The Wisdom of Jethro and Why the Church Must Hear It Again • Sunday Service

The Wisdom of Jethro and Why the Church Must Hear It Again • Sunday Service Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Church, there are moments in Scripture that feel quiet, almost hidden, yet they carry explosive wisdom for every generation. The story of Jethro is one of those moments. It is not dramatic like the Red Sea. It is not thunderous like Sinai. But it is profoundly practical, and that is exactly why we need it right now. This passage shows us how God protects His work, His leaders, and His people from burnout, collapse, and unnecessary strain. 1. Even God-Appointed Leaders Can Become Overloaded Moses was called by God. He heard God’s voice. He carried authority. He walked in miracles. Yet Exodus 18 tells us that Moses sat from morning till evening judging the people alone. Jethro watched this and said something startling: “What you are doing is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out.” Exodus 18:17–18 NKJV 2. God Often Speaks Through Wise, Godly Counsel Jethro was not an Israelite leader. He was Moses’ father-in-law. Yet God used him as a voice of protection and correction. This teaches us humility. God does not only speak through dramatic encounters. He speaks through relationships, through godly counsel, through people who can see what we can no longer see because we are too close to the problem. Proverbs says: “In the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14 NKJV 3. Delegation Is Not a Lack of Faith. It Is Obedience Jethro did not tell Moses to stop leading. He told him to lead differently. “Select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them.” Exodus 18:21 NKJV 4. The Health of the Leader Affects the Health of the People Jethro warned Moses that if he continued this way, both he and the people would suffer. That is a sobering word for the Church today. When leaders are exhausted, families feel it. When pastors burn out, churches drift. When ministry becomes survival instead of obedience, vision fades. God cares about sustainability because He cares about longevity. “If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure.” Exodus 18:23 NKJV 5. This Is a Blueprint for the End-Time Church We are living in a season of urgency. The harvest is great. The pressure is real. Many leaders are carrying far more than they were meant to carry alone. The Jethro principle teaches us: Build teams, not empires Raise leaders, not dependents Protect spiritual stamina Stay humble and teachable This is not about efficiency alone. It is about obedience and fruitfulness. The enemy loves isolated leaders. God builds unified bodies. Church, the story of Jethro is not about management. It is about wisdom. It is about humility. It is about understanding that God’s work done God’s way will never destroy God’s servants. If you are weary, hear this word. God never asked you to carry everything alone. If you are leading, ask this question honestly. Who has God sent to help carry the load? And if you are part of the body, understand this. Your faithfulness matters. Your service matters. Your obedience strengthens the whole. The Kingdom advances best when every part supplies what God designed it to give. Let us be a people who listen, who share the burden, and who endure until the work is finished. Show less