REV. BROWN: ‘YOU ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS
JEREMY WALTNER – PUBLISHER
Seniors from Freeman Academy and Freeman Public were reminded on Sunday that, because of their relationship with God, they can be “more than conquerors” and surpass the accomplishments of some of the world’s most revered explorers, including Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great.
“Genghis Khan conquered 4 million square miles; he never lost a battle,” said Tom Brown, pastor of Bethlehem Reformed OPC, at the community baccalaureate hosted by the Freeman Ministerial Association Sunday afternoon, May 2. “And what does the Bible teach us? You are more than Genghis Khan; Genghis Khan is a nobody compared to you, because you are a child of God.
“Alexander the Great conquered a little more than 2 million square miles, all the known world, at age 32,” Brown continued. “He had to take on King Darius, 8-to-1 odds, and he defeated the mighty Persian Empire. He was a brilliant military tactician. And what does our text say? Graduates, you are more — you are greater — than Alexander the Great.”
The message was rooted in Romans 8: 28-39, a reading that was offered by Randall Koehler, the new pastor at the Hutterthal Mennonite Church, prior to Brown’s meditation.
“Two world conquerors that you learned about in your history class, and Paul is saying you are better than them,” he said. “Why? Because you have Christ … because Christ has chosen to love you, and he will never leave.”
That relationship, and an understanding of that relationship, will be of comfort to the seniors when they move on to whatever the post-secondary world has for them, Brown said.
“Graduates, when you go away to college, when you go away to the next preparation of your life, you’ll have challenges. You’ll have times when you feel like life might be falling apart. It’s in those moments that these truths, that God is for you, will help you carry on.”
“My grandmother (who passed away at 107 years old) loved this passage and would teach us this truth,” he said. “There is no mountain that comes before you that can hinder you. If God is for you, who can be against you? If God the almighty is for you, what mountain can get in your way? God will always give you a way around the mountain or over the mountain, because he’s for you.”
“That is one of the points that God is teaching us,” Brown continued. “The trials or challenges of life we can get through because we have God, or rather, because God is for us.”
Brown also asked the graduates to think about how they felt when they won an award, or when they found success at a music competition or athletic event.
“No matter how amazing those feats are,” he said, “Paul is saying you are more than those feats with Christ … you’re not valuable based on what you do, you are valuable based on who you are. The fact that God chose you; the fact that God chose to die for you; the fact that God is with you makes you more than conquerors.
“This is the fruit of God loving you.”
Brown took the seniors and the others attending baccalaureate back to world history class one last time when he referenced French military leader Napoléon Bonaparte, who following a defeat at Waterloo offered this insight:
“Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.”
“Graduates, doesn’t that sum it up?” Brown said. “The kingdom of Christ is built on love. God’s love for you, your love for God.”
Sunday’s baccalaureate also included music provided by Salem-Zion Mennonite Church Pastor Corey Miller and several from his congregation — Austin and Lindsey Unruh and Lynelle Hofer — and an opening prayer from Shane Van Meveren, pastor at Bethany Mennonite.
Following Brown’s message, Miller offered a prayer for the graduates, listing each by name, and the worship service closed with a final blessing from Stephen Roussos, pastor at the Freeman Missionary Church.
“Graduates, I realize that in a few weeks, maybe longer, you’re going to head out,” he said. “Adventures. New challenges. A new phase of life. Some of you are going to school, some of you are going to work. You may have other plans. But as you leave this place, if you remember nothing else, remember what Pastor Tom shared. In Christ, you are more than conquerors.
“Don’t ever forget that. Don’t ever forget that the community is supporting you. Don’t ever forget that we’re praying for you. And as you go forth from here, may the God of all wisdom inspire you to act with integrity, to speak the truth with love, to pursue justice for all people. May the God of infinite compassion stir your hearts to seek the common good, assist you to forgive both enemies and friends alike and fill you with a spirit of generosity …
“May God’s blessing rest upon each of you and remain with you now and forever more.”
The baccalaureate service was also livestreamed and is available to watch on the Salem-Zion Mennonite Church’s YouTube channel. A link is included with this story at freemansd.com.
