The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-12
THE CHRISTIAN MOTIVE
SUBJECT OF SERMON BY THE REV.
ALBERT HURLsTONE.
New Pastor of Roberts Park Church
Delivers an Interesting Dis
course to His People.

part:
These texts bring before us the different
motives which actuate people in Christian
service Indeed there are two incidents in
the life of Jesus which indicate the varied
| motives which moved men TO be His hear
ers. In one instance multitudes flocked
| ABOUT Him because of material interest;
| they did eat Of the loaves and were filed
and again we read, after Lazarus was
raised from the dead many of the Jews
| came to the home OF Martha and Mary in
| Bethany, where Jesus loved to be, and they
came, not for Jesus sake only but that
they might see Lazarus who was raised
from the dead. We set over against these
| motives the supreme motive of our second
text as being the watchword which moved
the great heart of Paul the apostle to his
| lie OF toll and privation for ChriStS sake.
"A man may become follower of Christ
because Christianity solves many problems
and qulckens the intellectual life of the in
dlVldual and the race. Like Zaccheus, his
| curiosity may be aroused and he desires to
know who Jesus is. Or he may be like the
Athenians, who spent their time in search
OF some new thing. Many focked about
| the Nazarene because He was worker of
| signs. Christianity feeds the intellect and
attracts men of thought. Macaulay, the
historian, was a man of this class, writing
or Christ and Christianity, yet occupying
neutral position as TO the surrender of his
| life to the Savior. Neutrality and indif-
ference characterize many who are only
| drawn TO Christ from an intellectual stand
| point. Many, like Renan, write brilliantly
OF Christ who never bow the knee to Him
ever may be the surprises of the future,
Jesus will never be surprised. 1t is better
still TO devote the life to Him in loving
service. Is IL not a fact also that many
are found in our churches to-day who are
drawn thither by the customs of the age?
Christ is now accorded social standing
hitherto unknown. The church draws to it
self the best and brightest men and women
OF our day. The motive actuating US may
| be merely fashion, or custom. 1t is well
| to worship and work and give from still
| higher motives.
THERE FOR MATERIAL GAIN.
II have also met people who seemed to
be in the number of Christ's followers be-
cause of material gain. And if business
was not patronized as much by church
| people as was expected they became sour
and critical. Aas, if trade. position. society
are the highest motives alluring us to the
church of Christ shall be doomed to dis
appointment. Christ says, Come unto
me- not for policy. interest or business.
| but seek We first the kingdom of God and
| His righteousness and all these things
shall be added unto you 1t costs some
thing to be a follower Of Christ, 1t is true,
but while the Master only calls for a
tenth of our money and one-seventh of our
time the enemy is only satisfied when we
have spent ALL for the wages of sin is
death. Religion Is not a mere matter of
aesthetics. Aesthetics or the science of
the beautiful and elevated by the sublime.
CanonS of taste lead many to ally them
selves with Christ's followers. Many nom
Christian writer's testify to the moral eX-
cellence of Christianity. 1t is system of
ethics. 1t enriches the literature, the art,
the music, the life of the world. The
church should be supported because its
educational value is great.
But l submit there is a loftier motive
for Christian service. 1t is expressed in
the words with which we close our prayers,
for Christs sake 1t is a personal motive.
Every day finds us doing things for some
bodys sake. 1t is the secret of every kind
of leadership. A favorite teacher, or soldier
are familiar examples For Arnold's sake
the boys in Rugby School did many noble
things. Truths and principles become quick
and powerful through some person. 1t was
a era in the church's history when the
followers of Jesus began to pray as He
taught them in His name The name of
Jesus became the watchword Of the whole
Christian camp. 1t became the supreme
motive of Paul's life, as it is of every true
Christians.
"It is an unselfish motive. Unselfshness
is the life and soul of what we call hero
ism. The unselfish are Christ-like. This
spirit has created our Christian civiiza-
ton. Across our churches, hospitals,
orphanages, reformatories, asyums for
deaf and blind and poor shine the inscrip-
ton, for Christs sake This motive fired
the souls of Livingstone, Carey, Judson,
Taylor and the hosts of workers In earth's
darkest places to-day.
INTENSELY PRACTICAL.
This supreme motive is intensely prac-
teal. DO it for his sake DO 1t for her
sake 1t will please him. This moves
the Christian to sacrifice and service. The
nurse whose life is consecrated to the serv-
ice of humanity receives the call of the
bell In the hour of midnight as the sign
that the Master has come and calls for
her. The power of simple action done
for Christ's sake is seen i'm John B. Cough,
the renowned temperance orator. His
whole life was redeemed by a gentle tap
on the shoulder by Joel Stratton, who saw
in the actual drunkard the possible saint.
We have this motive in the epistle TO
Philemon, which is simple plea by Paul
Onesimus, converted slave, for Christ's
sake. 1t may be an unconscious motive.
Is not also a mans love for home and
family? Does not this impel him to many a
noble deed in the battle of life? Uncon-
sciously this moving power is framing the
life according to the divine ideal. This
supreme motive fired the soul of Athenesius
against the world. 1t has created great
thinkers like Augustine. Aquinas and Cal
win; it has led the reformers, such as Luz
Their, Wesley and Knox, to rise up and bless
the world. Love to Christ is the greatest
force in the world to-day, judged by what
it has accomplished and is doing among
men. Love is as old as Eden. Christ found
IL in the world when He came. For it man
leaves home. country. friends; by 1t lover
to lover has been made clear. In loving
Christ you do not love a person simply;
you love humanity. For Christ's sake we
love all men, We love the possible saint in
the actual devil, the immortal soul with
in the sinful, temporal body. You give a
cup of cold water for Christ's sake, and
Jesus says: Inasmuch as We have done il
unto one Of the least of these We have done
1T unto me-
us this the motive of your life? Re-
Gently / wrote a young man who had left
his home TO take situation in a large city
/ urged him TO purity of life and steadfast-
ness in right doing His reply to me was
beautiful He said: L do not forget my
mothers prayers and teaching for her
sake l shall endeavor to keep clean rec
ord AS mothers love is an incentive to
many a noble soul to-day, so let the
Christ's undying love impel you to do Jus
tice, TO love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God"