HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-02-14, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019.
By Ernest Dow, Associate Pastor
Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn
One of the hallmarks of Christian
faith is our servant attitude. Jesus
told His disciples in Mark 10:45,
“For even the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and
to give his life as a ransom for
many.” Why did Jesus say He came?
What was His purpose? To serve –
by giving His life, pouring it out as a
ransom, to buy us back for a holy
God.
We serve others, but not as their
slaves primarily. In Ephesians 6:5f,
notice who the server sees and keeps
his eye on looking over the shoulder
(as it were) of his immediate earthly
boss or master. “Slaves, obey your
earthly masters with respect and
fear, and with sincerity of heart, just
as you would obey Christ. Obey
them not only to win their favour
when their eye is on you, but like
slaves of Christ, doing the will of
God from your heart.” (Eph 6:5f) In
other words, I’m not just obeying
my earthly master: but I can do my
work wholeheartedly because it’s
just as if I’m obeying Jesus. It’s like
I’m being Jesus’ slave, so of course I
want to serve well in order to please
Him, even when my earthly master
or foreman isn’t there to watch what
I’m doing. UCLA basketball coach
John Wooden said, “The true test of
a man's character is what he does
when no one is watching.”
As Christians, when we operate in
submission and show respect toward
those above us in a chain of
authority, it’s also because we are
conscious of Jesus Christ, our
ultimate Lord and Master, who
stands at the very head of all chains
of authority in the universe. “For it is
commendable if a man bears up
under the pain of unjust suffering
because he is conscious of God. But
how is it to your credit if you receive
a beating for doing wrong and
endure it? But if you suffer for doing
good and you endure it, this is
commendable before God,” 1Peter
2:19f says.
See the point Peter’s making?
Even when we’re being abused –
even when we’re being treated
unfairly and unjustly – we are helped
to bear it by the knowledge that God
knows, God is tracking it, God will
someday settle the score.
Helen Roseveare was an English
medical missionary in Congo from
1953 to 1973. During the Simba
Uprising in 1964 she was brutally
ravaged by government soldiers.
How does one remain “conscious of
God” during such unjust and cruel
treatment? Phil Callaway writes that
Roseveare recalls... “When I was
being driven down the corridor of
my home by those rebels, panic
nearly seized my heart... but God
stepped in. I did not see a vision or
hear a voice, but I just knew He was
there, and in charge, and I had
nothing to fear. God seemed to
whisper to me: ‘Can you thank Me?’
And I was ready to almost shout
‘No! This has gone too far,’ when I
realized that the Lord was saying:
‘Can you thank Me for trusting you
with this situation?’ Amazing. Me
trusting God, yes. But God trusting
me? It was as though He said: ‘Yes,
I could have prevented this. I could
have taken you out. But I have a
purpose. You cannot understand
now, but are you willing to be part of
My purpose?’ ‘Yes, God,’ I tried to
whisper back.‘If you have a purpose
in all this, thank you for trusting me
to be part of it!’ and immediately I
was flooded by His peace and a huge
sense of privilege.”
We can submit even to such
atrocious moments by seeing the
One who is supreme, keeping
conscious of God. Peter goes on to
point out how this is exactly what
Jesus did when faced with the
looming prospect of the cross.
1Peter 2:23 notes, “When they
hurled their insults at him, he did not
retaliate; when he suffered, he made
no threats. Instead, He entrusted
himself to Him who judges justly.”
He gave all the abuse and pain and
unfair treatment over to His
Heavenly Father. As He prayed in
Gethsemane, “Abba, Father...
everything is possible for you. Take
this cup from me. Yet not what I will,
but what you will.” (Mk 14:36)
A businessman once asked Lorne
Sanny, who was president of The
Navigators, how he could know
when he had a servantlike attitude.
Sanny answered, “By how you act
when you are treated like one.”
Serving requires putting the other
person first, not myself. Dying to
self makes it possible for us to live in
Jesus, to find our identity in Him,
rather than trying to prop up our
sense of who we are by this world’s
possessions or achievements. The
Way of Jesus Handbook notes...
“Why do you think that humility is
such an unpopular virtue? Because it
threatens our sense of self-worth if
our self-worth is attached to what
others think of us....Your identity in
Jesus secures sense of self-worth.
How does anchoring our identity in
Jesus set us free to be like Jesus in
attitudes, behaviours and character?
How does it set us free to handle
even the drudge things with joy and
dignity? Dignity anchored in Jesus
guards against needing the approval
of others. His approval is all I need...
When our identity, our self worth,
our dignity is anchored in Jesus,
nothing can shake us.”
And serving others is made so
much easier – through our Saviour
who stoops to serve us and wash our
feet with basin and towel! (John 13)
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph’s
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
huronchapel.com huronchapelkids.com huronchapelyouth.com
519-526-1131 ~ 119 John’s Ave., Auburn
Wednesdays 6:30-8:00 p.m. HEIRBORN (JK-Gr. 6), 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jr. & Sr. YOUTH (Gr. 7-12)
Feb. 17 Membership Class after Worship
February 17
9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 10:30 a.m. Worship
Pastor Phil Delsaut
“Sent” (John 20:21)
SPECIAL REPORT from
PNG Missions Team!
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ~ Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville’s basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
Worship & Sunday School - 9:30 am (*New time)
Coffee & Snacks following the service
We invite you to join our church family in:
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday ~ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Special Speaker: Trish MacGregor
Accessible
Sunday, February 17
Worship Service at 11:00 am
Blyth United Church
Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches
BRUSSELS
United Church
Worship and Sunday School
Sunday, February 17
at 9:30 am
Worship leader, Trish McGregor
Mary Ross will be with the children!
All are Welcome
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, February 17
at 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.
650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School)
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers
during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
Wednesday Night Kids’ Club 6:45 pm - 8:15 pm (ages 5-12)
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
The Regional Ministry of Hope
BLYTH BRUSSELS
Trinity St. John’s
9:15 am 11:15 am
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector
519-357-7781
email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca
TheRegionalMinistryof Hope
St. Paul’s Trinity
WINGHAM 11:15 am
These Anglican Churches
Welcome You
Sermon Series:
The ABC’s of Anglicanism:
Week two: B is for Baptism
and other sacraments
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