INTENSIVE EVANGELISM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 769, 16 September 1929, Page 14

INTENSIVE EVANGELISM

CHURCH CAMPAIGN BEGUN PITT STREET METHODISTS An eight days’ intensive evangelistic campaign was begun yesterday In the Pitt Street Methodist Church. At the morning service the Rev. 'W. Walker preached on "Faith in Hod,” and in the evening the text was "Enter ye in the strait gate," Matt, vil., 13-14. The Christian life ■was declared by Mr. Walker as the happiest and the most useful life it was possible for a person to live, but It was not an easy life. It was a life of self-denial, self-discipline and elf-control, but it directed the way i o fullness of life here and eternal life hereafter. Jesus never beguiled people into becoming His disciples. He made no attempt to portray discipleship in gay and attractive colours. On all occasions He emphasised its hardships and its difliculties. He told His hearers to count the cost of fellowship with Him. He taught that there were only two ways along wulch a person could travel through life. One was narrow, which led to life; Cue other was broad, which led to oestruction. This teaching of Jesus v as not peculiar to Christianity alone. All kingdoms worth while could be reached only by the strait gate and the narrow way. The kingdoms of music, of literature and of art were all reached by the narrow paths of industry, perseverance and sacrifice. The higher the kingdom the greater was the effort required to reach it. The highest of all kingdoms was that of the kingdom oi God. The straight gate was deecribed as the gate of repentance, without which no person could enter the narrow path. The path was narrow, not in the sense of keeping any one out, for it was wide enough to admit all, but it would not admit sin.

It was not the path of glooiri or of despair, but of happiness and peace. Jesus always challenged people in the higher side of their nature, and appealed to the spirit of heroism of those who desired to become His followers. It was announced that the Mission would be continued each night this week at 7.30.