God’s Spirit on All

Sermon May 24, 2026

God’s Spirit on All

Reverend Fred Okello

The passage from Numbers 11:24–30 comes during a difficult moment in Israel’s journey through the wilderness. The people had grown impatient and dissatisfied. They complained against Moses, longing for the comforts they left behind in Egypt. Moses himself became overwhelmed by the burden of leading the people alone. In his exhaustion, he cried out to God, saying the responsibility was too heavy for him to carry alone.

In response, God instructed Moses to gather seventy elders of Israel. God promised to take some of the Spirit that rested on Moses and place it upon the elders so they could help carry the responsibility of leadership. When the Spirit came upon them, they began to prophesy. Yet two men, Eldad and Medad, who remained in the camp rather than at the tent of meeting, also received the Spirit and prophesied. Joshua became concerned and asked Moses to stop them. But Moses responded with remarkable wisdom: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!”

This passage teaches us something important about the nature of God’s work. God does not limit His Spirit to one person, one position, or one location. God’s mission is larger than human structures and larger than our expectations. The Spirit is given so that the work of ministry can be shared among God’s people.

The first lesson from this text is that God does not call His servants to carry every burden alone. Moses had reached a point of exhaustion. The weight of leadership had become too much for one person. In ministry today, many church leaders experience the same struggle. Pastors, elders, ministry leaders, and faithful volunteers sometimes try to carry every responsibility alone until they become physically tired, emotionally drained, and spiritually weary. Leadership and ministry needs be shared. A healthy ministry is never built around one exhausted person but around a congregation working together.

In our own congregation, we have seen the value of shared leadership through our single board structure. It relieved many leaders from endless meetings and from belonging to every committee or ministry group at the same time. It allowed ministry to become more focused and sustainable. God desires that burdens be shared so that ministry remains healthy and life-giving.

As congregations, we must continue to develop a culture in which members participate according to their gifts and abilities. Not everyone is called to do the same thing, but everyone is called to do something. Some are gifted in teaching, others in hospitality, prayer, visitation, administration, music, outreach, or caring for those in need. When responsibility is shared wisely, leaders are strengthened, members grow spiritually, and the church becomes healthier.

The second lesson is that we must not limit who God can use or where God can work. The church today can fall into the same mistake. Sometimes we unconsciously decide who is qualified to serve, who belongs, or who is capable of contributing. We may pray for church growth and ask God to bring new people into our congregation, but our attitudes and actions may reveal that we are not fully ready to welcome them.

We must ask ourselves important questions. How do we engage new members? Is our church environment welcoming and supportive? Do people feel accepted when they enter our congregation? Are younger members encouraged to participate? Do new believers feel that they belong, or do they feel like outsiders?

God often works through unexpected people. Throughout Scripture, He used shepherds, fishermen, foreigners, and ordinary people to accomplish His purposes. The church must remain open to the movement of the Spirit through all kinds of people. We should not judge potential based only on experience, age, education, or background. Instead, we must encourage, mentor, and support those whom God is raising up among us.

A healthy congregation creates space for people to grow. It becomes a place where mistakes are met with grace, where gifts are nurtured, and where people are invited into meaningful participation. When the church becomes too protective, too exclusive, or too controlled, it can unintentionally resist the very work God wants to do.

The third lesson is that God desires every believer to participate in His work through the Spirit. Moses declared, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” Moses longed for a day when the Spirit of God would not rest on only a few leaders but would empower all God’s people.

That desire finds its fulfillment in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came upon the believers, Peter stood up and quoted the prophet Joel: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” The Spirit was no longer limited to selected individuals for particular tasks. Through Christ, the Spirit was poured out upon the entire community of believers.

Acts 2 shows the church as God intended it to be: a Spirit-filled community where all believers participate in God’s mission. People from different nations, backgrounds, and generations were united by the Holy Spirit. They prayed together, shared with one another, worshiped together, and boldly proclaimed the gospel. The church grew not because ministry belonged to a few leaders, but because the whole community was empowered by the Spirit.

That same Spirit is at work today. God still calls every believer into ministry. Ministry is not limited to the pulpit or church office. It happens when members pray for one another, encourage the discouraged, teach children, visit the sick, welcome strangers, mentor young people, support struggling families, and share the love of Christ in daily life.

The future strength of the church depends not only on strong leaders but on Spirit-filled congregations where every member understands their calling. When people remain spectators, the church becomes weak and overburdened. But when believers serve together through the power of the Spirit, the church becomes vibrant, united, and effective in God’s mission.

Numbers 11 points forward to the greater promise fulfilled in Acts 2. Therefore, we must not carry ministry alone, we must not limit who God can use, and we must encourage every believer to participate in God’s work.

May we become more and more a congregation that shares, welcomes, and serves through the power of the Holy Spirit.