The Exhausted Leader

           This is probably one of my last sermon writings from a big church for awhile because I am going to take a break from the big church style for a bit. I just need to take my mind off of it and think smaller, I guess. I need to look under things instead of at and above bigger things if that makes sense. I am all the more for quality then quantity if that makes sense. Those two things are also coming in an entry soon. I will example it more of what I am meaning. 

Ex. 17:8-16

The Amalekites Defeated

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua,“Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[a] the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

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-The task is too HEAVY, you are not able to do it alone.

-Jethro
       -a mentor who loved Moses well.
       -listens to Moses' heart.
       -knew something wasn't quite right but listened first
       -Then, grace and truth from the Lord.

3 Ways to be a Good Leader
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1. Stay connected to God.
2. Teach God's Word.
3. Produce and Release.

      -Seek, Counsel, Listen

      -Exodus 19:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

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            I love the verses that are above everything. They just tell us about a battle that is being fought but yet even the leader of the battle, Moses, had to ask for help at times. It just reminds us that even when we think we got it all together, that we will don't. As humans, we might take this story and turn it into ways leaders should be or how we should teach and raise up leaders but in a way I think this means a lot more. 

             I think it means that, even though, human leaders will get exhausted and sleepy, our Leader never will. I mean when you think about it God loves to connect with us by listening through prayer and then He will do his work with us. He wants us to admit things through prayer first, doesn't He? Then, God teachers us what His Word means whether through sermons or through Him showing us Himself through actions and thoughts. Last, He wants us to use the things that He taught us as a Leader and produce and release more people for Him. Sometimes, He will even give us the words and actions to lead those people.
           Right now, I will say that I have been in situations where people try to keep control of things themselves and those things fall to the side. I, myself, have been keeping ahold of one important thing but now I am learning that I need to let go and trust God with it. He is a better Leader then I ever could be. As humans, we can fight for all it is worth and still not get what we think we deserve. We can fight the battle but still not get what we want. But if we keep fighting the battle without God by our side, then we just get worn out and sleepy. We get to worrying a lot about things. It takes good things out of our everyday life. 
          If we stay connected to our One True Leader, then things will go as planned, I guess is the best way to say it. They won't go easy that is for sure. We need to let Him teach us and show us the little things that we are doing wrong and that the other person/people might be doing wrong too. When He shows us that, we, then, need to step back and take a break. We need to see what we can do differently and how that we help all of the people involved. 
          Let's try to let Our True Leader be ahead of us and do all the right things for us. Let's try to be a student of the One True Mentor. Let's try to listen to Him and see if we can't follow Him to everlasting life.