Part 18: God's Best Leaders

But we have been studying the book of Exodus. And at the point in the text this morning in Exodus 18, it's been probably a little over a year since this guy named Moses met Jesus through a burning bush in the wilderness. And I Jesus spoke to him through the burning bush and said Moses. I'm calling you to go and rescue my people. I've heard their cries while they're slaves and under oppression in Egypt and I'm sending you the most powerful leader of the most powerful Nation on Earth.

To go before him and tell him to let my people go. This is my is my 80 years old at this point. He did run into the Wilderness because he had murdered a man. He's he's not totally pure.

Exclusively. The only ones that uses in Moses is one of them and just goes and sends a multiple plagues and at 10 flags with culminating with the death of the firstborn in free. All of his people from the hand of the suppressor Pharaoh in Egypt and even as they're leaving God is visibly and physically leading them with a pillar of cloud by day and Fire by night and weeds them after the Red Sea.

Or anywhere from a million to two and a half million people depending on which commentator you read and how you want to calculate how many people wandering in the desert after being freed from Egypt and got bracula who provides fresh water and then food and then water again and every turn he's providing for them, even when they complain and Grumble against him and every moseson and got people are on their way to Mount Sinai Mount Horeb the Mountain of God where they're going to meet with him and we'll see you next Sunday over the next couple Sundays God shows himself in miraculous power and gives them the Ten Commandments of how they're supposed to live. Once they get into the promised land and on their way. We get the chapter 18 and they're very close to Sinai. If not at the foot and at the base of it. and that's where we're going to be in the text this morning and Exodus chapter 18, but

Just a few introductory things Moses. Just so you know, even though I mentioned he was faulted and faulty individual sinful just like everyone of us Moses was a great leader. He was an incredible leader used by God. In fact about Moses. This is right after his death has not Arisen a prophet sense and Israel like Moses. the Lord knew face to face goes on to say there were none like him. And it was the greatest leader. I believe to ever live. An incredible incredible leader in man of God despite his shortcomings and one of the things about Moses.

Over and over and over that happens in the New Testament and he was second only to Jesus.

forward to the cross of Jesus Christ and all

leaving Tower

To him who appointed him? Just as Moses was also faithful in all of God's house has a greater 3/4. Jesus has been counted worthy of more Glory than Moses. First he Compares Jesus to Moses when he says by the way, Jesus is greater. Just make sure I get the order right Jesus is greater as much more glory is the Builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.

All In All God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. In other words. I'm Moses pointed forward for the cross to testify to things spoken later. But this Faithful over God's house at House of the sun is the sun with all of the inheritance all of the Power all of the glory. All of all is Jesus is greater than Moses and we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence in our boasting in our house.

So what made Moses such a great leader will you put it up? Jesus is greater, but Moses is still a great leader. What what makes anyone a great leader? From the get-go. I thought you should know this morning when we're in Exodus chapter 18, you know, as I study God's word I try to take it and unpack it together with you and then hopefully by God's grace tell you how you can do that. And then also how you can apply it to your own life. Right? We just need to know if you're really that the greatest application of it is to those who are leading and specifically those who are leading within the church now, so I just want to acknowledge that right away at the geared towards leaders, but Before you two me out now for the rest of the morning going on. I'm not I'm not a leader. If you don't consider yourself, one of the formal sense. The reality is everyone of us are called to lead in some way shape or form done. Maxwell King of saying that leadership is simply influence and all of us have influence and leading and caring and serving other people influence for God's kingdom and you're called to lead even if the only person you ever lead is yourself. You're still leading someone who is precious and valuable to God. So you're a leader. Do you might lead yourself? You might lead your family that could be your primary family or spouse your extended family might lead your friend.

a multimillion-dollar corporation

eClass you might lead by serving on a volunteer board and whatever you do, you do lead in some ways even if it's only yourself. So this message is for you at home in the marketplace wherever that is. There's principal you're going to look at this morning that are applicable to you as an individual and the other thing I want to make clear this morning is that many of the application points are at least the outline this morning. Does not fully originated with me. I'm just going to be honest as I can that I'm stealing many of the main points today from a friend from a guy who is a pastor also in the Free Church a guy by the name of Larry Osborne, and he's written numerous. and 3 for the Tiny's password a large churches And so if you hear me say something like I think I've heard that before you might have you probably have if you serve on a board you probably have and I'm just being up front right away that he enjoyed some of these things better than I can. So I'm just stealing what he said. All right, my disclaimer for the morning, and then we're going to dive into Exodus chapter 18. Let me pray father. Thank you for Jesus and Lord Jesus as we study.

So that we could be like him and ultimately be like you in the ways that we leave ourselves ways. We leave our families. place Holy Spirit, I pray to that even as I teach and unpack your word that you would be teaching me and speaking through me. Prayer against the enemy of servants their Works in a fax he would cause cause us not to believe your word to not Rest In Your Grace not live out who we were called to be but instead to the cower in fear or guilt. To do this with you free us and help us by your spirit. Make us more like you do your name we pray. Amen. Exodus chapter 18 lesson that you can look it up on your digital device or if you I want to grab one of the Bible's out of the Pew it's page 34 and let me just start reading chapter 18 throw the priest of Midian Moses father-in-law heard of all that got it done for Moses and for Israel his people and I love the Lord he brought Israel out of Egypt earlier next door and he's known by different name at that point roll off her, excuse me, and he's a different name is known by a couple different name. So this is the same guy. This is Moses father-in-law. Moses father-in-law Sons the name of land

in scripture of Moses sending his wife and his kids back home to his father-in-law Jethro.

And so we don't know for sure when this is there's a couple possibilities that could be before he entered into Egypt for their safety. Send them back. It could be that after they crossed the Red Sea Moses sent them to find your father and tell him what's happened and ask him to come and see us his wife and his father-in-law. And now the cross the Red Sea and they're coming back with Jethro Moses father-in-law Jethro coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bow down and kiss them and they asked each other of their welfare, and they went into the tentative in. Possibly up to over a year since they've seen one another. It's a lot of catching up takes place here.

It's not the hand of pharaoh and his deliver the people.

bored

because in this affair, they don't arrogantly with the people and Jethro.

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.

Moses wife with Jethro's daughter and her two sons and they come.

When you look at verse 13 the next day.

and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening, so

Why do you sit alone and all the people stand around you from morning until evening and they come to me and I decide between one person and another and I'm doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out for the thing is too heavy for you if you're not able to do this alone.

He says I will give you advice and God will be with you and God be with you. You still represent the people before God and bring their cases to God and you so warn them about the statutes in the walls and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do more overlooked for abelman from all the people menu. trustworthy

Judge, the people at all times ever any small matter, they still decide themselves.

Show all the people.

That sounds awful to me.

You know, it's like going to the DMV. It's no good there just there forever. Opening here, right?

Can I put in a little bit? Can I give you a little advice? This is really dumb. Why are you doing all this you can't do all this yourself?

You need to lead in the way that you can.

out of all Israel Over The People Chiefs

and they judge the people at all times that idea by the way of judging them can mean settling disputes. It can mean a council it can it can mean a variety of different things. Like necessarily just a judge on the bench with a robe in a gavel but but really giving advice to people a Godly wisdom and counsel and they judge the people at all times any hard

There's a handful of principles we could impact from this passage and I'm going to kind of key and on five of them this morning. Moses was a great. So what made him such a great leader?

And your home in the marketplace in the church, and that the first one is this great leaders are teachable. Great leaders are teachable friends. First of all great leader will learn from God Proverbs 8:33. The writer of Proverbs says listen to my instructions and by regard it. The first person and the first place you ought to learn wisdom and Learn and Grow is in God's word spending time in this book reading it.

You need to learn God's word. That's why you need to be in a life group, right or you need to be in a Bible.

leaders of a great leader will learn from

the ones from a friend can be true. But an enemy kisses you many times. the wounds of a friend Can be trusted.

When you trust someone you allow them to speak truth into your life. And it's a great leader takes wisdom and correction from those were their friends from other believers. Proverbs 27 verse 17 says of iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another God is going to use other people in your life to help you grow to be more like Jesus Christ. He will eat you need to be in a relationship with people we all need friends is the way we like to say it, right.

A great leader is is they learn from God that they also learn from other believers. And by the way, not just believers who are of the same tribe and always exactly like them some believers who maybe you're at a church where you don't necessarily subscribe to every theological conviction, but you realizing what I can learn from them. And you can even turn your critics in the coaches. The great leaders learn from other believers and ultimately really in in the case of Moses. What we see here is a great leader will learn from anyone. From anyone as I mentioned including critics Proverbs 12:15 says the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. He takes it in his little urns from what he can and dismisses. What is an applicable. Throw a great leader learns from anyone. They listen to Proverbs 19:20 listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the future.

brother believers

by learning from anyone anywhere. When does the council told the numbers we read that it was actually the Lord who told Moses to do these things. But in this case, it's a guy named Jethro Moses father-in-law. Who was the priest of Midian?

And then the next day all of a sudden is giving advice.

You can learn from people from anyone free people on the outside many leaders that never will venture outside of their tribe. Sometimes it's arrogance. Sometimes they think they have all the answers sometimes and security didn't want to leave their comfort zone whatever it is. But if you want to grow you need to learn from people that I consider the lessons. Show me the One racing team Tata group of medical doctor. Just thinking okay medical doctor. What are they going to learn from the Formula One racing team? This account was written about in the American Medical News Journal in October 4th of 2010. And it says after completing a emergency transplant hospital in London. Watch the Formula 1 race as a car pulled into the pit. He noted that the crew change the tires filled and 7 Seconds. It struck him that it off in 30 minutes to untangle an emergency room.

I'm guessing that probably wasn't part of the curriculum in med school. Go to the Formula 1 race see what they're going to learn. If anything, you know, they have to know or learn from them about the medical field. Well, imagine the push back then from the train medical staff when McLaren and Ferrari racing team showed up to observe and advise. Is team on how to improve their Emergency Services after all, what did they know about?

patient care

What do they know of? interactions that are complex between doctors and nurses in an emergency situation

But what did they know about speeding up complex processes? everything and so the result was a major major restructuring of the process of handing over patients from surgery to intensive care the Formula 1 team suggested better training an actual rehearsals of the new protocols. They provide

As well as their precise.

the guide

almost Their hand over errors in the emergency room or the ICU. The biggest problem was that the hospital faced with a group of people who did nothing about the practice of medicine emergency room procedures are medical equipment.

I'm one of the great ironies sometimes of learning from somebody on the outside learning from anyone is that you become a hero then to the people in your own tribe, even though it was something that was pretty obvious to the Formula One racers in the in the emergency room.

Why not bring that up because great leaders are teachable. Where are you leaving? You eating at home and your family I mentioned a toddler earlier. You can learn from those who've been there before you can learn from those who have died.

outside your own contacts I'm not saying everything in and just apply it. However, you want to your life into your leadership, right? Because certainly there's a grid with what you have to filter things through. In fact Moses doesn't just take it on face value from Jethro and then go do it that and Jethro doesn't tell him to if you could see the Hebrew it says in verse.

Now obey my voice I will give you advice and God be with you that can really be translated also as end

Do you know seek the Lord in this this idea of check with him? Make sure if this is right and he'll be with you if it is and so are you always go back to God's word and find out is this principle that I'm bringing inapplicable and it permissible and okay according to God's word. If it's not you throw it out if it is cheap going down that road of trying to learn from it and figure out how you can apply it to your life.

And teachable means learning from God. First of all in his word from other believers. And even from anyone like Moses did from his Fagan father-in-law up until that time Jethro.

and Empower others

This is the pattern of the New Testament Church not just here with Moses. But remember what Moses does Jethro gives him advice to to choose men and his men who you're able and to train them up and equip them and then release them to be the judges and the counselors of the people. It's almost in fact when he teaches one of the things of God you need to do that. That's something that you do well.

Teach the people teach them how to do it and how to do it.

difficult things for me to do letting them do it. Give me struggle with that. Why cuz I think I could do it better. Or I don't want to give that up and I don't need to give us trouble with that.

But the reality is great leaders teach equip and Empower Others May do this to multiply multiply Effectiveness and godliness in their family in the workplace in their Church the pattern of the New Testament churches. I mention rights to Timothy says what you've heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to Faithful Men Who will be able to teach others to he says to the church in Ephesus. He gave the apostles prophets evangelists Shepherds teachers to equip the Saints for the work of Ministry for the passwords to do it all but to equip the people to do ministry.

Multiple time we see in the New Testament does excitation to teach equip and Empower others, it multiplies Effectiveness, but also one of the big reasons for this is to avoid burnout. And burn out by the way contrary to what many in our culture would like to believe in and at times I've bought into his not a badge of honor. It's not do not remember burnout. You get to the point where you doing the same thing over and over you're giving so much of yourself that there's nothing left. I remember hearing a guy one time years and years ago. The guy was preaching God's word. He said you know what? I'd rather burn out for Jesus than rust out doing nothing.

And now I go home and that's stupid.

You're going to flame out.

And it's over. God created us for rest and has to work from rest and one of the ways we find rastas by equipping and I'm preaching to myself here just so you know other people to do the work of ministry sharing the load with others. I wrote down some reasons maybe sometimes we don't want to quit for Empower or give away things to other people that we're leading either at home or at work or in the church. Sometimes I wrote down it's easier than finding training and trusting someone else to do it if I just do it myself. A lot of work to train somebody else would you agree?

how to draw

Charlie and it's a lot of work. It's like wrestling a greased pig. Sometimes get his shorts on the right direction because he's on the other stuff. Or he'll come out with them on backwards. They're like on one leg and down the other and it's a lot of work training him in that but you know what and he knows that better than I do, but the reality is if we never trained him to do that.

You can live with us forever. I love him, but someday he's moving out.

By God's grace.

sometimes maybe I'm able to but it's not a legit. Excuse is it? We still need to equip and Empower other. Sometimes there's one. I think a lot of leaders struggle with you need the affirmation. We get addicted to affirmation a good job way to go and if I'm not doing it who's going to tell me that? Your information comes from Christ first off, right?

Religion, I'm not measuring up or I'm being lazy. And then Satan speaks this lie to you that you have to do it all I wonder in some ways of Moses add to a self that all the people coming to him waiting in line to receive is counseling Moses's.

What's true?

No. That's religion thinking that you only measure up by doing this and by doing more you're going to burn out. Sometimes it's just to avoid what you really should be doing cuz if I stay busy doing this I don't have to worry about that thing that really needs my attention. It probably plenty of others. But great leaders are teachable and they teach and equip and Empower other people to do the work. Set supplies at home at work in the church thing about great leaders. They prioritize their family. the prioritize their family

thanks to some commentators as I've read over the last week. I think that when it says Moses sent to the Torah and his boys back to Jethro and verses 5 and 6. It says that they're coming back at that. You was actually neglecting his family that he was prioritizing all the things he had to do inside. You know, what I don't have time you guys go home. The very real possibility we don't know for sure when I told exactly the circumstances of why he sent them back. But it does raise an interesting. Truth and principle of being a great leader. Is that your family? starting with your spouse is first at your job certainly, not your ministry. Your family takes priority.

Listen, I can tell you unequivocally that God's will is that you never neglect your family? now I'm not saying that family is like this Idol that I serve and I make them every

the accolades of of leading your in your workplace or leading in the church. God never wants you to neglect your family.

That's the reality. Unless you train equip and Empower others. Your first thing for you to do for God is to love and care for and not neglect your family 1st. Timothy. Paul writes Timothy a young pastor of the church.

friends, there's always going to be between serving and loving and caring for your family and serving in Ministry and the marketplace.

always but you're

the secret

Is your first priority your first Ministry? Serve in the church at the top of the list over and over is how do they leave their home? How did they leave their family? I'm still learning this and hopefully by God's grace. I'm growing in it. The reality is I'm not as effective as I could be if I were single or as I was when I was single. My commitment is Athena in most of the time this happens and sometimes I fail it is even like during the week like I'll give two nights to the church Max during the week, and if you call me with a crisis on that third night, I'll say I love you. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Some of you have had that happen. Because my family is my priority.

And if the church grows and everything grows and everything is great, but my family falls apart. It all crashes.

Your family must be your priority partners. He says earlier to Timothy. He says about a leader. He must manage his own household. Well with all the dignity keeping his children submissive. For someone does not know how to manage his own household. How would care for God's Church? If you can't can't care for your family. How are you going to care for the church now, there's a line in here that

Just stands out to me. He says in verse 4 with all dignity keeping his children submissive. Friends, this does not mean keeping your children in fear.

This does not mean your children. Obey your every

That's not keeping your children submissive. That's being an absolute. Jerk.

An incredibly Wicked and ungodly.

Keeping your children submissive means you're helping them to know that they're under God and his authority and under you and your Authority and your Authority Auto represent God's Authority and Grace and goodness in a patient's and if you constantly find yourself of your family and did you constantly find yourself in the boss of you?

You don't get it. You don't get it. And by the way, how dare you?

Especially man.

father if your kids are

an unhealthy way

if that's you tent protect your spouse protect your kids protect your God cuz if you're exerting Authority in your home in such an ungodly Way You Are

trace for you, and you do

You must prioritize your family great leaders are teachable they teach equip and Empower others. They prioritize their family and they set healthy boundaries great leaders set healthy boundaries. In your home in the marketplace at church, you're going to find that more and more people look to you for certain things and the more influential you become the more they're going to ask and desire and want and need from you.

But you got to set some healthy boundaries a great leader. Does this in fact it we see it in the New Testament in the book of Acts?

Didn't the daily distribution? Moses all the people lining up he could they couldn't do it all in the 12 disciples and they said it is not right that we should be giving up preaching the word of God to serve tables and need it.

origin of deacons by the way Deacon mean server

Ministry of the what did Jesus doing this and setting boundaries are like this?

In in Mark that evening at sundown they brought to Jesus all who are sick or oppressed by demons and the whole city was gathered together at the door and how many demons and he would not come because they knew him and Rising very early in the morning while it was still dark.

In other words, you know what that means? Where have you been? available

and he said to them let us go on to the next time that I may preach. They're also for that is why I've come out Jesus had some healthy boundaries. Just needed some healthy boundaries. He needed the advice of Jethro to say Moses. Why are you doing all this thing? There's other people who can do that. Let me give me an illustration of boundary is that I've seen before and I think it's helpful Randy. Would you mind helping me? Come up on stage hair ever. Give a hand to Randy.

or false priorities if your leader whatever but what Randy would want you to do is just that you And just leave. Text I've got you I got you here. Just start leaning back. And tell her I'm the one holding you up. Okay, your big guy. Should I pick something smaller?

Brandy so you can stand up.

Why because I allowed?

And I've allowed myself. I haven't said a good boundary and I've become.

Good thing.

Thanks random, man.

healthy boundaries

that's nonsense, right? That's not helpful not helpful either but I am saying most of us tend to the give Authority away in some of those ways in a way. That's unhealthy whether it's at home and you're letting your children run wild when they shouldn't or if it's in the marketplace or if it's in the church, whatever that is learning to set healthy boundaries the disciples. Did it did it resource on this? There's actually a book called Boundaries and there's even one called Boundaries for leaders. They're both by a guy named Henry cloud and I would commend both of them. Last but not least their family. They set healthy boundaries. And last but certainly not least. They know that Character Matters more than Talent. Character Matters more than Talent

1st Timothy 3 and in Titus 1 we have all of these qualifications for those who would lead in the church. I do know not one of them really has to do with skill. I'll have to do with character. They'll have to do with character. You are as a follower of Jesus not if you look at these lists, if you would go to read these later, you're going to find that no one but Jesus himself measures up to those less perfectly, but we're not talking here is saying that everyone who leads or serves as to be perfect because then we'd be out of luck. But it is more important than talent and character is something that can grow in your life. It should be growing in your life. Character Matters Most in in this account in Exodus. It says that Moses you listen to the voice of his father-in-law verse 24 and all that. He said and Moses chose a man out of all Israel and made them heads over the people Chiefs of thousands of hundreds of fifties and of pans. He chose people. Beto's people who were able Who matched a certain level of character now?

Perfect and shiny ones but they are the ones who are growing. character always trumps Allen

I'm going to close we're going to sing. He called the morning.

Sometime in and read again through Exodus 18 and maybe take your notes and intake through it takes that Passage through this grid of these different characteristics of a Godly leader, and I don't know of all these characteristics which one maybe is touched home for you and your life. My guess is at least one of them probably has we all need to grow. I'm at yourself before the Lord to seek his face and to grow in those areas of being teachable or empowering others or of prioritizing your family. Father. Thanks for Jesus. Thanks for your grace to us. Thank you for the example that you give us desus. And also you give us through guys like Moses in the Old Testament.

great leaders in your book are often not the ones that we would choose for ourselves or even that stand out visibly to us, but there are those who

To match the character you have for them and trusted you really embody some of these traits we talked about today or we all lead in different ways. And these are all traits that all of us in our walk with g. Help us today.

Here this morning. Today might be the day Jesus. They turn from there. And Jesus I Turn To You by faith. Become a Christian. Does it close now? He's saying trusting you and the desire to build our life Jesus upon you and your word. Your name we pray.