The Sawla Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor David Amankwah, has called on Christian leaders to reposition themselves and work as bondservants of Christ.
Pastor Amankwah said this when addressing Ministers and Wives in Ashanti Bekwai Area of the church at the Area Apostolisation on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at Bekwai Bethel assembly on the topic: ‟Repositioned as a bondservant of Christ for maximum impact.”
Referencing Colossians 2:6-7, Galatians 2: 20 and Deuteronomy 15:12-18, he noted that it is not enough to believe in Jesus as Saviour, rather it is vital to serving Him as Lord, living in Him, rooted and built up in Him.
In repositioning the church, he asked Christians to view themselves as servants with Christ as their Lord. He said, Paul usually introduced himself as a bondservant of Christ in many of his epistles (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, Titus 1:1, Philemon 1:1).
Pastor Amankwah mentioned that in a master-servant relationship, the master has absolute control or authority over the servant. He defined master-servant relationship as where one (master) has complete authority over the other (servant) in directing the manner, place and time of his or her services.
He iterated that Christian leaders are servants of Jesus Christ, and that He has complete authority over their lives.
Reading from Deuteronomy 15:12-18, he said that in the Mosaic law, servants who have served the masters well regained their freedom in the seventh or jubilee year. Yet, if the servant chooses to serve his master voluntarily, the master seals the agreement with a mark that shows the servant belongs to the master all the days of his or her life. The master takes the servant to the community gates (door post) and marks him or her by thrusting an awl through the ear to the door.
Again, he said, Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:17 wrote that he bears the marks of the Lord Jesus on his body. Pastor Amankwah emphasized that believers are inexcusable to work for the Lord as bondservants, saying, “Sometimes, we have to struggle to get a mark (Galatians 2:20).”
Further quoting from 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, he noted that as bondservants of Christ, Christians have been marked with the Holy Spirit and are His servants all their days and that they do not have control over the manner, place and time of service.
Reading from Philippians 2:5-11, he said that even though Jesus was God He became a bondservant of God the Father and died a vicarious death as a form of service.
He iterated that Jesus taught His disciples to serve each other and practice the kingdom principle of servant leadership (John 13:12-17, Luke 22:24-27).
Quoting from John 21:15-21, the Sawla Area Head stated that the marks of a bondservant are love for the master, obedience, knowledge of the master, risk-bearing factor, excellence and faithfulness.
Pastor David Amankwah concluded by saying that if a servant works and completes his or her service, he or she is rewarded.
Report by Overseer Frank Osei Tutu (Area Media Coordinator)