“Elevate: Team Up”
SERMON Title: Elevate: TEam Up
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 18:13-23 ESV
Introduction
Whether at work, at school, or in any community, knowing how to work well with others is essential. Employers and schools understand this well, which is why interviews often emphasize teamwork just as much as skills or knowledge. Questions like, “How do you work with others?” “How do you navigate challenges in a team?” or “Can you lead and also follow?” are asked because success rarely happens alone. Influence, impact, and lasting results almost always come from people who can work together—communicating well, understanding each other’s strengths, and sharing responsibility.
The same is true in spiritual leadership. God never intended His work to be carried by one person alone. Leadership in His kingdom is not only about calling or passion; it is also about partnership—learning to share the load and multiply impact through teamwork.
This brings us to Moses in our passage today. Moses is a faithful and surrendered leader. He is teaching the people God’s ways, judging disputes, and guiding Israel in every aspect of life. But there is a serious problem. From morning until evening, Moses stands alone, hearing every case and carrying the weight of an entire nation. Exodus 18:13 tells us that “the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.” No wonder he is exhausted. No wonder he is overwhelmed.
It is at this moment that Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, steps in. After observing Moses’ leadership, he gives advice that is both practical and life-changing. In verses 17–18 he says, “What you are doing is not good… You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out… You are not able to do it alone.” This is not an attack on Moses’ character or faithfulness. Rather, it is a recognition that even the most devoted leader needs a team. God designed His work to be done in community, with shared responsibility.
As we explore this passage, we see two practical lessons about elevated spiritual leadership, and finally how that leadership is perfectly exemplified in Jesus Christ:
Elevated leadership listens with humility.
Elevated leadership empowers others and shares the burden.
Elevated leadership exemplified in Jesus.
1. Elevated Leadership Listens with Humility
The first lesson we learn from Moses is that leadership begins with humility—a willingness to listen. Teamwork does not happen naturally. It requires stepping back and considering perspectives beyond our own, even when those perspectives come from unexpected places.
Moses was the most seasoned leader among the Israelites. He was called by God, entrusted with the Law, and responsible for leading a nation. Yet God chose to speak wisdom into Moses’ life through Jethro, his Midianite father-in-law. Jethro was not an Israelite leader or prophet. He lived outside the covenant community for much of his life. And yet, God used him to offer Moses a fresh and necessary perspective.
Jethro saw what Moses could not—or perhaps would not—see in himself: this leadership model was unsustainable. Moses was headed toward burnout, and the people would suffer alongside him. What does Moses do in response? Exodus 18:24 tells us, “So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.”
Moses could have reacted defensively. He could have dismissed the advice or taken it as criticism. Instead, he listened and acted. This is humility in practice. Elevated leadership is not about being right all the time or doing everything ourselves. It is about recognizing that God often equips leaders through the voices of others.
For us today, this is a powerful reminder. God may speak wisdom into our lives through people we least expect—someone younger, newer in the faith, or outside our usual circles. The question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are willing to listen. A teachable spirit allows God to shape our leadership through the community He has placed around us.
2. Elevated Leadership Empowers Others and Shares the Burden
The second lesson is that leadership is not about carrying everything alone; it is about empowering others and sharing responsibility wisely. After identifying the problem, Jethro offers practical counsel. In verse 21 he says, “Look for able men… who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain, and appoint them as leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.”
This is delegation grounded in discernment. Not everyone has the same capacity or calling, and wise leadership matches responsibility with ability. Delegation done poorly harms both people and mission. But when done wisely, it becomes an act of stewardship.
Jethro explains the purpose clearly in verses 22–23: “So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you… you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” His concern is not just efficiency, but endurance, guidance, and peace. Leadership was never meant to be a solo burden.
This principle applies everywhere in life. At work, managers must identify capable team members and share responsibility wisely. In school, group projects flourish when burdens are shared according to strengths. In families, parents rely on community to nurture children. And in the church, leaders are called to identify godly, capable people, empower them, and walk alongside them.
Wise delegation requires discernment through prayer and dependence on God. It asks the right questions: Who has the character to lead? Who is trustworthy? Who fears God and cares for people? When leadership is shared in this way, God directs the leader, leaders endure, and people flourish in peace.
3. Elevated Leadership Exemplified in Jesus
Moses’ story ultimately points us to Jesus, the perfect example of elevated leadership. Jesus never led alone. From the beginning of His ministry, He surrounded Himself with disciples, investing deeply in ordinary people and entrusting them with responsibility.
Jesus could have done everything Himself. He was fully God, perfectly capable. Yet He chose to multiply His mission through others—not out of weakness, but wisdom. He trained, corrected, and empowered His disciples, sharing leadership while continuing to guide them faithfully.
This model extends to us today. Through the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20), Jesus entrusted His mission to the church. The task is enormous, and on our own strength it would be crushing. But Jesus does not abandon us to carry it alone. He gives us His Spirit, who equips, empowers, and sustains us. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s mission advances—even through ordinary, broken people like us.
Conclusion
My brothers and sisters, today we have seen what it means to “Team Up” in spiritual leadership. From Moses, we learn the importance of humility and shared responsibility. From Jesus, we see leadership perfected—investing in others, empowering them, and sustaining the mission through God’s Spirit.
Spiritual leadership is not about control or carrying the burden alone. God calls us to listen, empower, and walk with others, trusting Him to multiply our influence. May we lead with humility, share the burden wisely, follow the example of Jesus, and rely fully on the Holy Spirit—so that together, in His strength, all we do may be for His glory.
As we think about how the Lord is calling us to be elevated in our spiritual leadership, let’s take moment to consider these questions for our own lives. In regards to:
1. Listening with humility:
Who around me might God be using to speak wisdom into my life?
Am I willing to step back, set aside pride, and listen—even if the advice comes from an unexpected place?
2. Empowering and sharing the burden:
Where am I trying to do it all on my own, carrying responsibilities that God intends to share with others?
How can I identify, empower, and walk alongside others so that God’s work flourishes and I endure in leadership?
3. Following Jesus’ example:
Am I leaning on the Spirit of Jesus in my leadership, trusting Him to equip and guide me, rather than relying on my own strength?
How can I cultivate a community where leadership is shared, influence is multiplied, and the mission of God is carried forward faithfully?