DEDICATION A COVENANT PLATFORM FOR THE RISE OF GIANTS
We have come to recognize from scripture that everywhere you see giants rising in the kingdom, their rise can be traceable to dedication.
What is dedication?
God’s servant has described it as a deadly commitment.
John 12:22-26
From scripture it is clear that a life of absolute commitment is what scripture defines as dedication. Until dedication to God is at all cost, your dedication is not yet certified and until your dedication is certified you are not a candidate to be glorified. The hour for the son of man to be glorified is come. When does that hour come? Except a corn of wheat falls to the ground and dies.
John 12:24
A deadly commitment to any cause of God is what we refer to as dedication. Just as every seed must be planted to rise, every Kingdom entity must be planted to rise. If the glory of God will be reflected upon your life then the planting of God in your life as a seed is a must.
The Bible tells us in
Mark 4:30-32 that the mustard seed is the smallest but when it is planted it becomes the greatest and the Bible says this is how the Kingdom operates. It means that your size at the start of dedication is of no consequence. As far as God is concerned no matter how small you may be just get planted. When you get planted by dedication, you will always rise into glorification. That is the pattern of God.
Now we will be looking at several examples in the scriptures of individuals who demonstrated unusual dedication and as a result of that began to experience supernatural rise.
The example we are looking at this morning is the example of Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 1:1-10, we are told that he was in the palace of Shushan and suddenly he was visited by some of the brethren in Jerusalem and as he began to ask for the welfare of those who were in Jerusalem, the report came to him that the people are in great affliction, reproach has come upon them. The walls of the city was broken down and the gates have been burnt with fire and the Bible says as soon as the report came to Nehemiah he began to weep, fast and mourn for certain number of days not because he had discomfort personally but he could not stand the reproach of the kingdom.
Psalms 69:9
You see when a man is kingdom oriented, he cannot stand anything that degrades the kingdom. That was the life of Nehemiah. The Bible records exactly the prayer that he began to pray. He said ‘Yes Lord the people have sinned but the word is clear like you spoke to Moses and you said that if these people sin they will be scattered abroad but if they turn back from their sin and look unto You and cry unto You and commit themselves unto Your commandments, though they be scattered abroad, You will gather them yet again’. He said ‘According to that word I am coming unto You’.
Nehemiah went to God on the basis of Gods word with passion in his heart for the restoration of his people but something very unique takes place. At the conclusion of the prayer Nehemiah asks God to show him mercy before the king. In other words I will not just pray about it, I will do something about it. He was a man of prayer and action. Passion will always drive individuals both into prayer and into action. That was the distinction in the life of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 2:1-3
Now if you know anything about systems of the old, If you are a cup bearer and your countenance is not good then you are a suspect for murder. He had just given the king his cup and he was looking mournfully which almost looks as if you have poisoned the cup and you are already mourning the death of the king. On the natural in that season he is due for execution. To make it worse, the king said ‘What is wrong?’ He said ‘Why should I not be sad?’ Even in this age and day you don’t answer the king like that talk less of then. It was a harsh response to what was initially a kind question from the king.
But Nehemiah had prayed to his God. The king said ‘What do you want?’ And the Bible says he granted unto him according to the good hand of the Lord.
Nehemiah 2:8
The truth is this, the passion of Nehemiah is what made him a candidate as a kingdom giant. One of the things that amazes me about Nehemiah is this. He was a man that started simply as a cup bearer of the king which meant he was a man living in a relative comfort but it seemed not as a man to be marked out for greatness.
In the scripture you have individuals that a line is written about them, some a chapter is written about them, some the name is only recorded, some are even nameless, they only described them but Nehemiah a cup bearer not a prophet, not a priest, not a business man, out of all the names that God will write in scripture a book was written about him. Why ? Because of dedication. It doesn’t matter how minute your destiny should be if it is planted it must germinate.
Nehemiah did not seem like a candidate for greatness but he was dedicated. And as long as you are planted in the kingdom you are a candidate for greatness.
I see greatness coming forth out of you in the name of Jesus.
Now what else do we see about Nehemiah? Not only do we see his dedication before the king but his dedication to the task.
Nehemiah 4:17-23
Nehemiah and his men were men of unusual dedication to the task
Nehemiah 6:15
The walls were built up.
God will give someone here unusual speed.
What was the conclusion of Nehemah’s testimony?
Nehemiah 5:14
He became the governor of Jerusalem. Like I always say humourously how can a man who only had one duty which is carrying the cup of the king end up as a governor? Imagine how empty his Curriculum vitae will be. What do you know how to do?
He ended up the governor on the basis of dedication. It doesn’t matter what your experience may have been. It doesn’t matter what your limitations may be, if you are planted you must end up a giant.
Somebody here will receive the grace that came upon Nehemiah and the greatness that lies within you will surely shine to your world.
Receive grace from God to manifest the same order of dedication that was seen in Nehemiah, advancing the kingdom, passionate about the kingdom, passionate about the pursuit of souls, passionate about their establishment in the kingdom.
Receive grace to become fervent in prayer.
Pray for grace to be made available.
When a man is passive about God good things will pass over him. When a man is passionate about God he cannot miss his placement in life. Let us exhibit genuine passion.
Therefore engage with passion and watch God place you where no hand can place you.
Somebody is going to experience supernatural rise in the name of Jesus Christ.
Your day is declared blessed.
On this day God will revive you.
So shall it be in Jesus precious name.
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