The Legacy of Service

By Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo

In this present generation, service unto God has taken a strange dimension. The number of people serving God has actually increased but unfortunately the result of service is strangely diminishing. It is obvious we are getting it wrong.
In Legacy of Service, Dr Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo takes a deep study on what service means both to man and to God. He explains that when service is properly done, it solves every problem of the servant.
In this classic, Rev. Olowosoyo concludes that service is compulsory for every believer who loves the Lord and desires to have the best of life and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781105898358

Book preview

The Legacy of Service

The Legacy of Service

Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo

©2012 Oluwagbemiga Olowosoyo.

ISBN 978-1-105-89835-8

1 Grand Street,

Bridgeport.

CT 06604

Tel: [phone]

P. O. Box 36706,

Dugbe, Ibadan

Oyo State, Nigeria

Tel: [phone]

E. Mail: [e-mail]

Website:  www.olowosoyo.org, www.olowosoyo.com.

All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or be transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Bible quotes are from the New King James Version unless otherwise stated.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my friend and partner in service Pastor Simeon Solotan and his lovely wife Pastor Bosede Solotan, in whom I have seen legacy of service epitomized.

Introduction

Since 1981, I have had the privilege of serving in leadership positions in the body of Christ. One of the things I have observed is the fact that people who serve God never remain the same. They rise, and keep rising, until and unless they stop serving.

Therefore, I have concluded that service is God’s ladder for the progress of His children.

In essence, service is God’s legacy for His children. The more you serve God, the more favour you find both in His sight, and in the sight of men.

Many years ago, a preacher told us the story of a boy who was embarking on a journey. He expected that his father would give him money to maintain himself. But to everyone’s amazement, the father only gave him a bible. And when he complained, the father insisted that all his problems would be resolved as he reads his bible.

This young man became more exasperated when he called home to request for provision, because each time he did, the father simply said, ‘read your bible!’ and of course, that was not his interest.

Many months later, he returned home after a painful, bitter, and sorrowful sojourn in the strange land. When he accosted his father, he accused him seriously of high-handedness and wickedness. But the father calmly asked him, ‘where is your bible?’

He had sold the bible as soon as he landed in the strange land, without realizing that his experienced father, knowing the danger of robbers on the way had concealed all the provision he needed inside his bible. When he sold the bible, he actually gave away his legacy.

In essence, the believer today who fails to serve God is the proverbial son who traded away his legacy.

Serving God is the greatest thing any one can do. And it attracts the greatest rewards. It is divine legacy for all believers.

Part One: Benefits of Service

In this part I want to start by giving you 14 benefits you stand to derive from serving God.

One: Sound Health

And said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."

Exodus 15:26 (Emphasis mine)

God is wiser than men. He understands and appreciates His workers more than the way human organisations appreciate theirs.

Every serious organisation has health arrangements for their employees. The very big ones even have their own hospitals. The smaller ones maintain retainer-ship with good hospitals. The health of their staff members is very important to them.

The reason for this is not far fetched. Only the healthy can work. And the work must not stop. Huge amount of money is expended to keep workers healthy, because health is wealth.

God is wiser than men. He understands and appreciates His workers more than the way human organisations appreciate theirs.

They shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.

Malachi 3:17

He releases strength upon His workers so that they can serve more. He ensures that they do not fall sick.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.

Psalms 84:5-7 (Emphasis mine)

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5

"So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Exodus 23:25(emphasis mine)

Even when you fall sick, He ensures that you get well quick.

However, a company is not particularly committed to the health of people not serving her, except for charity. In the same vein, God is not bound to keep people healthy unless they serve Him.

Two: Promotion

For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south.

But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.

Psalms 75:6-7

I have observed that everyone who had served God faithfully over the years had enjoyed divine promotion.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, Says the LORD of hosts;

And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land, Says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 3:11-12

In the past 28 years, I have been involved in God’s work. I have served in various capacities.

I have observed that everyone who had served God faithfully over the years had enjoyed divine promotion.

Several people who would not have qualified for it have enjoyed promotion. And the reason for this is that faithfulness is divine prerequisite for promotion.

I can list a number of individuals who were ordinary house-helps, but they joined their employers to serve God faithfully. Today, they are established in life that it would be strange to imagine that they were ever in such status.

There is no way you can serve sincerely and faithfully that you will not qualify for His promotion.

Inadvertently, God is the one that places men in positions of authority. He always promotes people who are useful to Him, because He is a shrewd investor.

Therefore, if you have a desire to rise, then my advice for you is to serve God.

"And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

"Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'

"And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' 

Luke 19:15-17(Emphasis mine)

Three: Protection

He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

Saying, Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.

Psalms 105:14-15

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD. 

Isaiah 54:17(Emphasis mine)

When you serve God genuinely, He is also bound by covenant to protect you.

According to Psalm 105 quoted above, God has placed an instruction concerning His servants and every demon knows it. Unless the believer, who is also His worker, steps outside of divine covenant, no demon is allowed to touch him.

And according to Isaiah 54, quoted above, even when a human enemy attempts to attack a serving believer, he would fail, because all weapons would fail against them.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

When you are useful to God, He would ensure that you are protected from every form of evil. This is because His word, covenant, work and ego are involved.

Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

Psalms 91:5-13

You will agree with me that the evil that afflict most people was not aimed at them. The provision quoted in Psalm 91, above quoted, covers that aspect. Whether the arsenal was aimed at you or at another person does not matter.

When you are useful to God, He would ensure that you are protected from every form of evil. This is because His word, covenant, work and ego are involved.

They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Mark 16:18

But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.

But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days.

Acts 28:3-7

Four: Victory in Warfare

"Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries.

Psalms 81:13-14

"So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

"I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

"And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you.

Exodus 23:25, 27-28

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of the righteous [lawful captives] be delivered?

But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children.

I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, am your Saviour, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

Isaiah 49:24-26

I wonder how formidable an army would be to destroy God. Fortunately, they have to destroy God before they can destroy a son who serves God.

When you give your strength to God in service, He also gives His strength to your affairs. Since you have become a part of His interest, then He is also interested in what concerns you.

If an enemy confronts you, God is also involved. And He would fight on your behalf.

It was that understanding that helped Jehoshaphat when enemies rose up against him.

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewellery, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

2 Chronicles 20:22-25

It was the same thing that was repeated when King Hezekiah was confronted by Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.

"Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: 'He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it.

By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,' Says the LORD.

'For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'"

And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses-all dead.

So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.

Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 19:32-37

God is a fighter. His name is Jehovah Sabbaoth, the God of hosts. He is better called the God of battles. He never turns aside from battle. And He is always excited to defend His own.

I wonder how formidable an army would be to destroy God. Fortunately, they have to destroy God before they can destroy a son who serves God.

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