Church Work and Life

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 739, 12 August 1929, Page 14

Church Work and Life

Messages from the Pulpits

ANTIDOTE TO SIN

CHRIST’S EARTHLY MISSION MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH “J«cus, the Saviour of Mankind," waa the subject of a sermon by the Rev. W. Walker in the Pitt Street Methodist Church last evening. . The address was based on John iii., 14: “As Moses lifted ua the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." The preacher stated that during His earthly ministry Jesus was deeply conscious of the fact that He had come from the Father to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin. In this scripture He declared Himself to be the source of healing to a world poisoned by sin. His purpose in coming to earth was to be the antidote of God to the power of sin. Whatever views may be held concerning the origin of sin the fact of its existence is beyond the point of dispute. It was proved not by an appeal to logic, but by the facts of life.

It might be true that many people today are not bothering very much about their sins, but society as a whole is tremendously concerned about rhe terrible disorganisation, and misery and wretchedness which directly result from sin.

Jf people would recognise sin as the oot-cause of these evils, they would ’>• saved & great deal of trouble in Oing to patch up the symptoms, jesus never concerned Himself with ymptoms, but probed down to the isease and applied His healing there. ■ln recognised that behind the sinful ct there is the greater tragedy of the Inful heart. Jesus always worked rom the centre to the circumference. He created a new social order by ■ hanging the hearts of men and women. This was the gospel in all itm simplicity, and in all its power. People may spend a lifetime in searching for help in other directions and In the end be disappointed, but no person could come to Jesus Christ in true penitence without being received In the inner life.

"This is the evangelical message of the Christian church," said the preacher. “It is so simple that a child can understand it. and yet it is so profound that all who experience it are lost in wonder, love and praise. There is no truth in the life of today better attested than this:—‘Jesus has power on earth to forgive sin. to change from darkness to light, and the power of evil unto God."

A duet was rendered by Misses Linfoot.

EXAMPLE TO WORKMATES

DUTY OF A CHRISTIAN “LIVE FOR OTHER PEOPLE” “I sanctified Myself that they themselves also might be sanctified.” These words, offered in Christ’s wonderful prayer just before He left (he upper room, when He went out to Gethsemane and to Calvary, formed the basis of a sermon by the Rev. C. E. Dickens, preaching yesterday in St. Paul's Methodist Church, Remuera. “We rub shoulders with our workmates who are swayed undoubtedly by what we are,” said the preacher, “and our character affects them; it suggests either that they should ally themselves with the Kingdom of God, or that he should form a union with the forces of evil. There can be no half-way house. Either we point them to Jesus or we leave them in indifference and ignorance. There is the great body of unredeemed humanity who challenges us to the highest and noblest living, and to the closest walk with God, that by these means we may bring some good to bear upon their lives.

“Christians should not live for their own sakes. they should live at their best and should follow Jesus closely for the other people's sake, the sake of their workmates, and the great masses of people. Can we catch the spirit? I think the v#iter of that lovely hymn, ‘Men lie in darkness at your side, without a hope to cheer the grave,* must have had this spirit.”

IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SERVICE “Spirit” was the subject of the les-son-sermon in all Churches of Christ, Scientist, on Sunday, August 11. The golden text was from Isaiah xliv. 3, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring.” Among the citations which comprised the lesson-sermon was the following from the Bible: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John Iv. 24). The lesson-sermon also included the following passage from the Christian Science textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary

Baker Eddy: “The Scriptures imply that God is All-in-all. From this it follows that nothing possesses reality nor existence except the Divine Mind and His ideas. The Scriptures also declare that God is Spirit. Therefore in Spirit all is harmony, and there can be no discord: all is Life, and there Is no death” (page 331). RELIGIOUS HONESTY PASTOR’S PLEA FOR TRUTH PULPIT PREVARICATION “In Church thinking and speaking there Is far too much prudence, tactical care, and worldly wisdom . . . ‘Safety First’ is a good motto for motorists, but it is the damnation of the Christian ministry.” Seldom has a more provocative address been delivered by a minister than that given by the Rev. T. Rhondda Williams from the chair of the annual assembly of the Congregational Union, held in the City Temple, London, during which the above words ■were uttered. Mr. Williams commended his audience to a close reading of Professor Julian Huxley, Professor J. B. S. Haldane, Dr. Whitehead, Professor Eddington, and other distinguished scientists, whose writings, he suggested, were expressing in modern days the religious spirit lost to the Churches. "It is the misfortune of the Church that the creeds which still hold a formal place In most of them are, for the greater part, impossible of belief to educated and intellectual men and women,” he declared. “Intellectual Dishonesty" “The pulpit Is suspected of trimming, of prevarication, and of something very near to, if not quite, Intellectual dishdhesty. “Men today want their religious teaching to be above board, as scientific teaching is, and until it is so the Church will not win the confidence of men who have been influenced by the scientific temper and habit. “I think the Church has a great deal to learn from scientists in regard to reverence for truth.” The speaker asked if they were still to sing “the second Adam to the fight and to the rescue came,” when they no longer believed the first Adam was there? In one hymn their people sang, “False and full of sin I am, I am all unrighteousness,” but not a man or woman among them would say that of themselves If applying for a situation. A great deal of preaching about sin and salvation was utterly ineffective, largely because these words suggested schemes of doctrine no longer believed.

No one was more than a little saved, and those most saved were probably least aware of it. Nor was anyone totally unsaved. And the more they championed the

theory that the Church was the community of the saints, the more they would alienate the world they wanted to win, for instead of gaining its respect they would draw its ridicule. They had to give up definitely the old craving for finality, certainty, and authority. Science itself had no hard and fast creed to offer them, since great and revolutionary changes in thought were going on at the present time. “In religion let ‘Forward’ be our watchword,” concluded the Rev. Mr. Williams. The Rev. T. Rhondda Williams is one of the veterans of the Congregational Church, being In his 69th year. He began to preach when he was 13 years old, and was ordained at Dowlais when 20. RALLY OF ORANGEMEN SERVICE AT KNOX CHURCH M | ibers of the Black Preceptory, Loyat Orange Institution, attended a rally in the Knox Presbyterian Church, Parnell, last evening. There was a large assemblj-. The lesson was read by one of the lodge officers. The Minister, the Rev. A. Macdonald Aspland, spoke on "The Majesty of Man."