Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-02-08
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
prayer Meeting Topic Fog the Week
BEGINNING Feb. Il.
By REV. S. H. DOYLE.


Topic.-Christ a servant, and we are MS
akrvants.-Phi ii. S-I1.
A servant, The word has distaste-
ful sound. To be the personal helper
Of another or. worse still, in complete
hubiection to him or his slave has al
ways been most repugnant to the nat
ural human heart, and yet this word
has large place in the religion of Je-
sus Christ and has thereby come to
have an exalted significance and TO deS-
tenate a relationship that is most de-
sirable. Indeed. after all has been said
the position of servant has always been
q dignihe6l and exalted one. The high
sst ambitions of men. rightly consider
cd, have been to serve the person or the
cause to which they were most deeply
devoted Love has ever desired 10 ind
its expression in service, Itch Diem q
serve is not only tie motto of one roy
al household. but the true insignia of
all possessed OF real kingly character
tstics. Real royalty lives to serve God
and its subjects, no matter where it
may be found.
In our lesson Paul exhorts the Philip
plans to cultivate the Christian grace
of humility that finds expression in 4
desire TO serve rather than to be served,
He exhorts them to unity of heart and
mind by having true conception of
their proper relations TO each other.
Strife and vainglory are to be omitted
from their lives Each person in true
humility is to consider every other per-
son better than himself and to CON
sider the interests of others before his
swn. Could the world have such a true
and unselfish humility it would be
transformed, and it should be the de
dre and aim of every Christian to prac-
eace. preach and spread such real Chris
tian conceptions of mans relation TO
lbs fellow men. Such a condition of
heart and mind will result in service.
the true and final goal OF the Christian
Seiigion.
As a spur to the possession and exer
disc of such spirit Paul uses the eX
ample of Christ. Let this mind be in
tou, which was also in Christ Jesus
1. Christ was a servant. He came
into this world to serve it. In His own
language He came mot to be minis
tered unto, but to minister and to give
His life ransom for many" He came
b serve and to die 4 ransom for those
whom He served. Though He was in
Che form of God and could claim equal
fly with God and not do injustice to
the Father, yet He took upon Him
the form of servant And to what
iowliness His service descended. He
humbled Himself and became obedient
unto death. even the death of tie
cross Humility, Observation-Disclosures
even to death. and that the desplSed
death of the cross-tneSe were the
characteristics of Christ as a servant.
Can we, then, refuse TO serve Him and
one another in His name and for His
sake?
2. Christ's humility led to His ex-
eltation. Wherefore God hath high
IL exalted Him" We serve ourselves
best by serving Others best. The man
who seeks happiness in selfshness
misses the mark, while the man who
unselfshly lives for the happiness of
others finds the secret of his own hap
piness. The road to eXaltation is not
through vain personal ambition. but
through humble self sacrificing service.
Service exaits the king in the eyes of
his people, the soldier in the eyes of his
eountrymen. the disciple TO his master
and the child Of God in the sight of his
Heavenly Father. He that exalteth
himself shall be abased, but he that
enmbleth himself shall be exalted. :"
Service, therefore. is not only a Chris
nan duty, but it is profitable. Let us
therefore serve Him who served us by
serving those who are His.
BIBLE READINGS.
Matt. Y. IS: xvi, 24-2S; Xxx, 1928;
xiii, 1-12; Luke xxi, 24-2s; John xiii.
16; Heb. xii, l, 2; l Pet. ii. 1925;
John ii, G.