There are lots of ways we can do ministry – many of them guided more by following the latest trends or our nostalgic desires. The ministry plan that God would want us to follow however is not concerned about trends or our own selfish desires. Ministry is to be about God. Thus God's ministry plan involves telling people about God and then raising up leaders and people who will tell still others about God and be concerned to see everyone lead lives shaped around God's standards.
Exodus 18:1-12 shows the first part of this plan - telling people about God. Moses reunites with Jethro and his family and gives his personal testimony to Jethro of how God saved the Israelites. Jethro in response praises God and commits himself to God (Exodus 18:10-12). Testimonies are a powerful means by which we can tell people about God. What makes them powerful though is the degree in which they highlight how God has worked in your life. For the believer then, any such personal testimony must highlight how God has saved and is saving people through his Son Jesus Christ. The church is God's people today and is a living testimony to God's saving efforts.
Therefore, any true ministry plan must involve telling people about this God who saves people and explaining how he brought this about within individual people's lives. While Jethro had heard about what God had done in Egypt (Exodus 18:1), Moses still took time to specifically explain to Jethro what had happened and how the Lord had worked in the lives of the Israelites. In all the things we are concerned to do as Christians, we must never neglect this core mission of telling people about God, and specifically telling people about his saving work. (cf Rom 10:14-15)
Exodus 18:13-27 shows the second part of God's ministry plan – discipling leaders and people to live by God's ways. As people are saved they need to learn what it means to be a saved people and to see how God's truths should be applied to their everyday lives. In this section of Exodus 18, Moses is headed towards ministry burnout. All the people are coming to him to know what God wants of them, and he's putting in 12 hour work days just to keep up. Jethro gives Moses some good practical advice. He needs to delegate a lot of the basic parts of his leading. This will involve raising up key people (Exodus 18:21) who can be leaders with whom he can share ministry. Moses will still handle the difficult things that come up, but through these leaders all the people will be regularly led and instructed.
Raising up leaders is key to any effective ministry plan. Note that the basic requirement for these leaders was that they be honest and trustworthy and most importantly be people who respect and honor God (Exodus 18:21, "men who fear God). This is what we must look for and the direction we must disciple in – towards God-centered character. Having leaders like this will help produce a community of people who are at every level are being guided to shape their lives around God's standards and laws.
This then in effect is what ministry should be – to tell people about who God is and what he's done, specifically what's done through Jesus. And to then build a community where leaders are being raised up and people are being motivated and guided by their commitment to this God. What can motivate more of this kind of ministry in the church today (as opposed to the many wasted or apathetic ministry efforts of so many churches today)? Only a fresh sense of the gospel. If we have truly understood and experienced God's deliverance through Jesus, we will be sure that in whatever we plan we are telling people about God and working to be a people concerned to shape their lives around God.
Some parting questions in view of this passage: What does ministry look like in your life? Can you say that at the core of what you do is telling people about God and building a community full of leaders and people concerned to follow God.
(audio of last Sunday's sermon)
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