Burnout

Moses delegates over with those men needed to be qualified, fearing God was the first qualification but not hear what he says in verse one. Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able to hear the qualifications.

First of all, they fear God. That's primary. It's not that they have experience in leading people, spiritual. It's not that they know all of the program. They have they have been trained in how to lead. It is that these men know God. That responsibility for leaving such a large group of became overwhelming. This is wisdom for the heart and were bringing you a series from Exodus from our vintage wisdom collection Stephen first preached this message in 1989.

So he's going to sound a bit different with the truth of God's word is unchanging. This message is called burnout. I once read recently good men die young because that statement is referring to that malady that we refer to in our contemporary culture as burnout.

There are books written on the subject. There are articles warning us of it and this is the disease that clause its way into the lives of men and women who have distorted priorities and overbooked calendars.

The symptoms are obvious. They are irritation, frustration, loss of vision, especially when that is taking place related to some ministry and ultimately the termination of that ministry, or perhaps even job career burnout is always looking for people who are enticed by those who are of additional activities rather than essential activities in the book of Exodus as we been studying through this rich book we find a man who was nearly exhausted and the people that he is leading obviously frustrated. If you'll take your Bibles and turn to Exodus chapter 18. Let's take a look at chapter 18 verse one. Now Jethro, the priest of Midian. Moses his father-in-law heard of all the got it done for Moses and for Israel is people how the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and Jethro Moses his father-in-law took Moses wives up her after he had sent her away perhaps and safety as he confronted the Pharaoh of Egypt and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land and the other was named Eliezer for he said, the God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sort of Pharaoh. Then Jethro Moses his father-in-law came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mount of God, and he sent word to Moses and he saw your father-in-law Jethro am coming to you with your wife her two sons with her then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and he bowed down and kissed him. This is probably the Oriental fashion that is still practice where they would bow down and touch therefore heads of the sand and then they would kiss the hand of that when they are greeting and stand and embrace them and give each cheek a kiss. They kissed each other and they asked each other. Verse seven of their welfare and they went into the tent. I can just see those men standing out there in the wind whipping about their clothing as they stand in each other's arms say how is your family.

How is the job. How is all that you are doing. Tell me what happened over these last few years. You remember Moses spent 40 years with with this man attending as she so evidently there was a tremendous trusting relationship that is reunited after many, perhaps months, maybe even years of absence. Moses per se told his father-in-law everything you tell your father father-in-law if you been away all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians, for Israel's sake all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey and how the Lord delivered them and Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness, which the Lord had done to Israel and delivering them the hand of the Egyptians. What a wonderful thing that's taking place between Jethro and his son-in-law is that kind of communion that maybe you have experienced with a family member or perhaps you don't know the approval of a father or a mother. Perhaps you are burdened about the disapproval that they constantly send your way about the kind of job that you have the kind of lifestyle that you are living the kind of relationship with Jesus Christ that they think doesn't make a lick of sense. Jethro rejoices he doesn't say Moses you're exaggerating and what you doing out here in the wilderness. Anyhow, why don't you come back to Midian with me and take your job back know it was a tremendous encouraging thing for Jethro to take what Moses said and rejoice with him when we were in Dallas this past week or so. We had lunch with a young man who had come by Raleigh on several occasions to spend some time with my wife and I as he was contemplating seminary in and we encouraged him to attend our alma mater, Dallas seminary, and he did and when we were there we had lunch with him and and he shared with us all of the pain that he is going through because he has made a decision that his father cannot accept. In fact, he's lived a life that his father is never accepted. His father, a man who says he is a believer, but has no encouragement for his son, who is living for Jesus Christ and he shared with us the pain of disapproval and he made the statement. I can never live up to what my father wants me to become then he shared with us the encouragement that he had received which was virtually the only encouragement that he had recently that I know many of you I talked to many of you who have that kind of situation where you lack encouragement and those of you that don't.

Those of you that have gained the approval and you have a loving family. It's easy for those of you to underestimate the impact of encouragement on those in your family. Jethro encouraged his son rejoiced with him. But not only did he encourage them. I want you to notice as worship. Look at verse 10 Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods. Indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people. Then Jethro Moses his father-in-law took a burnt offering and sacrifices for Yahweh and and Aaron came with all of the elders of Israel, to eat a meal with Moses his father-in-law before God. What a tremendous picture on God's done for you. Thank God for the way he is taking care of you for the way he is leading you even though you're out here in the wilderness. It doesn't make sense. How will you provide for my daughter and my grandchildren. I don't understand, but it's obvious gods involved and I want to thank him on your behalf with a tremendous example for every parent here, as we see God working in the lives of her children know he not only rejoices in warships, but he also has great courage. I want you to notice carefully as we get to the heart of the message. Verse 13. It came about. The next day. Evidently Jethro was there for an extended stay that Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening.

Why do you alone circle that word alone. It'll come up again later.

Sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening. And Moses said was father-in-law because the people come to me to inquire of God when they have a dispute it comes to me I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and his laws. I want to give you in outline form some things for you to job that is three problems that were very evident that the Jethro not only had the insight to discover, but the courage to confront. He is confronting not just a son-in-law. He is also confronting the miracle worker, the man with a rod that does mighty things that parts. The seated brings the plagues. This is the man who is in a sense, the voice of God and he will confront him. Great courage and in fact one of the things that gives us evidence that Moses had great character is that even though he was the miracle worker. He will listen, but the first of the three problems this very evident. Is this obviously Moses is overwhelmed. You are doing this alone from morning till night.

I want you to think of the lines of people that are stretching out from that tent where he judges. They stretch out into the sun waiting to have Moses his ear because he is the one and settle disputes. You have 2 1/2. Perhaps 3 million people ask for or five times the size of wake County and all of the disputes that arise. One man is working 1216 hrs. a day and you notice his answer is because there are so many needs besides their coming to me. Let me even step on the toes of all of those in here that are involved in spiritual ministry who may teach who may lead. It's so easy to have the thought that well.

There is a need and so how can I say no why their coming to me. I read a survey that startled me and I'll even talk more specifically about myself and make the sermon as clobbered me over the head all week long. I can't wait to get rid of it here and go on to something else. They took a survey of the pastors 66% feel isolated and lonely 80% experience feelings of futility 90% suffer stress related to problem that they constantly must deal with. Here's the catch, though this shows you how dumb we all are 95% are satisfied with their work. Imagine becoming a do IBM and interviewing you know I can use IBM because no one here works at IBM and I pull up a chair and I say I want to interview you tell me how you feel about the job event for six months like I feel lonely and isolated. Well, do you feel like you're performing no actually I feel great feelings of futility. What about the team effort.

Well, I'm always dealing with problems between people here so I take it you're looking for another job know I love this job.

That would be ludicrous.

But here's the catch. When you are involved in ministry is wrong to think anything other than oh yeah, I love this job. This is ministry. You know the question that I really want to ask Moses if I were there I would say Moses where are your two sons, where is your wife. You have so booked your life that those that are essential cannot invade and it is so easy for those of you that lead whether corporately or in some ministry related occupation to get so booked and scheduled that your children make appointments and is never right, even though Moses could say their coming to me. They come to inquire of God. So Moses was obviously overwhelmed. But I want you to notice. Secondly, this is interesting.

The people were being neglected.

She don't ever full yourself that the job is being performed in people's needs are being met. When you refuse to delegate note verse 17 and Moses his father-in-law said to him, a good thing that you're doing is not good.

Can you imagine that Moses probably rocked back in his chair. I just told you this is my ministry coming to me. I am inquiring of God. And it's not good. Why is it not good.

Verse 18 and I can believe this because you will wear out the original says literally you will wrinkle up both your self and these people who are around you.

In other words, you are literally wearing them out.

They stand in line. They cannot have needs met. They are frustrated and irritated because you must alone do everything. The people are being neglected interesting observation. You could almost hear the grumbling outside the tent were Moses judged. He is out of touch he is unavailable.

There were rumblings in the camp. The third, I think this is implied in the second use of the word alone and that is the potential leaders were being overlooked.

There are others who can help. There are potential leaders in the wings.

Whether it is in ministry or in corporate life. Why is it that you do everything yourself.

I believe there is the subtle thought given to us by Moses that no one else can do it or let's get a little bit more challenging. No one else can do it as good. There were 30 to 50,000 leaders in the camp that had been discovered because, as he divides the body, he will end up with maybe as many as 60,000 men capable and qualified to share the load, and I think this is an innocent thought and Moses as they come to me and I must inquire of God. But you know it may be ambitious pride see nobody can do what you do as good as you do it right. Delegate have someone else joint. Not you know I'm I'm doing this you know what, there are people who can manage the store so you can take a lunch break. There are people who can handle that meeting. There are people who can handle the accounts so you can take your children and wife on a vacation that is much needed. You see, the advice is here.

You are going to write appeared in a wire out because you have to do everything so potential leaders were being overlooked. Finally he comes down he says not listen to me. Verse 19 I like this father-in-law. We need somebody in our lives like this son listen to me and I'm going to give you counsel, and God be with you.

I think it's implied. And God help you if you don't listen you be the people's representative before God and you bring the disputes to God. We can divide the counseling to two simple word. The first one is pray as the leader, your responsibility, your priority is to pray our thought is nothing to get accomplished. Pray, what about the details. What about all that has to be done.

What about those accounts. I pray yes you pray, you be the representative before God that you need to be you take that the needs of that Sunday school class to God.

You take all those ministry related needs to God priority you pray. In fact, we could go to acts chapter 6, which is a perfect illustration of what's happening here where the apostles in this emerging church decided that they would select leaders, why so that they could what, pray you be the people's representative before God and you bring the disputes to God.

That is, you pray, you know what every family here has a leader, whether it's a single mom. Whether it's a father, and you represent leadership in that home and you and I can be viewed on the number of different ways we can be viewed by our children as creative a good athlete, a person who listens up a mom who cares a dad who cares about me but do they perceive and ask people who have a relationship with Jesus Christ. They know we pray that's not all he says.

Secondly, I want to do this I want you to teach then teach them the statutes and the laws made known to them the way in which they are to walk in the work that they are to do this is a beautiful passage of Scripture teach means to spread light and there are two words here statutes or it may be ordinances in your translation and loss a statute or an ordinance literally means to cut out or to engrave. This is the absolutes the absolute truth. These are the doctrines.

These are the elements that are unchangeable and you are the teacher.

People who are are really a fragmented group of ex-slaves who are bound together in their pursuit of the promised land, but they have no Decalogue may have no standards. They have no laws to govern them. You teach them.

What's absolute you give them truth those never change, and by the way, the further down the pike. We get in our community. Ladies and gentlemen, those of you who are involved in teaching the less our community wants to hear of the absolutes, the unchangeable doctrines that which is right and will always be right and that which is wrong and will always be wrong. But not only the ordinances but the loss, the word is Torah which we get our word. Obviously law, but this means to lean or to guide these are the applications of the absolutes the absolutes tell people what to believe the laws tell people how to behave.

The doctrines are how to think the applications are how to live. He is telling Moses what every pastor, teacher, Sunday school teacher. Those that leave Bible studies.

This is the job description give people the absolutes. Teach them those things that never change. But don't stop there.

Apply show them how to live from the absolutes that are taught that applications are funny things because you and I at any given time may not want to take them read funny little paragraph last week woman who shook hands with her pastor at the back and she said that was all a wonderful sermon just marvelous or everything you said this morning applies to someone I know Moses was to teach in such a way that everybody caught it.

Everybody knew how to pay as a result of how they believed.

So pray and teach only the one of the more beautiful factor of this and will go on the word teach in the Old Testament come from the same word that is the the calendar month name of April and May as if it actually means to blossom most beautiful things when you teach the Bible when you show to people that this is a living book you are blossoming their lives. They then live in a way that by understanding the word whether the spirit of God teaches you in your own personal study or you learned from sitting under a teacher as you learn that the Bible is alive that there are laws and ways to think and live what happens to our lives like the months of April and May visit of the Hebrew calendar.

We blocks.

One of the tragedies of our contemporary culture is that people are not convinced.

I leave the burden right at the feet of every pastor teacher was arrested and preach and I heavily consider this burden myself is that the people of our American society do not believe that this book has anything to do with life in the 20th century. Let me read you some statistics from a survey that just came out this was done by the Barna research group that discovered of the 600 people.

They covered a wide range of culture, one out of four people read their Bible more than once a week. Half do not read it all. These are Christians. The president of this research group tried to summarize why he said this people are reading the Bible because they think it is irrelevant to everyday life. Many people, even those who read the Bible do not see the Scriptures as containing instruction and answers that deal with the everyday problems they face catch this.

They think of the Bible as they would a cookbook that is a wonderful thing for putting together 30 persons, dinner parties, but it doesn't have any recipes in it for tonight's dinner for the family. It's great for special occasions, but not for everyday situation. The burden of proof on those of you that have the responsibility of teaching those of you to know Christ is to understand that this book is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and as Paul exhorted his young son. He said, this book is profitable for every event and activity of life. I Moses was being instructed by godly counsel to make that which was revelation from God yet to be put in written form come alive to the people so they would know what to believe and how to live. Now the second part of his counsel is not just related to Moses on personal job that which was essential but how to delegate and organize. This is great we could spend a series alone on the principles related to this organization but not hear what he says in verse 21. Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men in here are the qualifications. First of all, they fear God.

That's primary. It's not that they have experience in in leading people spiritually.

It's not that they know all of the programs is another. They have they have been trained in how to lead.

It is that these men know God if they did that in acts as well as they again the selectmen who would lead that emerging body. What was the qualifications and experience, expertise, know these are men.

All of the holies here.

It men who know God. He said not only that they know or fear God, but that they also love truth, men of truth, and I would translate this integrity, men with integrity who will say no to that which is wrong. And yes, that which is right.

I heard a fascinating thing last week one man say that every believer every day is given to test. I love this. He is given a test of integrity and a test of obedience. What are the results by way of application. The results are found right in our text, the first is the leader is able to endure. Verse 22 but the judge the people at all times. Let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you and they will bear the burden with you and if you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to door burnout know that part of the picture here you will last and that which God wants all of you to do and I think implied here is that new leaders will be able to develop. Obviously he will then bring on his staff. He will bring on his helping team perhaps as many as 60,000 men.

The third thing is that the people are able to have their needs met. The last part of verse 23 and all these people also will go to their place in peace. So Moses listened to his father-in-law.

There's a great ingredient of character and he did all that he said and Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands of hundreds of 50s, and attends and they judge the people of all, at all times.

The difficult disputes they would bring to Moses. He sort of formed the Supreme Court, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge and Moses bade his father-in-law farewell and he went into his own land. Ladies and gentlemen, maybe God is brought someone into your life to reevaluate the use of your energy the check the calendar to see if you are involved in essential things and not just a host of eight of additional things was essential. The priority given to these future leaders would be that they know God that they are spending time with God but they are in the word learning truth. If we are too busy for that and we are too busy where you put your family perhaps the one that God is brought into your life as a son with a fishing pole in his hand that went for a wife who says hey can I make an appointment to see you. Perhaps there are wives here who have never gotten involved in the lives of their husband work and they get a sense labor alone.

Perhaps there are husbands who are not involved in the labors of a mom who struggles all day with the kids and there is a woman's work and there is a man's work, your wife does it all alone.

Perhaps your children never gained the a hell from a parent. Perhaps there are people in this ministry seal that needs are going unmet. Whatever it may be. We are challenged to reevaluate what perhaps God is brought someone like Jethro into your life. Undoubtedly, it's time to listen. There may be areas of your life would you need to list the help of Port of others.

There might be people in your life who need you to support them. That's part of what it means to be in the family of God. We support, help and encourage each other.

I hope the today's message from God's word has helped and encouraged you this is wisdom for the heart and this message is from our vintage wisdom series from Exodus, from time to time we go back in the archives and bring you sermons that Stephen preached many years back. Stephen first preached this message back in 1989. You can learn more about the ministry of wisdom international if you visit our website which is wisdom online.org go there to be challenged and encouraged by the truth of God's word were glad you were with us today. Please be sure and join us next time. As we bring you wisdom