Biblical Leadership

February 4, 2008

Exodus 18:14-21 GW
(14) When Moses' father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "Why are you doing this for the people? Why do you sit here alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"
(15) Moses answered his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to find out God's will.
(16) Whenever they have a disagreement and bring it to me, I decide which person is right, and I tell them God's laws and instructions."
(17) Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you're doing is not good.
(18) You and your people will wear yourselves out. This is too much work for you. You can't do it alone!
(19) Now listen to me, and I'll give you some advice. May God be with you! You must be the people's representative to God and bring their disagreements to him.
(20) You must instruct them in the laws and the teachings, show them how to live, and tell them what to do.
(21) "But choose capable men from all the people, men who fear God, men you can trust, men who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people.


I have been a member of a few churches over my 30 years of being a Christian. I have been part of churches that were new and ones that were established. As a rule, the ones that survived were the ones that followed a very Biblical principal. It is shown here in Exodus 18. One person can not do all the work.

I have seen where the pastor thought that if he did not do something it would not get done and though he said that the staff was empowered to do what they needed to get the job done, in reality, if he was not the one doing it, it was not important and all had to do what he wanted as he micro-managed things down to the lowest level. This cannot work in a ministry. It did not work for Moses because he was burning himself out.

The New Testament shows it as well. Jesus had a large amount of followers. Some he chose to be his disciples. Out of those He chose 12 to be Apostles. Even within that group he had 3, His inner circle, Peter, James and John, that He trusted for the big things.

When you get involved in ministry, look at the big picture. If you are the one in charge, delegate using the Biblical example. If you are under someone else's ministry, see that you have a part in it where you are.


Read through the Bible in historical order in one year
Today
Exodus 16:1-18:27
Tomorrow
Exodus 19:1-21:36