Make Your Life Count: Serve Your Way To The Top

Main message: The sermon contrasts King Rehoboam’s prideful refusal of wise counsel with Jesus’ model of servant leadership. True greatness in God’s kingdom comes through surrender, humility, and using whatever authority we have to serve others first.

Key points:

• Rehoboam inherited Solomon’s throne, but not Solomon’s wisdom.
• In 1 Kings 12, he rejected the elders’ advice to serve the people and followed his peers instead.
• His harsh response led to the kingdom’s division and showed the danger of choosing power over service.
• The sermon then turns to Mark 10, where James and John ask for places of honor, and Jesus redefines greatness as being a servant.
• Jesus’ own life is the ultimate example: he came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom.
• Believers are called to surrender their own way, listen well, accept correction, and use their influence to bless others rather than elevate themselves.

Scriptures mentioned: 1 Kings 12:4-13, Mark 10:35-45, Luke 14:11