Your Role in the Congregation.

Your Role in the Congregation. Exodus 14:11-18.

Looking across the dessert, a person way in the back of the 2 to 3 million people saw faints signs of dust being kicked up by the 600 Chariots of the Pharaoh’s army. He quickly shouted, pointing to what he saw and a chain reaction of fear traveled through the camp of the Children of Israel; for the Egyptians were coming after them.

From the back to the front, a wave of comments swelled and gained momentum as it made its way to Moses. As it splashed up on the shores of Moses tent, Moses was caught by a flurry of questions, accusations, and demands.

Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:11-12(NKJV)

The accusation was made that Moses conspired with the Pharaoh to take them out into the dessert so they may be killed. If they were to be killed in Egypt the dead bodies would have stunk up their cities; now they could be killed far away and their bodies left to rot in the hot sun.

Moses shaking his head, denying the claims, recieved another accusation in the form of a question, “Why have you dealt with us this way?” Followed by, “Didn’t we ask you to leave us alone to our work?”

The problem here is a lack of faith in extreme circumstances. So goes the story of every person who has had to face a life threatening disease. When diagnosed as terminal, people often question God and shrink in fear of dyeing. Yet God would have people to be strong in their faith and be as Job who said, “Though He slay me, I will trust in Him.”

Paul the apostle thought that to die was gain. He would gain by leaving the corruption of earth and have his soul ascend to heaven to be given a new body.

“To live,” Paul said, “is Christ.” He meant life is a constant job of toiling with the way sinners think and trying to convince them God is the answer to their dilemmas. Therefore, after a person dies there is peaceful rest from the turmoil of earth.

These Israelites had not learned to trust in God and their faith was weak. Yet, God knew this and therefore, allowed them to face the trials of the Egyptians so He might build their faith.

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14(NKJV)

It was Moses’ job to preach to the Children of Israel. As he spoke, the message had to be relayed from the front of the 2 to 3 million people, to the back. His message was to accomplish several things.

One, Moses’ message was to inform Israel to have faith in their God. Two, his message was to calm the people down. Lastly it was to assure them that God will fight for them.

These three things, as Christians, we should know; and when faced with a trial we are to be still and know that He is God.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:15-18(NKJV)

It is quite interesting that God turned to question the pastor of the People. “Why do you cry to me?” God said to Moses. Evidently Moses looked at the unease of the people and though he delivered the message of peace, he was overcome with the vast unbelief of the people.

Being the pastor of such a large congregation was also a challenge to the faith of Moses. However, of all people who witnessed the saving hand of God, the pastor was not to falter in God’s eyes.

If you think about the structure of their congregation, when Moses spoke, he spoke to elders. The elders then carried the message out to the congregation and the same process occurred with information coming into Moses.

A pastor must be so strong in his faith he is able to command the elders to preach with boldness. In God’s thinking that cannot happen if the pastor wavers.

In a church, it is important that we all work together to strengthen each other so that our pastor has the support to be strong. Yet, Moses was being questions.

We must remember that God can talk to any person; however, here God was giving the main message to Moses, because God knew they needed a central leader. The same occurs in our congregation to this day.

We each hear from the Lord; but each week a sermon is laid upon the heart of the pastor to deliver to his congregation. That message should be considered as coming from the heart of the Lord and directed towards each and every person.

The strength of a church is bidirectional. God delivers his message through the pastor and it must filter down through the congregation; however, the congregation must send messages back to the pastor that they believe and support him. In faith we must honor God and His order for us.