Jethro's Advice (Exodus 18)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
Good morning my name is Spencer I am one of the pastors here we're going to be an Exodus chapter 18 today so if you have a blue Bible around you that's on page 34 you can follow along with us the text will also be on the screen so you know when you've got family that's coming to town for a week or if you go you know if you're not from here you go back and visit family for a week that that one week can sometimes feel like three or four weeks this is a lot that gets packed in in one week and I'm not saying it's always bad it's it's not like.
But there's a lot of emotions that can get packed into one week there's a lot of conversations and not just like that conversation but it's linked to like a conversation from two years ago and ten years ago like there's all kinds of things that are happening when family comes to town that's Exodus 18. that's what we're going to see today is that Moses's father-in-law Jethro comes to visit and there's a lot that's packed into this chapter that we're going to walk through together and as we walk through it towards the end I want us to help help us.
See three helpful truths that comes from Jethro's visit and how those truths still apply to us as Christians today and then we're going to end in one overarching theme that ties this story to out so I want to pray for us then we're going to walk through this together heavenly father I pray that you would help us receive your word that you would help us be present that we would not just be hearers of the word but doers of the word and that is by your power and your power with them.
So we ask this in Jesus name amen all right we're going to jump straight into it verse one Jethro the priest of Midian Moses father-in-law heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt so the last time we saw Jethro was when Moses was leaving there to go back to Egypt to respond to God's call to lead the people out of Egypt and Jethro gave his Blessing to Moses.
Now we're going to see him here again it goes on in verse 2. now Jethro Moses his father-in-law had taken zipporah Moses wife after he had sent her home along with her to Sons which pause for a moment if you've been following closely with us in Exodus you might be wondering when did that happen when did the poor and the boys just disappear we don't know Exodus was not concerned and telling us that part of the story it's possible that when things got heated between Moses and Pharaoh that he said you got to leave town.
For a bit it's possible that when they left initially out of Egypt that he sent her and the boys to Jethro to tell the good news it's possible that the whole throwing the foreskins incident that happened was just too much and he just said you got to leave for a bit we don't we really don't know when this happened or how this happened we just know that at some point he sends them away and now they're coming back so continue to get more information about his sons the name of one was gershom.
For he said I have been a so I've been a Sojourner and a foreign land the name of the other eliezar for he said the God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh and that's very common in the Old Testament it's very common Bible times to name your child with meaning so that these names have meaning gershom sounds like the Hebrew word for Sojourner that's a Wanderer who has no home and then an Eleazar it's kind of a prophetic name this is.
God my help in the Hebrew and it's pointing forward to what is happening and what has happened so on to verse 5 Jethro Moses father-in-law came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the Mountain of God and when he sent word to Moses I your father-in-law Jethro am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her which upon hearing that had to be some excitement that he's going to be able to I mean we don't know how long it's been.
But he's going to get to see his wife and his two sons this reunion is getting ready to happen and here's the reunion verse 7. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him that's it that's the reunion you all know you've seen the soldiers coming back home videos where gets off the plane his wife and his kids are at the fence and he's excited and then he just runs right past them and then hugs his father-in-law kisses him on both cheeks bows down it's odd it's like why like why I'm sure that there was a reunion between him and his family that's just not mentioned here and that begs the.
Question why is Jethro the focus of this chapter and we're going to see how and why that happens so continues and they asked each other this is Moses and Jethro they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent verse 8 that Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh to the Egyptians for Israel's sake all the hardship that had come upon them in the way and how the Lord had delivered them so he update some you.
See I believe what happened how we were how we left Egypt and how Pharaoh came back for us at the Red Sea but God divided the Red Sea and we safely went to the other side and then he brought the waters down upon our enemies and we've had some good times we've had some hard times so far in the wilderness we've had some water shortages but God provided and he's teaching us to trust him some food shortages but now he's raining down man of from Heaven we've got some grumblers and some complainers.
But we're working on that too here's all the good here's all the bad he's recounting all of this and then verse 9 it says in Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel and that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians Jethro said blessed be the Lord who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of fear and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods than all gods because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people and here's the significance of Jethro here Jethro as we taught earlier in Exodus is a midianite he is not an Israelite and he's a priest of Midian and probably not at all a priest of God the gods of the midianites and he declares here now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods that an outsider sees the work of.
God and says now I know this is profound now that doesn't mean that the midianite people and the books of the Bible that you continue to read are going to follow suit with Jethro they don't uh but Jethro Taps into something that the others can't see he'd recognizes what Pharaoh and the Egyptians could not when God was displaying his power Pharaoh and the Egyptians could not see it that's the repeated phrasing that we saw earlier in Exodus was the Egyptians shall know that I am the.
Lord the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord and they didn't so much so that they came back to claim the people of God after they left that the amalekites which we saw last week have certainly heard about what God has done for his people and they don't know that Jethro does that you the Lord are greater than all the Gods cool picture of an outsider believing who this God is and then now he gets to participate in something that Moses declared earlier in Exodus 2 Pharaoh in Exodus 10 25 he said you telling pharah you must also.
Let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice the Lord our God and now that's happening and Jethro gets to be a part of that and verse 12 it says Jethro Moses father-in-law brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God and Aaron came with all the Elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses father-in-law before God that a media9 Outsider gets to participate in this joyous celebration and worshiping the lord it's just a very cool picture they're going to get into more next week.
Now that is part one of Jethro's visit there's a whole part two that we're about to see in a moment which is Jethro witnessing something that is happening and then giving advice to Moses and that's we're going to spend the bulk of our time today so pick up in verse 13. the next day Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood around Moses from Mourning till evening so it was common in that time for if you were the leader and Moses is the leader he is the prophet he's the man between in the middle between.
God and his people that if you're the leader people come to you wanting you to judge their cases you see that here we continue to see this throughout the Old Testament even Solomon was seen as a judge they would come and ask for him to weigh in on things this is common in their time but it says that he was giving judgment on issues from morning until evening now we don't know if that was every day but it certainly had to be some part of the regular schedule that from morning till evening he's bringing judgments upon judgments upon judgments.
For the people and that is exhausting I have three children seven five and three and every now and then I like to give my wife a break and just say just just just go go get your nails done I'll see you at dinner I'm gonna watch the kids today and as that happens when you have a seven five and three year old and they're at their house all day they're going to have arguments right they're going to have disputes a lot of times they're bringing them to me and I'm actually pushing them away not literally.
But I'm just saying you no I'm not going to settle every dispute that you have you're going to learn to figure this out yourselves because I don't want to be I don't want to raise kids that are the kind of adults that when they get to College they're having to call their parents to sell a dispute with the professor I'm not doing that you're going to learn how to have conversations and work through things but every now and then there's seven five and three and I've got to settle a dispute and I.
Listen to both sides and I'm the judge and I make the Judgment call on how this is going to go down who's going to get disciplined all all of that and by the time my wife gets home at dinner I'm tired that's tiring and that's three children that's not tens of thousands of people that Moses was leaving I mean that's I mean you can see some of the disputes they had in the Old Testament law but I let my neighbor borrow this mule.
Now he's brought it back and it's got a broken leg and that was that was the only meal we have what are we gonna do Moses I think my neighbor is having an affair with my wife Moses helped settle this dispute those are some of the things you can see from the Old Testament all the way down to some of the stuff that I'm sure he also had to deal with the rubinites are getting all the good water and all the petty stuff that would have been brought from great to small Moses heard every one of those from morning to leaving that's exhausting as a pastor who does conflict resolution that is probably the most.
Exhausting part of pastoral Ministry and if you're a group leader you know exactly what I'm talking about it is hard from mourning until evening he's doing this and Jethro Witnesses this and goes oh no no no listen good so verse 14 when Moses father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people he said what is this that you were doing for the people why do you sit alone and all the people stand around you from morning till evening now it's a classic father-in-law move to phrase your suggestion as a question.
Because you know where this is going what are you doing all day and all night what is this and Moses answers and Moses said to his father-in-law verse 15. because the people come to me to inquire of God when they have dispute they come to me and I decide between one person and the other and I make make them know the statutes of God and his laws so Moses gives the obvious answer because I'm the leader and they just keep coming to me and I'm I'm learning what God's will is.
For the people and they and I have to tell them what it is and I'm I'm the I'm the guy and Jethro is like this this is unsustainable so in verse 17 Moses's father-in-law said to him what you were doing is not good you and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out for the thing is too heavy for you you're going to wear yourself out you're going to burn yourself out Moses and and I in teaching team this week I use the word burnout and I watched Chet have a conniption he was just twitching I said what are you doing like it and he's like I can't stand that word burnout.
Because it gets very overused in Christian circles I was like that's a fair point I want to fight him on it because I think that we don't need to lose that word I will fight for words that think that matter because burnout still is a thing but there is a real thing with Christians that overuse burnout as an excuse to basically say I don't want to do a thing anymore as we're gonna see in a moment that he doesn't actually quit what he's called to do here he's actually going to do this in a more sustainable level the burnout is real and you really can crash and burn and Jethro sees this and he says.
You're going to wear yourself out you're going to burn yourself out this isn't good this isn't sustainable for you to listen this all day and all day and all that you don't wear yourself out you're going to wear the people out who are involved in this you're going to have to change this is too heavy for you which praise God that there are people like Jethro in our lives that are willing to say difficult things to keep us from crashing and burning should praise.
God for the people like that in your life I've had some of the other Elders mad or Chet step in and just look at my life and say I think you need to rethink this is this unsustainable you we need that we shouldn't reject that be so prideful to push that away blessed are the wounds of a friend but Jethro makes this observation he says you are not able to do it alone verse 19. Now obey my voice I will give you advice.
God be with you you shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God 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 so he says you're still doing this you're not just opting out here but then he tacks on to this the more sustainable way to do this verse 21 moreover look for able men from all the people men who fear.
God who are trustworthy and hate a bribed and place such men over the people as Chiefs of thousands of hundreds of fifties and of tens he says what you need is men who fear God men who are trustworthy who hate bribes and you're going to place them over thousands over hundreds for 50 over tens and that is how this is going to be more sustainable verse 22 says and let them judge the people at all times every great matter they shall bring to you.
But any smaller small matter they shall decide themselves so it will be easier for you and they will bear the burden with you 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 he says you're still going to do this you're still going to do what you're called to do Moses but you're not going to do it alone you're going to handle some of the bigger disputes and the bigger things that need your wisdom and your judgment.
But you let a team of qualified men handle some of these smaller issues let them bear the burden with you it's too heavy for you to handle this alone so Jethro pitches his plan and then Moses responds verse 24 so Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said which as a father of two daughters is something that I will read at their weddings one day to say listen to the voice of his father-in-law did all that he said.
While winking at those Grooms verse 25 Moses chose Abel men out of Israel and made them heads over the people Chiefs of thousands of hundreds of fifties and of tens and they judged the people at all times any hard case they brought to Moses but any small matter they decided themselves then Moses let his father-in-law depart and he went away to his own country so he listens to the advice of Jethro and he implements this system that is more sustainable.
Then it has to be a rare one of the rarest of occurrences he releases his father-in-law all right it isn't beg him to go he's like he's had him stay and he's like okay now you were free to go and his father-in-law departs and goes back to his own country so that's jethroat's visit there's a lot going on there what I want to do is spend some time in the back part of this I want to look at three different truths that come out of this that still apply.
For us as Christians the days that are still wise and good and then we'll look at one overarching theme that ties our stories together so the first truth order matters order matters when I say order I mean order structure bringing order to chaos that type of order matters I heard a clinical psychologist named Jordan Peterson comment on this which just for the record if you like Jordan Peterson just know this he's not a Christian at all at all he's kind of a sage at this point a philosopher.
But he's not a Christian but he's been getting into Exodus lately and he's been commenting on it and I listened to some of it and I was like man this is a really terrible observations and some of it it's clear that you're not a Christian and you're just grasping at straws but he did make one observation and I thought oh actually that that was pretty on point he said this is like one of the earliest examples that we have of an of an ordered Society.
And then if you look a lot of Western governments they're they're based off of an ordered system like this that heads over people Chiefs of thousands of hundreds of 50s and of tens that's order an order matters that's a theme that you don't just see in government it's the theme you see from the old test from Old Testament all the way into the new then in Genesis 1 when God is creating and ordering the universe there's intentional structure and order you pull that threat all the way to this passage where he is using Jethro to order his people you.
See this through the Old Testament law that we're getting ready to walk through in the coming weeks the order and structure of the Old Testament law that they might be a people that reflect God's glory to the surrounding Nations that you don't know him we're going to see order as you pull this thread all the way into the New Testament when Jesus establishes his Church in order God is a God of order in order matters it matters immensely I'm coaching baseball again this year rookie ball which is Step Above t-ball coach t-ball last year with my son.
If you've ever coached t-ball it is chaos four-year-olds and chaos and if you don't have structure and order out the gate which we didn't last year out the gate it was wild to step in and bring order and once you've finally brought order to that chaos the kids started slowly pick up the game a little bit some of the basics and fall in love with the game order matters and adults aren't much different than children the people of God had problems at issues they needed order.
Because without order you have a lawlessness and God is not a God of lawlessness he's a God of order and they needed this ordered system that would help than be a people that ultimately results in how that passage from 23 ends peace order promotes peace that is a good thing that we should absolutely Embrace as Christians we talk about this that we need to order in our lives for those of us to have children like you need order in your children's lives and our families that that matters that it matters that our kids have structure and Order and and discipline it is good.
For them we want our children to to grow up and to be Jesus loving competent ordered structured adults that's a good thing that we should hold out for our families that there's order within the Church and that matters and how we assemble as the body of Christ matters we talk about in our Church that we are an elder-led Church there are four Elders pastors myself Chet Matt Ras it's elder-led that it's Decon served we have deacons who are servant leaders that it's congregational affirming as the Authority resides in the collective Body of Christ that order and how we assemble ourselves matters the order matters and how we worship on a Sunday.
Because disordered worship isn't good that's what Paul was addressing in First Corinthians 14 when he sees a Church that is disordered and how they worship and he says for God it's not a God of disorder but of peace and then it goes on to give advice on how they're to structure their worship order matters from our families from our lives from the Church I mean order matters on a government level that's one thing you see in the New Testament that the government is a social good that.
God has given that helps restrain evil now there's plenty of disagreements on how much government you can have that debate but unless you're an anarchist which is clearly outside the bounds in the will of God it is a good and it brings order God is a God of order and within order and how much order matters for God's people requires leadership but it also acquires submission within that order right that's one of the reasons that we talk about submission in the home submission in uh the Church submission uh uh and local governing authorities that matters.
Now we as free Americans don't like that idea that's something as Western individualists we don't like that idea remember when I was 18 I was being recruited for the military I was just like I ain't taking orders from anybody there's a lot of a lot of arrogance to say I I do that and then to learn as a new Christian now wait a second God causes to submit and that's part of his ordered world so if you do this verse 23.
God will direct you you'll be able to endure and all this people will also go to their place in peace order promotes peace and it is good second leaders matter leaders matter verse 25 Moses chose Abel men out of out of all Israel and made them heads over the people the chiefs of thousands of hundreds of 50s and of tens that God ordained that leaders step into the place of leadership that they were called to step into this system of leadership that we.
See here in Exodus 18 it precedes what's ultimately going to be the leadership in the priesthood and you follow that threat to the rest of the Old Testament into the new that when Jesus begins his Church he chooses 12 disciples 12 Apostles 11 of whom will go on to lead the Church and then out of that you continue to see this when Paul starts planting churches and he's writing to Titus and Titus 1 5 he says this is why I left you in crates that you might put what remained into order his design his desire and appoint Elders in every town as I directed you these churches needed leaders.
God chooses leaders to step into the leadership that he has created for them and in that period they had leaders whoever saw thousands who oversaw hundreds and 50s and tens this leadership was necessary you see multiple levels of it that God's order is dependent upon leaders that begin to the leadership that he has ordained for them to step into and it is good that leadership is a good gift that he's given us it's the reason why that we have Elders here and not just one we have four of us that we have leaders as a plurality that bear this load together and it confuses people sometimes.
Because we first of all that word Elder especially if you didn't grow up especially if you didn't grow up Presbyterian the word Elder can throw people off and say what are you talking about you Mormon um the Bible uses it interchangeably with pastors so that's what we do okay we have multiple Elders that lead the Church together and that leadership matters we have deacons in our Church that assist us in the work of ministry that have different servant service areas that they lead in and that's unbelievably helpful we have deacons who serve and Kid City we have deacons who serve and host team and Community groups and all that matters immensely.
Because of if if we wanted to do it all ourselves we implode it's too much we have community group leaders who bear the load on a regular basis leadership matters and it is good and it's also something that you should pray for you should pray for your leaders if you're in a group you should pray for your group leaders because leadership is hard but you pray for your pastors because we need your prayers we lead you should pray even beyond the Church.
For your governing authorities as the Bible commands us to do should pray for leadership because leadership is difficult but it is good and God wants leaders so let me address one thing head on really quickly that I don't want us to miss coming out of this that Moses specifically raises up men to be leaders so something that we've taught we'll continue to teach that God's designed for humanities that men would step up into the roles of leaders that he calls us to and that.
When we do this when we step into the leadership that God calls us to that ultimately is that as it shows in this passage results in peace the world is better when men step in to that type of leadership the problem is is that culturally right now we're not in America there's so many problems that you can read study after study and and see stat after stat that shows how men in our culture are not stepping into the leadership that God has called us to has resulted in broken families has resulted in broken lives leadership matters especially.
For men as men for those of us that have families and have children that means that we need to step into the leadership that God calls us to in the family we have the unbelievably unique opportunity to be a force for good in our children's lives to promote a peace that surpasses all understanding and resounds into eternity we have that opportunity in front of us so the reasons that we talk about reading the Bible with our children and praying with our children.
Because God has designed you as a leader in their life to promote what is ultimately good Christ in their lives and that if we're not doing that to be very blunt we're failing and there's Grace for our our failures absolutely but that that doesn't mean that we don't actually step into this and repent of where we have failed so that we can be the leadership that our kids need but as designers be leaders and families for those of us families for those who are married that means they need to lead in marriage and the example of leading in marriage is loving your wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up.
For her that's it and we need to step into that and I look in the mirror on this one that God has called us to love our wives with this unbelievable sacrificial love that he has called us to and when you do this you have the opportunity of having a joyful home that has peace and where we missed up we lean into his grace and we walk it out in Repentance because leadership matters in our homes it matters I'll give you one more just it matters in the workplace workplaces in America need men who will lead goodness gracious I mean women are killing it in the workplace they're killing at every level they're killing it.
And K-12 for those who go to college they're killing it in college and the workplace they're killing it in the workplace and the stats right now on younger men that are between 18 and 24 are not doing anything is startling and we as Christians get the opportunity to be men that step into that void and be a city on a hill that you step into the work that God has caused you to do and that doesn't mean that you'll be a CEO whoever sees thousands you might be you might oversee hundreds or 50s or tens or whomever.
But that does mean that you step into the leadership that God has called you to and the workplace and reflect what it means to work unto the Lord it matters and it's lacking and we get the opportunity to promote peace in our culture and the way that we step into don't miss that he calls men to lead and we desperately need to own that lastly we don't just need leaders you need leaders who have character character matters it's the third thing I want us to.
See out of this Character Matters he says in verse 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's Chiefs of thousands of hundreds of fifties and of tens he says you need men who fear God and that's not just a phrase that gets thrown around as a as like this person's a God fear this is someone who fears God I'm not just talking about the reverent worship type of fear no that actually fear is the power of.
God so much so that we be a people that do what is right that are trustworthy that hate bribes Character Matters immensely and God wants leaders who have character and is the reason why when you look at the story of how Samuel chooses David in first Samuel then in first Samuel 16 7 after Saul has been rejected as a leader verse 7 it says but the Lord said to saying well do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature.
Because I have rejected him I've rejected Saul for the Lord sees not as man sees man looks on the outward appearance but hear this the Lord looks on the heart that God cares about character character trumps competency every day and twice on Sunday character unbelievably matters it is the reason why when you look at First Timothy 3 and the qualifications for elders and for deacons that overwhelmingly those qualifications are character driven because if God has people leading his Church they don't have the character it is a disaster and I know many of you.
Listen to the rise and fall of of Marcel podcast last year when it came out and you know I it was a difficult one for me because I actually grew up as a young Christian listening to Mark Driscoll and really appreciated some of the things that that I heard it was also difficult because one of my former pastors is the one who did that podcast and I didn't like some of the editorial angles that he shows and some of the gossipy stuff that came out of it.
But there's one thing that was very clear in listening to that is that man had no business being an elder and no business being a pastor because he lacked character and character Trump's competency it matters I mean you need to believe that we we should believe that we should be looking for that in our own lives we should so value character over over so many things I I have I have two main goals for my children I have other ones but like they're.
So far beneath these two it's not even funny I want my kids to love Jesus and then second I want them to be virtuous people I want to have character I want them to have love joy peace patience kindness goodness gentleness faithfulness self-control that everything else is so far beneath that it's not even funny and I'm serious they they could choose whatever they want to do they can work in sanitation they could be a surgeon I don't care it's so insignificant our culture inverts that and says that what you do and the career you take and who you turn out to be is.
So much of a Paramount importance that is so far beneath the concern of the Scriptures in comparison to Faith In Jesus and virtue it's not even funny because character it matters and we need to believe that and it was so important for the nation of Israel to have leaders who had it and when Moses finds these men of character and he establishes them as Leaders to judge the people so that they can have this ordered Nation promotes peace he says if you do this.
God will direct you 'll be able to endure and all this people also will go to their place in peace which means that Jethro fixes it he did it you guys if you I don't want to spoil the rest of Exodus for you but it goes rather well that the people joyfully receive the law with obedient hearts that they don't take the gold that God literally earned for them out of the Egyptians hands and melt that down into an island worship that they don't go into the Promised Land.
Now you you know how this story goes that if you read ahead that it's still not enough but the advice that they receive from Jethro is not enough and that is because good advice on its own it cannot save it cannot redeem can I call us to be the people that God has called us to be because Moses y'all Moses was the prophet of prophets in the Old Testament he was the Michael Jordan of prophets they look back and Moses was it and Moses and his proxies and his and his leaders could scarcely restrain the people from absolutely rebelling against the people of.
God let alone themselves joining in it and if Moses couldn't do it with this unbelievably good advice then boy oh boy good advice is not enough we need something more than advice we need a perfect judge we need the judge and the leader who unlike Moses can actually Bear the weight of judgment we need a man who has ultimate and perfect character who comes to bring about his kingdom of order and everlasting peace and his name is Jesus Jesus is ultimately our only hope the people in this story did not have Christ and that is the difference between us and Them that is the difference in what ties our stories together the advice of Jethro.
Is good it is Some solid advice but a good advice and all the strategies in the world it's not enough and it never will be listen I right now I love the season that our Church is in I do there's so much good that's going on I love our groups are growing I mean what's happening in Kid City right now is just awesome I'm seeing people that are hungry they're are loving Jesus and inviting people to come and experience Christ I.
See people that are reading their Bibles I see all kinds of people of character stepping up into leadership it's incredible if we think for a second that that is what's going to guide us alone we are mistaken and it's not enough the only hope we have is Christ if Moses could not do this by his strategy and his work and his effort then we don't have a shot but thank you Jesus that we have him and that ultimately through believing in the one who obeyed the law perfectly on our behalf who took on judgment on himself on the cross to set apart a people who reflect his glory as an ordered Church with Godly leaders.
I'm thankful that he's our chief Shepherd and I'm thankful that we have him so yes we will look at these principles we'll look at this advice and we'll absolutely seek to be a people that apply but we won't miss for a moment who our chief Shepherd is who our only hope is in the middle of all this the band's going to come up we're going to take the Lord's Supper and we're going to be reminded of who our God is and what he has done.
For us so that we can be the people that God has called us to be there on the night that Jesus was betrayed he took bread and he broke it and he said this is my body that was broken for you that he took the cup which is the cup the New Covenant he said this is my blood that was shed for you that as often as you eat and drink this you Proclaim my death until I return the we as Christians get to come to the table hearing the word seeing our shortcomings and saying thank you.
Jesus that you're enough and we get to come to the table joyfully worshiping Christ to come to the table when you are ready there's gluten-free back in that corner over there if you're not a Christian we don't want you to take part in the Lord's Supper we want Christ for you because you can apply all the good advice that you want to in your life you can do all the different adjustments you can do all the different moral changes but if your hope isn't completely and fully in Christ in Christ alone you'll never understand what it means to be his people and you'll never understand what it means to happen to this Everlasting peace that.
He wants for us so don't take part in this take part in Christ we pray for us heavenly father I pray that you would help us receive your word that would be a people that see you as our only hope and out of that hope we'd see some of the things that are so good about Jethro's advice in this chapter we'd see order in leadership and character as unbelievable good things that you've given us to step into and it would be an immediate an obedient people stepping into it.
And if there's anyone here that has not tasted and seen that you were good that has not placed their only hope and you and I pray that you would bring them to faith in you right now in Jesus name amen.