:42
Here's what happens. Just because there is a lack of
30:46
integrity or gross sin or immorality in the leadership
30:51
doesn't necessarily mean that the system is broke.
30:55
It means the person is broke. As a matter of fact, if someone
30:59
in let's say a Moses motto of leadership gets found out to be
31:02
in gross sin and is exposed and is required to repent, it sounds
31:08
like the Lord's in that church, doesn't it?
31:10
When something gets found out and somebody can't get away with
31:13
sin, that they don't have free reign because the Lord is the
31:17
Lord of the church and he won't let anyone get away with anyone.
31:20
You, you just remember that that might be a word for someone
31:23
right now where you're on the other side of something and
31:25
you're just thinking, man, I just got a raw deal.
31:28
And I don't think it's ever, look, God will not allow anyone
31:31
to get away with anything. You just have to understand that
31:34
there's going to come a day when every hidden thing is revealed.
31:39
And for some of you, that's a real positive thing.
31:41
Some of you are a little scared by that, but you don't need to
31:44
be. Just come clean before the Lord
31:46
and you don't have to worry about anything being revealed
31:48
because you came clean before the Lord and you followed and
31:52
you took God's soap. You know, first John 19 and you
31:56
washed away. If you confess your sins, He's
31:58
faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, to
32:03
forgive us the blood of Jesus Christ.
32:06
Some of you need to take a shower tonight with first John
32:09
19 and just be freshly clean and confess to the Lord and just
32:15
come clean. Some of you won't come clean
32:18
because you know that it's going to cost you.
32:21
That's why you've been lying and that's why you've been cheating
32:26
and that's why you've been hiding.
32:28
And the Bible says because something isn't judged right
32:30
away, then you start thinking you're getting away with it and
32:33
it's going to be OK. And the farther I go, the more
32:36
in the past it will be. The problem is, is it's with you
32:39
right now. Sin is like, it's like dirt,
32:43
man. It just sticks to you, but God
32:46
is ready to cleanse you and refresh you.
32:48
There's no need to hide. There's always, there's always
32:53
an opportunity to come clean before God.
32:56
And in the church, under the words you know, under the banner
32:59
of collab collaborative, cooperative.
33:02
It's never OK for a pastor to Lord over the flock.
33:06
It's never OK for a pastor or a leader or an elder to take
33:09
advantage of position. No position exists in the church
33:14
that hasn't been conveyed from Jesus.
33:16
It's his church, it's his blood. He died for this church.
33:20
I didn't die for this church. You didn't die for this church.
33:22
He died for his church. And we would do well to walk in
33:26
his self sacrificial ways. Not really promoting whether
33:30
you're the boss or you're important.
33:31
I mean, you just know when someone lead, tries to lead like
33:35
that, and they're just letting you know their title and their
33:37
position and everything, you know, in that moment, they're
33:40
not leader anymore. They have lost it and they're
33:44
trying to get it back through guilt and manipulation and
33:46
power. Like there's no room for that in
33:49
the Church of Jesus Christ because it will slow us down.
33:53
It will hinder the work of the gospel if we get all caught up
33:56
in titles and positions and importance.
33:59
Nobody's important here, only Jesus's.
34:02
He alone is deserving of our praise, our honor, our worship,
34:06
and our humility. All right, with that in mind,
34:08
let's go through the seven things now that we've kind of
34:11
summarized Exodus 18. I love this chapter.
34:14
There's even another angle you can take in this chapter, but
34:17
we'll do that some other time. Here's 7 things in this section
34:20
for that are keys for effective ministry.
34:23
They're not only 7, but I pulled them out.
34:26
And remember, it's for all of us, not just for those with
34:28
responsibility or positions. This will help all of us.
34:30
Number one, verse 19, you want a key and spiritual leadership is
34:36
prayer. That's what he's in 1st 19.
34:39
Listen now to my voice. I'll give you counsel.
34:41
God will be with you. Stand before the people that you
34:44
may bring the difficulties to God.
34:46
How do you bring difficulties to God through prayer?
34:49
Prayer is very important, Moses stand before the people, but
34:52
make sure you take those issues to the Lord.
34:55
And so a spiritual leader is a man or woman of prayer.
34:58
Truly you're the more you're in ministry, the more you pray #2
35:02
verse 20 teach you pray and you teach.
35:07
It says right here in verse 20, you shall teach them the
35:10
statutes. Moses, pass on the truths that
35:14
you've been taught so that the people might come alongside of
35:17
you in like mindedness. We already read Second Timothy
35:20
22 to find men can give them the truth.
35:23
I mean really, if you were thinking about church growth and
35:26
church planting, Second Timothy 22 is one of the best verses in
35:30
all the Bible on church growth. This is how church grows.
35:32
This is how church multiply. This is how men and women are
35:36
used greatly of the Lord. The things you've heard from me
35:39
among many witnesses commit these to faithful men and women
35:43
and be able to teach others also.
35:46
Whatever you've received. That means everyone after one
35:49
Bible study, you have enough to give someone else.
35:50
Did you know that after just one Bible study, How about 52 of
35:54
them if you come to everyone this this year, How about 104 of
35:58
them if you hit midweek too? How about 156 of them if you
36:03
come Saturday nights too and you just want double dose on the
36:05
weekends like you have enough to give away.
36:08
The question is, are you giving away because that's part of
36:10
leadership. Give away what you know.
36:12
Verse 3 Learn. So we have pray, teach, learn.
36:18
Notice Moses yields to wise instruction.
36:22
This is so, so important. He yields to wise instructions
36:27
because we see in verse 24, Moses heeded the voice of his
36:31
father-in-law and did all that he had said.
36:34
He prayed, He confirmed this was from God, and he yielded.
36:38
He listened and received the danger, of course, of any
36:41
spiritual leader is this idea that I've arrived and you can't
36:44
teach me anything and I I'm the boss and you're the follower.
36:48
It's just all nonsense. Don't follow that kind of
36:50
leadership here or wherever you go to church or don't follow
36:53
that kind. That is not leadership.
36:55
That is insecurity and a variety of other things, but it's not
36:58
leadership. Not pointing you to the Lord.
37:01
Jot this down. Hold their places.
37:02
We haven't turned it all. I want you to see this because
37:05
this is such like probably the most important point.
37:07
I mean, I don't know if I can, if I can, which one's most
37:11
important, but this one's super important.
37:12
Turn over to James chapter 3. Because if Moses, his whole
37:17
ministry hinged on this point right here, he could have
37:20
prayed, he could have received, he could, there's a lot of
37:23
things he could have done. But if he didn't do this, no
37:27
effective change would have happened.
37:29
And notice we get insight on what wisdom is from God right
37:32
here in James chapter 5. No, I'm sorry.
37:36
James chapter 3, verse 17. James chapter 3, verse 17.
37:39
Listen, James writes. The wisdom that is from above is
37:44
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full
37:53
of mercy, good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy.
37:58
Are you willing to yield when you're wrong?
38:04
Are you willing to yield when you're partially wrong?
38:10
Are you willing to yield when you're not wrong at all, but
38:15
someone has a better idea than you do?
38:19
Are you willing to yield? It'll be the hinge on which your
38:23
ministry and your leadership, the door turns on that hinge.
38:26
If you're willing to yield, and if you're willing to yield, if
38:30
you're willing to listen, you're willing not to be so defensive
38:33
and put up a fight and push your agenda, and you could be used
38:36
really greatly from the Lord. It's so important.
38:39
We need to learn to make our decisions in the wisdom of God
38:42
#4 #4 so, so far we have pray, teach, learn #4 show.
38:50
That's what He was to do. Show them the way that they
38:52
should walk. You should select them, it says,
38:55
or excuse me, verse 20. Teach them the laws and show
38:58
them the way. You know often what we will, we
39:03
will talk about teaching, but then showing is what your
39:05
example. They need to be able to see it.
39:09
What did Paul say? Imitate me as I imitate Christ.
39:13
He says, look at me and follow me.
39:16
And the things that represent the character of Jesus.
39:19
I want you to follow that. I want you to adopt it into your
39:22
life. There are two ways of teaching,
39:24
by word and by deed. Jethro tells him to do both.
39:29
He said, I want you to teach, but I also want you to live it.
39:32
And the minister, the spiritual leader is an example of God's
39:35
wills, ways and work, not just in the church, but also in the
39:41
world. Do you exemplify the wisdom of
39:45
God as mentioned in James at work?
39:50
Do you exemplify the wisdom of God as mentioned in James at
39:54
home with your parents, with your, your you know, your
39:59
siblings, your brothers and sisters are you?
40:01
Are you exemplifying the wisdom of God in your marriage, your
40:06
singleness to the person you're renting a room from?
40:09
It's very important. Your ministry will not progress
40:13
unless you learn how to show by example.
40:17
Notice the next one number five. Another key is select select
40:24
choose able many says in verse 21, select from all the people
40:28
able men select you. You need to be looking.
40:31
Your eyes should always be looking for someone to pour your
40:33
life into. We exempt we exemplified that
40:36
last time by as as a leader, a Paul would always have a Timothy
40:40
and as a Timothy, you always have a Paul.
40:43
Now that doesn't mean you have this one-on-one relationship
40:45
always that you're you can watch Paul's and learn from them.
40:48
But for a Paul, you always want to have someone that you're
40:51
training and developing and pouring into 1235.
40:56
You're always, your eyes should always be on the lookout who
40:58
God's raising up, who has potential.
41:01
Come on, come with me. Let's take out the trash
41:03
together. Oh, I do not take out the trash.
41:06
All right, bro, it's going to take a while.
41:07
You got a lot to learn. I don't know why it's OK for me
41:11
to take out the trash, but you don't take.
41:12
But I'm going to do it because that's what God's called me to
41:14
do. And you just, you know, the
41:16
best. The thing that I share with the
41:17
pastors all the time is just invite people to come along with
41:20
you. You don't have to sit them down
41:22
and like give them a Bible study.
41:24
Just let them hang out with you, serve with them, talk with them,
41:27
be among them. And they had special qualities.
41:30
So it's not just anyone. And notice that they had to fear
41:32
God. They had to be men of truth so
41:35
it could be trusted. They had to hate covetous.
41:38
Why do they have to hate covetousness?
41:40
Well, primarily, this is very interesting, isn't it?
41:42
It's a very early test, primarily because other leaders
41:47
will have different responsibilities.
41:50
So you got to be really careful. The thousands might be the 10
41:54
might covet the thousands, but you know, there are times when
41:58
people have responsibility over the thousands and they covet
42:00
just having 10. It goes both ways.
42:05
It's not just one. You have to, hey, you got to be.
42:07
What's the antidote to covetousness?
42:10
Contentment. Whatever God has for me, I want
42:14
it and I'm happy with it. I don't need anything more and I
42:18
don't need anything less. I have the Lord number six.
42:24
We mentioned this already, but a strong spiritual leader will
42:27
delegate or place people in the right positions.
42:32
I think it was Skip Itzik that I got this from, but I made it my
42:34
own. Like he described us as leaders
42:37
as like spiritual talent scouts where our responsibility is to
42:41
discern what your gifts and talents are and make sure you're
42:44
in the right place doing the right thing.
42:47
Many of the times people in the church love that.
42:49
But when there needs to be a, a correction or a movement like
42:53
you, you like what you're doing. But I see or one of the leaders
42:56
says, I think you should be over here.
42:57
If you're not humble about it, you can get all beat out of
42:59
shape and forget that the Lord put us in your life to help you
43:03
get in the right place to do the right things.
43:06
Even if you don't like the role or position, just know the Lord
43:09
has something for you there. He has something right there.
43:12
When I, when I was assigned in Bible school, learning Greek and
43:16
learning all kinds of things about the Bible and I was
43:18
assigned to go hold screaming babies in the nursery, Let me
43:22
just say I wasn't too happy about it.
43:25
I just have a baby at the house and he's in diapers and he's
43:29
still young and, and now I got a baby in the house.
43:31
Now I go to church and I'm holding other people's babies,
43:34
but I had a lot to learn. And by the way, babies don't
43:38
care about the Greek or the Hebrew.
43:39
They could care less. They speak Greek and Hebrew.
43:42
You need to, you got to learn what they're trying to say to
43:45
you. But you do that.
43:46
You learn. God has something for you to
43:48
learn in the role that you're in.
43:51
And it's almost like if you don't want to learn it, then
43:54
it's going to be a miserable experience.
43:56
You've got to go into everything, not just because you
43:59
want it or like it, but because you love the Lord and you're
44:02
willing to do anything and go anywhere for Him.
44:06
And that's a great place to be. There's a lot of contentment
44:09
there. And so as a leader, we need to
44:11
learn how to delegate, and that means we also trust the
44:13
ministry. It's a very painful thing, by
44:15
the way. It's been very painful for me
44:18
over the years. We're on the one hand, it's been
44:21
wonderful where the numbers far outweigh in the positive side of
44:26
the delegated ministry that's happened here, that there's been
44:29
much fruit and much just a blessing in the church.
44:33
But there have been men and women over the years where I've
44:35
delegated ministry to them and they've hurt other sheep and it
44:40
stinks. It hurts sometimes.
44:44
It makes me angry where they don't love the church like I
44:48
love the church. Or more importantly, they don't
44:50
love this church like Jesus loves the church.
44:53
And I just want you to know that as you're stepping in, like we
44:56
take the ministry seriously here.
44:59
We don't want people hurt. We don't want people taken
45:02
advantage of. I mean, if that's your deal and
45:05
that's what you want, you come to our church and say, oh, it's
45:07
big and I can find a place that then just go, no, don't go
45:09
somewhere else. Repent.
45:12
You're wrong. You're in sin.
45:16
And even if you go off, you try to do your own thing and God is
45:19
not going to bless it. I promise you he's not going to
45:21
bless it. I don't care how you describe.
45:23
Well, look at what God's doing. Look what he's going.
45:25
Look at it. It's not the blessing of God.
45:27
It's the work of man and you know people will be happy and
45:31
all those pictures you take and people will be blessed.
45:33
You know why? Because God loves those people,
45:37
but he's not blessing your ministry.
45:39
He's blessing the people he died for.
45:42
And so over the years, I have delegated to people, and I'm
45:45
sure I will in the future, where we thought they had these
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characteristics. We thought that there was that
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integrity, but there wasn't. And so just take this Bible
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study and get right with the Lord.
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You're pressing in. Get right with the Lord.
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The seventh thing is to oversee. So let me just repeat them for
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you. Prayer, teach, learn, show,
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select, delegate and oversee. Because remember, whenever you
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delegate something that double S your work, it doesn't half your
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work. Did you know that sometimes you
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think when you're delegating, oh, I get to do less?
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No, you get double work now because you get to train someone
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and teach them how to do it, and then you must follow up and make
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sure they did it the way that they were supposed to do it.
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Especially in the church, because the people matter.
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People matter. Titles don't matter.
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Positions don't matter. Well, you know I am.
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You know I'm elder. Did the Lord put you in that
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place? Oh, yeah.
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But nobody affirms it. Like nobody thinks you're an
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elder. Well, you know I am.
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I made my. No, nobody thinks you are.
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You won't even take out the trash, bro.
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Listen, you need to stay available and you need to stay
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involved and remain humble. I mean, we could do a list of
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the 1015 things, but it's important that like Moses here,
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we learn in Numbers 11, he did select 70 men.
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He did get the help. They were able to handle the
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regular stuff. For me, we Fast forward to the
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New Testament and you know, it's not good for me to leave prayer
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and the study of God's Word to serve tables because that's the
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only thing I can do in the role that I have is to pray.
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I'm the only one that can do that in the realm of pastor
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teacher that God has given to me.
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You can't do that for me. I can't just speak into my
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phone. AI give me a sermon.
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What kind of nonsense is that? You guys, You guys don't want to
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show up to a church that some computer wrote for you because
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it could be all polished and sound really good, but it's not
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from the Lord. And you're going to have to tune
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your ears in the future to listen for the voice of the Lord
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because there's going to be a lot of polished nice things
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coming out in this new season of AI and the different tools that
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are available. The Bible program that I used
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just added a whole new AI feature to it, and it made my
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heart ache because I know that many are going to use that
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feature as a way to substitute prayer and the study of God's
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Word. And I learned over the years
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that I must give things away and I must teach and train and I
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must focus on what God's calling me to do, no matter what people
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think and how people might be upset and how I might not be
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able to do some of the things I really love doing because I must
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do what God has called me to do. And we see that in Acts chapter
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6. When I do what God's called me
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to do, you do what God's called you to do.
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You do what God. When we are all in the place
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that God wants us, the church moves forward and lives are
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changed and communities are transformed, and nations start
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worshipping God and the world bows their knee to the one true
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God Creator. Listen, I'll say it one more
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time. I want to say it out loud and as
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clear as I can. Promotion doesn't come from the
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East or from the West, but God raises up one and puts down
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another. You can't convey spiritual
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leadership upon yourself. I mean, you can.
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You can put the website, you can get the business cards, you can
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do it yourself, but that's not from the Lord.
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There's a word for that. You know what it's called?
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Flesh. It's flesh and what you want is
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to walk in the Spirit. That's true leadership.
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And so, Lord, thank you for the example of Moses and in Acts and
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with Jesus and with Paul, Timothy, Titus, on and on the
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list goes. Thank you, God, for giving us
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leaders. I thank you for my pastor Jeff
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and his wife Karen, and the leaders.
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Even thinking about my friend Glenn, who's 80 years old and
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still serving the Lord, unbelievable.
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And I thank you for Jean and Lee, just a brother in the Lord
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that had a desire to see me grow.
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I thank you God for Rudy, who would be patient with me as I
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was entrusted with serving the kids and countless other people
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both in California and here in Colorado that have been patient
50:34
with me as I learned to grow up in ministry, as I learned to
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mature in the calling upon my life, as I learned to serve,
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learn that principle that the way up in God's Kingdom is
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always down. And I pray that over our church.
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I know, I wish this study was given to the whole, you know, to
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everyone on the weekend, but it's us.
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It's for us tonight. It's a special word just for us.
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It's fresh manna for us. We're the ones that went out and
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got it. We're the ones that receive it.
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And so those that might be listening later, Lord, may they
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receive the fresh manna. Those that are working tonight
51:07
or sleeping because they have to get up early in the morning or
51:09
they got kids, they have to be at school or maybe in the
51:11
hospital right now. Lord, we just pray for fresh
51:14
manna in this new season that we're not going to rest on all
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the years that you've given us because we we know you have more
51:21
years for us. So we want to move forward.
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We want to be more useful, more usable, more effective.
51:28
We want to be more open to your spirit.
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We want to test the waters and step out in faith and be less
51:34
critical, less defensive. So much Lord, you're doing among
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us and we yield ourselves afresh and a new to you tonight in
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Jesus name, Amen. We pray that you've been
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encouraged by this Bible study delivered live from the
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sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
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Call us at 87730 grace that's 877-304-7223.
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To listen to this message in its integrity or to join us for our
52:02
live stream services, visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church
52:07
or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Be blessed as you worship Jesus this week.