The herald., 1895-04-25
SERMON BY REV. j. S. SIMON
A Realistic Word Picture of What Is and
What Is To Be
What the Nineteenth Century Lutherans
Believe Regarding the World, the
Flesh and the Devil

streets.
The interior was decorated with roses
and Gala lies. great cluster of wild
mustard, Tyre of Cherokee roses. and
there were letters of white and green over
the chancel railing, Welcome, synod of
California"
The programme was made up of, first,
a hymn, then responsive exercises; a
reading from the scriptures was followed
by another hymn, prayer and some an
nouncements and an anthem sung by the
choir, and last, but not not least, a collec-
ton.
After the plates were returned and their
material offerings disposed OF, Rev. }. s.
Simon read sermon on the work of the
church as estimated by the Divine Lord
John Xxx: 21-"As the Father hath sent
me, even so send you"
In brief Mr.. Simon spoke as follows:
To say that the church, as whole. has
never since the days of the apostles. come
to comprehensive realization OF the
fullness and the gloriousness of her mis-
sion in the world, and her mission to the
world, is to give expression to astruism,
she has only in the smallest degree APP
pretended the infinite power and re-
sources her Lord is ready to place in her
hands the moment she is ready to use
them. In the mind and plan of God. as
revealed in his Word. there is no limit to
the power OF the church for achievement
and conquest. but the limit she places on
of conservation. Spiritual weakness, in
efficiency, indifference, dead and dying
organizations empty treasures of boards
aud congregations, heathens under the
very shadow of the sanctuary unrescued.
and whom no one is trying to rescue. are
but other terms to expires the fact that
the church has not in all particulars C. n
formed herself to the Divine law.
But in saying that the church has not
come to iull realization of her Givine
mission on the earth and Of her power to
fulfill that mission, do not say that the
church has been failure. On the con-
trary maintain that she is the only sue
cess there is III this sin cursed earth.
Speaking as Lutheran. and in this
feel that | can speak for Lutherans, can
say that we believe nightly in the
church. that our conviction is that there
is nothing else in the world-no
lodge, no CLUB, no organization. no
anything-that is worthy of being
ing named in the same sentence with the
Church of God purchased with the
precious blood of Christ; and that il al
other organizations were blotted out to-
morrow morning, and the church alone
were left to us, our loss would be ritiing;
but that if the church should cease to ex-
ist, earth would be transformed into Il
hell, and men into. tiends lit for such q
habitation. We believe also in the doc
trines of the church, and we believe in
them nightly, and we have learned Of
nothing that could in the least shake~our
faith. We are old-fashioned enough and
simple minded enough to believe in the
awfulness OF sin. ana to accept without
question the assertion of the Word that
gnr1l ha Gi n Sh "
de- We believe that sin is SO exceed
ingly snfullthat 1t will place in the low
est EeH every soul that is unrepentant
and not washed in the blood of the great
Paschal Lamb. We believe in the tone
ment by blood and are not ready to give
up the plain definite statement definite
in the sense that it means something.
and says sonethinG) 1.-The blood OF Jesus
Christ, His son, cleanseth us from all
SIM We are not ready to exchange it
for the so-called scientific statement OF
the work of Christ in behalf of man in
some way-5ut not by blood-and IN some
degrce-but not to the degree that he was
not the cleansing us from sin, for it is an
exploded theory that man has any sin.
We believe still. even after the meeting of
the so-called religious congresses at Chi
cago and at San Francisco. that the Bible
is not only superior to the Vedas. and the
Avesta. and the books of Confucius and
the Koran. and that its religion is not
only superior to theirs but that it is ex-
elusive of them; and we also believe that
that spirit which says that the Bible is
only one among the sacred books of the
earth, the superior of all others, it is
true, and which makes of Christianity
only kind of developed heathenism, bet
ter in degree than others, but the same
in kind-we believe that that spirit is not
charity. but positive sin against God. the
God OF the Bible. We believe that the
world is more indebted to the Apostle Paul
than it is to Plato and Aristotle. and
that Luther is more than match for all
the philosophers. We believe in the
church, for it is Gods institution in the
world. But there is something we do not
believe in:-The nineteenth century
church divorced from the church of all
the centuries, and neither do we place
any faith in nineteenth century doctrines
that are departure from the doctrines
of the historical church.
If you ask me what is this work of the
church concerning which you have SO
much to say answer: 1t is continual
tion of the same work Christ came into
the world to do. The gospels are a record
only of the things Jesus began TO do and
to teach, and the last word of that record
will not be written until the church mill
tant becomes the church triumphant; I'M
Val tiic idob oOui Uuuo CNCI Will NC cdNCu 10
saved; until the gates Of heaven are for
ever closed and those of hell forever
closed. In the meantime the work is 60
ing on, and it will go on with ever in
creasing power and glory until,Christssh
come. Put God into a man, and he can
walk the dark caverns of the damned I'M
moved, an d take God out of him, and the
golden streets of the New Jerusale IN will
burn his feet, and he will have to get out.
What is the mission and work OF the
church? 1t is nothing more nor less than
to save souls. Jesus Christ came into
the world to save sinners, and he has
sent the church into the world even as
the Father set Him. There it is-the work
of the church is to save souls. But there
are some who tell us that the work of the
church is to regulate society. or to set up
soup kitchens to feed the hungry, or to
MAKE the rich man disgorge his wealth
and give it to the poor man. or to espouse
the cause OF the wOrkingman as over
against the cacpitalist, or to torn socie-
ties for the eXatation of learning, and
the enthronement of reason. The work
of the church is grander than any of
these. 1t does regulate society, but not
by police, but by converting men and
teaching them to love and obey law. 1t
does feed the hungry. not from regularly
appointed soup KITCHENS, but out of the
means of converted men who are trying
to do the work OF Christ.
Her work is not for time, but for
eterni rty. BY this must both The church
and the individual be measured. TO d e.
sire to be saved is not the final test; that
L., 4. al.