Leaders of Tens

A leader is a person who guides, directs, and or manages a group of people. We all must follow leaders, while simultaneously leading others, sometimes in the same organization.  Some leaders we like, others we do not, usually determined by how closely they do things like we already want to do them.  This is not for a management class, but for us to consider as the Church of Jesus Christ.  God created us to follow him, and also instituted leadership in His people.  These leaders would follow God and would lead the masses to follow him also.  See how God used Jethro to show Moses this concept:

“So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.” Exodus 18:17-22

Moses tried to do it all himself; teach, lead, judge, counsel, and so forth and it was not doing the nation any good.  So Jethro, led by God, showed Moses a better way; allowing Moses to continue to lead the nation, but also use devout men to share the burden of the masses.  Today we see many churches operating in the former way, relying fully on the abilities of a pastor to lead, teach, counsel, etc. within their congregations.  Eventually this model limits the church’s reach to the abilities of one man.  We are all called to be leaders through the Great Commission.  A commission is the granting of authority to act as an agent, on behalf of another.  We are commissioned to lead the world to Christ.  Those who are given much, are also required much; and we have been given the great gospel message.  Whether it be for a family of two, a company of ten, a church of hundreds, or a nation of millions; God expects us to be faithful with what he has given us.  When you are faithful to share His Word, we know it will not return void. (Isaiah 55)

"All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones and your wives--also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water-- 12 that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with you today,”Deut 29:10-12