Significance…
When the Serpent tempted Eve in the garden he said, “if you eat of the fruit of the tree you’ll be like God knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5). She ate because she wanted to be like God. Likewise, when the people built the Tower of Babel, they wanted to make a name for themselves…
Like Eve and the Babylonians, we are all in search of significance. Deep inside we want to feel that we are making a contribution, that we will leave a mark, that our life has a purpose in the cosmos. I don’t know about you, but the cry of my heart is: “Lord make my life count!” Especially now that I am getting older, the hours seem more precious and I want to use them purposefully.
There’s a song which the great Gospel Rock band, Delirious? sang a number of years back. Its title is “History Maker” and it has a line which goes, “I wanna be a history maker in this world” – this encapsulates the desire of those who are passionate in seeking significance.
Today I’m going to try and give you three steps to greatness, three marks of a history maker. Let’s first look at…
The Mentality of a History Maker
It starts with the heart and the mind – with the attitude. Someone said, “Our attitude determines our altitude”. (I must caution you first that Kingdom attitudes are somewhat counter-intuitive, often radically different to those of the world. So forget what you might have learned from motivational speakers and self-help books about the recipe for success. Christians should not be driven by a desire for fame and fortune!)
However, I’m sad to say that when it comes to the Church and the Kingdom, many have a lackadaisical mentality – this is problematic! A phrase I could use to describe this attitude is, “lazy grace”. The mind-set that says, “I’ll give it a shot and if I mess up God will forgive me and people will just have to understand”. I call this “sloppy agape”.
A large percentage of the workers in the church are volunteers and the success of the church depends upon them. However, if I keep thinking of myself as a volunteer I can easily let myself off the hook. I feel tired, so I don’t pitch for my duty – I justify this by thinking, “after all I’m an unpaid volunteer”. I must go beyond thinking of myself as a volunteer. I must see myself as a servant sold out to the cause of Christ.
Phil 2:5-8 says, Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!
There were some problems of division in the Corinthian Church. Some were saying, I follow Peter, others, I follow Paul, still others, I follow Apollos… Paul’s solution was to take these “heroes” off the pedestals on which people had put them.
1Co 3:5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
1Co 4:1 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.
What I’m trying to show us is that if we want to be truly great (like Jesus and like Paul), we need to have servant hearts.
Many in ministry take on fancy titles like: Father, Priest, Dominee, Leraar, Minister, Bishop, Apostle etc. By taking these titles some people can be seeking to highlight their prominence and importance.
But, the Greek word “doulos” often translated “minister” literally means “servant”. So I prefer to see myself as a servant. (By the way, the title “Pastor” means “shepherd”, and describes function rather than position).
In various different epistles Paul called himself a servant:
A servant of God / Christ, a servant of the Gospel, a servant of the Church (Col 1:24-25). Relationally he knew he was a son, with all the privileges of sonship, however, functionally, he saw himself as a servant. He didn’t have a ‘Volunteer mentality’, he had a ‘Servant mentality’. He taught the Corinthians and us saying…
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. (1 Cor 6:19-20) (Did you know that you are actually the property of Christ Jesus?).
What is your mentality? Do you have the right outlook and mind-set? You may know that you are a son or daughter of God, but are you prepared to serve in the family business. The pathway to greatness in God’s kingdom is to have a servant heart and to be armed with a towel and a bowl like Jesus…
But, let’s move on and look at a second mark of a history maker…
The Motivation of a History Maker
What drives a Christian intent on making his or her mark in this world?
Let’s look at some Biblical motives that will release greatness in us.
Love Compels Us (or ought to)
2Co 5:14-15 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. (15) And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
With God it not just what you do that’s important, but why you do what you do. Is it for fame and fortune, or is it truly for His glory? God looks at both our motives and our deeds.
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.
Pro 16:2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Of course, we know well the great love passage 1 Corinthians 13…
1Co 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
God is motivated by love and we too, ought to be motivated by love!
Zeal Consumes Us (or ought to)
Did you know that God is zealous? He’s not an ancient old man with a grey beard and a walking stick.
Isa 59:17 speaking of God says: …and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
After Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, his disciples remembered that it is written…
"Zeal for your house will consume me." (John 2:17)
However, we must beware because we can have misdirected zeal. The Jews had a misdirected zeal and used it to crucify the very Messiah they were waiting for. Paul writes of them in Rom 10:2 saying.. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
There is a difference between having a zeal for God and having the zeal of God.
We have the unfortunate example of many radical Muslim suicide bombers. They believe that they are doing it for God (Allah), but I believe that what they do absolutely appalls God. They believe they will go straight to paradise, but I believe that as unrepentant mass murderers, they will be banished forever from the presence of God in Hell.
Make sure that the source of your zeal is genuine, that you have the zeal of God. But I’d also like you to remember that we must maintain our zeal. It’s precious and needs to be maintained and channeled correctly.
Rom 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.
Zeal could be equated to wholeheartedness…
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…
The Spirit Empowers Us (or ought to)
We must rely on God’s power and not merely our own sweat. Good Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians should know this verse…
Zech 4:6 `Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty
Jesus told His disciples to get connected to the source of power by being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses… (Acts 1:8)
Once we’re filled by the Holy Spirit, we must be moved by the Holy Spirit. We have the example of the old and godly man Simeon…
Luk 2:26-28 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. (27) Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, (28) Simeon took him in his arms and praised God…
When we are moved by the Holy Spirit we will be in the right place at the right time.
So we’ve looked at motivation: Being compelled by love, consumed by zeal and empowered by the Spirit. Finally, let’s look at…
The Mission of a History Maker
Paul was a man on a mission. He said, “I’m bound to Greeks and non-Greeks. Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel”. To him being an apostle was not a job, but a calling. He refers to himself like this:
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—(Rom 1:1)
He knew that he stepped onto the stage of history for a reason. He had a sense of destiny. What about you? Are you just wandering through life, bumping along, or do you have a sense of calling and destiny?
Being a Christian is a calling. Paul addresses the Roman Christians and says…
And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Rom 1:6)
You are exhorted to live a life worthy of your calling.
Eph 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
There are many things we as Christians are called to be and do which are too numerous to mention here.
No more “black hole” Christianity. The universe doesn’t revolve around me. It’s not all about me, but about Him.
2Co 5:14-15 says…And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him…
There should be both input into our lives and output from our lives. The difference between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is that the Jordan flows into and out of Galilee – it is vibrant, fresh and full of life whereas there is no outlet from the Dead Sea – that’s precisely why it is dead!
God has something for you to do - start small. Serve as an usher in your church, operate the computer, serve tea, serve at the sound desk or teach in Children’s Church. Be faithful, even if it’s a menial task.
There is a Kingdom principle by which God works. He says if you are faithful in little, you will be faithful in much. He will first see if you are faithful in the small things before He entrusts big things into your hands (See Mat 25:21).
Do you know that you are called and that you are on a mission? Have you got a clear understanding of what your calling and mission encompasses?
We Close With Three Questions:
(I would challenge you to contemplate these questions prayerfully during the week)
What is my mentality?
What is my motive?
What is my mission?
If you have the right mentality – a servant’s heart. If you have the right motives of love, true zeal and are anointed by the Spirit’s power. And if you have a sense of calling and know your destiny, I believe that you are well set up to be a history maker in this world!
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