- It is opportunities that we take that determines what becomes of our destiny.
- You don’t have to be a Prophetess to serve God.
- Our secret engagement is what produces our open testimony. Not our Title nor our position
Our Father, we thank You this morning for the privilege and blessing of being in Your presence. We thank You Lord for the answers You have given to all of our prayers and for the great mighty works that You have done in our midst, we give You all the praise and glory. Now this morning, our eyes are on You, we ask that You speak to us by Your Word and let our lives be transformed.
Our line of exhortation for this week which began on Monday has been:
SERVING GOD IS EVERY BELIEVER’S COVENANT RESPONSIBILITY.
We have come to realise that a servant of God is anyone God and the interest of His Kingdom on the earth, whether young or old, male or female, with or without a title.
Romans 6:16
It is serving God and His Kingdom that makes for a servant of God. What that means is that your Title is of no consequence. Your gender is of importance, your age does not matter, it is your function that matters. When it comes to our standing, it is a product of our function. It is also important that we recognise this morning that it is not a gift but rather a choice.
Joshua 24:15 – Serving is a choice.
Job 36:11 – “If they…”
Make the choice to obey and serve. Serving is a choice. It is not a gift but rather a choice and it is a choice that God rewards on the earth. From God’s Word, it is clear that there is no other platform of human engagement that can compare to the returns of stewardship. The Bible makes clear in the Book of Chronicles chapter 15 verse 12 and 15, the people made an oath and a covenant to serve God. And as a result of that, God gave them rest round about: Every aspect of life settled on the basis of the choice to serve God. You hear the testimonies that we saw this morning. You listen and you discover how God settled various aspects of life.
One of them, an Artist that could have been easily relegated to local championship but brought to the global stage on the basis of serving God. Another one challenged in health and yet the health challenge turned into an open testimony on the basis of serving God. There is no aspect of life that is not addressed by our commitment to serve God. That is why it becomes important for you and I to recognise that serving God is our responsibility but also it is our opportunity. It is the opportunity that gives God the room to decorate our destinies. It is an opportunity. It is important for us to understand therefore that we must dive in to the opportunity.
Why? The Bible says in the Book of Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verse 11 – “… Time and opportunity answer to them all.”
I love that statement that the first Testifier recounted. He said, “stop counting years, start counting obedience.” It is opportunities that we take that determines what becomes of our destiny.
-For each one of us, I see grace coming upon us to dive into every spiritual stewardship opportunity in the name of Jesus Christ.
It is so important that we take note of that because time will change nothing. Church Gist. It is what you do in time that changes something. It is one’s engagement in the time given that determines what becomes of us.
For each one of us, again I see grace coming upon us to dive into every spiritual opportunity in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s take note of this, you don’t have to be a Prophetess to serve God. We have said already whether you have a title or not, it doesn’t matter whether you are male or female or not, it doesn’t matter whether you are old or young or not. It doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you are serving God.
Matthew 6:6
Our secret engagement is what produces our open testimony. Not our Title, not our position, but our secret engagement. Our engagement in the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
It is said there, “when you pray, enter your closet” – Matthew 6:6
Even though you are in your closet, your father sees in secret and He that sees in the secret, He will reward you openly.
We have a case study from Scriptures, a woman called Anna, a widow of 84 years old, who was classified by God as a servant of God – Luke 2:37.
“…SERVED God” – This is the testimony of her life. Served God with prayers and fastings, night and day. She was 84 years old but serving God was her lifestyle.
Yesterday, we were told the story of the man Jimmy Carter, who is almost 100 years old, who is still actively serving God as a Sunday School teacher and people arrive 24 hours before he will teach his Sunday School class, waiting to hear this old man teach.
Served God! He did so, so consistently and he is doing so till now. Serving God actively and as a result of that, maintaining relevance.
You see in many people’s lives, you discover that the peak of their influence is in a particular age, but I discover in that man’s life that his influence even increased after Presidency. He became a man to be consulted. He is among those that they call the Elders, that they go to consult around the world from various Nations. He was the President of 1 Nation but became an influencer of all Nations by serving God.
I will like you to understand that it is the opportunity that gives you the ability to see what no man can ever imagine. This was a man who through serving God kept climbing. You know Presidency, when you finish Presidency, they say ex-president, they line them up at the back. Yet this one lines up at the front, as a reason of his influence that came via serving God.
-Your testimony shall be greater.
Therefore, you are not wasting your time serving the Lord. You are investing towards your enthronement both in the now and hereafter.
Luke 22:25-27
This is the model of the Kingdom.
As a reason of service, what did the Bible tell us about Jesus, “wherefore God has highly exalted Him” – Philippians 2:9
He stooped to serve and God raised Him to lead.
That is what occurs with every one of us. As we stoop in serving God, God raises us into the place of influence.
-I see the greatness that God has ordained for each one of us finding practical expression as we commit ourselves to serve God.
What that means is all we need is grace for steadfastness in serving God.
Prayers
Lord, I receive grace this morning to remain steadfast in serving You; to remain consistent in serving You; to remain persistent in serving You; to remain passionate in serving You; Lord, I receive that grace this morning. Let that grace be made available for me, let that grace be made available to me. Thank You mighty God, in Jesus precious name we have prayed.
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#CHoP20August2021
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CHoP is an acronym for Covenant Hour of Prayer
