Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-08-27

OF It's hte. The reason Is clear. They have
looked to the wrong source for ife-giv1ng
power. Christ alone can give it. Upon
Christ, church and minister alike are de-
pendent Tor their spiritual vitality. It is
only as they are together animated bv the
warm impulse of His life that t.ev live at
ALL al; When W n the church will look to the
til then, will it throb from head to foot
with real life and power.
Not only is Christ the heart OF the
church, He is its head. We read that He
was gwen to be head over all things to His
church: He is the head of the spiritual
body-the head is the Governing or organ
izing power of the body From the head
the life. The viii sways and 1.rects ali.
The government and organization of a
church s are only the eex,,ression of the will
OF Him who leads and directs it. This sug-
gests a criterion by which we may Judge
the church. Jesus Christ has made His
will concerning the bodv of disciples very
clear. The sole object for it's existence is
that through it His kingdom may be adj
vanced;, i. e., that through it men may be
the promise of salvation in and through
Christ the Saviour. When this result is
being accomplished here Christ has been
directing the work and the members hap-
moniously doing His bidding.
This test must be applied to every or
it directly accomplish this end? Does it
qualify men and women in bringlng to pass
this desired result? If so it is Of Christ
and has legitimate place in the church.
The thing the church should do at all times
in all it's parts is to discover the thought
body which most perfectly responds to the
direction OF the ?rain. That is the best
church which sets itself most assiduously
to know the thought and purpose of Christ,
and which most promptly responds to that
thought and purpose. No man, minister,
be head Of the church. Christ is the head
The chief business of the church is to
know the mind of the Master.
Let church recognize its vital connec-
tion with Jesus Christ as its heart, it's
head, its life giving and directing powers,
the kingdom is already assured. Such a
church will be found much in prayer seek
ing to know the will of its Lord at every
point. 1t will not be content with seating
itself in softly cushioned pews once week
with the feeling that it has fulfilled its re-
ligious obligations. On the contrary, you
will find it seven days in every week out
searching the highways and hedges trying
to inoculate the fife of the Lord into sin
sick world. As the growing lad cannot but
express the superabounding life leaping
through his veins, no more can a church,
tlHSl1HX Will Cue SupeTdDOuuUlnG SplTlLudE
life of Christ fail to give expression to its
powers.
But that church has recognized only half
the truth when it has come to know that
Christ is the life of the church. The other
half is that while Christ is the heart and
the head we are the body.
IL. The church is the body Of Christ.
Why the Creator saw fit to conhne these
spirits of ours in material body we can
not know. The fact remains that the soul
must work through the body to find ex-
preston. Why God was pleased to give
church or His body we cannot say. He
has done it: We are the body Of Christ
That organism through which He works,
by means of which He finds expression to
the world Christ exalted is seated at the
right hand of God, but Christ incarnate is
in the world to-day. He lives in and works
through His body the church. This should
to every church of the Redeemer. God
also manifested Himself in Christ, is mani
fest to-day only through the church His
body This is why the church fails in her
mission and lacks power. She has failed
to realized her status in the world. She
hers. Think of it! You are hand to do
His bidding, feet to fulfill His missions.
eyes to look to His interests, ears to hear
His truth, tongues to sound forth that
truth an and jE utter Fl; = praise Christ h has in in
men must come to know Him.
Except the church manifests the life Of
Christ it is no true church, except it per-
forms His mission it is not a church of the
Redeemer. As the body is one and hath
many members, and all the members of the
the church. The body of Christ = one
though many, unity in diversity. All the
members are necessary in order that the
symmetry may be complete, and its useful
ness unimpaired.
You have before now seen couple OF
pups get a hold of an Old rope and then,
as though life depended on the process.
the other. l have seen churches whose
condition would not be unaptly illustrated
by the dogs. Lack of unity in aim and ef-
fort is a great source of weakness to the
church. The spirit of independence, good
in itself. runs riot, until concerted action
dependence thus errs against unity it is q
curse rather than blessing. All the MEM
bers of the body must work together, vital
sHed by the heart, directed by the head.
One.of the most beautiful sights in the
man body. One of the most beautiful
sights to the spiritual eye is the body of
Christ-the church-harmoniousl respon-
sive to His thought and purpose. In the
light of Christ's mission while incarnate
in the flesh the church can make
no mistake as to her mission. She must
save souls In the light of this purpose
every petty difference SHOULD drop out Of
sight and the whole Christian body be-
come one mind in regard to the chief aim
of their existence. The educator will take
care OF the education Of the community.
the aesthetic will look after the culture,
the reformer will lead reforms, but the
church must save men from sin and mani
fest the life of God to the world.
I have seen in one Of the great mills of
our country two great wheels. Note one
point, they fit each other. Moving In
ceaseless unison. If single point be bro
ken off the machinery crates, if a number
be broken the wheel sips and the whole
network of machinery is helpless. Each
members of the church has his place. If he
fails the body is hampered in it's efficiency.
But while there is to be union in diver
sity. there is also to be diversity in unity:
individuality is not effaccd by the Gospel
of Christ. This gives the widest possible
scope to the churches ties which may be
included within the church. There is a
place of usefulness for all. Each one is to
find his or her place and then in union
with the whole body work for its highest
efficiency.
When the church of Christ awakeas to q
e - ,%4l. T.