The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-12
SUNDAY SERMONS
CONTINUED from Page TO-
AT THE NJ. E. CHURCH.

AiiO4 AlAAiS NCS olA 4AV NAlhi II tiaiN ehAN
Kingdom" He took for his text
Matt xvi:13-2O.
The kingdom of heaven is an ideal
state lowering about us, not yet fully re-
vealed towards which God IS leading the
race. 1t has an inward tendency.
hence the King OF Heaven is within
YOU Il is characterized by a strong
impulse towards the perfect This
kingdom has an outward embodiment
and representative. To build up this
kingdom in the earth, Jesus established
His church.
When Jesus and His disciples were
at Cesarea Philippi He asked them.
saying, Whom DO men say that |,
the Son OF Man, am?" They gave va
rious answers. Then He asked them,
Whom say We that I ann" Peter
answered, Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God" He was the
first to bear this testimony, from intel
ligence and clear Conviction. The an
swer of Jesus showed His thought He
here first plainly declares His purpose
TO found a church-"My church He
gives utterance 10 three great truths
concerning it: First. this church should
be Christian in character; its work
should be to confess Jesus as Christ,
the object of faith and love.
Thou art Peter, and on this rock I
will build Ny church" Peter the first
stone. was the first 10 believe the
Christ; Peter had not gotten this
knowledge from the spirit of the age,
nor from the confessions Of men. There
had come TO his own heart a con-
seriousness of the character of Jesus.
He was taught CT heaven, and thus
able TO bear his testimony This
knowledge and testimony of Jesus is
the rock on which the church is built
and this, the first stone, shows the
character Of the building.
1t was the great aim Of Jesus to bring
men to a knowledge OF His character.
Nicodemus, recognizing His miraculous
power. confessed Him TO be a prophet.
For no man can do these miracles ex-
cept God be with him" Jesus immedi
ately directed him to higher faith in
Him. to an experience which every
man has who would enter the kingdom.
He must know the Christ by the work
of the Christ in the hearts of all who
believe in Him. Man must know more
than something about Jesus. He must
know Him by a conscious knowledge
of His power in the soul.
AS the shining Of the stars is bet
ter proof of their existence than the
figures of an astronomer, so the power
of Christ on the human soul is the
souls evidence Of His divinity. This
knowledge of Jesus characterizes the
true Christian. This testimony, Jesus
is the Christ is the power of the
church today. In this knowledge and
by this testimony and name the church
shall conquer. All other conceptions,
all other knowledge of Jesus, cannot
avail.
In the second place, the church was
to be practically identified with the
Kingdom of Heaven. Not that the Wis
ible church was to embrace all the
kingdom; it was TO embody its nature
and spirit. This is set forth in the
words, Il give unto thee the keys of
the Kingdom of Heaven" Here the
relation OF the church to the kingdom
| is indicated. The disciples had "a
knowledge of the assurance Of the
kingdom in their new experience of
salvation in Jesus. Those who should
come into like experiences by their
| teaching, should with them form a
| body of believers, in whom the bless
| ings of the Kingdom of Heaven are
realized
| The righteousness of the kingdom
was to be realized in the church.
Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in Heaven" that is. the
moral teachings of the church shall be
sound and in accordance with eternal
| truth.
| 1t was not true OF Rabbinism, but
| should be in the church. The moral sense
of man today confirms the teaching of
the early church. Sad indeed that the
| church ever departed from it. That
body of believers that most truly in
| terprets the teachings of Jesus and the
| apostles the most fully reveals the
righteousness of the kingdom and
| shows forth the glory of the Christ.
For the encouragement of His dis
ciples and for the church in all ages,
Jesus said that the church should pre-
vail. There shall always be those who
will know Him and will proclaim His
saving grace to men. Their number
shall increase until the earth shall be
| filled with the knowledge of the Lord
and the race shall be saved through
the power of Him who died to redeem.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
| Rev. w. 4. Gardner took for his
subject on Sunday morning MY
| Neighbor.'' The reverend gentleman
said, in part:
The parable Of the good Samaritan
| contains comprehensive picture OF
the human race. Let us intently con-
slider it, that we may learn how to be
neighborly according to the Christ
idea. The first part Of the picture pre-
sents a man going from Jerusalem to
Jericho having some valuables, for
which thieves lie in wait for him. He
represents the young man starting
upon life's journey, with money or
character. the young woman with vir-
tue and attractiyeness. It is one Of
the saddest facts of which we have
knowledge that in the pathway of ev-
cry young man and woman, who goes
forth from our Christian homes and
| colleges, are scores of thieves lying
in wait to rob and destroy them.
In the second part Of the picture the
Master shows us the man who has fall
| en- among thieves, been wounded.
/ Lee 1v-sy, md