Boastings of a Servant

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Boastings of a Servant

• Servants Retreat
• September 6, 2009

All quotations by HH Pope Shenouda III
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The Meek Servant

• 2 Corinthians 101Now I, Paul, myself am
  pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness
  of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you,
  but being absent am bold toward you.

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The Meek Servant

• A meek or gentle person is calm, good-natured,
  lenient, and cheerful. He is calm, does not get
  angry, agitated, or furious, but their voice is
  gentle and pleasant. He does not get nervous for
  he is composed. The Lord Christ in His meekness
  was described as, He will not quarrel nor cry
  out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the
  streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and
  smoking flax He will not quench

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The Meek Servant

• A meek person is calm internally and externally.
  Peace dominates his heart, so he does not feel
  anxious or disturbed. He is on peaceful terms
  with all, he attacks no one, hurts no one, is not
  harsh, and is not revengeful, even when attacked.

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The Meek Servant

• The meek person never interferes in the affairs
  of others, nor sets himself a guard over their
  works. Thus he condemns no one, and even if he
  interferes in correcting someone, he does it
  calmlyHe restores such a brother by calm
  persuasion, in humbleness fearing lest he himself
  be tempted.

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The Meek Servant

• A meek person bears others with long-suffering.
  He is tolerant he puts before him the words of
  the Scriptures, A soft answer turns away wrath
  (Prov. 151). He looks towards God's example in
  forbearance and long-sufferance towards sinners.
  He never grumbles either in his relation with God
  or with people, but on the contrary, he is always
  cheerful and smiling.

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The Meek Servant

• A meek person is obliging. He is inclined to
  comfort people and not resist them. He does not
  go on arguing, discussing, persisting and
  inquiring but does what is good and quietly,
  immediately without delay and without discussion.
  He does not hold to his views in every thing as
  some may do, but lets it pass as long as the
  matter is not against the commandment. Therefore
  he is not biased, for he loves all people.

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The Meek Servant

• A meek person maintains his meekness. He does
  not lose his meekness when he holds a high
  position or enjoys some authority. He maintains
  his meekness whatever high position he attains.
  His heart is not elevated by the power of
  authority. The meek does not lose his meekness
  while correcting others. If he is in a position
  that gives him an authority to correct others, he
  does it without being harsh or severe and without
  coarse behavior or voice. He does not lose his
  meekness if he defends what is right.

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The Meek Servant

• He defends quietly without hurting the feeling
  of anyone. Even when he speaks frankly, his
  frankness is not hurting for he expresses what
  he wants to say in a gentle way. At this point we
  remember the way the Lord Christ talked to the
  Samaritan woman. He revealed to her everything
  gently without hurting her feelings. A truly meek
  person never loses his meekness under the pretext
  of being firm or bold or by misusing power and
  dignity.

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The Meek Servant

• Matthew 1129Take My yoke upon you and learn
  from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and
  you will find rest for your souls.
• St. John the Baptist - He must increase, but I
  must decrease

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Meekness in the our Service

• Preparing lessons
• Disciplining those we serve
• Dealing with our fellow servants
• Taking credit for ideas
• Wanting our ideas to be accepted
• Obeying when we do not agree

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The Self-Controlled Servant

• 2 Corinthians 105casting down arguments and
  every high thing that exalts itself against the
  knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
  captivity to the obedience of Christ,

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The Self-Controlled Servant

• Solomon the Wise said He who is slow to anger
  is better than the mighty, And he who rules his
  spirit than he who takes a city (Pr 1632). So
  who is the one who rules his spirit? (Meaning who
  controls himself?) So guard your thoughts, and do
  not accept any thought that comes to you. Aspire
  to keep your thoughts pure. And if a sinful
  thought comes to you beware from dealing with it
  and going far with it.

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The Self-Controlled Servant

• Expel it quickly so that it does not control you
  and turn into feelings in your heart. Take care
  from thoughts of anger revenge and lust, from
  thoughts of condemning others and vain thoughts,
  also from the thought of envy jealousy and
  grudge, and from the thoughts of pride and vain
  glory And from every thought that does not
  glorify God. And even if you could not listen to
  the proverb that says

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The Self-Controlled Servant

• If you cannot prevent the bird from hovering
  around your head then at least do not let it
  build a nest in your hair. Do not keep sinful
  thinking inside your head. And try to keep your
  mind busy all the time with useful thoughts or
  spiritual meditations so that if the devil fights
  your thoughts he never finds them free for him.

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Self-Control in our Service

• Filled with the Spirit
• Being an example
• Discipline Serving diligently, sacrificing our
  time, visitations, etc.

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The Authoritative Servant

• 2 Corinthians 108For even if I should boast
  somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord
  gave us for edification and not for your
  destruction, I shall not be ashamed--

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The Authoritative Servant

• Some people misunderstand meekness, imagining
  that the meek is a sluggish person with no
  influence or effectiveness and that meekness is
  mere slackening! Those people may ridicule the
  meek and treat them with disdain. They may mock
  him because of his tolerance and patience. They
  think that because the meek do not condemn
  people, he would do nothing if he saw evil
  prevailing over good! No. This is not true
  meekness.

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The Authoritative Servant

• The right concept of meekness recognizes being
  connected with manliness, self-respect, courage
  and gallantry. We usually remember that the meek
  person is actually a good, lenient and indulgent
  person and ignore that he has also courage, self
  respect and gallantry! The profound words said in
  the Book of Ecclesiastes, apply to the conduct of
  the meek in various situations To everything
  there is a season, a time for every purpose under
  heaven... a time to keep silence, and a time to
  speak (Eccl.31,7).

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The Authoritative Servant

• The Lord Christ, the great example of whom it
  was said, He will not quarrel or cry out, nor
  will anyone hear His voice in the streets, we
  see Him firm and strong in cleansing the Temple
  and driving out those who bought and sold there,
  saying to them, It is written My house shall be
  called a house of prayer, but you have made it a
  den of thieves (Matt. 2112,13). He was also
  strong and firm in reprimanding the scribes and
  Pharisees (Matt. 23). He was firm in explaining
  the Law of the Sabbath and doing good on that
  day, though He found resistance.

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The Authoritative Servant

• Moses the prophet was known for his amazing
  gentleness and humbleness Now the man Moses was
  very humble, more than all men who were on the
  face of the earth (Num. 123). When Moses came
  down from the mountain with the two tablets of
  the Testimony in his hand and saw the people
  singing and dancing in worship of a golden calf,
  he was not passive under pretext of humbleness
  and gentleness but became hot with anger, cast
  the tablets out of his hands and broke them. Then
  he took the calf which they made, burnt it in the
  fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on
  the water (Ex. 3219,20). He reprimanded Aaron
  the high priest who shook before him.

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The Authoritative Servant

• Elihu, the son of Barachel, The fourth friend of
  Job. Because of his meekness he kept silent while
  Job's three other friends were talking (their
  speeches taking 28 Chapters of the Book of Job).
  Elihu did not open his mouth due to his exceeding
  meekness, seeing that the other three were older
  than him. However, he could not keep silent more
  than this when he found that all the others spoke
  wrongly. The Scripture says, "Then the wrath of
  Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the
  family of Ram, was aroused against Job... his
  wrath was aroused because he justified himself
  rather than God.

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The Authoritative Servant

• Also against his three friends his wrath was
  aroused because they had found no answer, and yet
  had condemned Job ... and said, I am young in
  years, and your are very old therefore I was
  afraid, and dared not declare my opinion to you
  ... (Job 322-7). Then he proceeded to rebuke
  them. Indeed, there is a time for every purpose
  under heaven. There is time for the silence of
  the meek and a time for talk, a time for his
  gentleness and a time for his firmness.

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Authority in our Service

• Power vs. Authority
• Authority over those we serve
• For the purpose of edification unto holiness
• Should not be abused
• Does not make us better than them

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The Wise Servant

• 2 Corinthians 1012-15For we dare not class
  ourselves or compare ourselves with those who
  commend themselves. But they, measuring
  themselves by themselves, and comparing
  themselves among themselves, are not wise. We,
  however, will not boast beyond measure, but
  within the limits of the sphere which God
  appointed us--a sphere which especially includes
  you. For we are not overextending ourselves (as
  though our authority did not extend to you), for
  it was to you that we came with the gospel of
  Christ not boasting of things beyond measure,
  that is, in other men's labors, but having hope,
  that as your faith is increased, we shall be
  greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,

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The Wise Servant

• Believe me, one of the major problems in our
  Church today is the lack of humility in teaching.
  If a servant has got a new thought from his
  readings, he tries to force it on others and make
  it a doctrine. The problem here is that you
  present a personal belief and not the Church's
  doctrines. The first Church was characterized by
  One thought because it was a humble Church
  submitting to its leaders. As the Protestants
  called for liberty in explaining and teaching,
  they were split into hundreds of beliefs.

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The Wise Servant

• The traditional Church, however, keeps its true
  faith, and does not allow individual beliefs to
  pollute the original doctrines handed down by the
  apostles. Humble servants do not show off their
  knowledge. They present the lesson in a simple
  and spiritual manner rather than in a
  philosophical manner. They should speak at the
  same level of their students or listeners. Humble
  servants should care about preparing their
  lessons, not depending on their existing
  knowledge as some servants do.

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The Wise Servant

• The measurements of God are different from those
  of people. He is looking at the hearts and He
  knows everything. When he evaluates the service,
  for sure, we will discover very strange facts on
  judgment day. Maybe we will see servants of whom
  we never heard about before!! Maybe we won't see
  the servants that we served with!!

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The Wise Servant Responsibilities

• People evaluate the service according to the
  responsibilities of that servant. God, however,
  has different measurements. Let us turn to St.
  Stephen the first deacon, as an example. He was
  just a deacon, without any high rank. If the
  Church measured the strength of his ministry
  according to his rank in the Church, he would not
  be considered very highly, but, as it stands, he
  is mentioned even before all the Patriarchs.

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The Wise Servant Location

• Some people relate the importance of the servant
  to the place where they serve, but this is wrong.
  An example is St. Gregory of Niazinza. He was a
  Bishop ofa small, unknown city. Yet, because of
  his deep, precious sermons and theological
  understanding he was called St. Gregory the
  Theologian. He made this city famous, it wasn't
  the city who made him famous.

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The Wise Servant Length of Time

• Many servants measure their greatness according
  to the long time they have been in the ministry.
  There are however, servants with shorter periods
  of service who are more effective and productive.
  John the Baptist served only one or two years,
  and during this short period, he prepared the way
  for the Lord
• Another priest who served for a short time was
  Father Antonious Baqui of Queens. He was the
  first priest sent to America in 1972. He served
  for only 5 months. However, his ministry was
  crowned with the sentence spoken by his
  congregation We knew the Lord the day we knew
  you.

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The Wise Servant Number of People

• This criteria cannot be used as a tool for
  measuring the effectiveness of one's ministry.
  What counts is the number of those who are
  influenced by your service and those who reached
  God as a result of it. Our Lord Jesus Christ,
  Himself preached to thousands, He also ministered
  to the twelve disciples. These were more
  important than the thousands since they attracted
  cities and countries to the faith after Christ's
  ascension. The number of listeners is not
  important, but the number of those accepting the
  word with joy, in whom the word bears fruit and
  leads them to the life of repentance, holiness
  and perfection.

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The Wise Servant Amount of Service

• This is in regards to doing so many services at
  one time. Maybe you will be so busy doing all
  these things, you will lose control of
  everything, as a result the ministry loses its
  spirituality.

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Wisdom in our Service

• Should not compare with others
• Should not compare with our own standard
• The goal is to draw people to Christ the Church
  and to lead them to a life of repentance
• Only God who knows the condition of our hearts
  can truly measure our success

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The Praiseworthy Servant

• 2 Corinthians 1018For not he who commends
  himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

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The Praiseworthy Servant

• They read many books to gain knowledge and just
  transfer this knowledge to their students. But
  this is not service - it is education. Ministry
  or service is the transfer of the spirit to the
  children, and filling their hearts with the love
  of God. In other words, a servant transfers the
  spirit and love - not just information. The
  servant is a person who loves people, and gives
  them the love of God.

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The Praiseworthy Servant

• They abide in God, and consequently, abide in
  love, because God is love (1 John 416). God
  trains His servants to love, because love is an
  important element in the ministry. Without love,
  the ministry will be just a fruitless activity.
  If you haven't reached that level of love, you
  are not yet prepared for the ministry What is
  this love we need for the service? It is to love
  all people, as God loves them.

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The Praiseworthy Servant

• To love them as your brethren, because they are
  the children of God and you must desire the
  salvation of their souls. Love the Church which
  contains Christ's body, love the Kingdom of
  Heaven where people will enjoy being with God.
  From all your heart you should try to lead them
  to the love of God, because He loved them first
  (1 John 419).

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Praise in our Service

• John 1243for they loved the praise of men more
  than the praise of God.
• Should not
• Expect praise or appreciation
• Expect to be well-treated or obeyed
• Try to draw attention to our service
• Serve, not simply educate

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GLORY BE TO GOD FOREVER