"Biblical Requirements And Principles In Staffing A Ministry"
Daniel Valles

READ Exodus 18:19-23

"Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:  And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:  And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace."

In this passage, Jethro (Moses' father-in-law) advises Moses on judging matters for the people.  Instead of judging every matter, small or great, of the thousands of people by himself, Moses should appoint men to help in the task.  Their job would be to "bear the burden with thee."  Some of the key points that we will look at regarding selecting people for a particular ministry are: the requirements of the leaders, the requirements of the people, and the requirement of rules.

For every ministry, there is a man that God has chosen for a particular task.  Throughout the old testament, God chose men as judges, kings, and prophets.  Sometime God permits a woman to lead when the men do not have the backbone or character to do what God wants.  In our passage, we see the man Moses who was appointed the leader of the people of Israel.  It was not a self-appointed position.  God worked in his life to deliver and lead His people.  By himself, Moses saw no strength to go back into Egypt to bring God's people out.  It was only by God's presence that enabled Moses to take up the position God wanted him to.  Without God's direction and leading, the people would not have welcomed Moses but rejected him.  They already rejected him when he left the first time, asking if he was a judge between them (Exodus 2:14).  However, with God's presence, they saw him as God's appointed.

Christian leaders, take extra care and caution that whatever you do in your ministry or endeavors that God's presence is there.  In Exodus 33:13-15, Moses asks God if His presence will be with them.  "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."  How often does history record great men of God who fell on their face in prayer to God asking and pleading for direction on the way God wanted for them.  As the leader of the millions of Israelites, Moses could have commanded and led them off to start his own little kingdom somewhere.  He could have used his position for his benefit.  Yet, he asked the Lord for what He wanted.  Anything aside from that, Moses wanted no part of.  "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."  That should be our heart's prayer before we embark on any ministry venture.  The first Biblical requirement for any ministry is that it is following God's leading presence.  God's presence should not be mistaken for God's man.  Moses made mistakes and God had to correct him.  However, Moses' position was the liaison to God for the people.

The second requirement in any ministry is that the leader is to train.  "And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do."  It isn't enough to lead a group of people and expect great results.  It would have been naive for Moses to expect that the millions of people that God put in his charge would have a clear and absolute understanding and execution of what God wanted them to do.  Moses' job as the leader was not just in the daily routine of where to go and camp - it was mainly in the spiritual realm.  His first teaching responsibility was instructing them what God wanted them to do - God's laws, ordinances, and principles.  These were not Moses' laws, they were not made up by Moses - they were completely God's laws.  No leader is above God's laws.  Any ministry that teaches contrary to God's laws or negates them is not following God but following a man.

His second teaching requirement was to show them the way they were to walk.  There are thousands of churches that teach the people what God requires, but fail to make sure that they walk in them.  Too many churches are content with knowing what is right to do, but not doing it!  Discipleship is key to any ministry.  God did not tell Moses to let the people decide their convictions - He told Moses to make sure that they were walking according to what He told them to do.

Thirdly, Moses was to teach them what work they "must do".  Sadly, many Christians do not like the concept of things that they "must do."  Too many churches and leaders have downplayed Christ's commandments into suggestions.  But Jesus Christ Himself warned about such a idiotic attitude when He said, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  (Mat 5:19).  God does not want leaders who suggest that there are "unnecessary" doctrines or frown on those who are more "rigid" in their doctrines.  If you want to think and teach others that (what you consider) "least" doctrines are not important, then remember that Christ said He will think the least of you when you get to Heaven.  If you want to teach that God's Word's and commandments are unnecessary and unimportant, you are throwing your rewards away by the tractor-truckload.  In His sermon on the mount, Jesus Christ exhorted people to "do and teach them", and that those who do will be "called great."  It is one thing to be the gatekeeper of heaven (Psa 84:10) in man's sight and yet be called "great" in God's sight.  Too many leaders want to great in man's sight, and make themselves least in God's sight.

"...thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do."

The second requirements are for the people in the ministry.  "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness..."  The people appointed to lead in a ministry must meet requirements for leadership.  It is interesting that these leaders were not chosen by the people or voted on - they were appointed.  God's leader chose men that he knew would help bear the burden God's way.  Any ministry, whether it be a church organization, mission, camp, printing, needs, etc., will find that sometimes getting the people to vote on people can be detrimental.  The larger the group the greater the risk.  People naturally want someone allied with them.  God told Moses to appoint men that the people needed - not necessary wanted.

The requirements for the chosen people are: able men, fear God, men of truth, and hating covetousness.  Firstly - able men.  Novices need not apply.  1Timothy 3:6 warns that a bishop should not be "a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil."  Churches should not enlist young (spiritually) Christians to teach Sunday School.  At any young age, children need the advise that comes from a mature Christian.  Young Christians can be discipled, go out witnessing, and help out in the church, but not in a leadership area.  Likewise, in any ministry where one will be looked up to or supervising (bishop) in a Christian role, they need to be able and mature leaders.

It is interesting that the same requirements that Jethro outlined for Moses are the same requirements that Paul outlined for Timothy.  1Ti 3:7-9 says, "Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.  Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."  The leaders in a church were also to be able men (good report, above reproach, grave, honest), those who feared God (holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience), and men of truth (not doubletongued).  There are only four points, but each point speaks volumes about a person's character and walk with God. 

It should caution us that even the leaders over tens had to meet these qualifications.

In Titus 2:7-8, Paul list the other primary requirements that all those in ministry must have.  "In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned."  In this one verse, Paul lists two major areas of a Chrisitan's life that are necessary.  Both of them are rules.  These are the same rules that the leaders were to teach knowledge of and how to walk in them.  The first category of rules is the outward standards -"shewing thyself a pattern."  A pattern is a model proposed for imitation.  Paul was telling them that they needed to have their life show an evident pattern and model that was different from the world.  Too many churches tell people that they have 'liberty' to live and dress like the world.  Not so!  It can't be called a model proposed for imitation if the world is already doing it in the first place!  If anything, it underscores that you are forsaking a godly pattern to instead imitate the world's pattern!  Our works, conversation, where we go, what we say, etc. should show the world around us a recognizable pattern that we are cut from a different cloth!

The second requirement that he lists (besides standards) is what we may consider a doctrinal statement that follows God's Word.  Not only should our life show a pattern, but our doctrine should follow the pattern of God's Word.  Several key criteria that he lists are that the doctrines we hold forth show uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, and sound speech.  Our doctrine that we follow must not be corrupted by philosophy and traditions of this world.  Psychology has no place in any Christian ministry.  Corrupt ideas of Christian liberty as an excuse to live in sinful ways need to be weeded out.  Also, the doctrine which we live by must not be a head knowledge list of laws, but reverenced as the very words of God on how to live our life.  Doctrine is not something to be treated flippantly.  It is to be very grave and sober when we consider the weight and impact on this life and eternity.  Our doctrine should be handled with sincerity in that we have a zeal to live it out in our lives on a daily basis not just nod our heads on Sunday morning. 

Finally, our doctrine should exhibit sound speech.  Colossians 2:8 warns, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."  There have been many times that someone tried to explain to me or illustrate why they have a certain twist or distortion of doctrine.  Many times the argument sounds and appears logical, but the conclusion, inference, and application is completely off-base.  However, it is the appearance of truth that convinces them and others.  Oftentimes they will hold to their petty illustration as justification even if it goes against clear principles outlined in God's Word.  This practice of false logic is what Paul was warning the Colossians about.  Sophistry is a centuries-old term for a plausible but misleading or fallacious argument. That word 'sophistry' is the Greek word used in this verse by 'philosophy'.  Paul was warning them that people will come about who will smooth-talk them into erring from the faith.  They may sound good, their arguments may seem to make sense - but they were to beware - be on the lookout - for that which went against Scripture.

In our modern times today we have a plethora of 'christian' sophists who wrangle and distort Scriptures to say what they want.  By selectively reading (and not reading) Scripture, or by taking snippets from a diverse range of Bible-perversions they concoct a deceit to foist on their followers.   Paul warns that some of the earmarks of such dangerous folly is the use of sophistry (false logic), argumentation through philosophy and logic rather than Scripture, religious traditions of men, the use of psychology (rudiments of the world), and general things that are not of Christ and His Word.

Act 17:11 "These [the Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

Doctrines and standards are not preferences!  Preferences and opinion should not be confused with doctrine.  When you confuse doctrines and preferences you open the door for people to decide what their convictions are in certain areas.  Moses and Paul would have none of that.  They told the people what God's laws and requirements were and how they were to follow them.  It was not left up to the people.  God, Himself, was taking it out of their hands.

Proverbs 21:2 outlines the folly of letting people set their own convictions: "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts."  This error is why Paul wrote, "...let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."  Philippians 3:16.  There is a rule to be followed.  There is a rule that is to be outlined to the people and to make sure it is being adhered to.  That rule is God's laws and commandments.  There is a very dangerous precedent when a ministry has no doctrinal statement and no code of conduct that it holds its people to.  It is evidence that (1) there is no rule such as God's Word which dictates what is right and wrong.  (2) there is a leader who is not teaching.  (3) there is a leader who is not making sure the people obey God's Word. 

(4) I can almost guarantee that such a ministry does not have unity and the people are not likeminded.  Philippians 2:2 implores, "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, have the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."  I Corinthians 1:10 exhorts, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."  There are many other verses in Scripture that emphasize characteristics such as like-mindedness and one accord.  This is a result of having sound doctrine and sound standards.  Too many churches today want the unity without the doctrine and standards - it will never work.  The verse in I Corinthians makes it clear that the unity comes from have the "same mind" and the "same judgment."  Everyone's discernment regarding right and wrong (judgment) was the same.  Everyone was of the same mind because they followed "the same rule" (God's commandments) and minded the "same thing" (Phil. 3:16).

In Philippians 2:20-21, Paul laments that he has only one Christian brother who is sold out for God.  "For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.  For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."

May his lamentation grow in us a desire to stop seeking our own ways, our own convictions, our own purpose, our own standards.  May we pray, as Moses, for direction, leading, and for His presence.  May we chose leaders who will not serve themselves, but teach and exhort others to live for Christ first and highest of all.

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