Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-03-05
THE FULL REWARD
BR. CHAP MANS SUNDAY SERMON.

ONs NnHI AhN , 1UNUAl CEnMUN.
A Full Gospel Exposition of What the
Finally Faithful NJ y Expect in ths
Great Dav of Accounts.
| New York City. = The distinguished
evangelist, the Rev. Dr. j. Wilbur Chap
man, IS the author of the following sermon
entitled 3'The Full Reward" which was
preached from the text, Every man that
striyeth for the mastery is temperate in
all things. Now they do it to obtain a cor
ruptible crown, but we an incorruptibie.
But keep my body under, and bring it
!. into subiection, lest that by any means.
| when [ have preached to others, I myself
should be a eastaway." l Cor. TX: 25, u.
Paul. in the figure of speech, is on the
goal AMI win the prize. Here, therefore, it
IS not a question of life, but entirely a
question of awards. He is not writing. to
the unregenerate, but to the children Of
God. He says: Il will keep under my
b Pfbay wded edt aha become fhe cast y H.
orally ftdisa pproved." Paul is teaching
s3Sthat even. if be is to win the crown that is
lneorruptib,e, he must deny himself, he
/ must put forth heroic effort, he must be
hfa aithful until the very end.
This spirit is needed in, the church. Ii
!. the first crown IS for the passive Christian
the second is for the enthusiastic follower
T,of Christ, and next to the baptism Of the
Hoy Ghost the church to-day needs the
BAPTISM of enthusiasm. 1t is great mis-
take for men to allow their prejudices to
lead them against the methods of church
work upon which God has set His seal.
There is a cry to-day against new methods,
and people say the need Of the time is for
the old methods OF our fathers. There IS
some truth in this but the trouble with
the advocates Of this PROPOSITION is that
they do not make their methods old
enough We. ought to go back to Pente-
costal methods of giving, for in those DAYS
} to 60 back to Pentecostal methods of
preaching; the early preachers had just
two. themes in mind-namely, Jesus and
the Resurrection. We ought to 90 back to
Pente ;ostal living, for in the olden times
the disciples lived IN the expectation that
, each new day would bring back tine Lord
Himself, and having this hope in Him their
lives became pure and their testimonies
powerful.
j. Ever7 church ought to change its method
every SUNDAY, if the methods in use do
not compel the peple to accept the gospel
'We have no responsibility for conversion
The Spirit of God takes care of that. but
: we do have tremendous responsibility
:. resting uuon us to make every man, WON.
, an and child understand That the Son o1
! God died to set them free from the pen
4 atty OF sin, and that He ever pleads a,
r Gods right hand to liberate them from its
: power The church is not an end, but
: rather a means to an end. IF counted ar
z end, the membership becomes satisfied
], with the church in itself, its preaching
;. its music, it's social standing, its ability t
= influence the minds Of the people, and il
: : all seriousness / dare to say that such {
T church will be curse to community II
t the thonght Of God, rather than bless
+ ing. We have this to remember: whe9
: counted as means to an end the church
: loses sight of herself and realizes that SIX
s is in existence only to bring to every los
e sinner the message Of the gospel. So Ions
~ as there is one soul in the world unsavet
;. God calls His children to carry the mes
sage of peace and glad tidings Of great joy
8 TO that one.
= There is a Scriptura1 warrant for thi
frequent change of method. It is al
summed up in one word: until. How lon.
s did the father wait for his son. ':Untir
s search for the lost piece of silver? Gun
= tir' she found II. How long did the shep
herd look for his sheep? "UntiP' he had i
l. in bis arms and was bearing it back will
I. rejoicing to the fold. How often ough
n we to change oIr methods in the church
Until we have a method upon whic]
Z God will set His seal. and to which tn
Holy Ghost will give His approval, becaus
a that method compels the people to hea
:, the gospel and to known that Jesus Chris
- :. died to save all mankind.
II Paul was willing to be counted fool
d only he might better influence men. To th
"a wise he would be wise: to the ignorant h
- was willing to be counted ignorant; t
= the weak as a man of weakness-if onl
by all means he s:n;ght save some" Ma
q the Lord God FIJI the church with thi
- spirit! We could shake the cities an
faVooVy fhn %l,o IF To-
1t And when the great day Of awards shou1
n come, sinAnly because we had been dead i
r earnest, had counted personal ease a
nothing, had labored incessartly by ia
and by night: in heat and in cold. w
should receive the crown that is incorup
ible.
s. THE CROWN OF REJOICING.
le l Thess. ii: l9- -:s:For what is our hope
1t or JOY OF crown of rejoicing? Are not eve
70 We in the presence of our Lord Jesu
Christ at His coming?
When Paul remembers the Thessaior
n ians whom he had won for Christ, he i'll
e. nlediateiy replies: Eye are our crown {
+. rejoicing" and so this third form OF th
20 reward is properly called the soul-wi'
- ner's Gown.
K. This is the crown that the sainted spu
geon is to wear. It Is said that $4,000 pc
;a pie joined his church IN his ministry, an
- this was only the beginning of the multi
le tude Of Others that have been influence
by his life the world around. Il is Il
d. crown that Mr.. Moody is to wear, beeau:
,r in all parts Of the world he has pointe
. men to the crucifed One. It is the crow
that faithful Sunday-school teachers ar
devoted workers are to wear.
I had in my home at one time ve1
~ celebrated Sunday school worker. He to
- me how he became a servant of Christ.
10 was converted as boy before the Yoai
Do Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor "
to known. He wanted to do something {
3, Christ, and all he could think of was
~ teach Sundav-school class. He went
IN the superintendent with request that
u- might be made teacher, and was j
fused He went second time. with
- like result. He went third time, al
It proposed to bring in class from outsid
TX and this time he secured the consent
* the superintendent When he went out
;s find bows his first visit was to gre
40 brownstone mansion. He rang the b
ld and the servant opened the door. ]
II asked If the lady Of the house could
< seen. He was shown into the parlor, a.
soon the mother of the boy entered.
He said: II have come to ask if 70