Ex 17:8-13
Who Will give the Pastor a Hand?
Pastor Stokes
Often times in the church setting there are some, not all, who believes the Pastor is suppose to do everything. They want him to teach, preach, sing, cook, visit the sick, visit the incarcerated, run the men’s ministry, run the women’s ministry, run the missionaries ministry, run all the ministries in the church, and then cannot understand when his spouse comes to church upset, and some wonder what has the Pastor done. Absolutely nothing, because he is trying to do everything in the church. And home is being neglected, there is a very delicate balance that must be maintained in the ministry.
As a matter of fact if you want to know what the Pastor’s job is just look at Ephesians Eph 4:11-12
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
My brothers and sisters as we examine the text we see that the children of Israel have just been refreshed by the water from the rock. And as soon as it seemed like it was smooth sailing trouble arises. Has that ever happened to you everything is going just fine? Or you just came out of a storm and you see the breaking of day and then all of a sudden it seems like the whole bottom falls out. Storm clouds come out of nowhere. And storms can be unpredictable what starts out as a spring shower can turn into a major flood. What seems like a few flurries can turn into a snowstorm and escalate into a major snowstorm. And you never know how long a storm will last.
And I don’t’ care who you are and how much money you have in the bank how much you don’’ have, if you pay your bills if you don’t pay your bills, trouble will come your way. The Bible says that a man born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble. Not all of trouble, but there is trouble. Jesus said in the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. Not Buddha, not Elijah Muhammad, not Dionne Warwick and the Pschye network. But Jesus the Christ, the living God, bridge of trouble waters, shelter in a mighty storm,
As the children of Israel were refreshing themselves Amalekites came and fought with them in Rephidim. Have you ever known someone who is not happy unless there was some type of mess going on? They criticize everything. One time there were two saints standing in the sanctuary talking before morning service and another saint went past them in a huff and one of the saints said to the other where is he going and the other said to a storm. The other amazed at the foresight of the other said how do you know that. And the other said if there is not a storm once he gets where he’s going he will start one. Some people like to carry their storms with them. They just love conflict they start mess.
Moses tells Joshua choose us out men and go out and fight with the Amalekites. And it is here that we see the introduction of Joshua. And notice with me the Bible does not record any arguments about who was going to do the job. Not saying that there was probably not some jealously, but I believe it is not recorded, because it is not profitable.
And does not say that Moses consulted with anyone boards or committees to select Joshua. So many times boards and committees get in the way of ministry, because we have to have a vote to do everything.
And notice that after Moses commissioned Joshua to carry out the task of selecting out the men for battle. It does not say Moses reinterviewed those selected to fight.
When the Pastor has commissioned you to carry out a task do it to the best of your own ability. God has already revealed it to your Pastor that you can do the job. Don’t worry about how someone else would do it. Do it to your own abilities, not your brothers ability not your sisters ability but through prayer and supplication. You know we get into trouble when we try to do things on our own. Trust in the Lord and lean not to your own understanding and acknowledge him in all of thy ways and He will direct thy paths.
And notice Moses said choose us men he didn’t say go get your friends or your family but select the choice warriors. Friends and family may not be the ones for the job. When its time to select people for the job you gotta be like Jerrubabel who is Gideon when he was about to war with the midinites he had 32,000 men and the Lord said you got to many people, because once you defeat them the people may begin to say we got the victory on our own merits and start pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps. So Gideon said all of you who are afraid you can go on home and the Bible says twenty and two thousand left and ten thousand remained. And still this was too many and God told Gideon to take the remaining men down to the water and I will try them there and it shall be of those who I tell you. Isn’t it always good to follow God isn’t it always a blessing to go by God’s plan it’s a blessing when things are done decently and in order. And God has a plan in place that will build the kingdom of GOD found in Matt 28:19 Go
And once the men where at the water God said those who lappeth as a dog choose and those who bow down on their knees don’t select and out of the ten thousand 300 lapped as a dog. You see you gotta get those saints who watch and pray.
Because when you watch and pray you can see the devices of Satan as He tries to pull you off your ministry. But you can’t believe everything you see.
We only perceive what we see at our current location in time, let me help you, you see me with this beautiful woman laying on the beach and you see me having my way with her, you see my lips on her and you run and tell somebody else you seen the Pastor all hugged up and by the time it reaches my wife it will be with three or four different woman and now you have ruined my marriage, but what you don’t know if you where there five minutes before time you would have seen me pull this woman out of the water and begin mouth to mouth resuscitation.
If your not careful you can become an accuser of the brethren even if the conversation is between two people Luke 12:3 says whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in light and what you have whispered in peoples ears and in closets will be proclaimed upon the housetops. God who is light indeed hears the voice of the accuser even in the guarded confidences spoken to a spouse. But if you watch and pray you would respond I didn’t hear that and if it is true come on and lets touch an agree and pray for that brother or that sister. Lets rebuke Satan in the name that is above every name a name where every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. So watch and pray.
Moses said tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. He didn’t say he would be in the midst of the war but on the mountaintop. Everybody has certain responsibilities, the Pastor was not called to do the Deacons job, and the Deacons were not called to do the Pastors job. And the Deacons were not called to do the ushers’ job and the ushers were not called to do the Deacons job. How much work could we get done if everybody did their own job and its no need to be jealous of the deacons if you are not a deacon maybe God is preparing you for a different job or it could well be the job of a deacon. The body of Christ are made up of different parts and each part is as important as the next and they all function together they are all on one accord how much could we get done if we were all on one accord it wasn’t until the disciples were on one accord that the Holy Ghost came. If we came to the house of prayer on one accord a mind to worship Jesus a mind to serve him a mind to lift him up together before a lost and dying world. People would be saved, people would be delivered, and people would be blessed. And when some of the saints are in the warfare of life somebody should be on the mountaintop praying there should be someone praying for those who are going through. There should be someone who knows how to get a prayer through there should be someone who knows how to get in touch with Jesus. I know if I am going through something don’t send me someone who is going to be playing. Send me some people who don’t mind bruising their knees. Send me someone who knows how to get in touch with Jesus someone who has connections, not with the President, not with the Governor not with the Mayor, not with fraternities or sororities but someone who s wrapped up tied up and tangled up in Jesus.
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him and fought with Amalek and Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Saints we are in a battle even thought the battle is not ours it’s the Lords we are in it. There are mistaken ideas about the work of the church we are not here just to preach and teach we are not here just to raise money we are not here just to run programs. We are here to do battle with the enemy eternal issues are at stake, souls hang in the balance standards of righteousness are being compromised foundations of decency are crumbling. But God has equipped us to do battle we have the power of the Gospel for I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. We have the power of the Holy Ghost because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world and God has given us His armor we need to stand with our loins girded about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness and our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all taking the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and you notice he didn’t give us anything to protect our back well I believe there is two reasons for this first you are not given armor to retreat and second 23rd Psalms says surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and goodness and mercy comes from God so Gods got my back.
And verse 11 says when Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed and when he let his hand down Amalek prevailed. You know saints we may become weary in the battles of life. But we got to learn how to hold one another up. When we hold up Jesus people are saved people are drown to him for He said if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto myself. When Jesus is lifted up people are delivered, strong holds are broken, marriages are strengthen, children are obedient, but as soon as we stop lifting him up the streets allure our youth not only our youth some adults instead of recess at school there are shootings, families are ripped apart single parents struggle to make ends meet. Churches are transformed into social clubs while the lost continue to wonder and stumble in the dark, because the light is only on in the church building.
Your Pastor sometimes may become weary. Fatigue is associated with ministry especially leading us. Fatigue that follows preaching fatigue that follows long hours of studying fatigue that comes from spiritual conflict.
Each one of us fights fatigue. We can hold up the Hands of those who are weary. A stone was provided so that Moses could rest. Aaron and Hur held up Moses hands.
And notice with me they did not tie his hands, they did not handcuff him, but they held up his hands
They may not have agreed with him on some points, but what they realized was that they could get the victory if they held up Moses hands.
You can hold up the hands of your pastor by praying for one another instead of preying on one another, stop criticizing one another, start encouraging one another, faithfully worship with one another join together to win people to Christ. Be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the lord for as much as you know your labor is not in vain. So when fatigue sets in I read in the word to wait on the Lord for those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up on wings of eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint.
Even though it may seem like we are in a losing battle at times remember this battle is not yours it is the lords. And it doesn’t matter who comes up against up or what comes up against you, if the Lord is on our side who can be against us and no weapon formed against you is going to prosper. And this battle began at the fall of man in the Garden of Eden but forty and two generations later God sent his only begotten son whose name is Jesus.
And the tempo of the battle began to change in the garden of Getsemene Jesus came as the propitiation. As he looked in the cup He was about to drink from He said Lord God if by any chance let this cup pass from me, but He said never the less not my will but your will be done. As Jesus was lifted up on the cross he said it looks like we are in a losing battle but remember when Moses lifted the rod of God in Rephidim Israel prevailed now I am the rod for all mankind I’m working something out, I’m bringing you back to me by my blood even though it was you who spat upon me whooped me all night long drove the stakes in my hands and feet I ‘m going to hang here for you. He was hung up for our hang-ups. And on that dark Friday Jesus died willing he laid his life down for you and he did it for me. And they buried him in an empty tomb. And even the day in between he was working something out for you and me the Bible says he went to the lower parts of the earth and got the keys to death hell and the grave and early Sunday morning he got up with all power in his hand.
You may not always agree with the Pastor, but hold up his hands
You may see a better way, but continue to hold him up
There are many things that can be done with the hands
The Architect hands can draw plans for the new world trade centers
The builder hands can operate the machinery to build the building
The electrician can wire the building for light
The president’s hand can sign a declaration for war
The same hands can sign a peace treaty
The nuclear scientist’s hands can build a nuclear bomb
The same hands can push the button to launch a nuclear weapon
With your hands you can knock somebody down and with the same hands you can pick somebody up
With your hands you can push a child a way
With the same hands you can embrace that same child and give them comfort
With your hands you can write things to tear your pastor down and with the same hands you can hold him up and give him a hand
I am so glad that I am in the hands of one who made the heavens and the earth
I am so glad that I am in the hands that took dirt and made a man
I am so glad that I am in the hands that parted the red sea
I am so glad I am in the hands that made the blind see
I am so glad I am in the hands that raised the dead
I am so glad I am in the hands that healed the sick
I am so glad I am in the hands that made the cripple walk
I am so glad I am in the hands that turned water into wine
I am so glad I am in the hands that was stretched out on a old rugged cross
I am so glad I am in the hands that knocked at my door
