What’s my job?

Good morning, CHURCH!

Welcome to FFM where we love God and love people.

If you can, I need you to try and be at service the next 6 weeks.

I’m doing an important 2 part series starting today.

And then I’ll be doing a series titled, Redemption and Rescue - our greatest needs.

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s Pray

Lord, help us to see you as new and fresh through your word today?

Lord, help us to see truth where we have believed lies?

Lord, speak to us through your word today.

Most of all, help us to love you and others more.

Let’s go to the book of Numbers 11:16-17 NKJV for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

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This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination

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Today’s opening shot of wisdom is this.

This passage is part of the narrative describing the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.

They began to crave the foods they had in Egypt, which lead them to discontentment with the supernatural blessing of manna that God was providing.

And this discontentment led them to complain to their Pastor, Moses.

And God answered the complaints with fire that consumed some along the outskirts of the camp.

Then they cried out to Moses who prayed to the LORD who then stopped the fire.

And this was a pattern of Moses carrying the stress of all the people so much that he wanted God to either bring relief or take his life.

Their complaints were not just about food.

They reflected a lack of trust in God and a lack of contentment with His plan and provision.

But today I want you to focus on what God said to Moses to help lift his heavy load.

‌Numbers 11:16-17 NKJV

So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

What do we see that is common in our day.

*The expectations that the people have for the leader to be all and do all for them.

*The people don’t like what’s going on in their lives so they complain.

*They take their problems to their leader who they believe has a greater connection with God.

*The leader feels the stress of having to have an answer or meet everyones expectations.

And this brings me right into today’s message.

Today’s message title:

What’s My Job

I’m going to be sharing with you what my job or role is as a pastor.

It’s very important for us to understand my job and why we do

Church the way we do.

The way most people would like us to do Church won’t work for me or for the collective group of you! (Ex. 18 and Num. 11)

And it’s important that I share my job with you because if you don’t understand my role, you won’t understand yours.

Next week we will talk about your job.

Let’s get started in Exodus chapter 18.

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro pays him a visit and observes his leadership style.

Exodus 18:13-23 NKJV

And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws."

17 So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace."

Look back on verse 18.

Exodus 18:18 NKJV

Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

The way of a Pastor or in today’s church, an XP doing it all, will wear them out AND the people!

· It wears out the people if they can’t get to the Pastor or the Pastor can’t get to them.

· In this passage Moses was given 3 things as his job description!

1. Pray

Exodus 18:19 NKJV

Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.

It didn’t say to stand before the people for God!

· It said to stand before God for the people!

· This is my first role as a Senior Pastor.

· It is first on my Job Description!

· And Satan will try to get me busy doing everything else if he can.

· I am to represent you to God, not God to you!

My job is to pray over the Children’s ministry

· My job is to pray over the elders

· My job is to pray over the staff and volunteers

· My job is to pray over the small Groups

· My job is to pray over the teammates

· My job is to pray over the marriages and singles

· My job is to pray over you!

There are going to be times I have to say “No!”

· I can’t be at everyone’s function!

· I can’t be at every department’s get together!

· I can’t do everyone’s wedding, funeral, baptism or graduation!

· Trying to be everywhere for everyone, takes Pastors away from their main responsibility!

My next job description is:

2. Teach the Word

Exodus 18:20 NKJV

And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

I should spend more time each week praying and studying than I do administrating!

· How much time do most Pastors give to preparation?

· I know Pastors who can’t do much of anything because of administration meetings.

· The Church must allow the Pastor/Pastors to prepare to teach the word.

Notice the 2 areas he told him to teach: (Look at Ex. 18:20 again.)

· The way they must walk. (What do the scriptures say about conducting your life?)

· The work they must do. (What has God called you to do?)

I preach a lot of what the Bible says about the way you must walk (character)

· But I also need to preach on the work you must do.

· Next week I’m going to show you that we all have a ministry.

· And how it’s something we’re good at and we like!

And 3rd on my job description list is:

3. Raise up Leaders

Look at this Prayer of a “Burned Out” Pastor:

Num 11:10-15 NKJV

Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased.

11 So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?

12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.'

14 I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.

15 If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now — if I have found favor in Your sight — and do not let me see my wretchedness!"

If you like me, kill me!

· Kill me here and kill me now!

· What did I do to deserve this?

· Why did you call me into the ministry?

· Being called into the ministry is a blessing not a burden!

Num 11:16-17 NKJV

So the LORD said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

The Lord has given us a group of capable men and women that bear the burden with us, starting with our Exec. Pastor!

Here’s the instruction that the Lord gave for raising up leaders.

· Bring them to the tabernacle with you.

· Bring them into times of prayer with you.

· Notice verse 17, God says, “I will talk with you there!”

Once future leaders are brought into a dynamic small group of discipleship, they will never be the same!

Then He said, “that they may stand with you!”

· Give them some responsibility.

And a fourth that a Pastor should also do is:

4. Be a Good Husband and Father

I could have started here.

· This really is my most important job!

· If I had a job description this would be number 1.

1 Timothy 3:2-5 NKJV

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

We’re not going to sacrifice our families and God doesn’t want us to!

· I’m going to be a good husband and a good father

· I’m going to spend my time praying and studying

· I’m going to raise up leaders

Why am I telling you this?

· Because you’re going to have to step up and be leaders

· Next week, we’re going to talk about “What’s your Job?”

If you’re watching online or here in the building, I have a very important question to ask you.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?