The Seven Enemies of Greatness

Sermon by Prophet Dr. Hope Hodzi

Transcribed from the Sunday Service - December 14, 2025

(Genesis 12:1-3)

Everybody wants to be great, but greatness has enemies. From these verses, Abraham was automatically called unto greatness! Shout: 'I am a blessed man!' You are called to be great, but the problem is many are myopic about themselves. How you see yourself determines how far you can go and become in life.

SEVEN ENEMIES OF GREATNESS

1. Wrong Association: Who you move with determines your destiny in life. Where you are is as a result of those you are moving with. Who you move with determines who you become. Eagles don't move with chickens. You can be an eagle but be limited because of those you associate with. You can never be higher than those you are moving with. It is believed that you can never move with 5 rich people over time without becoming the sixth rich person. When you want to be great, watch those you mingle with. Greatness in life is attached to those you associate with. I advise that you start auditing your list of contacts and delete those that are not relevant. The analogy of the lion raised among the sheep and started behaving like the sheep until it realised its true identity and began to roar when it was invited by the big king of the jungle. If you know your true value, you will never move with those who are going nowhere. Always select your friends like beans.

2. Sinning: SIN (Satan Identity Number). Anywhere Satan sees sin, he will surely be there. SIN has stopped many from greatness. There are certain levels and heights of greatness you can never attain until you quench your appetite [for sin]. Until discipline is in place, greatness can never find expression. Be deliberate about your attitude towards sin. Sin can sink you until you discipline yourself. You have to be self-disciplined. You can be highly anointed, but your anointing can be compromised and you can never reach certain heights and levels of greatness. Joseph ran from sin because of his mindset of greatness. Today, many are embracing sin. Sin is a weight that slows destiny. You can never run fast whilst carrying guilt. Guilt consciousness is a deterrent to divine speed and acceleration. When you are carrying the weight of diverse sins, you can never run fast in life.

"It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6

"The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all." - Ecclesiastes 9:11

3. Pride: Those who want to be great must always be watchful of pride. The example of Dr. Lawrence Tetteh greeting the choir and pastors. Pride will reduce you to a piecemeal. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." - James 4:10 Satan fell because of pride when he began to fight authority. When you humble yourself, God will lift you. "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." - James 4:6 Pride and lifting don't move together. Let's humble ourselves before the Lord and among ourselves. Pride is an enemy to greatness. "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the lowly is wisdom." - Proverbs 11:2; "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor." - Proverbs 29:23

4. Laziness: You can't be great if you are lazy. Most Christians don't want to be industrious business men and women. Don't love sleep if you desire to be great. God has nothing to bless if you are lazy. You better start something. If you want to be great, you must hate laziness. You must be diligent if you want to see greatness. "The soul of the sluggard desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich." - Proverbs 13:4 No great man sleeps 8 hours.

5. Fear: Fear of failure, fear of tomorrow, fear of the unknown. Fear is an enemy of greatness. Believe that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind and heart to pursue. Break the snare of fear. Those who are always afraid can never attempt great things.

6. Ignorance (Lack of knowledge): "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." - Hosea 4:6 Knowledge is what makes things work. You must grow in knowledge and its application in order to excel. It is not enough to have a car; you must have the knowledge to use it to move the car to your destination. Advance your knowledge in order to do well in life. Cultivate the spirit of lifelong learning. There is something to learn always. Life has a lot to teach us, so commit to learn always.

Conclusion: Watch out for these enemies of greatness - Wrong Association, Sinning, Pride, Laziness, Fear, and Ignorance. Overcome them and position yourself for greatness!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You today, acknowledging that You are the source of all greatness. Help us to recognize and overcome the enemies of greatness in our lives. Give us the wisdom to choose our associations wisely, to flee from sin, to humble ourselves, to be diligent, to overcome fear, and to pursue knowledge. May we be empowered by Your Spirit to achieve greatness and fulfill our destinies. In Jesus' name, Amen.

To be continued...