Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, was truly a wise man. And if we look at a conversation he had with Moses, we can obtain some tremendous insight into how the church arrived at its present condition. Let’s start by looking at Exodus 18:13-14:
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
Look more closely at that last question. “Why do you alone sit,” Jethro said. Is this not what we have today in most of our fellowships today, one man sitting over a congregation of people? Now, some may stop right there and say “yes, but what is wrong with that?” Let’s read on and see. In verses 15 and 16, Moses gives Jethro and answer and justifies his position.
And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
So, we see that Moses was proud to be able to explain his reasoning to his father-in-law. But what was Jethro’s response to Moses’ justification?
And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
WOW! That must have been a lot for one man to take! Imagine, you have just told your father-in-law how great you are, and why all the people must come to you, only to be told that this is not good! But it is what Jethro says that follows that bears another look:
Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee.
Jethro has made a sobering statement, one which explains why the church is in the condition it is today. He said the not only would the one man wear away, but the people that are with that man will wear away as well. Think about it – how many times have you seen people leave a fellowship, disgruntled at the pastor or something associated with the pastor? Not only is it hurtful to those who have relationships with the departing people, but it undermines the mission that Christ has given for that particular fellowship. Many people have left where God has set them because they have simply been worn out. Why do pastors seem to just drop whatever it is that they are doing and walk away from fellowships? Because they have been worn out. This is the price the Body of Christ has paid for centuries, because of the perversion of a one-man rule. So, how can we begin to establish the true church throughout this country, this continent, and the world? Thoughts, anyone?
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2 comments:
Hi Ron,
First let me thank you for the visit and the info on my site.
It seems many have relieved themselves of our commission by assigning all responsibility to the pastor (bishop) and deacons. I understand that a pastor is called to serve as an under-shepherd to The LORD but we are the Church and therefore accountable to The LORD for our service or the lack thereof. I suspect that if we as members accept the responsibility we’ve been given that will aid tremendously. I further think an investigation into a Congregationalist system of Church government may prove helpful in many circumstances. Thanks for the opportunity to give my $0.02 worth. I look forward to following your blog. ;-)
hey Ron,
yeah, i think that the Church in general is overly one-man focussed. it's not necessarily the fault of the senior pastor (though there are things that the pastor can do to help shape the paradigm of the congregation), but i think that people are comfortable in the pews or chairs. imagine how effective local churches can be if people began to function out of their gifts. people need to start seeing themselves as just as vital to the ministry as the pastor. the pastor has a function and also a responsibility over the flock, but that doesn't mean that fellow congregants don't have a certain responsibility either that directly effects the life of the body.
i need my liver doing its job, both my kidneys doing theirs, my stomach and my intestines doing their jobs, my spleen, and yes even my heart need to do their jobs. we all are the Church and the Church is Christ's Body. some parts of His Body are over-weight, some are malnourished, some are under-utilized, and some parts are strained.
thanks for the wise words from Jethro....
Eric
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