HLM Live | THE BENEFITS OF SERVING GOD pt.1 | You Are Blessed | Elvis Ghansah

Aug 09, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Bread and Water Become Holy Ground

Serving God transforms ordinary provisions into sacred blessings. Exodus 23:25-26 reveals that obedience to God sanctifies daily sustenance—He promises to bless bread, water, health, and lifespan. This isn’t transactional magic but covenantal intimacy. Just as fire consecrated temple offerings, surrendered service sets apart the mundane. Every meal becomes an altar when offered through hands committed to God’s purposes. Faithfulness in small things hallows the routine. [11:02]

“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. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”
(Exodus 23:25-26, NKJV)

Reflection: What ordinary task or resource in your life—your “bread and water”—could become an act of worship if offered to God? How might seeing your daily work as service shift your perspective?

Day 2: Gladness as the Soundtrack of Service

Psalm 100:2 commands worshipers to serve with gladness, not grudging obligation. The sermon contrasted forced compliance with wholehearted joy, comparing it to healed beggars leaping in praise. Authentic service flows from delight in God’s character, not fear of His displeasure. Like a child eagerly helping a parent bake cookies, our tasks become lighter when love fuels them. Grumbling betrays transactional religion; singing reveals redeemed relationship. [18:09]

“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”
(Psalm 100:2, NKJV)

Reflection: Where have you been serving God with silent resentment rather than joyful song? What truth about His nature could rekindle gladness in that area?

Day 3: Towels Before Titles

Jesus redefined greatness by washing feet, not demanding thrones (John 13:14-15). The sermon warned against chasing church positions while avoiding actual work. True servants prioritize towels—humble acts of love—over titles. Like Joseph scrubbing prison floors or David guarding sheep, unseen faithfulness prepares for God’s promotions. Every act done “as unto the Lord” etches our name in heaven’s ledger, regardless of earthly recognition. [36:15]

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”
(John 13:14-15, NKJV)

Reflection: What “towel work” have you avoided because it feels beneath your gifts? How might embracing hidden service deepen your Christlikeness?

Day 4: The Backside of the Desert as Training Ground

David’s wilderness shepherding and Joshua’s assistant years shaped future leaders. The sermon emphasized that obscurity is God’s classroom. While tending sheep or carrying Moses’ cloak, these men learned courage, worship, and surrender. Modern believers often resent “small” assignments, yet God uses grocery store interactions, cubicle jobs, and nursery duty to forge eternal impact. Faithfulness in the backstage seasons prepares us for center-stage callings. [56:39]

“So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.”
(Exodus 24:13, NKJV)

Reflection: What current “desert assignment” feels insignificant? How might God be using it to develop qualities needed for your next season?

Day 5: Prison Chains That Unlock Palaces

Joseph’s story proves service transcends circumstances (Genesis 39:4). Enslaved and imprisoned, he served Potiphar and jailers with excellence. The sermon highlighted how chains became steppingstones to Egypt’s throne. When we scrub floors as if polishing God’s throne room, ordinary cells become incubation chambers for miracles. Our attitude in confinement determines our capacity in promotion. Every closed door trains us to handle open ones. [01:05:00]

“So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”
(Genesis 39:4, NKJV)

Reflection: What “prison” of limitation or waiting are you facing? How could serving God there prepare you for greater stewardship?

Sermon Summary

Exodus 23:25-26 puts the matter plainly: “you shall serve the Lord your God,” and then God says he will bless bread and water, take sickness away, remove barrenness, and fulfill the number of days. The text places service before blessing. God is not looking for people who only want provision, protection, open doors, healing, promotion, breakthrough, and answered prayer. God is looking for people who will serve him.

The contrast between consuming blessings and becoming servants exposes a shallow kind of Christianity. Jesus did not save people merely so they could sit in church and receive. Jesus saved people to become servants of God and instruments in his hands. Christian maturity stops asking only, “What can God do for me?” and begins asking, “Lord, what can I do for you?”

Psalm 100:2 commands service with gladness. Service can happen outwardly while the heart is murmuring inwardly, but God is not deceived by position, roster, or title. True service begins from the heart. Romans 12:1 calls the body a living sacrifice, meaning life, hands, mouth, feet, resources, talents, business, family, career, and future all belong to God. Since nothing exists except what God first gave, service begins with surrender.

Love comes before service. Matthew 22 calls for love with all the heart, soul, and mind, not some. Service without love may look good before people, but before God it is as if nothing was done. When love is real, serving God stops being a burden and becomes a privilege.

Jesus is the greatest example of service. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom for many. The Creator served his creation, and the King washed the feet of his disciples. Kingdom greatness is not shown by how many people serve a person, but by how many people that person has served.

God values faithfulness more than visibility. Many want platforms, microphones, and recognition, but few want responsibility, towels, and hidden labor. Hebrews 6:10 says God is not unjust to forget labor of love shown toward his name. People may forget, leadership may overlook, and nobody may applaud, but God remembers.

Joshua served Moses before leading Israel. David served in the field before public promotion. Joseph served his father, Potiphar, and even in prison before standing before Pharaoh. Faithful service prepares leaders, trains character, opens doors, and positions servants for greater influence in God’s time.

Key Takeaways

1. Service comes before blessing Exodus 23 does not make blessing the foundation of service. The order is service first, then bread, water, healing, fruitfulness, and fulfilled days. God is not presented as a vending machine for human needs, but as Lord, worthy of obedience before benefits are received. [11:02]
2. Love makes service a privilege Love changes the weight of obedience. Service done without love can still look useful, but God sees whether the heart is grumbling or gladly yielded. When love is first, prayer, worship, and serving in God’s house no longer feel like forced labor, but like access to holy privilege. [30:05]
3. Hidden faithfulness is never wasted God sees what people do not see, and heaven keeps record where human memory fails. Unnoticed sacrifices, tired obedience, quiet encouragement, and unseen labor are not lost in the ground. God’s justice means labor of love toward his name cannot be forgotten. [42:11]
4. Serving seasons prepare leaders Joshua did not begin as the leader of Israel. Service under Moses trained humility, obedience, experience, and readiness for the day God would call his name. A season of assisting is not a wasted season when God is using it to form a servant fit for greater responsibility. [56:39]
5. Service opens impossible doors Joseph’s life shows that faithful service can travel through pain, false accusation, prison, and obscurity without losing its purpose. Each place became preparation, not a prison to his destiny. God used the same servant heart to lift him from steward to governor.

## [64:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[09:53] - The Benefits of Serving God
[10:18] - Exodus 23: Service Before Blessing
[12:29] - Wanting Blessings Without Serving
[16:08] - Maturity Asks What God Wants
[17:12] - Serve the Lord With Gladness
[19:55] - What It Means to Serve God
[22:19] - Living Sacrifice and Surrender
[26:30] - Love Comes Before Service
[32:43] - Jesus, the Greatest Servant
[39:16] - Faithfulness Over Visibility
[48:34] - Joshua: Service Prepares Leadership
[57:35] - David: Faithful in Secret
[64:00] - Joseph: Service Opens Doors
[67:26] - Prayer for a Heart to Serve

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 23:25-26
“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. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.” [10:18]

Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” [33:32]

Romans 12:1
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” [22:34]

Psalm 100:2
“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” [17:12]

Matthew 22:37-38
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” [27:26]

Hebrews 6:10
“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” [42:19]

Observation questions

In Exodus 23:25-26, what comes first in the verse—serving the Lord or receiving blessing—and what specific blessings are named? [11:02]
According to Psalm 100:2, what attitude is supposed to go with serving and coming into God’s presence? [17:12]
In Romans 12:1, what is to be presented to God, and how is that connected to service? [24:17]
What are some of the contrasts that show the difference between visible ministry and true service, such as title versus service, platform versus responsibility, or microphone versus towel? [40:41]

Interpretation questions

Exodus 23:25-26 puts service before blessing. What does that order reveal about the kind of relationship God wants with His people? [16:08]
If serving God begins with love for God, what does that suggest about service that is done outwardly but without gladness, surrender, or affection for Him? [28:46]
Jesus came not to be served but to serve. How should that shape the way believers think about greatness, leadership, and influence in God’s kingdom? [37:24]
Hebrews 6:10 says God does not forget labor of love shown toward His name. How can that truth change the way a believer sees hidden, ordinary, or overlooked acts of service? [46:20]

Application questions

Many people want God’s help, provision, healing, and open doors, but God calls His people to serve Him. In this season, is the heart more focused on what God can give, or on how to honor Him? What might need to change? [16:20]
True service begins from the heart, not just from a position or a title. Are there any areas where service has become routine, forced, or only outward? What would glad, wholehearted service look like there? [22:19]
A living sacrifice means life, hands, mouth, feet, resources, family, career, and future all belong to God. Which of those areas is easiest to surrender right now, and which is hardest? Why? [25:29]
Love makes service a privilege instead of a burden. Where has serving God started to feel heavy or frustrating? What might help that area return to a place of love and joy? [30:56]
God values faithfulness more than visibility. Is there any temptation to want recognition, applause, or a platform before being willing to serve? How can the heart be guarded in that area? [40:02]
Serving seasons prepare people for future responsibility. Is there a place right now—at home, at work, in church, or in relationships—where God may be teaching humility, consistency, or obedience through quiet service? [56:39]
Joseph served faithfully in painful and unfair places, and God still used those seasons. Is there a difficult place right now where faithful service is still possible? What would it look like to serve God well there without bitterness? [01:04:14]

Sermon Clips

63s

#ServantLeadership

“``The world says, how many people serve you? How many people serve you? That's what the world says. Jesus says, how many people have you served? How many people have you served? Because the world is at its way. No. In in in in the world we live in, where people are in high positions, especially I wanna go to our part of the world in Africa, those politicians and the chiefs and whatnot, go and see how many who dare around them to serve them. Some are bowing. Some are, you know, all kinds of things, and they barely touch anything. But Jesus is saying that that is not what kingdom is. So that's the worldly style of leadership. But in kingdom leadership, you serve. In kingdom leadership, you serve.”

59s

#PlatformVsResponsibility

“Many people want platforms. Few people want responsibility. Many people want platforms. Few people want responsibility. Many want microphones. Few want towels to clean. Many want to preach. Few want to clean. Many want to lead. Few want to follow. Many want to many want recognition. are willing to serve when nobody is watching. There are some people they will not do unless people are seeing them. Thank god those people anointed each other. If per adventure, anybody's here like that, you must repent today for your own good and for your own blessings. Praise the lord.”

34s

#GodSeesAndRewards

“God sees what people don't see. There are some people, they will serve, and they don't receive their recognition. They don't even get appreciated. Child of God, don't give up. Do it hardly as unto the Lord, not as unto man. God who sees the secrets of your heart will reward you in the open. Hallelujah. God will reward you in the open. Praise the lord.”

46s

#GreatnessThroughService

“Jesus was teaching his disciples, all of us, was teaching all of us his disciples that greatness in God's kingdom is demonstrated through service. Greatness in God's kingdom is demonstrated through what? Service. So greatness is not demonstrated by the position I hold, but by what I do. This is not demonstrated by the title I have, but by how much I can do for to impact the lives of others. That's what it is.”

41s

#FaithfulnessOverFame

“God values faithfulness more than visibility. Now some people, they fight for visibility. That people will see that, yes, I'm doing this. If nobody see, they will think I'm not doing anything. It's okay if people see you, but that should not be the motivation for doing what you are doing. It must be out of your love for God, genuinely from your heart. God values what? Faithfulness more than visibility.”

64s

#ServeForWhoHeIs

“Christianity is not about just asking what god can do. What what what can god do for me? It's not about just what god can do for me. God, there are people, they are only serving God just based on what God can do for them. But we must serve God based on who he is. Hallelujah. Tell somebody, serve God for who he is. Hallelujah. Christian maturity causes us to ask, Lord, what can I do for you? That's the question we must be asking our asking the Lord. what can I do for you? If I ask God that question, you ask God that question. God will give us direction. And when you God gives us direction, we will do what he has he he has told us to do. And at the end of the day, the kingdom will advance. We will be blessed.”

52s

#ServeToLead

“Joshua's previous service became part of the preparation for his assignment. It became part of his preparation for assignments. There are something god allow you to go through or places God allow you to serve as a way of preparing you for what is ahead or where it's going to position So the lesson here is that your season of serving may be preparing you for your season of leading. Your season of serving may be preparing you for your season of what? Leading. Do not despise your serving season. Tell somebody, do not despise serving season. Hallelujah.”

82s

#JesusModeledService

“If we want to understand service, what what must we do? Look at Jesus. Look to Jesus. That's how you'll understand what it means to serve God in a way that it pleases him. Look to Jesus. Tell somebody look to Jesus. Hallelujah. Mark chapter 10 verse 45. For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many and to give his life what? A ransom for many. Think about this. Jesus is the son of God. he came to serve. So who are you? Who do you think you are? That you can't you can't serve him. Sometime we need to let down our pride, put away our ego, and let's lie prostrate before him. Let's surrender everything to him. Because if God were to pass by here physically, none of us will be able to stand to our feet.”

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