Main Texts: Nehemiah 13: 1-31, Genesis 12: 1-3, 2 Samuel 7: 1-9
Before we go into the nitty-gritty of this message, we need to set some things straight. Based on the scripture Nehemiah 13, unholy alliance can shut up heaven’s provision in our life. That is to say, there are some things we do that can consequently result in heaven being shut over us. And no matter the prayer we pray or the fasting we fast, nothing will happen because we leave undone the things we should do. Therefore we need to check our life to see whether there are things we are doing that are hindering our greatness. Until Nehemiah located the source of the problem, heaven remained shut over the people of Judah.
Now, it is important you know that the fountain of all greatness is God Almighty; He is a great God and great King. It is in His hand to make great and to give strength to the people (1 Chronicles 29: 12). In other words, when you begin to prioritize God, your greatness will be exceedingly. That must be settled in your spirit. Although the greatness of a believer is a concluded deal based on the finished work of Christ, your perpetuity in greatness in life lies in what you do in the house of God, the way you treat the people of God and every other person around. What you make happen for others, God will make it happen for you, too.
Furthermore, when God wants to make a man great, the person becomes great as far as God is concerned. However, there is man’s responsibility in the covenant of greatness. Your greatness does not come to reality except you play your part in the covenant. When God called Abram to get out from his father’s house, it was an invitation to greatness. Abram’s responsibility to that covenant of greatness is prompt obedience to God’s command: “…Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you…” (Genesis 12: 1-3). It suggests that when God is about to lead you on the pathway to greatness He will separate you from every other thing that is capable of tying down in an inglorious position. It takes a total separation from everything that can tie you down and be separated to God, so that you can begin to walk on the pathway of greatness (Genesis 15:1-6). Separation unto God is an indispensable quality you can’t afford to lose if you desire to tread the pathway of greatness with God. Once God has determined to make you great, His word will not return to Him void, nothing can stop you from being great, except you yourself. As a matter of fact, hell cannot do anything against your greatness. You are the one that can rub yourself of greatness by walking contrary to God’s command (Genesis 17:1-19).
Having said that, what was the condition attached in order for the covenant of God with Abraham to come to pass? The scripture says Abraham commanded his household to walk in the ways of God. In other words, part of your responsibility in the covenant of greatness is your ability to command your house to live in total obedience to God’s commands. You must command your household to keep the way of the Lord if you want to be great and perpetuate greatness in your household. Becoming great is not automatic; your home must become a centre piece for the world to follow. The standard of God must be raised high in your home for your household to live by. You must rule your house with gravity. The reason this is very important is that when you live right in God’s ways, you make life better for the generations after you. That is why you have to pay the price. That is why you have to be a pathfinder by creating pathway in the spirit, so that other can have open-heaven over them and line up with God in such a way that all that God has promised will come to pass (Genesis 18:17-19).
In addition, it is important you know that because Abraham had laid the foundation of a life style of obedience, every other person that was connected to him consequently benefited from that covenant of greatness. Thus those who were connected to him and lived the same life style of total obedience to God and commitment to His service became legends of greatness. The likes of Moses, Joshua and Mordecai were legends of greatness (Exodus 11: 3, Joshua 4: 14, Esther 10). Just as God fulfilled the covenant of His greatness in Abraham, He also fulfilled it in the lives of those who are beneficiaries of that covenant (Genesis 24: 34-36; 21: 22-26; 26: 1-5, 23-29). It takes great blessing to produce great people. And those whom God has made great He also gives them the power to negotiate the destiny of nations with Him. If you become great, you can negotiate with God. That was what gave Moses the strength to negotiate with God; that was what gave strength to Joshua to command the sun and the moon to stand still. When you become great, God wants to listen to you. That is the kind of favour greatness can bring to those whose life style is in alignment with God’s commands.
The underlying message here is that, among other qualities, obedience to God’s command and service to His work are key ingredients of pathway to greatness. The covenant of greatness is perpetuated on the basis of total obedience to God and service to His kingdom (Leviticus 26: 3-13). Abraham lived an obedience life and God made him great in all capacities according to the promise. Moses trod the same path of obedience and he was a great man of valour before kings. Joshua was a servant of Moses; he became servant of the Lord. He did not assume authority but waited on God to be called by Him. SERVICE IS NOT STEPPING STONE TO GREATNESS; SERVICE IS GREATNESS. He who will be servant will be great. But those who want to be served but don’t want to serve will never be great (Matthew 20: 26, 27; 23: 11, 12, Mark 10: 43, 44).
Our Lord Jesus Christ is great. And if you are joined with the Lord who is great, you cannot be otherwise but be great also (Luke 1: 13, 14; 30-32). Unfortunately, of all people that will be great, there is only one exception—ingrate will never be great. If you are not grateful and thankful for those goodnesses of God you call little things, you cannot be thankful when God makes you great. The ingrate can never be great.
Above all, you must know that the reason God makes you great is that you can bring blessing and succor to others. God makes you great so that other can become great through you.