Too much for one man.
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The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening.
When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”
“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him.
“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.
Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.
But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you.
If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.
The church is bigger than the pastor.
The church is bigger than the pastor.
(CSB)
13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”
When a few cary the load of the many, we accomplish little.
When a few cary the load of the many, we accomplish little.
(CSB)
13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”
15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”
Illus: follow this example… Imagine if you went down to baton rouge this fall to watch the LSU Tigers play. You are excited about the ball game and heard that they had a chance of competing for the SEC title. As the team took the field the oddest thing happened.
Storming out of the tunnel was not the 85 members of the football team, but instead just coach O.
The game begins, coach Orgeron kicks the ball, and the other team receives, runs the ball back and scores.
They kick off to Coach O, he catches the ball, and is tackled. 3 downs later he attepts to punt the ball, but is sacked in the endzone.
The end score of the game is 243-0
Beaten up and battered Coach O walks into the room and says in his gruff way. I did my best, but I was out manned and out played.
Though this seems silly, it is in many respects the way we do church. God has called every member of the church to serve in the body, but in most cases many of you are sitting on the sidelines. You might even be cheering, but you are not in the game.
If we really want to see the church suceed, reach our community, what must happen is that everyone needs to serve.
If we really want to see the church succeed, reach our community, what must happen is that everyone needs to serve.
(CSB) 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
(CSB) 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. Because of Christ, pastors are not a superclass of people. You can go straight to God.
Because of Christ, pastors are not a superclass of people. You can go straight to God.
Because of Christ, pastors are not a superclass of people. You can go straight to God.
10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. Because of Christ, pastors are not a superclass of people. You can go straight to God.
Because of Christ, pastors are not a superclass of people. You can go straight to God.
Because of Christ, pastors are not a superclass of people. You can go straight to God.
(CSB) 15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
Illus: One of the biggest traps the church can fall into is believing the pastors are called the shoulder the bulk of the ministry.
Sometimes it is the belied that the pastor’s are the employees of the church and exist to do the ministry of the church.
Sometimes it is the belief that pastors have better access to God than the people so people are not prayed for unless the pastor makes it.
Friends, when Jesus died on the cross the curtain that separated men from God was ripped in two, signifying that all men can approach God through Christ. You do not need a priest or any man to be your go between. It also means that every person is called to serve Christ through the church.
Are you serving, how are you contributing to the body?
(CSB) 18 For through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.
Sharing the load frees our pastors to focus.
Sharing the load frees our pastors to focus.
“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him.
“You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.
Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.
Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.
But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
When pastors fill all the needs, they cannot focus on their first call.
When pastors fill all the needs, they cannot focus on their first call.
(CSB) 17 “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.
19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.
Illus: In the next few weeks two of our commited members are moving out of town. They have served faithfully in a ministry called the landing. This is a Celebrate Recovery ministry to teenagers who have grown up with parents dealing with addictions.
Right now there is no one to take their place. If we did nothing, this ministry will close it’s doors and these teenagers will lose this ministry.
I refuse to close the doors to this ministry.
Jenn and I have made the commitment to fill in until someone steps up. Hear me friends, if you want to see this passage played out, this is it. As a pastor I am already stretched way too thin, but I know this ministry matters enough to sacrifice for.
I know what you are thinking… poor pastor, surely someone will fill in. This isn’t one of those moments where we send our best wished. This is a moment where we decide if ministry matters in this church. God does not want this ministry to fail, and he has called someone in this body to step in and serve.
Are you willing to step up?
(CSB) 6 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.
SEVEN CHOSEN TO SERVE
6 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.
The blueprint we have at our church is for every person to be involved in corporate worship, in a small group, and through serving in a ministry.
The blueprint we have at our church is for every person to be involved in corporate worship, in a small group, and through serving in a ministry.
(CSB) 20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. 23 If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”
20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. 23 If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”
Illus: How are you connected to our church? Obviously you are attending Big church today. Are you involved in a small group. Maybe it is a Sunday school class, perhaps week night bible study. Are you serving in the church?
Here is the deal if you are not in a small group and would like either be apart of a new group of find out information about joining an existing group, would you fill out the tear out portion of the bulletin and check the box that says “I want to join a bible study group” We will contact you and get you plugged in.
If you want to get plugged into a ministry, perhaps you have a ministry idea, fill out the tear out and check the box “I want to serve in a ministry. We will contact you and get you plugged in.
We work best when we all are serving. When you serve you will experience growth in your walk like you have never known. You will also lighten the load for many who have carried way more than their load.
(CSB) 11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
We are best when we serve together.
We are best when we serve together.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
We are best when we serve together.
We are best when we serve together.
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.
When both pastors and members serve side by side together, we will see God work in miraculous ways.
When both pastors and members serve side by side together, we will see God work in miraculous ways.
Illus: I can’t wait to see God work in this community. I can’t wait to see who he calls to serve in CR. Don’t let this be one of those Sundays that you walk away thinking, “I should probably serve” but you never step up. Instead make a commitment today to not just attend First Baptist Church of Vidalia, but instead you join the body of FBC Vidalia in service.
Illus:
For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.
Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function,
in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.