Show 4 M ml H fi M M ri M M 8 MX imm sunday at the methodist church I 1 with nearly halt half of 0 our current conference year gone our church Is looking forward to its second quarterly conference with real tion the reports will show substantial progress along various lines our recently appointed state superintendent the rev dr john J lace 0 of colorado will visit us next month tr lace la Is an exceptionally strong and capable administrator and his preachers heartily welcome him to this new field ol of opportunities and possibilities the pastor anticipates having our members and citizens generally accord this church leader a rousing reception at the commencement ot of his work nork in our c ity city details will follow later A large congregation assembled at the church sunday evening the pastor spoke on christian character as follows follos text st matthew not every one that saith unto us lord lord shall enter into the kingdom ot of heaven heanen but he that boeth the will ot of my fattier father which is in heaven this text is a pointed declaration ot of the worthlessness of 0 a religious reputation without a corresponding christian character it states that not those who intellectually and verbally acknowledge christ but that those there whose lives are practical demonstrations ot of christianity shall enter into the heavenly kingdom this impelling thought suggests several considerations knowing that a religious reputation does not I 1 invariably indicate a christian character it is important to consider whether our religion is 14 simply a profession or an actual manifestation ife station of 0 christian character whether it consists ot of talking or of diligently doing the divine will and after a candid individual investigation vesti gation has satisfactorily settled the issue of personal experience it Is essential to intelligently consider this vital theme of christian character what Is the foundation of 0 christian character upon what is a substantial christian character built how shall I 1 build a strong immovable christian character now the context asserts the impossibility of building strongly upon a sand gaud foundation and especially the ultimate calamitous destruction 0 of such character building but it also states elates that an eternally established christian character may be erected upon a foundation of rock accordingly let us understand what this rock foundation really la is the text does not necessitate any particular interpretation and explanation it explains itself Us its brief message is the absurdity and utter uselessness of expecting to enter into the kingdom of heaven on a mere profession of religion and the imperative pera tive necessity of actually performing gods cods will an understanding of gods will will therefore answer the suggested questions gods will Is that jesus christ should be universally I 1 accepted as a personal savior from sin bin and remember that this implies so something besides an intellectual acknowledgment led 9 of christ it means th the a individual acceptance and enthronement of christ in citadel of the heart christ must be selected as the site elto upon which our christian character is s built this thought thou git was proba 1 uppermost in the ilie mind of ala luthor el ef the text for liik hearers were building upon the sand foundations ot of theology and tradition morality and personal opinions but within the atonement of christ we shall discover the building site bite ot of permanent character with our christian character built on nothing less than jesus blood and righteousness we shall certainly inherit the kingdom of god I 1 this acceptance ot of christ suggests the importance ot of our compliance with certain conditions and require men a paul says for godly sorrow repentance to salvation not to be repented ot of for hebold behold this this self odar odar octaf this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed sor rowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of yourselves yea what indignation yea what tear fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge la in all things ae e have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter As the builder completely removes the rubbish before laying the foundation of the house so BO the builder of 0 character must necessarily clear away everything obstructive to character building it la is quite useless to endeavor to build a christian character unless an earnestness possesses us with ith the power of 0 the apostles words with such buch a clearance it Is comparatively ively easy to lay a solid foundation there shall be ba no superficiality in our religion it if we build from the bottom A character built on christ is substantial and christ Is indeed our foundation upon this rock christian character must be built our church atillia affiliations tiona are always secondary matters our theolog lical differences are not necessarily harmful the important thing Is ia to know that christ is possessing pose easing our souls that we are hla his every day slid and hour and that the consciousness of 0 his actual presence is ours the reader Is requested to read the conversation between christ and ills ilia disciples at caesarea philippi matt 16 1319 13 19 with our christian character thus built we shall stand the strongest storms of 0 life this is the rock of foundation let us build upon it day by day because our building upon any foundation of sand will eventually probe our spiritual ruination and eternal destruction |