5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery [something to be held onto] to be equal with God,
7 BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, TAKING THE FORM OF A BONDSERVANT, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF AND BECAME OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, even the death of the cross.
9 THEREFORE GOD ALSO HAS HIGHLY EXALTED HIM AND GIVEN HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME."
Philippians 2:5-9 (NKJV)
"FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, and to GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM for many.”
Mark 10:45 (NKJV)
• Many who claimed to be Christians attend church meetings with different motivations.
- Some attend that they may be given leadership positions, some to get business connections, some to get marriage partners.
- Such people attend the Church meetings with the motives of getting the mundane—not the spiritual things that can edify them.
THEY are looking for the Gold, not the God!
THEY are seeking for HONOUR, but not willing to SERVE: "If anyone serve Me [Jesus], him [her] My Father will HONOUR" (John 12:26).
HOWEVER, the door to the true greatness and blessings is SERVICE!
• In God's kingdom, to serve means to bless others (Matthew 25:31-40).
- Whenever you make yourself available to help other people for Kingdom purposes; It is about service, and God reckons with such.
MAKE yourself available and be ready to serve; in your local Church, the place where you work, and the neighborhood where you live—for the Kingdom purposes. - You work your way to greatness, you do not lobby for it.
- The two sons of Zebedee brought their mother to plead with Jesus in order to secure a place each, in Jesus' Kingdom.
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him [Jesus] with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 And He [Jesus] said to her, “What do you wish?” SHE SAID TO HIM, “GRANT THAT THESE TWO SONS OF MINE MAY SIT, ONE ON YOUR RIGHT HAND AND THE OTHER ON THE LEFT, IN YOUR KINGDOM.”
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 So He said to them, “You WILL INDEED DRINK My cup, AND BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM THAT I AM BAPTIZED WITH; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, BUT IT IS FOR THOSE FOR WHOM IT IS PREPARED BY MY FATHER.”
Matthew 20:20-23 (NKJV)
• Be part of kingdom building, do not sit on the fence or be idle.
- Seek for responsibilities. Any position given to you is a responsibility, a job description, not a title.
- The appellations that people use as titles in the church today are job descriptions.
- Being appointed or ordained as a deacon, a pastor, or an elder Is a responsibility.
- Being appointed to work in any of the offices of the ministry or ministry of help places on the person a great responsibility: "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, HE [she] DESIRES A GOOD WORK" (1 Timothy 3:1).
FOR you to be great in the Kingdom, you have gotten to serve!
• Wherever you are, or find yourself, do not lobby for promotion or lifting.
- Work for the promotion, do whatever is expected of you to be promoted or lifted, and you shall be promoted.
- Stop pressing for lifting through manipulations, but rather start serving for lifting or promotions.
- If you serve with all your heart, you will be distinguished (Malachi 3:17,18).
GREATNESS does not come by lobbying, but by SERVING.
• Serve because you love God, you want to be a blessing to others, and you want His Kingdom expand on earth.
- Give to God, His work, because you love Him and you want His Kingdom expand on the earth.
- Serve with humbleness: "HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP" (James 4:10).
- Also, when you serve, do it with a good motivation, with all your heart, and not because of gain or material rewards: "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, SERVING AS OVERSEERS, NOT BY COMPULSION BUT WILLINGLY, NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY" (1 Peter 5:2).
"If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE, FOR GOD HAS GIVEN ME THIS SACRED TRUST."
1 Corinthians 9:17 (NLT)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!