The Reward 
RELEASE — equipped to serve
Terry R. Baughman
“The greatest one among you will live as one called to serve others without honor. The greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one who has a servant heart. The leaders who are served are the most important in your eyes, but in the kingdom, it is the servants who lead” (Luke 22:26–27 TPT).
Aggressive and domineering leaders are often recognized for their leadership qualities. They may be respected for their decisive and assertive measures taken to execute their authority, however that respect may spring more from fear than from admiration. Fear is a poor model for leadership. Tyrants and dictators use fear and intimidation to rule, but that should not be identified as qualities to pursue in leadership, either in business or in ministry settings. Fear is closely akin to hate and at some point hate becomes stronger and those who lead in fear are rejected and replaced. 
Jesus spoke about the patterns of leadership so prevalent in the world, He said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:42 NIV). Jesus took the leadership model and turned it upside down. The greatest is the least, and the servant becomes the leader. 
Jesus said, “The greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one who has a servant heart” (Luke 22:26 TPT). Servant leadership is rewarded in the Kingdom of God. His ways are much higher than ours. (See Isaiah 55:9.) 
Jesus taught that humility is the way to promotion, “Remember this: everyone with a lofty opinion of who he is and who seeks to raise himself up will be publicly humbled. And everyone with a modest opinion of who he is and chooses to humble himself will be raised up before all” (Luke 14:11 TPT). The principle of Scripture is clear, “‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:5–6 NIV).
Seeking to serve in the Kingdom is the best way to find fulfillment in our personal lives, and it is the way to experience growth and promotion in God’s Kingdom. The premium reward is reserved for those who give of themselves in the service of others. While some seek the places of prominence for the acclaim and accolades, Jesus gave value to those who placed others first and sought to give them the best. That is the preferred pattern according to His teaching. Jesus said, “The path to promotion comes by having the heart of a bond-slave who serves everyone” (Mark 10:44 TPT).
What really matters is the ultimate outcome when we shall all stand before the Lord at the end of days. Judgment will be passed and rewards will be given. Nothing will be said about who had the largest congregation, or who gave the most to missions. There is no indication that we will be rewarded for offices held, awards received, or recognition for the greatest number of followers on social media. Primarily, there is one statement Jesus reserves for those who have learned His leadership methods. He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21 NIV).
Theme passage:
“Their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 TPT).
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The Sacrifice 
RELEASE — equipped to serve
Terry R. Baughman
“For the greatest love of all is a love that sacrifices all. And this great love is demonstrated when a person sacrifices his life for his friends” (John 15:13 TPT).
The greatest gift is self-sacrifice. When we are willing to do without or give up something that is valuable to us so that another may receive the benefit or the blessing, that is a true act of love and the picture of sacrifice. The ultimate depiction of love is to care enough to give of ourselves so that others may experience joy, blessing, and grace. 
Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34 NIV). He reiterated the concept on numerous occasions. (See John 15:12, 17; 1 John 3:11, 4:7, 11–12.) He must have truly meant it, Love one another! 
When we love enough, we love enough to care and to give to others. The ministry of Jesus was an example to His followers. They learned to love like Christ. They saw His willingness to sacrifice comfort for other’s healing, rest for their recovery, and His very life for the salvation of the world. 
The road of discipleship is marked by ruts carved in the dirt by a heavy cross. The timbers chaff on the shoulder of the one bearing the load. But the words of the Savior ring clearly, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NIV). Yes, daily discipleship. Not just Sunday and Wednesday; not just special events, Easter, and Christmas … daily. The cross is our companion, our course corrector, and our constant reminder of the commitment to His purpose. 
We are being equipped for greater discipleship and to help us help others along the path. Our willingness to serve comes out in our many ways as we reflect the Spirit of Jesus in our conversation, our character, and our conduct. 
Some sacrifices are not difficult. It’s easy to cast off loneliness for connection and rejection for embrace. It may not be so easy to rid ourselves of carnality and lustful thoughts, but if we can see the value of the outcome we are much more willing to try. Whatever we give up we find a greater reward to take its place. The gift of Christ promises to bring, “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 NIV).  
Jesus made it clear that the reward in the kingdom will far exceed the extent of the sacrifice. He said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29 NIV). Even in the face of persecution or in the depravation of loss, Jesus said, “Rejoice!” “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven” (Luke 6:23 NIV). 
Walking with Jesus makes sacrifice a natural response as we learn to love others. It’s an endorsement of His calling imprinted on our hearts. It’s the seal of His Spirit living within. The proof and the preparation is revealed in our service. Paul said, “Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you” (2 Timothy 3:17 TPT).


Theme passage:
“Their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 TPT).

The Gift
RELEASE — equipped to serve
Terry R. Baughman

“The path to promotion comes by having the heart of a bond-slave who serves everyone. For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served by everyone, but to serve everyone, and to give his life as the ransom price for the salvation of many” (Mark 10:44–45 TPT).

The greatest gift was given by Jesus Christ. John said, “God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16). God gave Himself, and Jesus came to give. He came with purpose; not to be served, but to serve, not to receive, but to give His life as a ransom for sin and give us salvation instead of condemnation. 
The greatest gift is God’s gift of salvation. The provision of eternal life exceeds our greatest expectation. God has provided an avenue for change and the hope of new life in Christ. He has given us the gift of reconciliation and the promise of transformation. The good news He has provided is a path to renewal, radical regeneration from sin unto salvation. 

We have come to follow Christ and live by His example. However, we cannot provide salvation because Jesus has already done that, so what are we to do. Our approach is to show the power of Jesus in our lives becoming His disciples. As we live to serve, we live out the gospel. We become an illustration of the power of His salvation. We show His love and reveal His purpose. 

Mark said, “The path to promotion comes by having the heart of a bond-slave who serves everyone” (Mark 10:44 TPT). To follow Christ’s example is to adopt the servant’s heart and look for ways to, “serve everyone.” The path to promotion is not a road to fame or fortune. The promotion that comes from above is measured quite differently. The greatest becomes a servant. The least likely finds advancement in the kingdom, as the humble is exalted and the slave takes the lead. 

While the one who does not seek promotion finds it traveling the backroads of availability, the one who drives the expressway of convenience on the paths of least resistance never finds the ultimate destination they desire. God’s ways are far above ours and His gifts are perfect. James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17 NKJ).

We are a gift to the world. This is not an arrogant statement of self-exaltation. Rather, it is a realization of God’s purpose in those who follow Him. As Christ-followers we are here to serve. Following the lead of our Lord we understand that God has a greater purpose for us than merely to learn of Him; we must serve like Him. We were not saved because of our goodness or our abilities, but solely by His grace. Our gift to the world is just an extension of that grace. Any good thing we can accomplish is only through the mercy of God. 

Talents and abilities may be used for God’s purpose as long as we continually recognize the source of those skills and the purpose for which we have received them. In the parable of the talents it was made clear that they are not to hide or save, but rather to invest in humanity and seek the incredible return on investment that God will bless. The reward came to those who wisely invested at the conclusion when the master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:21 NKJ). When we seek to serve and give our best in service to God, we can expect the blessing of the Lord and hear His words of welcome. 
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Theme passage:
“Their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 TPT).

The Calling
RELEASE — equipped to serve
Terry R. Baughman
“You are to lead by a different model. If you want to be the greatest, then live as one called to serve others. The path to promotion comes by having the heart of a bond-slave who serves everyone” (Mark 10:43–44 TPT).
To those who receive a “calling” it sounds like a promotion. To some it appears to be a badge of honor, a source of pride, a distinguishing position of elevation. Whenever God touches a life and places His claim on a person it is an honor, but not in the way of worldly notoriety. God’s calling is the call to serve in His Kingdom. It is an invitation down the path of humility. 
While that description may sound less glamorous and even repulsive to our carnal nature, the biblical trajectory to success leads us in different paths. The greatest calling is the call to serve and then to prepare others to do the same. The commission mandate is not an invitation to prominence, but the invitation to greater service. 
On one occasion Jesus took a child in His arms when the disciples tried to keep the children away. He forbade them from restricting the children and welcomed them saying, “For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest” (Luke 9:48 NIV). In this statement He established a principle of the Kingdom. It is the principle of opposites: the least is the greatest; to go up, one must go down; the way to promotion is through humiliation; servitude will result in leadership. You won’t find these chapters in a leadership book. Conventional wisdom doesn’t match up with kingdom principles. However, it remains a truth of Scripture. 
Jesus is our greatest example of servant leadership. He was the Son of God who became the Son of man. Paul wrote, “He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient” (Philippians 2:6–8 TPT). He showed us how to live and lead. He showed us how to serve.
This is the purpose and intent of the church. It is a place for discipleship to happen. A place for teaching and modeling Christ’s principles. The church is a place for fellowship in God’s community; a place to fulfill our greatest potential. 
The reward of servitude is exaltation. Promotion will come, but it will not be on our own terms and in our time. It will only occur in God’s timing. It is the end result of a life of faithful service. Jesus received the greatest accolades after His great example of obedience. Paul continued, “Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names!” (Philippians 2:9 TPT). This was the perfect pattern for a life of discipleship and our model for leadership. In Jesus’ words from the text above He said, “You are to lead by a different model. If you want to be the greatest, then live as one called to serve others” (Mark 10:43–44 TPT). That is our calling!
Theme passage:
“Their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 TPT).