A CHURCH DIVIDED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18386, 2 May 1934, Page 9

A CHURCH DIVIDED

APPEAL TO ALL CHRISTI^KS NO USE PLAYING FOR SAFETYMUST OPPOSE ANTLCHRIST * - . ; ' -**•- . £ _ • *T “We are - still passing through diflicult and dangerous days, and tile -world seems to have come to the; .parting <?» the ways, and knows not which way-to turn,” said Archbishop Averiß during a sermon at St. Matthew s Church, Napier, when he. made, au .-appeal., to Christians to range themselves on the side of the church in “the great ..conflict between Christ and anti-Christ. v and to devote themselves more to the study of Christ’s life and teaching-than to the worldly problems oL money-get-ting and marketing. „ j ••The universal church, which Simula be speaking with no uncertain ys*tce,..ts still so divided,” His Grace continued, “and, often so blind to its great, and glorious opportunity, that it seems , in; capable of really facing the world situation. and is merely playing for. safety.-; “Instead of launching out into the deep, and proclaiming ‘Thus said the Lord’; instead of witnessing dangerously, if need be, to the solution of the world’s ills through the Gospel of jj® Lord Jesus Christ—the one Father and the one Brotherhood —which - the 1 world, has found difficult and has!not tried* the church is inclined to adopt, thf taihoa, policy, and-to wait for a : mow convenient season' in which to proclaim her message. ....

PRELUDE TO DISASTER “The Psalmist illustrates sT prbfoimd truth in, the story of the-Hebrews in-the wilderness, and- their forgetfulness of God. Disloyflty and -disobedience towards God were always thejoreruimef of disaster to themselves. It does not mean that God is a' vindictive Qdd, or that God necessarily sent them trim* and afflictions in order to avenge lumself upon a disobedient and gainsaying people; but it does mean surely u, *t> when men substitute self-will for God’s will, and when they abuse tMiL great gift of free-will, sooner or later rimy set in motion a moral law of the uni-

verse. ■ “In spite of the fact that to' thft devout Hebrew mind Jehovah wa s so real and so closely associated with every, detail in nature, and id .the. lives of his people, that what we shopla re-. gard secondary causes the devout Hebrew always regarded os’ primarily the direct action ot God Himself, continued -the Archbishop, “we at any rate are fully conscious of the fact .that.jjis free-will is the gift of God, the abuse of that free-will and its consequent pmusiiment may be attributed to. the actioic-ot God Himself. . . -

CHRIST LEARNT GREDIENCE ~ “The life of the Lord Jesus. is of course the ideal life. His-whole earthly life is a wonderful picture of a humau will acting in perfect harmony with'toe will of His Father, and we see. it, exemplified in His very real strhggle m the wilderness, in Gethsettiane, and upon the Cross. It was not easy. It was a struggle. He learnt obedience, His. human will was' alvtajs ;ffee.“ “If we would not travesty that great prayer, *Thy will be done/ and ix we make it the motto, - the -purpose, the ideal of our lives, instead of? regariung it as a cry of forced 'JtetytyMtofrto whW swe ..cannot avoid, we should-mid much more affinity with the liftbt Jesus than we do. ' ,•’- ■? ■ ■ “Poes not thq.stotyjof IMVea and had ho time for God, for the ehtorch, or for the Scriptures. They warl.-JUtt-sett-pleasers. Does not the message of.the resurrected Jesus to the Church -pf Laodicea tell US the sAme truth as -Hiat other story ? > They thougut mudi more Of their banking facilities, their superior brand of wool, then celebrated--medical school, than they thought *b«lV the heeds of, the great regions beyOha; They were happy and satisfied, so why-should they worry their heads, about, others ? Why should they be missionaries? Surely they could leave all that , to toose who liked that sort of thing. What is the message of the risen Jesus.: T thy works, that thou art neither., .sot nor cold. I would that thou.;wert hot or cold. Lukewarmness is nauseating to me. In God’s sight thou art wretched and miserable and poor; and b.:itd and naked.’ A GODLESS DOCTRINE “It is the story of all nations and empires. God has no favorites; it is only righteousness and unselfish service which exalt a nation; and if they «.«se, and if a sense of exalted privilege and narrow-minded nationalism take these place, the inevitable law Will not i&l to operate. ? “The world has had a glorious opportunity of enthroning God in HU iig-it* tul place in the affairs of nations by lovalty to the League of Nations, the uicarno Pact, and the Disarmament Conference; but again selfishtiess i.ud narrow-minded nationalism have- eliminated. God. . “What is the result of the. fidhirejcrf the so-called Christian nations! The spread of the. anti-Gcid workforces which seek to dominate the world; the spread of a godless communism and;a devotion to the c&iise of class warfare whicji at least, puts to shame tjuv, tion to the church of God. Is it not worth while to ask ourselves seriously whether the great moral law is hot operating in the world to-day! Leanness of soul is paramount, ana may it not end in loathing. “I would ask the young particularly whether much of Abe present-day talk about independence and liberty Odd: selfexpression is hot iil danger, of developing into the formation of a character which can only end in leanness of .soil! and in loathing. • - ; “In the .great conflict between Christ and anti-Christ which is Surely coining,. God is., making His great appeal to us Christians: ‘Will ye also go away?' “There can be jtonehtraiity. *Wfr> is qn the Lord's side?’ Shall vre faU Him? Shall we just follow OUr oWn' natural desires and range- ourseh es Off the side of His enemies!’’ -