To Empower One More

Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. (Exodus 18:20 NIV)

Sometimes I think it is easy to fall into a false understanding of what the Church is supposed to be.  We think that one person up front is the preacher/teacher and that the rest of us are supposed to learn how to walk together with God from him.  The problem with that picture is that he is only one person.  Even with the benefits of modern technology, he can only be one place at a time.  He, like Moses, would not be able to empower two million to walk together with God.

But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. (Exodus 18:21 NIV)

But that’s the ministry God entrusted to Moses.  There were probably over two million Israelites now set free from Egypt and God wanted to show them how to walk together with Him.  Moses was given that responsibility.

Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. (Exodus 18:22 NIV)

When he took the responsibility and divided it up, however, then Moses became a leader of leaders.  He taught people how to lead other people to walk together with God.  He empowered one more to empower one more…or ten more…or fifties…or hundreds…or thousands.  This didn’t just work with the millions in the Moses’ day.  It worked just as well in Jesus’ day.

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied." (Exodus 18:23 NIV)

Jesus spoke with thousands, to be sure.  But his more significant ministry was with smaller groups, like the seventy two.  He trained them similarly to the way he trained the twelve.  Even within the twelve, Jesus worked with three (Peter, James, and John) even closer.  Jesus worked with smaller groups of people and trained them to lead others.  That movement didn’t just reach millions.  It numbers in the billions (with a “b”) even still today.

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. (Exodus 18:24 NIV)

So, how about you?  Do you rely on your pastor, reverend, or priest to empower you all the time, or do you take the initiative to learn how to walk together with God yourself?  Do you stop there or do you take the time to learn how to empower one more?  Will God stop at one with you?  Will you end up with tens, fifties, hundreds, or thousands?  Do you empower one more to empower one more?