Pulpit Messages Christianity and Life

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22623, 28 April 1948, Page 3

Pulpit Messages Christianity and Life

(Contributed by Ministers’ Association.)

TEXT “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay clown his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.”—Matt. 15. 13-14. Man’s Need of God ‘■Man may feel no need for God and for His Commandmants, but when he tries to run his life without thought of God, and ignores the true purpose of life then the result is chaos and misery.” This statement from "Ten Commandments in the World Today was used by the Rev. J. G. E. Talbot in the course of an address at St. Luke’s Church, Waerenga-a-hika. "Because the laws of our country are based on the Ten Commandments men are constantly obeying them without acknowledging their source,” added Mr. Talbot. “Many people who agree that we should have laws prohibiting rheft and murder, and who themselves uphold a high standard of morality, see no practical use in the first four of the Ten Commandments which tell of man’s duty towards God. “Man's duty to bis fellow-men cannot take the place of his duty to God Who is the giver of all life. God created man as ihe highest expression of His love on earth and requires that man shall return His love. The first purpose of man’s life is that he may know and lovo and worship and obey God. apart from Whom ho can find no true contentment or satisfaction. Christian Inspiration

The average man outside the Christian Church gains his knowledge of the Christian faith from what he sees in the lives of men and women who call themselves Christians. He stands, as it were, on the circumference of things studying the external effect, rather than going to the heart and cause of all Christian living. Nothing could be more fatal to the Christian cause, and nothing could so mislead the onlooker. If one would know the inspiration and heart of the Christian faith he must cease from considering the manner of life his neighbour lives. There is room for great improvement in the manner of all our living, but let tire "man in the street” take time off to turn his eyes towards the Christ if he would know anything of the Christian way of living. The Christ of history is real, beyond dispute, the earliest authentic writing declaring without hesitation the beauty and majesty of His character. The Apostle Paul is certain of the purity of the Master, of the power of Jesus, and is just as sure of the death and resurrection of his Lord. News and Notes Mr. R. Currie of Knox Church, Mangapapa, is to be congratulated on the excellence of his Junior Choir, heard over the air on Sunday night last. We recommend to our readers the United Nations Appeal for _ Children, which will be launched in Gisborne at a meeting convened in the Council Chambers and presided over by the Mayor this night at 8 p.m.