EXODus 18:13-23

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

EXODus 18:13-2314 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 18:13-2315 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 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 18:13-2317 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 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 18:13-2319 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 18:13-2320 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 

EXODus 18:13-2321 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 18:13-2322 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 18:13-23

23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Reasons to stop:

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE

MISSING IF YOU DON’T STOP.

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WILL

COST YOU IF YOU DON’T…

CONSEQUENCES OF IMBALANCE

 • A continual turnover of people• Frustrated sheep who don’t understand their frustration• Devouring one another

CONSEQUENCES OF IMBALANCE

 • People become disillusioned.• People lose confidence in their leadership.• There’s a loss of Joy.

NUMBERS 11:11-1511 He asked the LORD, “Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? What have I done to displease You that You put the burden of all these people on Me? 

NUMBERS 11:11-1512 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do You tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land You promised on oath to their ancestors?

NUMBERS 11:11-1513 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’

NUMBERS 11:11-15

14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 

NUMBERS 11:11-15

15 If this is how You are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

I DECIDED TO STOP PLEASING EVERYBODY. I DECIDED TO PLEASE GOD.

PRINCIPLE:We can please some people all the time; we can please all the people some of the time; but we cannot please all the people all the time.

EXODus 18:13

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

I DECIDED TO STOP DOING

EVERYTHING. I DECIDED TO

DELEGATE OTHER THINGS.

PRIORITIES

Exodus 18:19-22a19 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. (INTERCESSION)

Exodus 18:19-22a20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. (INSTRUCTION)

Exodus 18:19-22a

Three greatest problems faced by man today are:•His sense of guilt and rejection, causing a feeling of alienation and loneliness.•His inability to get along with His fellowman.

Exodus 18:19-22a

•His frustrations caused by defeats which lead him to conclude that life is meaningless.

The Bible contains the only adequate answer to each of these problems.

Exodus 18:19-22a21 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. (INSTALLATION OF LEADERS)

Exodus 18:19-22a22a Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you (INSIGHTS), the simple cases they can decide themselves.

I DECIDED TO STOP believing only

in myself. I decided to build

others.

partnership

Exodus 18:21-2221 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 18:21-2222 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.

I DECIDED TO STOP NEGLECTING

MY BODY. I DECIDED TO TAKE CARE OF MY WHOLE

BEING.

PRESCRIPTION

Exodus 18:17-1817 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 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 18:23-27

 22b That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.23If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Exodus 18:23-27  24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

Exodus 18:23-27

  26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.

Exodus 18:23-27

27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.