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?

Empower People

Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. (Exodus 18:17 NIV)

I try to imagine Moses’ reaction inside his head.  “Realy?!?  What I am doing is not good?!?  You weren’t there to see the snake from the staff trick.  You certainly weren’t there to see the plagues, from the water turning to blood all the way until the firstborn of each Egyptian household died.  I know you responded well to my stories, but I wonder if you really get it!” I’m not sure if Moses had any thoughts like this or not.  If he did, I’m not sure if he raced through them all before Jethro made his next statement or not.  But Jethro did continue.

You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. (Exodus 18:18 NIV)

Ah. Now Jethro is making sense.  To be sure, this work is taking long days and people are heading back home frustrated after standing in line all day.  Yeah, this method of ministry just isn’t working out.  So what’s the solution?  Does Moses stop being the intermediary between God and His people?  Does Moses stop helping people walk together with God?  No.

Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. (Exodus 18:19 NIV)

Moses must do his part of God’s plan.  He must continue in ministry even though it might be difficult.  God made that much clear at the bush that would not burn up.  Moses must continue empowering people.

Sometimes we can get overwhelmed at the thought of helping others walk together with God.  We can think the job is too big.  We can feel like we are working incredibly hard with no return.  When this happens, we are probably doing some of the wrong things with the right heart.  God calls every member of His Body (the Church) a minister.  If you are a Christian, you are a minister.  You and I don’t get released from that call.  We remain called to empower people.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

So, how about you?  Do you get overwhelmed and want to quit sometimes?  Do you get confused because God had already worked through you to do good before, so you think you are doing good now?  Did you assume that the overwhelming work was just a burden to bear?  Worse yet, did you think it was permission to quit?  Are you still empowering people?

Serve People

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. (Exodus 18:13 NIV)

Beyond celebrating God and sharing stories of His faithfulness, we can also empower people to walk together with God by serving.  Jesus came to serve.  Jesus told us that leadership is about serving.  So, we are doing well when we serve other people.

When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" (Exodus 18:14 NIV)

Sometimes, though, that service can become overwhelming.  We find ourselves tired, frazzled, and wondering why we are serving in the first place.  We aren’t the only ones feeling tired and frazzled, either.  The people we are trying to serve don’t experience the joy of being served, either.

Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and instructions." (Exodus 18:15-16 NIV)

When we, and they, feel this way, it is a good sign that we are doing something wrong.  Perhaps the service has become about earning God’s favor.  Maybe we are serving because we feel guilty about something else.  Service can even become a source of pride.  None of these feelings, however, match up with God’s desire for our minds and hearts. 

God calls us to serve, yes, but our service can’t be about us.  It must be about God.  It must be about them.  True service asks, “What does God want me to do here?  What will serve them best?”  When we do, service doesn’t become a burden we bear.  It becomes a joy we experience.

So, how about you?  Do you serve people?  Does it feel like a joy or a burden?  Do negative feelings sometimes creep into your time of service?  Does God use your service to empower one more?

Celebrate God

Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them. (Exodus 18:8 NIV)

When we get together with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, especially those who are not walking together with God, we find ourselves afraid to talk about God.  Many of them, however, are not against God.  They just think there are more than one option out there.  When we share success stories about God, it helps them see more of the one we know to be God.  They hear great stories of people being fed, clothing being distributed, homeless being sheltered, and even more.  When they hear great stories about how our Great God is working, it helps them see God just a little more.

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly." (Exodus 18:9-11 NIV)

When they see God at work in these positive ways, it may help them overcome negative pictures of God that they have built from the past.  It may even help them see how the “gods” of other people really aren’t doing a lot of good.  It may help them praise the one true God.

Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. (Exodus 18:12 NIV)

Maybe you recognize this pattern.  Maybe not.  Jethro Encountered God through Moses’ stories.  Jethro Made It Real by talking things out with Moses, comparing other gods with the LORD.  Jethro Lived It Out when he brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to worship God.  Moses helped Jethro take a step.  Moses helped Jethro walk together with God.

How about you?  Do you celebrate God and the good that God is doing in your life?  Do you share these stories even when the people around you aren’t sure about God?  Do you share them not to try to force a conversion experience, but just to celebrate God?

Gather Together

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 18:1 NIV)

Sometimes I think we make it so complicated.  We want our family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to walk together with God.  We want to help them in their process.  But, we reason, w don’t know how.

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. (Exodus 18:5 NIV)

While that may be the case, there are always tools available to us that God provides.  One of those tools is quite simple: relationship.  We have relationships with the family, friends, neighbors and coworkers who we want to help.  We already know them.  So we really don’t need an excuse to get together with them.  All we really need to do is make it a priority. We need to gather together with them, enjoying time with friends we already have.

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. (Exodus 18:7 NIV)

God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Part of walking with God is making it a priority to walk together with people.  As we walk together with them, we bring God along with us.  Those of us who are in Christ have the Spirit of Christ within.  So, getting together for a backyard barbeque really is a part of empowering one more to walk together with God.

How about you?  Do you gather together with family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers just to enjoy building a good relationship with them?  Do you bring God along in your mind and heart?  Do you see relationship building as a part of your walk together with God?