Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-26
EQUIPMENT OF TIE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
THE SUBJECT OF AN INTERESTING
SERMON BY THE REV. G. M.
OLIPHAyT.
THE SECOND OF A SERIES
On the Christian Church-He Spoke
of the Material, Social, Intellectual
and Spiritual, Equipment of the
Christian Church--The Sermon.

-
Yesterday morning in the First
cnristiap church, the Rev. C. NJ. Oil
plant preached an interesting sermon
on "The Equipment of the Christian
Church." He began by saying:
Every body of religious people
should have mission in the world;
the mission should be good one, else
they have no just claim upon public
consideration; this mission should be
4 distinct one, else they have no good
reason for separate existence and or
ganization.
'The religious people known as Dis
ciples of Christ have both good and
distinct mission; good, in that it
brings all the principles of the gospel
to dying men and women and presents
to them the personal Christ as their
only hope; distinct, in that it aims to
restore primitive Christianity, with all
its doctrine, with all its ordinances,
and with all it's fruits, to the end that
Gods people may be united into the
one body, with Christ as the head over
all things, and all this and the higher
end; that all men and all women
everywhere may be led to belief in and
obedience to the one Christ as their
OILY Savior, and from the least even
to the greatest become submissive as
members Of His body, the Church and
the one Divine will; and thus rejoice
in the sweet peace that is the gift of
Gods love, and with transcendent maj
esty be lifted into the enjoyment of
al the victories of the cross of Christ.
With such two-fold mission (good
and distinct), what is our equipment
for it's fulfillment? Have we the forces
that will make possible all the achieve
r.ents applied in our God-given mis-
sion? I answer, Yes; we have the
equipment which, if wisely used will,
under God, bring us into greater power
ard which eventually POSSIBLY not
altogether in your day and mine), will
answer our Lords prayer, That they
all be one - =; that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me- Jno
17:21.
"Our equipment is four-fold; ma.
tcrial, intellectual, social and spirit.
ual; worldly goods which we hold as
stewards; mental power with which
our God has abundantly endowed us;
social influence, which brings into
touch with our fellow men and after
this contact spiritual things revealed
by Gods word which we can present
to the people and lead them to the
Christ.
Our Material Equipment.
Il. Our wealth. We are not, general
ly speaking, a poor people. In many
localities we are poor, but in others
rich. We are too pessimistic about
Dur possessions. We undervalue them.
God mas blessed US more abundantly
than we think.
Our wealth compares favorably with
that of our religious neighbors. Our
homes, our avocations, our bank stock,
pur property, all these are not inferior
to those of other peoples.
90. Our chrch property in all lands
In 1889 is valued at S19,O55, 921 and in
the United States s1S,256, 761, eighteen
and one-fourth millians, and this lat
ter furnishes sittings for 1,47S,515. In
1890 our church property in the Unit
ed States was valued at only $12,206,-
03S, an increase in nine years of so
per cent, s6,050,723. In 1890 only
only 90 % per cent of our church
property was in cities of $4,000 and