Review

• Psalm 23:1 (ESV): 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

5 Ways the Lord Pastors

1. The Lord pastors submitted people.

 

 

2. The Lord leads you to places you would not have gone if left to your own devises.

 

 

3. The Lord pastors through representatives

 

 

• Proverbs 12:15 (ESV): 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

 

• God pastors us through the wisdom of other people.

 

4. The Lord pastors through representatives with different gifts, callings, and contexts

 

 

5. The Lord pastors in groups through groups.

 

 

• I Peter 5:1-4 (ESV): 1So I exhort the elders [Not the senior pastor] among you, as a fellow elder [Peter class himself an elder: elder, pastor, bishop are all the same thing] and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2shepherd the flock of God [elder, pastor bishop—they’re all shepherds—and they shepherding God’s flock—ultimately, it’s not theirs] hat is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, [Chief Shepherd means senior pastor; and the only times it’s mentioned it is applied to Jesus] you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 

 

How Moses Pastored

 

• Exodus 18:13–18 (ESV): 13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” [Moses is giving them individual sermons] 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. [But it makes you feel good in the moment because the senior pastor is giving you personal attention] 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, [We’re both going to be wore out because I’m not really helping you if I’m doing that {JJ Redick playing his starters for an entire half of a play off game—helping, not helping}] for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. [Even if I wanted to be a super pastor and fly in and rescue you every time I you called me, It’s not possible]

 

• Exodus 18:19–23 (ESV): 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge [Yes, other people who aren’t the senior pastor can pastor] the people at all times. [So then what are you doing pastor?] Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. [I’m handling the big stuff] So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

 

• Jethro’s Instructions to Moses:

 

• Give the burdens of the people to God in prayers.

 

• Teach people in large gatherings.

 

• Delegate responsibility.

 

• James 5:14–15 (ESV): 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

 

• Galatians 6:1–2 (ESV): 1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

• Romans 15:1 (ESV): 1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 

• Only address the big issues.

 

• What are the big issues?

 

• Crisis Management

 

• External Factors

 

• Covid

 

• Politics

 

• Economy

 

• Internal Factors
  • Virtual Church

 

• Behavioral Change

 

• Fire

 

• Hidden Factors (Good things becoming stressors)

 

• Leadership Transition

 

• 4G

 

• Diversity

 

• The Church changes, so people change:

 

• That includes people leaving the church

 

• Some leave for healthy reasons: changes in the church help them become aware fo the changes they need to make in their lives—perhaps changes they should have made a long time ago.

 

• Some people leave for unhealthy reasons: changes in the church are emotionally triggering and the only way they know how to manage conflict is to shut down or leave.

 

• It’s a net loss of leaders.

 

• Filling Leadership Gaps

 

• Building Systems

 

• Providing Direction

 

• For the present

 

• For the future

 

• Meetings

Why Doesn’t the Pastor Quit His Day Job?

More Leadership Lessons from Moses

Numbers 11:10–15 (ESV): 10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Numbers 11:16–17 (ESV): 16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

The Pastoring of Jesus

The Crowd

• Matthew 9:36 (ESV): 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

 

The Disciples (Congregation)

• Matthew 5:1 (ESV): 1Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

 

• The 500

 

• 1 Corinthians 15:6 (ESV): 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

 

• The 72

 

• Luke 10:1 (ESV): 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

The Apostles (The Twelve, The Committed)

• Luke 6:12–13 (ESV): 12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Peter, James & John (Core)

• Matthew 17:1 (ESV): 1And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Jesus communicated different things to different groups:

• Matthew 13:11–12 (ESV): 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.