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This blog post is Part 23 of a series entitled "From Fear To Freedom" by Pastor Jeffrey Dean Smith of Donelson First in Nashville, TN. 

Message Date: August 11, 2024

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Leadership is often lonely. Any great leader will attest to this sobering reality. Of course, to those looking in, it doesn’t appear as such, because the leader is often surrounded by others; immersed in the lives of others; seeing to the needs of others. Paul, a servant of the Lord, understood loneliness all too well. He spent much of the final years of his life imprisoned. Alone. The Savior of the world spoke these words recorded by John:

He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

Leadership is often lonely because “decreasing” can be, at times, lonely.

A godly leader understands this life mantra to which one is called: The ever-decreasing life in pursuit of total allegiance to a life increasing in the will of God. If anyone in the Bible understood the challenges associated with being a godly leader in pursuit of the ever-decreasing life, it was Moses. Moses left his life of comfort in Midian at the “young” age of 80. And doing so, he placed himself directly into a war with the most powerful man on the planet. In the process of decreasing his ways and his wants and his will as he obeyed the will of God, Moses too received tremendous adversity from the entire nation of Israel. By the time of the exodus, Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his two children leave him in the desert and journey back home to be with Jethro, her father. Approximately a year and a half that it took Moses to complete the journey – meeting with the Pharoah, the plagues, leading God’s people out of Egypt, and the beginning of the journey through the wilderness - it appears he did not even have the company and consolation of his family with him. Few understood Moses. It appears mostly none appreciated Moses. Most rebelled against him.

Exodus 17:4

Even with noise all around, and people constantly vying for attention, a leader can be engrossed in loneliness. I have no doubt - such was the state of Moses. So in God’s perfect timing, as always, a touching moment in this story from fear to freedom occurs for Moses. God sends Moses a gift at, I presume, the exact time Moses needs a lift; an embrace; a word of encouragement from his family - a hug from his children; a kiss from his wife; a challenge from his father-in-law.

Exodus 18:5-9

I can imagine there was both exhaustion and exhilaration as Moses meets Jethro in the wilderness near the mountain of God. Oh, how I hope this one was somehow supernaturally recorded for us. Would not it be great to sit in heaven one day, hit replay, and be able to watch in iMax all of these wonderful real-life biblical events that happened so very many years ago? If this can happen, somehow, someway… I want to watch this conversation in this tent between these two old men as Moses shares with Jethro all the things that God did on behalf of His people!

Why do I believe this moment is so very important? Well if you were with us last week then you recall the final point of the morning: There is always a testimony in the testing. Y’all, even though you and I go through tremendous times of trial and testing on this planet, on the other side of the challenge, there is always a story worth telling for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. Always! Something most amazing happens during this conversation between Moses and Jethro that I just have to show you. It's subtle. But it is so very good, I just have to highlight it for you. Let me explain...

Scriptures tell us that, once Jethro enters the tent with Moses, Moses then begins to tell his father-in-law all that God did for the nation of Israel. Moses shares of his travels to Egypt, meeting with the elders of the nation of Israel, and I can presume, the nervousness he felt the first time he appeared before the Pharaoh. I can hear him sharing of how insolently and defiantly the king of Egypt rejected him and, more specifically, Jehovah God's demands. I can envision Jethro's eyes widening, his attention lighting up, the posture of his body leaning in, as Moses describes the plagues, one after the other, that ravaged every facet of the nation of Egypt! And then can you see it… how eerily quiet and still Jethro sat, and all others in the tent that day as Moses described the night of the Passover... that moment at midnight when the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the first born of the prisoner, who is in the dungeon, and the first born of all the livestock as well. Moses told of that exact moment when Pharaoh, with all of his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. Moses then details for Jethro how the Israelites left Egypt and how even in their first battle God delivered them from the Amalekites, giving them tremendous victory.

There is not a lot in Scripture about the man Jethro. We are told that he has daughters and flocks, and that he was a priest of Midian. We know the people of Midian were descendants of Midian, who was a son of Abraham by his second wife, Keturah. I presume Jethro had received from Abraham’s family some knowledge of the true God. However, it does not appear that Midian’s descendants were faithful to, or truly knowledgeable of, the one true Jehovah God. It also appears to be true that Jethro was not necessarily a believer in, nor priest of, Jehovah God. It is very possible that Jethro worshipped a different god. But all of this changes after his conversation with Moses!

Exodus 18:10-11

Do you see what happened? Church, even after all of the trials and testing Moses has been through over the last year and a half, he is still a man, though not perfect, a man trusting in God with his life; a man continuing to place faith in a God who is journeying with him through the wilderness. There is always a testimony in the testing! And now we see that Jethro, in his old age, places his trust in the one true God after hearing the testimony of Moses’ testing! Isn’t this incredible, y’all! What a story of life-change! I don’t know about you... but this is the kind of man I want to be... when people who do not know Jesus as Savior have a conversation with me, they hear of the greatness God, and then... just like Jethro, they declare their trust in and allegiance to the one true Jehovah God!

Let me ask you, “What about you today? Have you chosen to trust God with your life?” It could be that, just like Jethro, you have lived your life with a knowledge of a God, but not yet have you placed your trust in God. If you have never placed your trust in Him, you can do so right now. Right where you are today you can just simply stop and say, “God I believe in You. I believe the truth in Your Word when you say, ‘You love me, You created me, and You have a wonderful plan for my life.’ I believe Your Word that says You loved me so much that You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His very life for me on a cross. He died. And then He rose again, just as Your Word says. I believe this to be true. And today, just like Jethro did so very many years ago, I place my trust in You, believing that You are the one true God greater than all the other gods!” So, this was quite the conversation the two have about what has happened up until this point. Look at what unfolds the next day:

Exodus 18:13-27

What a very touching moment in Scripture. Jethro goes to work with Moses and sees Moses judging the people... all day long! With this many people learning to live in a whole new place in such a short amount of time, I am confident there were many disputes that surfaced and were, therefore, brought before Moses. It's quite understandable with 2 million people in the middle of the desert, from time to time, I am sure somebody's goat ate somebody's grain; somebody's sheep wandered into somebody's tent. But with people delivering their disagreements to him all day long, at the end of the day, Moses is exhausted. A loving father-in-law sees the dilemma, and he speaks. Church, what we receive from Jethro is essentially the first charge for how the holy Church is to be managed, and specifically, how leaders, including a Pastor, are to prioritize their ministries.

We are at somewhat of a unique turning point in the story. Up until now, we have been studying the journey of a man who God called to stand before the world's most elite and powerful king, the Pharaoh of Egypt, and demand that God’s people be let go. God’s people have now been set free, and are journeying, at the leadership of Moses, through the desert wilderness. We now see that the man, Moses, carries an immense weight upon his shoulders; too an entirely different weight. Moses now understands the spiritual responsibility he has of helping shape the hearts of the nation of Israel to align with the heart of the God of Israel. This is a critical moment in the spiritual journey of the man, Moses. No one understands this more than Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro. Jethro fully comprehends the magnitude of responsibility his son-in-law now possesses. And so in this very heartwarming exchange, Jethro challenges Moses with several priorities.

1. Pray 

Jethro tells Moses that he is to pray to God for God’s people. 

Exodus 18:19

Representative / Hebrew / verb = to stand before; in place of

Of all the responsibilities I have as your pastor, I consider none more seriously than that of advocating with you and for you to the Father. Of course, this is no way replaces your responsibility to approach the Father in consistent prayer.
I will remind you that when Jesus drew his final breath on the cross, we know that the veil in the temple was torn in two. This moment proclaimed a powerful message to God's people - they no longer had to go through any leader in the church to approach God. With His very life, Jesus made a way for all of us to approach God. Any religion that communicates that we, His Church, must go through a Pastor, Priest, Elder, or Bishop who then goes to God on our behalf is simply false religion – period. Paul stated these words to the Church:

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

And so I continually encourage you with your needs and your requests and your praises that you take these both boldly and reverently to the Father. Having said this, one responsibility of which Jethro implores Moses to faithfully pursue is that of representing God's people to God. I want you to know that as your Pastor, I consider it to be a tremendous privilege when you ask me to pray for you. And I can assure you, when I tell you I am going to pray for you, I do. Secondly, Jethro implores Moses to:

2. Teach.

Exodus 18:20

We each have the responsibility to teach God’s Word in our own personal “pulpits.” At home, in the workplace, with our kids, through socials, and in our personal circles of influence – God has given you a platform to “teach His decrees and instructions” to others. You are to be the mouthpiece of God to the world – the megaphone of truth to a corrupt and deplorable world. Jesus said such in His very last words to His followers in Matthew 28:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Jethro is, in essence, telling Moses, “You have a teaching ministry.” Many of you know that I spent my first 27 years of preaching on the road traveling. It was a fantastic experience that has proven to be so very beneficial to me here leading our church. One benefit of being on the road preaching was that, from week to week, I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with so very many pastors – Senior Pastors, Lead Pastors, Worship Pastors, Student Pastors, Executive Pastors, Children's Pastors, Family Pastors, Groups Pastors, and Discipleship Pastors. God gave me a gift all of those years being able to speak with so very many Pastors… listening to their challenges, and gaining insights from them, that I now know very clearly I find so useful as Senior Pastor here at Donelson First. I can say that one reality I gained from this experience was hearing from so very many Pastors who, with great transparency, revealed to me a corresponding challenge. Rather than focusing on their time of study and prayer and preparation, so many of them find themselves engrossed in, what I label as, “secondary details.” And I can explicitly say that so very many of these Pastors shared with me that the end result was that their time of preaching and teaching suffered.

Pastors must be so very careful to not become consumed by “secondary” responsibilities. Of course many Pastors, including myself, in an extremely busy and growing church who also possess a small staff, understand that Pastoring can be an all-consuming list of responsibilities. We are groundskeepers, toilet fixers, interior decorators, human resource managers, counselors, social media managers, event planners, painters, accountants, producers, designers, strategists, wedding planners and officiators, and so very, very, very much more. Now, no complaints on my part. I love serving you at DF. But I do know that the most important responsibility I have here is to, as Jethro reminds Moses, “...teach the decrees and instructions” of God to God’s people. You see...

The danger for Pastors, and for the Church, occurs when the “much” becomes the “more.”

There is so very much a Pastor is responsible for... but the “much” cannot, should not, must not become the “more.” For the Pastor, the “more” must always be to teach the decrees and instructions of the Holy Word. This is one of the many reasons as to why Give Back Sunday is so very important to your Pastors here at DF! You see, as you financially support the ministry of Donelson First, you are helping enable us to properly manage, staff, and govern the ministries of this historic light on the hill here in Music City. And, I hope that you have begun praying as to what God would have you and your family commit to financially for Give Back Sunday which will be Sunday, September 8. On this day it is our hope to get back in the black after what has been a very challenging year for us here at Donelson First. We are hoping on this day to exceed raising $150,000. Jethro fully comprehended that his son-in-law would not be of greatest benefit to God’s people unless he prioritized his “more!” This is why Jethro tells Moses he is to pray, to teach, and lastly, to:

3. Show

Exodus 18:20

Jethro clearly understood that it was Moses’ responsibility, their leader, their Pastor, to “... show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.” And, as your Pastor, this is the primary call on my life. The way in which I do this best begins with the teaching of God’s Word. And, as your Pastor, it is the primary call on my life to not only teach God’s Word - - but to teach all of God’s Word... all of God's Word! ... not merely my personal convictions or my sympathetic passions; not merely the parts of Scripture that I like or that I find easy. No, I am required to teach all of God’s Word!

I want to encourage you that if you are looking for a Church that merely preaches the parts of God's word that are comfortable, or that are considered culturally correct, or woke, or seemingly fair to all, or tolerant, or are accepting of anyone's definition of right and wrong and love and marriage and gender equality, and is affirming and welcoming of any lifestyle that is celebrated in mainstream and pop culture today... If you are looking for a church that is going to make you feel really good every single time you attend and is never going to challenge you, convict you, or point you to Scriptures that remind you of the need for change and repentance in your life... If you are looking for a church that is going to be more concerned with your comforts and traditions, ensuring you are always happy, and that you feel like you always get your way at church... If you are looking for this kind of church, then we would love to have you here at Donelson First... but... none of what I have just mentioned is what you will receive here. Yes, of course, as Senior Pastor… I want you to be comfortable at church. I want you to feel welcome to church. I want you to feel an allegiance for church. I want you to leave here feeling happy with church. 

As another human who, just like you, struggles with insecurities, realizes that I don't always do everything right, has my own personal hurts and regrets and disappointments and broken dreams… as the kind of human who is often longing for encouragement and security and approval, I want both you and me to find our needs met at church. But, let me remind you... Having your needs met is far different from getting what you want. You see... I too know that God's Word is often very divisive. I know that the Holy Scriptures confirm over and again that, though God is a loving God, He too is a just God. I too know that Scripture often says things that are very contrary to my comforts and to your comforts. Scripture often communicates a message quite different than that of our longings and emotions and passions as we each pursue our individual dreams and successes.

The fullness of Scripture often reveals to you areas of your life that need addressing; that convict; that nudge; that are extremely uncomfortable.

The holy Words of God communicate a counter-culture journey calling the believer to live an ever-decreasing life in pursuit of allegiance to a life increasing in the will of God. And though I know that you, just like me, want to feel as though your voice has been heard, your position matters, and that your very real emotions and drives and desires long to be satisfied... I also know that scripture says... I must die to self. Die. To. Self. Christ Himself said:

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Luke 14:33

And Paul said these ever important words:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

There is no place for personal pursuits in my life. And there is only one way to eternity with Jesus. As a Pastor, I know that there are places in Scripture that are very difficult for us as a humanity to digest. However, I too know that, because I am not God, I cannot pick some areas and ignore other areas of Scripture as I apply such to my life and encourage you to do the same. Because Scripture says it, as your Pastor I am required to preach it. I know this means that there are times when we will examine places in God's truths that are tremendously divisive and unashamedly bold and unapologetically intolerant. I too know, for this, some will fall away. Some will choose not to listen. Some will ignore these truths. Some will leave the Church. As a preacher of God’s Words, I know I have to preach exactly this with confidence coupled with grace. Jethro told Moses it was his responsibility to teach the “decrees and instructions” of God to God's people, and to, look at it again:

Exodus 18:20

Look... I know this is difficult to hear. I understand this can be extremely difficult to digest and absolutely, at times, quite impossible to apply. At times, Scripture requires of you decrees that are daunting and instructions that seem intolerable. We are going to see this more and more as we move through the next few weeks of study with Moses on this journey from fear to freedom. Moses is about to bring laws to God's people that are going to be received with mixed reviews and challenged by God's people at almost every turn. Many will turn away from these truths at this moment, worship idols, and fall away. And because of these actions, their bodies will be spread out all across the Sinai desert.

There is no one, no one, who is above receiving counsel from another. Moses is the only man on the entire planet who was saved as a baby while floating among the reeds in the Nile River. Moses is the only human being to whom God spoke through a burning bush in the middle of the desert. He too is the only person living in this moment in time of whom we know had constant communication with the Creator of the world. The man, Moses, stood before the world’s most powerful dictator and mandated he do what the Holy God demands. And now, he is the chosen leader to journey with God’s people, the nation of Israel, from fear to freedom. Yet, when his father-in-law, a man far removed from all that God has done with and through Moses, says to him, “What you are doing is not good.”, Moses listens. Church this is the take-home for us today. As we each consider the call on our own lives to pray, to teach, and to show others the way they are to live and how they are to behave, let us not forget, we each need the honest counsel of others. As we continue as a church of becoming more as the Christ, I ask that we each pray:

Lord, may I cultivate friendships from whom I can listen and receive and apply godly counsel as I strive to pray, teach, and show others how they are to live the ever-decreasing life in pursuit of total allegiance to a life increasing in the will of God. In Jesus name. Amen.

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Jeffrey Dean Smith is a husband, father to Bailey & Brynnan, author, and the Senior Pastor at Donelson First in Nashville, TN. If you are in Music City, meet Jeffrey and enjoy iced tea on the front lawn each Sunday at 10:30a.