The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-05
men SEEN In CHURCHES
BEST OF THE COMMUNITY ALWAYS
PRESENT AT WORSHIP.
The Rev. Joshua Stansfield breaches
on "The Gospel of Jesus, the
Son Of God"

Rev. Joshua Stansfleld, pastor OF Merld-
ian-street Church, preached yesterday
morning on 1.-THE Gospel Of Jesus, the Son
of God" His text was: 1.-The Spirit OF
the Lord is upon me because He hath
anointed me to preach the Gospel" His
Word Was with Power Luke Nv. 1892.
The preacher said in part: such is the
record of Luke the observant as touching
the influence of Christs word upon the men
of his own generation. The gospel by Luke
is full of such records as to how Christ
touched His own age. Out of the thirty
one parallels recorded by our Lord Luke
gives fourteen not given by others, and In
almost every one evinces deep interest and
wonderful knowledge of human nature
A physician by profession, he shows keen
direct contact Of Christ with the people;
and whenever the kingdom of heaven is
presented in its direct bearing upon men,
Luke is sure to see and record ii. 1t Is
from his pen that we have the inimitable
parallels of the lost sheep, the lost coin
and the lost boy, without which one almost
feels the Bible would be incomplete. In the
text of this morning he faithfully portrays
the manner of Christ's presentation of the
word and its effect upon men. His word
was with power, and why? Fresh from
the baptismal conservation to His life work,
and the consequent temptation in the will
derness with the arch enemy of our race.
and also with the divine commission and
approval richly in His soul, Jesus spoke
not alone the word He heard, but also and
rather the word He felt and approved and
loved. OF Jesus we should ever remember
He not alone spoke the truth, but He him.
self was the truth. His was the power
not Of 'declaimer, but of a proclaimer.'
Vast is the difference between a reciter OF
the truth and proclaimer of IT. Men
may, and often do, recite the truth-great
truths-with small effect upon men; but
when the truth possesses one, and he not
only says but is the truth, that is to say,
his whole life is loyal unequivocal ex-
preston thereof. true through and through.
such an one speaks with power Christ
was the truth. Himself consciously the full
fllment of Scripture, as He read the SUBJ
lime prophecy of Scripture to Naxarene
audience that day, He exclaimed: This
His power was from within. Christ was
not SO much under inspiration from the
some Of the best orators 1t is often true-as
Gladstone once said of himself, 1 often get
from an audience in vapor what / give
them back in shower Such is often the
case with the so-called oratorical tempera-
ment.
DISCOVERY AND REVELATION.
but, again, Christ was not insusceptible
to this, far from it. Knowing what was in
man. and feeling the truth pulsating
through every part of His being; conscious
fullness here met deep need, there was a
discovery on the one side and a revelation
on the other. All eyes are fixed upon Him.
eve take the record of the scene and theme
ter, rather than at Galilee. because 1t is
fuller, though the message was doubtless
the same in both.) All eyes were fixed
upon Him Mary. His mother. was there.
and / see her eyes lighted with unusual
brilliance, this Is His first appearance
| among His own. Much was stored In that
fond heart which made her breast heave
with interest and her eyes large with ex-
expectation. Have We not read that when
the angel first announced His birth Mary
wondered what manner of salutation this
1tcyht ma Nh2n hnra - ill., 1911
frmed the message, Mary gave a partial
expression Of her feelings in the magnifi-
cat. When the wise men saw the child
and gave their account of the angelic an
nouncement of His birth, she pondered
these things in her heart When the aged
Simeon and the devout prophecies Anna
| words and when. later, Jesus, after con-
verse with the doctors in the temple was
| found by His parents and answered their
inquiries with the words, Whist We not
that l must be about my Fathers bust
ness we read, Mary kept all these things
in her heart, and now these long stored
and manner in that Sabbath audience at
Nazareth. But not alone the eyes Of Mary
His mother. but of all the audience were
upon Him. A representative synagogue
gathering this. The religious and the re
| spectacle were there, as in every religious
| gathering Go into our churches through
out the land to-day. and the best of every
community are there Not, perhaps, the
elite of society, or some who are Fastening
to be rich, but in speaking of the best we
measure not by the fleece; not a mans po-
| sition, possessions, or power; not what a.
| person has, but what he really Is and no
man is at his best should be so con-
sidered, who forgets the duty OF devotion.
and this relation unto God Upon this rep
| ligious, respectable, honorable and honored
the word of Jesus was with power II dis
fRat ay as they not as 20 then
| and 1t flashed the light of heaven upon the
relationships and obligations of life in
ture fulfilled in your ears What a state
ment The glorious gospel of an erstwhile
far off time was given to them as the
will and wish of God for their own age
Verify! The kingdom Of heaven was at
| hand
PROGRAMME OUTLINED.
'The programme was here clearly outlined
by Jesus and was never afterward modified
or withdrawn. Hear 1t. The Spirit of the
Lord God is upon because He hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the
| poor: He hath sent me to heal the broken
| hearted; to preach deliverance to the cap
| tives and recovering OF sight TO the blind:
preach the scceptabIe year of the Icrd 10
| Clear, definite statement of purpose and
mission is this and IL we read IL not per-
! functorily, but with conscience and with
care II stands, first, as a divine arraign-
ment of age and second a clarion call
| to the church, or the members of the king
! dom TO rise to the demands of the hour and
| TO the dignity of our high calling 1t means:
| Amounted of God TO meet the needs and to
| establish the rights Of the poor the
| bruised the blind the 'burdened' the
| bondaged and the broken hearted TO
| proclaim and to establish an acceptable
year of the Lord or course IL any one
thinks that in the life of to-day social In
dustrial, commercial, civic or moral we
have AN acceptable year of the Lord then
| the church has presumably accomplished
her mission among men; but IL, on the 9TH
er hand. the practical ethics OF the king
| dom of God not yet established amongst
| men our work as a church. aye, and our
specific work. Is 10 establish them; not
| merely to talk and diiate upon them but to
establish them. The greatest and gravest
| problems of our age the problems OF labor
OF lawlessness. OF liquor; the problems OF