Omaha daily bee., 1884-05-27

ENGLISH LUTHERAN.
At the English Lutheran church Sun
day morning the folio wing excellent
sermon was preached by the pastor, Rev.
j. s. Detwiler:
H SERMON.
worship costs something or mo Service
Without Sacrifice, ~ Sam 2i:24. Neither will
| offer burnt offerings unto the Lord of that
which cost me nothing"
King David had been guilty of q great sin
because once when il fated with pride and
filled with presumpti IN he vas moved to take
a census of the people. He proposed to num-
Der the people at q time when he was very
rich, great, and in every way prosperous, He
was forgetting God and beginning to depend
on himself and the might of his army. For
this presumption and pride he was punished.
The people were visited with a deadly pestil-
ence, and David saw many of his people die.
In one day 70, 900 strong, able bodiet men
the very ones on whom David so much relied
died.
David was greatly alarmed-he saw his mis-.
take confessed his sin, and prayed to God
to stay the plague. In answer to his prayer
the prophet Cad was sent with instructions
to David, Coup, rear an altar unto the Lord
in the thresning floor of Araunah the Jebu-
~ DaNiu uuiChly hct ouD w opOy. LIZ
went to the place pointed out, found the
owner, and proposed to buy the threshing
fioor OF Araunah for q space on which to
build an altar and worship God. Araunah
felt himself so honored by this visit OF the
king, he couldn't think of taking anytbi' "
and very generously refused to take anyt nR
offering the ground to the king for notl ng
and in addition giving him oxen and WOO, 10
the sacrifice.
All this kindness David courteously but
promptly declined, saying, Nay, but | will
surely buy it of thee at a price; neither
Lord of that which doth cost me nothing"
So David bought the threshing floor and the
oxen for so shekles of silver.
Thus you see how David would not worship
at another's expense. He was going to wor.
ship the Lord by a sacrifice and there could be
no sacrifice without cost, for all sacrifice
means the surrender of a lower thing for a
higher. There must be the devotion Of one in
behalf of another. Hence there is suggested
the theme, worship costs something's" mo
servi o without sacrifice" This theme was a
frequent one with Christ. He repeatedly
talked about cross bearing, self denial and the
like saying that who ever would come after
him, and be his disciple must take up a cross
must deny himself. He spoke of this as a
necessary element of christian service and
gave unusual emphasis to the thought by al
luding to himself as an example, PARTICULAR
| upon Ou6 OCCuklOu. WIleu worn WAS DTOuRHL. "
him hat certain Greeks were standi, & there
in the crowd ald wanted to 'see Jesus" He
said Except a kernel of corn fall into the
ground and di" it abideth alone. But if it die
it bringeth forth much fruit. y. He was the
kernel of corn to be given to the ground his
life was to be surrendered to q greater good
than it could accomplish by its Withholding
He was giving II service to God by his death
that his life could not render.
A similar illustration is found on q lower
scale. In all forms of natural religion
there is seen something of the
same idea. The very heather had an idea
that they could only serve their gods rightly
by q giving of some kind. Everywhere we
may see bleedir e victims and smoking affairs.
In every aye of the world AMI ia every coun-
try under heaven you see men making their
service to consist largely in a giving of some
, kind. Nature prompted a service that cost
something until the mother threw the babe
Into the fiery arms of Molock and taught her
, son that the higest service was to give himself
, to be crushed by the heavy wheels of jug.
gernaut. How often is the christian shamed
{ by the heather or the worldling. 1t costs a
vast amount OF treasure to serve heather gods
The expense attached to heathenism seems in
credulous to some, but it is a truth that almost
fabulous sums are annually expended. TIC
serve the devil it costs immese sums of money
4 and thousands of precious lives every year.
' Much less should christians seek exemption
d from COSt II our r6llRlOn II WOTL1 dnyLIlDR, u
a lis it must cost us something. To enjoy it WE
4 must pay for it, Sacrifice becomes a condi
tion of benefit. The boy that earns a dollar
8 by hard work knows more of the value of
{ d liar than another boy who simply gets hi
) from his father. On tho same principal church
2 love is begotten by sacrifice. The givine
1 church member enriches himself. The more
o one does from a right motive, the more he de
sires to do. The flint contains the fire, but i
Q must be struck in order to find it. Zeal in
. ~creases with sacrifie e. Love grows with cost
1t would be q great misfortune to so cheaper
religion that it cost absolutely netting. w
4 need the exercise of giving because the exer
, else is followed by greater love for the caus'
. supported. The greater the cost, the NOR
a we feel what we do, the more highly do w
r prize our privileges and opportunities.
{ This hope of personal reward is a stimulu
to our zeal. The christian is entrusted witt
4 "a great work. To him is committed the wor
a ship Of God in this world. 1t is not a matte
4 of leisure or convenience, you must make op
portunity, you must find time to attend t.
r the worship of God. You NUT give an'
a work tor tho Master at the cost of your tim
\ and the expense of your feelings. Religion L
@ not u matter of leisure or convenience. n
4 man cheats himself 30 much as he who studle
to be little rather than great in giving and do
ing for the church. 1T is more blessed t.
a give than to receive"
r We who claim the advantages and privilege
I OF Inc CHURCH soulu CucoTluiy pay VI IA
: ''threshing floor" oxen and wood. Let non
' claim exemption or ''sponge" their way to tn
!. Kingdom. Be above living off another
. . bounty. If you eat bread pay for the flour
= If you ara willing to take the water of life
, be also willing to pay for a vessel of clay.
n Ii the church is worth anything 1t is wortl
= paying for. Let it cost you something. Moth
= Ing can be higher on earth than the worship
of Goi. as the highest service of Heaven !
a worship. To maintain this here and continue
= It yonder you are asked to give time, toll an'
= treasure. Put yonr time and none.
i into the church. Begrudge not what the wor
ship If God costs you. All that saves you
pos essions and the world from utter ruin a
!, n this moment is the worship of God. Th'
great conservator of the world Is the church
: The world stands and we live only by tn
' Grace of God. How necessary then for us L
It teach men to adore the power that saves them
Let men be taught to worship CID even at tn
N ~exuense of your time and money: Be willinl
to pay for what you enjoy, and labor to hay
othe 8 enjoy the same service OF prayer AM
praise, Your prayer that Gods name may b.
hallowed and His Kingdom come-..in you
home, in your city; In your land in the worl
will in part be answered by your willingness
to spend and be spent in the Masters service