Our main text is Mark 10:35-45,

    “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” And He said to them, “what do you want me to do for you?” they said to Him, “grant us that we may sit, one on your right hand and the other on your left in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “you do not know what you ask, are you able to drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” they said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “you will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;” “but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, you know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. “and whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.” “For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”

     There is no short-cut to greatness; he who wants to be called great shall be the servant of all.

“Responsibility is the price of greatness” said Sir Winston Churchill, a former Prime Minister of Britain.

     In Christianity, the way up is the way down. Effective stewardship is the gateway to leadership in the kingdom. Accepting responsibility is the security for every man’s destiny.

Our mission on earth as believers is to be a solution; salt to a tasteless world and light to a dark world.

    When you pour out yourself for others to rise, God makes a leader out of you. “The generous soul shall be made rich and who waters will also be watered himself” (Proverbs 11:25)

Going down for others to rise was the way of Jesus. He made himself poor so that we would be enriched by His poverty. This is the reason why He became a generational influence.

    David also became a generational influence through service “for David, after he had served God’s will and purpose and counsel in his own generation, fell asleep and was buried among his forefathers, and he did see corruption and undergo putrefaction and dissolution of the grave.” (Acts 13:36)

The power to be blessed is in the power of serve:

   “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Exodus 23:25). When you serve God, you will not serve sickness. And Proverbs 28:20 reads, “A faithful man will abound with blessings”. The faithful does not reduce, he always abounds!

What do we mean by stewardship here?

    It means taking care of God’s house; the people in it, and the things dedicated to the service of the house of God.

    When you serve God in these matters, you cause Him to have you in perpetual remembrance. For example, it was while serving in the temple that Zacharias received the answer to the prayer that be and his wife had long prayed and forgotten about (Luke 1:13-18).

    God keeps a record of your service, (Hebrews 6:10). We read in Revelation 3:7-8 “…. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it…”

God is saying, as a result of your service, He has set before you an open door. No need to beg!

    Service is the key to uncommon favour. David was shepherding his father’s flock in the wilderness when he was summoned to become the shepherd of God’s people. He was promoted from the bush to the place because the uncommon favour of God located him.

MAXWELL TWENEBOA-KODUA

SENIOR PASTOR,

WINNNERS CHAPEL GHANA, ACCRA

E-mail: pstmaxwell@yahoo.com

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