WISDOM IN LEADERSHIP

Wisdom in Leadership

Freedom: The Moses Series

Fall Session-4

Exodus 18

LEADERSHIP IS INFLUENCE

ILLUSTRATION: THE WRAP UP/

Don’t want the first part of the verse on the screen.

18

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I,[c]your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the with the people.”[d] 12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till 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 dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

YOUR CALL IS TO CHANGE THE CORNER OF THE WORLD YOU’VE BEEN PLACED IN

Jethro’s space was Moses.  God didn’t call him to change or lead the people.  He called Jethro to change Moses. It would have been easy for Jethro to demand some sort of leadership position from Moses and he would have gotten it.  Jethro was the leader of Moses family.  During his 40 years in the desert before the burning bush Jethro would have lead family and made major decisions.  Moses would have deferred to Jethro for major family decisions.

UNTIL THE STORY STOPS BEING ABOUT YOU, YOU’RE ABILITY AND LEADERSHIP WILL BE LIMITED

After listening to Jethro, Moses understood that He had to make a change.

Pride kills influence.  The greatest leaders in the history of the world have one thing in common.  They have teachable spirits.  Moses listens to his father-in-law.  He shows a willingness to learn from others along the way.  And he teaches others along the way.  We read later in the story that as he is making all these decision Joshua is right there beside him.

It’s this two way idea.

BEING POURED INTO WHILE POURING OUT

This is called discipleship. Someone is pouring into you while you pour into someone else:

INTORDUCE DIANA AS DICIPLESHIP COORDINATOR.

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOUR ABILITY IT'S ABOUT YOUR AVAILABILITY

When will you get serious about following Jesus?  What’s your availability with God?  Is it this narrow limited timeframe or are you available all the time?

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE VOLUME IT’S ALL ABOUT THE VALUE OF WHAT YOU DO.

2 Corinthians 5

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[b] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[c] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.