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[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      Thursday, July 1, 1999
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

213th Annual Conference
Thursdaya evening sermon, July 1, 1999

"The Great Servant" by Patrick Mellerson, pastor of Butler Chapel
and Prodigal A.M.E. Churches in Orangeburg and Swansea, S.C.

Scripture text: Nehemiah 2:28 and Matthew 28:22-28

(This text was submitted prior to the service, as are all sermons
at Annual Conference. This particular text was also submitted in
all caps.)

I'D LIKE TO TAKE MY TEXT FROM MATTHEW 20: 26-28

BUT IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU BUT WHOSOEVER WILL
BE GREAT AMONG YOU LET HIM BE YOUR MINISTER.

AND WHOSOEVER WILL BE CHIEF AMONG YOU LET HIM BE YOUR
SERVANT.

EVEN AS THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE MINISTERED UNTO,
BUT TO MINISTER, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY.
THE WORLD LOOK AT GREATNESS FROM ONE POINT OF VIEW
AND GOD LOOK AT GREATNESS FROM ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW.

THE WORLD SAID GREATNESS IS.
WHAT YOU HAVE. (AS THING)
WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. (DEGREE)
WHO YOU KNOW. (PEOPLE)
WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN. (PLACES)

BUT WHEN GOD LOOKS AT YOUR GREATNESS HE LOOKS FOR SERVICE.
SERVICE TO GOD, SERVICE TO PEOPLE AND SERVICE TO COMMUNITY.

WE ARE SERVANTS UNTO GOD WHEREVER HE LEADS ME I WILL FOLLOW.
TO MANY TIMES WE WANT GOD TO FOLLOW US INSTEAD OF US FOLLOWING
HIM, KEEP IN MIND WE ARE SERVANTS.

WE COME TO CHURCH TO WORSHIP WE GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO BE
SERVERS.  TOO MANY TIMES WE SAY WE ARE SERVERS OF GOD IN THE
CHURCH, BUT IN FACT WE ARE ONLY WORSHIPPERS AND PRAISERS OF GOD IN
THE CHURCH.

WE HAVE A SAYING IN OUR CHURCH, "WHEN PRAISES GO UP BLESSINGS COME
DOWN." SO WHEN BLESSINGS COME DOWN IT GIVES YOU STRENGTH TO GO OUT
IN THE WORLD TO BE SERVERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE COMMUNITY.  THAT'S
A GREAT SERVANT.

ALSO TO BE A GREAT SERVANT YOU NEED THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT -
LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONG SUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH,
MEEKNESS AND TEMPERANCE.

THAT'S WHY JESUS WAS SO GREAT.  WHEN JESUS SAID, "EVEN AS THE SON
OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE MINISTERED UNTO BUT TO MINISTER," JESUS MADE
IT PLAIN, "I CAME NOT TO BE SERVED, BUT TO BE A SERVANT."

WHEN I LOOK AT NEHEMIAH, HE WAS A GREAT SERVANT AND LEADER. 
BECAUSE HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS POEPLE BACK HOME.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN EVERYONE WANTS TO BE LEADERS
AND TO BE GREAT. BUT, NO ONE WANTS TO BE A SERVANT.

JUST AS THE WORLD HAS A DEFINITION FOR POSITION, PRESTIGE, POWER,
SO DOES THE BIBLE.

DO YOU REMEMER THE DISCIPLES ASKED JESUS ABOUT THE MARK OF
GREATNESS IN THE KINGDOM AND HOW THEY COULD ACHIEVE IT?

THEY WERE INTERESTED IN REACHING THE TOP OF THE LADDER. SO THAT
THEY COULD STAND TALL IN THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE.  JESUS TOLD THEM
THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE KINGDOM WITH A WRONG SET OF
STANDARDS.

JESUS BEGAN TO EXPLAIN THAT THE HUMBLENESS OF A CHILD IS THE 
MARK OF GREATNESS IN THE KINGDOM.
 
TO REACH THE TOP OF GOD'S LADDER, YOU MUST KNEEL DOWN
BECAUSE THE HIGHEST PLACE YOU CAN BE IS KNEELING
IN SUBMISSION AT THE FEET OF GOD.  CHILDLIKE FAITH, CHILDLIKE
TRUST, AND CHILDLIKE OBEDIENCE IN SERVICE TO GOD AND OTHERS
ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF THE RISE TO THE TOP.

THE WORLD NEVER WILL SEE HOW HIGH YOU ARE BECAUSE THE
WORLD WILL BE MEASURING YOU BY HOW MANY MATERIAL THINGS
YOU HAVE AND HOW LITTLE YOU HAD TO DO TO GET THEM.

WHILE THE KINGDOM LOOKS AT HOW MANY SPIRITUAL THINGS YOU
HAVE AND HOW MUCH YOU DO TO SHARE THEM.

JESUS GAVE HIS DISCIPLES AN EXAMPLE OF SERVANTHOOD TO FOLLOW
 WHEN HE WASHED HIS DISCIPLES FEET.

JESUS SAID, "YOU CALL ME MASTER AND LORD: YOU ARE RIGHT IF I THEN
BE YOUR LORD AND MASTER HAVE WASHED YOUR FEET; YOU ALSO OUGHT
TO WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET."

VERILY, VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU THE SERVANT IS NOT GREATER THAN
HIS LORD.

SERVING OTHERS HELPS US TO AVOID THE DANGEROUS PITFALLS OF
THINKING MORE HIGHLY OF OURSELVES THAN WE OUGHT TO THINK.

REMEMBER, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS IS TO HELP
THOSE WHO ARE ILL, LONELY, HOMELESS, HUNGRY, IMPRISONED; AND
ARE IN THE NEED OF LOVE, CARE AND ATTENTION.

TO GIVE SERVICE IS BETTER THAN TO BE SERVED AND THAT IS WHAT
JESUS WAS TRYING TO GET THE DISCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND.

I DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE.

THE IDEA OF BEING A SERVANT AND TAKING CARE OF OTHER'S NEEDS
IS NOT VERY POPULAR FOR MOST OF US IN THIS DAY AND AGE.

WE WOULD PREFER TO BE SERVED.  THERE ARE EVEN SOME WHO
THINK IT IS EMBARRASSING TO BE A SERVANT.

HOWEVER JESUS INSTRUCTED THAT IF WE ARE TO BE FOLLOWERS OF
HIM WE MUST BE SERVANTS TO HIS PEOPLE.

OUR GREATNESS IS DETERMINED BY THE SERVICE WE PERFORM FOR  ONE
ANOTHER.

WHY NOT IN OUR LOCAL CHURCH REACH OUT INTO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY TO HELP OTHERS.  THIS IS PART
OF THE MISSION OF OUR CHURCH ANYWAY.

WHEN YOU HAVE DONE THE WORK OF GOD YOU CAN SAY LIKE NEHEMIAH,
"I AM DOING A GREAT WORK SO THAT I CANNOT COME DOWN.  WHY SHOULD
 THE WORK CEASE WHILST I LEAVE IT AND COME DOWN TO YOU."

GOD WANTS US TO LIVE OUR LIVES AS A SERVANT.
A SERVANT'S LIFE IS NOT AN EASY LIFE.

YOU WILL HAVE MANY PITFALLS IN LIFE.  I LOOK AT LIFE AS A CHALLENGE
EVERYDAY BUT REMEMBER THIS ABOUT LIFE - 

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A CHALLENGE, HE MET IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A GIFT.................ACCEPT IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS ADVENTURE........DARE IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A SORROW.........OVERCOME IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A TRAGEDY.........FACE IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A GAME.............PLAY IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A MYSTERY........UNFOLD IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A SONG............SING IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A OPPORTUNITY.......TAKE IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A JOURNEY...........COMPLETE IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A PROMISE............FULFILL IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A BEAUTY.............PRAISE IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A STRUGGLE............FIGHT IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A GOAL..................ACHIEVE IT.

TO JESUS, LIFE IS A PUZZLE..............SOLVE IT.

LIFE IS WALKING IN GOD'S FOOTSTEPS........DO IT!!