WE CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE BY DOING LESS – LESS IS MORE (DO WHAT ONLY I CAN DO AND DELEGATE THE REST)

Andy Stanley has said numerous times, “LESS IS MORE – DO LESS & ACCOMPLISH MORE”. He is talking about the art of “doing what only I can do, and then delegating the rest”. Of course in order to delegate we must develop others.

By doing less and developing more – we can actually multiply our ministry efforts. We can go from one leader to 12 leaders by “DOING LESS & DEVELOPING MORE”.

But one thing we do as leaders is we try and DO BOTH. You can’t really DO BOTH effectively. You will either “DO MORE & DEVELOP LESS” or you will “DO LESS & DEVELOP MORE”.

Now for “Moses on Leadership”…

The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening. (Exo 18:13 NLT)

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A LOT OF NEEDS WHEN YOU ARE AROUND PEOPLE! SO, IT TAKES SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE MEETING OF THOSE NEEDS. AS WE GROW SO WILL OUR SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES.

If you are in leadership you will have days that feel like this one. When all you do is hear people’s “disputes against each other”.

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?” (Exo 18:14 NLT)

IF WE WANT TO GROW TO THE NEXT LEVEL THEN WE MUST LEARN FROM THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY AT THE NEXT LEVEL.

Jethro, wasn’t just a nosy father-in-law he was a successful business man who knew how to run a giant sheep herding organization. Who do you think Moses sat under all those years when he ran away from Egypt?

It takes humility to listen to others and genuinely receive their advice. It takes humility to place yourself at the feet of another, and you may even get a few kicks in the pants, but the results are wisdom, strength, and honor.

We are going to get to the Moses part, but not just yet…

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Act 6:1-4 ESV)

THE WORD OF GOD: WE MUST LEARN IT, LIVE IT, AND LEAD OTHERS IN IT.

If we as a community of faith-dwellers are going to be effective in the mission Jesus has given to us then we must be committed to learning the Word of God, living the Word of God, and leading others in the Word of God.

The Church is the ground and pillar of the truth. The Church must be the proclaimer of truth, the Word of God.

The Pastor is responsible for clearly and consistently proclaiming the truth of God’s Word.

The above passage represents a scenario quite common in every local church around the world. There are lots of needs, and there is a fraction who feel as though they are getting the short end of the stick. I know none of you out there have ever dealt with this, but believe it or not it is quite common:)

By the way, if you feel overwhelmed in ministry it probably means you are in involved with people. Because wherever there are people, there are lots of needs. And lots of needs can be overwhelming.

Which is why as the needs grow the systems we use to meet those needs must also grow.

As an organization grows, so much the infrastructure and systems.

The apostles state, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.”

This doesn’t mean that “serving the widows was unimportant or even less important” but it does mean that “it would be wrong for the apostles to ignore what ONLY THEY COULD DO”, which is PREACH THE WORD AND CAST THE VISION JESUS HAS GIVEN TO THEM.

Since the needs of the widows were so important and the apostles cared deeply for them, they decided to be more strategic about the vision. They knew that if they were to best CARE FOR & LEAD THE CHURCH GOD HAD ENTRUSTED TO THEM, they would need to EQUIP OTHERS TO LEAD AND CARE FOR THE CHURCH, while they focused on doing what only they could do (receive the vision from Jesus, preach the word, and develop other leaders).

IT WAS ANTI-MISSION FOR THE APOSTLES TO FOCUS ON DOING INSTEAD OF DEVELOPING (other leaders to care for the needs of the widows).

Let me start this leadership series on Moses by talking about something the Apostle Paul said:

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. (Eph 4:11-13 NLT)

This piece of Scripture lays out a simple groundwork for church leadership, health, and growth. God gives gifts (who are actually leaders) to the Church. These leaders (who are gifts from God) have an INTENSE RESPONSIBILITY & ROLE.

“Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

To simplify: the Pastor’s role is to EQUIP GOD’S PEOPLE TO DO HIS WORK & BUILD UP THE CHURCH.

Currently, as the Lead Pastor of TheDC.tv my role is to EQUIP THE STAFF TO THE LEAD THE CHURCH.

Jesus gives leaders to the church, not to do all the ministry, but to equip others to do the ministry.

Pastors must be “equippers” if they are to best care for and lead the church God has entrusted to them.