Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1898 — Ministers Column. [ARTICLE]

Ministers Column.

Abstracts of Last Sunday’s Sermons.

A brief of sermon given Sunday evening at Church of God by the pastor, F. L. Austin. TRUE WORSHIPPERS. But the hour cometh, and now is. when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. —John 4:23. To worship signifies to do reverence; to pay divine homage. The sun, moon, and stars; images of gold, silver, and wood; beast, creeping thing, and fowl 2iave all been idols of the human race. Each have had the homage of man paid unto them. Cornelius endeavored to worship Peter but was restrained (Acts 10—25: John felt down at the feet of the angel bat was corrected and received the iujuoction to “Worship God, Rev. 22 —8-9. God only are we instructed to worship. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Math. 4 —lo. (“Reverend,” but once used in Scripture—Ps. Ill—9—an J then in honoring God is now common and applied to unworthy man with no embarasment or hesitancy. Shame!) Worship has always been mostly formal — sacrifices, feasts, Sundayobservances, bended-knees. These are insufficient. Broken and contrite hearts, Ps. 61—17; our bodies as living sacrifices, Rom. 12—1; worshipping God in the spirit, PhiL 3—3, are requirements for trnw worship. Large assemblies may contain few “true worshippers.” Wete pretenders “true" what an influence!

"Synopsis of sermon of Elder N. H. Sheppard at Christian church Sunday evening Dec. 18. (1) Paul, in Cor. 16:13, wrote io the brethren at Corinth, saying “Quit you like men, be strong." Quit means to do that which is expacted of us. God and Christ expect true manhood and true womanhood of every person whois blessed by life, and is allowed to to play his part in the drama of destiny upon the stage es mortality, human. (2) True men and women then we should always be. The question might however arise, where will we find the true pattern? We cannot find it in the life of Moses, although he was a good man. He smote the rock and did not give God the praise, and so failed to enter the promised land. David, a man of God, in one awful crime, became, for a time, the vilest of sinners. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. But Pilate as Jesus comes forth before him wearing the crown of thorns! Pilate there magnanimously says, ‘■cere homo," “Behold the man:” This, indeed, is the true pattern of true manhood for all the centuries yet to be. It is not always an easy task to be a man, something suffering, even a cross, but always finally a victory and a crown will reward the efforts of a truly wamanly woman or manly man. (3)God expects of each of us, true ambition, industry, knowledge, self reliance, self control, temperate habits, good temper, contentment, courteousaees, truthfulness, honesty, courage, love to fellow men, even our enemies, sympathy for the luckless, patriotism when our country is in jeopardy, and obedience to our Savior Christ as the peroration to a truly great and manly life. Be this, and God will not be ashamed that you lived, and you will not be ashamed to die.

(Sermon preached .Sunday morning at Trinity M. E. Church by the pastor.) ' THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS Text: “Yea doubtless, and I count all thing but loss for the excelling of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Phil 3:8. Ours is a country of Schools and

' this is an age of learning. We pride ourselves upon the attainment of knowledge. But true knowledge discriminates between ' the objects of its search and puts most value upon that which is highest and greatest. It cannot ignore or pass by Jesus Christ. He is the foremost character in the world. No other name or person is so widely published, and so influential in the world’s thought and life. I. He is unique in history. Ist. In His personal nature. He is both divine and human. 2nd. In authority there is a commanding power which impress's every one who impartially reads His history or his words. “H" speaks as one having authority.” And. character and destiny are determined by our relation to Him. 3rd. He lived and died, but rose again from the dead and lives forever. All other groat persons in the world’s history have died and that was the end of their career. No so with Jesus Christ. 11. What is meant by “Knowledge” of Him? Ist. Historical knowledge, or the knowledge of His life and teachings. 2nd. Saving knowledge, or the knowledge that he saves from sin. 3rd. The current knowledge of His power, and will in the life and activity of the world. 111. The exceeding value of this knowledge. Paul putit above everything else. Counted wealth, the world’s wisdom, power and glory, but loss, for it. Indeed all that is accounted great and excellent he counted as “vile excrement,” as compared with it. Do you thus prize and esteem this knowledge? (Special Christmasservic.es at Trinity next Sunday.)