A Heart for Service.

Transcription

1 A Heart for Service. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: [1 Peter 5:6] In the kingdom of God, the pathway to leadership begins with, and is sustained by a heart to serve others; an attitude to serve others. If you want the Lord to lift you into place of leadership/ownership, you must have the heart of a servant. If you look around carefully, you will find opportunities to serve. If you cannot see it, then pray and ask the Lord to show you. Some of them are right in our faces. We must develop the attitude of servant-hood. The lack of this attitude is a vital discontinuity point, in our quest to lead or manage others. We must examine our hearts and purge out the attitude that says people must serve me, when we ourselves, are not willing to first serve. This is why apprentiship is God s method for establishing people. If you are too high-minded to serve others, then you are actually and consistently cooperating with Satan to keep you in prison. In many cases the people who are imprisoned by Satan, are programmed to defend their imprisonment, as a result of the presence of some spiritual malware, installed by Satan in our minds, [the computer that runs our daily lives]. This spiritual malware interferes with the heavenly software that is supposed to takes us from one degree of liberty to another. This is why the Bible says we should renew our minds [Romans 12:1-3]. Renewing the mind, means that you

2 accept the counsel of God, in His word, by studying it, and then pray and receive the grace to see things God s way. A renewed mind is the mind that sees life, various aspects of life, through the eyes of the Lord. The more renewed your mind is, the more humble you become, consequently, the more servant mindset you develop. In God s kingdom, it is servant-hood first, before leadership. This means that the pathway to greatness in God s kingdom is service. We really need to understand and appreciate this, because sometimes, it is satanic yokes of I cannot serve others, that are keeping us from rising and getting established. Satan runs this imprisonment by instigating in us a mind-set of I will not serve others. Just like a computer malware, these spiritual viruses works against our God-ordained system that would facilitate our liberty and establishment. What about those who rise without God s counsel? The answer is simple. Pride will destroy them. It has been, it is and will always be. Just look around and you will see it. Please do not be one of them. In the Kingdom of God, if anything God says seems difficult to comply with, you should take it to Him in prayer and receive the grace [enablement, Titus 2:11-12] to do it. In this kingdom, doers are more important than mere hearers. Here are some examples of God s lifting method at work in the Bible, for us to see, learn from and put to practice. [1] Elisha poured water, [in KJV expression] on the hands of Elijah. In the end he inherited double the amount of anointing that was on Elijah.

3 [2] Moses served Jethro, then he had his own family, and for 40 years the Lord grilled servant-hood mentality into him. [3] Jacob, having fled from Esau, served Laban, an unbeliever, who was into idol-worship. In the end the Lord made sure that he was established, in spite of his misdeeds. [4] The disciples of Jesus were first discipled, before being released to serve others. [5] Jesus, master and Lord, wrapped Himself in a towel and WASHED THE FEET OF THE DISCIPLES, even in their raw state. [6] You should search out more examples of servant-hood that leads to rulership in the Bible. For example consider David. Matthew 20:25-28 (KJV) 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

4 Matthew 23:10-12 (KJV) 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Mark 9:33-36 (KJV) 33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. Mark 10:42-45 (KJV) 42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

5 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Philippians 2:5-9 (KJV) 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [This is why Graham Kendrick wrote one of the most powerful songs of our time, a song calling Jesus, The Servant-King, and admonishing us to follow His steps, as bona fide and faithful disciples].

6 James 4:6 (KJV) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:10 (KJV) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 1 Peter 5:5 (KJV) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Please let us search our hearts, better still, ask, and allow the Spirit of the Lord to search our hearts and purge us of every motive that does not fall in line with His terms and conditions, as it relates to service and desired upliftment. And after the Lord has lifted you, remember to remain humble. That is the way to sustain the upliftment.

7 May the Lord deliver us from all and every anti-servant-hood demons, whose spiritual malware have kept us in a mindset that has blocked the grace of God for upliftment from flowing in our lives, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. In the eyes of God, there is no justification for not serving. Whatever reason that seems to justify the attitude of not wanting to serve is not of God, but of the devil. It is a subtle form of pride. Satan uses a mindset of pride to hold people captive. Those demons of pride, which have held us to ransom, through the deception that tells us that we cannot serve others, thereby keeping us in a near perpetual state of my efforts, which will not allow the grace of God to flow, we resist them today, in Jesus name. Amen. We are delivered in Jesus; name. Amen. That satanic yoke is destroyed today, in Jesus name. Amen. We have cooperated with the demonic wardens enough, it is time to walk free from this prison, this Please let us cooperate with the Lord in this. Everyone that was lifted by the Lord started as a servant. They did not end there. They only began there; that is God s way, humility before honour. Satan s ways are the opposite; pride that precedes destruction. Let us choose the way of the Lord and have His eternal rest. Jesus is coming soon. MARANATHA!

8 THE MARANATHA SINGERS THE SERVANT KING LYRICS From heaven you came, helpless babe, Entered our world, your glory veiled; Not to be served but to serve, And give Your life That we might live. This is our God, the servant king, He calls us now to follow Him, to bring our lives As a daily offering of worship to the Servant King. There in the garden of tears, My heavy load He chose to bear; His heart with sorrow was torn, 'Yet not My will But Yours,' He said. Come see His hands And His feet, The scars that speak of sacrifice; Hands that flung stars Into space To cruel nails Surrendered. So let us learn How to serve, And in our lives Enthrone Him; Each other's needs to prefer, For it is Christ We're serving Kingsway's Thankyou Music Words and Music by Graham Kendrick THE MARANATHA SINGERS THE SERVANT KING lyrics are property and copyright of its owners and are provided for educational purposes only.