I heard the story of the preacher who told his church, “I am available to you 24 hours a day.” An older man asked, “If you are available to me and all the others in the church 24 hours a day, when will you have time to make yourself available to God? Or to your wife? Or to your family?” He continued, “If you are running 24 hours a day, you don’t have time to stop and be refilled, and we know that no one can run on empty. And if you fail to stop and be refilled, you will be of no value to me or anyone else.” Someone has said, “The man who is available all the time usually isn’t worth much when he is available.” The danger to every leader is the adherence to the lie, “I must do everything.” By the time we get to the 18th chapter of Exodus, God has freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and is leading them to the land of promise. Moses is God’s chosen leader, and he is taking all of the responsibilities of leadership upon himself. Vs. 13 tells us that “on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people . . . ” (JUDGE = in this instance - “to govern, or to litigate” between the people.) He is answering their questions and dealing with issues that may have arisen between them. This verse also tells us “and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.” The people were coming to Moses throughout the day, from dawn to dusk, to seek instruction and to offer their complaints. Now keep in mind that by this time the children of Israel number at least 2 million, and some even suggest that it was closer to 3 million people. Exodus 12:37-38 says, “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. (38) And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.” This would be the equivalent of moving and judging a city about the size of Houston, Texas. We going to see that Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law introduced him to what our secular world today calls the PYRAMID PARADIGM - that “no organization can grow effectively beyond the solid foundation of equipped and engaged leaders.” That’s why Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” No one can “do it all,” and especially when it comes to the Lord’s work. Moses had been judging the people from dawn to dusk, “from the morning unto the evening,” and his father-in-law, Jethro, had two questions for him. These two questions give us the first Jethro principle.

I. JETHRO PRINCIPLE #1 - A LIMIT MUST BE SET.

II. JETHRO PRINCIPLE #2 - THE LOAD MUST BE SHARED.

III. JETHRO PRINCIPLE #3 - THE LIVES THAT MIGHT BE SAVED.