PULPIT MESSAGES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 36, 6 November 1933, Page 10

PULPIT MESSAGES

Wellington Churches AID TO FEEBLE FAITH History of Christianity “The Invincible Church” was the subject of a sermon preached by the Rev. Harry Johnson, at the Cambridge Terrace Congregational Church. His text was Matt’ xvi 18, “My church; the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” “A study of Church history is a tome to feeble faith,” he said. “By the term church, we do not mean any one breach of it, but tlie Church universal, a Divine body that includes all the true people of God, the elect of all Christiaufellowships, who have been formed to serve as organs of Christ. Our Redeemer, its Founder, declared it shall continue though present nations and civilisations cease to be. As His bride possessing supernatural life, He affirms it is indestructible and imperishable, because it is not of the Temporal, but of the Eternal; not of man, but of God. A glance at her history proves how true is His promise, ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ Triumph Over Prejudice. "How triumphant she has been over deep-rooted prejudice. The Church’s Founder was in the eyes of the world a simple village carpenter, poor, obscure, uninfluential, ultimately a crucified Jew. We can form no idea what au offensive thing that Cross was in Apostolic days. To us it is bathed in glory, it is the symbol of Christian hope. But to the Greek and Roman it represented what was meanest iu life, most criminal in act, and infamous in death. Yet with the doctrine of the Cross, the young society set out to conquer the world; and won such a stupendous victory over universal ptejudice, that within a few centuries, some of the successors of the fishermen Apostles actually climbed the Imiwrial throne, and donned the Royal purple. “What gigantic victories the Church has won over deeply-entrenched idolatry. Ancient pagan faiths were in possession of the field, yet the avowed aim of the small band of Christs followers was to destroy these systems. The task seemed an impossible one. but it was accomplished. Organised idolatry was banished from the Roman empire. Jupiter ceased to thunder from Olympus. Trident-bearing Nepture became simply a name. The Grecian deities were annihilated. Diana of the Ephesians was expelled from her throne, for the despised little Church overturned the famous pagan shrines and caused the idol temples of Europe to crumble into dust. “How notable the Church s triumphs over ruthless persecutions. For three hundred years the marvellously organised State of pagan Rome directed its ruthless power against the followers or the Nazarene. Persecutions, wave after wave, rolled upon her, but the Church smiled at the lions and defied the flames. Like the oak that strikes its roots more deeply as the storm beats upon it, so the Christian conimunitv grew stronger in the tempest. Pagan Rome subdued the known world, but it exhausted its power in trying to subdue the Church, which continued when imperial Rome had broken to pieces. Victories Still Won. “We are thrilled when we ponder the achievements of the early centuries, but as great victories are being won by the Church to-day, if we lift up our eves and look upon the field. In this we must not taken a parochial or a national view; our outlook must be worldwide. The nineteenth century saw the Growth of modern Christian, missions, and what a change in that brief period. India was then governed by an antiChristian East India Company, for i« opposed the settlement of missionaries. To-day thousands of Hindu Christian churches are formed, and the great problem is how to deal with the mass movements toward Christianity. China was walled around, and no missionary was permitted inland. To-day there is not one province in China without . its numerous Christian communities. Japan’s ports were sealed, and no Christian convert in the Land of the Rising Sun. To-day Christianity is rapidly becoming the faith of this progressive people. Most of Africa was impenetrable and unexplored. Now a chain of churches runs from east to west, and almost from north to south. The islands of the Pacific, a century ago without any knowledge of Christ, are to-day sending out their young men in large numbers to the unevangelised islands. The victories of modern missions are equal to the triumphs of the early Church, and the records of to-day are more wonderful than the records of the Acts of the Apostles. "It is true that in old-established Christian lands the Church is passing through a drought period. Materialism and indifference -to religion surround her. But history shows that her dark hour has invariably been the dawn of a new day; that, Phoenix like, she rises from her ashes to still higher and immensely bolder flights. This fact encourages us to look ahead with holv vision, and picture a coming harvest even while we break up the fallow ground.”

“ADAM & FALLEN MAN” Christian Science Churches ** A/iam and Fallen Man” was the subject of the lesson-sermon in all Churches of Christ, Scientist, yesterday. The Golden Text was from Romans v. :17, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. ’ Among the citations which comprised the lesson-sermon were the following from the Bible“ Wherefore he saitb. awake thou thatsleepest and arise from (he dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” The ' following passages from the Christian Science textbook. “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy, were also cited: "Neither anatomy nor theology has ever described man as created by Spirit—as God's man. The former explains the men of men, or the ‘children of men,’ as created corporeally instead of spiritually, and as emerging from the lowest, instead of from the highest, conception of being.” (p. 148.)