Called to Leadership - Exodus 3

                                    

The Bible is filled with calling stories when God hears and sees what’s happening to his people, or he decides it’s time to move his plan of redemption forward, so he calls people to step up and lead through the challenge. In many of these encounters, the people God calls find excuses and reasons why they aren’t the right people, or aren’t worthy, or ready to step up. Moses is no exception.

God hears his people’s cries to be rescued, he sees the cruelty of the Egyptians, and responds by calling Moses. Moses seems to be the perfect choice to lead the people of Israel. He was raised in the household of Pharoah by Pharaoh’s daughter, given a good education and trained in leadership. He knows Pharoah and his family and the Egyptian culture. This gives him the ability to understand Pharoah and his court and the challenges facing Israel as they seek their freedom. Moses also understands that in his own strength there’s no way that he’ll ever be able to do anything so huge.

But Moses sees things differently. Even though God appears before him in a burning bush and calls Moses, Moses isn’t easily convinced to leave his father-in-law’s sheep and goats, or his quiet life as a shepherd behind. He remembers that his last time in Egypt, he killed an Egyptian soldier who was abusing a Jewish slave, but then the next day when he sees two Hebrews fighting, one of them challenges Moses, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” The Jews didn’t accept Moses, likely because he was raised as an Egyptian. Leadership, especially among God’s people is not something Moses feels called to. Leadership’s not something everyone feels called to, many people resist becoming leaders because there’s always a cost to leadership, it’s seldom easy because many people resist being led.

The reality is that we can always find ways to not answer God’s call. When God tells Moses, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Moses comes up with 5 arguments: First Moses says to God: Look, I’m a nobody; Pharaoh will never listen to me. God replies: I will be with you. Then Moses says “Israel won’t believe me, who do I say sent me,” so God says my name is “I Am Who I Am.” Third Moses says the people won’t believe me, so God gives him a few signs to show the people God’s with him. Fourth Moses says that he can’t speak very well, so God tells him that he’ll send Aaron to go with him to do the talking, and finally Moses finally gets to the real reason and says that he simply doesn’t want to do it, and God tells him, you’re going, end of story.

A lot of times in the Bible the people God calls don’t feel qualified, but God doesn’t call the qualified because they’ll simply try to do everything in their own strength. Instead, God makes the unqualified, qualified, shaping them to be who they need to be for the time and situation. It simply takes humility and obedience on our part. Satan even tries in the wilderness at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to get Jesus to think that he might not be the Son of God or qualified to do the work of the Father. Jesus chooses to listen to his Father’s voice instead of Satan’s quiet whisper. Our call is to listen to the Holy Spirit, not the voices of doubt. The Holy Spirit has placed wise people in your lives who can offer us good advice into what, who, or where God might be leading you.

Good leaders know that the willingness to sacrifice their wants for the best of the larger organization, combined with humility, produces strong organizations and churches. God calls us into all kinds of different places and situations and roles. Some are long term; others are short term. When we recognize that all of life is God’s and he uses all parts and areas of our lives for his plan, we can recognize how a job working at McDonalds, in a long-term care home, being a mother or father at home, a mechanic, builder, office worker, truck driver, a volunteer, or whatever work or job you are doing, is all a calling from God. The question is how are we going to answer him and use the talents, inclinations, or passions he’s given us, for the church or organization when he also calls us to a role of leadership and additional responsibility?

Paul talks about how we’re all one body in Romans 12, but that we’re not all the same, each bringing different things to the table to make us complete as the body of Jesus, as the church. Romans 12:3–8, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

We’re all different from each other, that’s what makes life and community together so wonderful and fascinating, and sometimes frustrating. What I love seeing is how our different gifts build beautiful church families as the body of Jesus. Think about cheerfulness as a spiritual gift: your cheerfulness can make the difference for someone struggling and needing encouragement or a word of hope. Think of patience or kindness, someone has just lost it and your response is to take time to listen to what set the person off and then helping them to regain themselves so they can carry on with their day. We’re all part of the body of Jesus and he’s our head. He guides us, giving us what we need when he calls us to lead. Our call is to trust in him and work with the rest of the body as we move forward in becoming who Jesus is calling us to be. Remember that our first call is to follow Jesus, to seek to imitate him in all parts of our lives, and to share the gospel news that Jesus came and took our sin to the cross and was resurrected so that we might have new life.

Are there times to say “no”? I’ll say yes, there are times to say no, it’s about using wisdom. If you believe you’ve been called to work or volunteer in a certain role and you know you are doing God’s will and work there, it may be wise to say “no” so that one part of the body doesn’t suffer for another part of the body. Perhaps you’re in a time of life that’s extra busy or stressful, or your spouse or family are going through a difficult time or need you to be around at this time in your life, it might be wise to say “no.”

For most of us, as we answer God’s call, whether in leadership such as council, or in other areas of ministry, it’s going to be the ordinary things you do every day where God uses us to lead, like when you’re a youth group leader, you need to teach bored or confused 9^th graders; staying cheerful when someone criticizes you for the 20^th time, soothing a crying infant who misses mom and dad who’s upstairs, doing the best you can because you know ultimately you’re doing it for the Lord.

Whatever it is we’re called to do or be, when we’re faithful, when we accept God’s call, God will use us and great things will happen. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, the one who calls you is faithful! God provided for Moses, not just when Moses went up against Pharaoh, but also for the 40 years Moses led Israel through the wilderness. Jesus provides for us through the Holy Spirit, through Scripture, and through fellow leaders and members who will support you, encourage you, and pray for you. A time may come when someone comes up to you later and says, “Thank you, you were there for me when I needed someone.” Take the time to prayerfully listen to God’s leading in this time as Bethel seeks out leaders for this time and this place on council and our various ministries.