Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-02-14
RULES FOR SERVICE"
Sunday Sermon By Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur
Chapman.
Giai We Should Do 10 Get Cur Reward al
tie iacds Of GOd-A lieart.Cry
70 The People.

NEW 1OEk nc uiStlngliS leu
and well-known evangelist the Rev DIR. j.
Wilbur Chapman, has furnished for pub
hcation the following sermon entitled
Rules of Service 1t was preached from
the text: NO man that warreth entang-
leth himself with the affairs of this life,
that he may please him who hath chosen
him to be soldier. And ii a man also
strive Tor mas.eries. yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully" = Timothy, Ii:
4, ).
1t is not enough simply to perform what
might be called good deeds in the estima-
ton OF the word, TOR one might receive the
applause OF men. and miss his reward at
the hands OF God. Neither is it enough
tina; one should be SO given to service that
he might win the applause OF .peop.e every
where There Is no special promise In
Gods word written for the man who Is
simply faithful in outward service. Paul
must have had this in mind when he said:
Yet Is he not crowned except he strive
lawfully" 1t is good thing for the Chris
tan 10 square his life. both pubic and pri-
vate. his innermOst .ha-ghts. and the hid
den man OF his heart. by the word of God.
10 see If in any point ne is falling away
from Gods plan and the Holy Ghosts
guidance. When John, il Revelation,
wrote, Let no man take thy crown" he
presented what to my mind is one OF the
most solemn subjects in all the Bible
namely. that one might be saved, have his
sins forgiven, stand before God justified,
be perfectly sure OF being ultimately re-
ceived into His presence, and be saved
throughout eternity. and yet miss his re-
ward and lose his crown.
This chapter is a note of warning and
heart cry to people everywhere to search
their lives. aided by the Spirit to ask God
to deal very thoroughly with them even
though this dealing may mean the cutting
off of some very much loved sin or the Civ
ing up of some long cherished plan.
l. All service m.fst hp prorOOfa1 l,v
right motives.
Ii Is not so much how the work appears
outwardiy that comaiends it to God--in
this His Judgment is given differently from
that OF man, but II Is altogether question
as 10 what, back of il all. prompted the
service. The giving of the widows mite
and Its hearty acceptance by our Master
is an illustration of this fact for in the de-
sire that prompted the gift was found
that which was of ten thousand times
more value than the gift itself.
one might preach the gospel and win
hundreds of souls for Christ, and the mo.
tives that prompted the preaching be
wrong. One might superintend Il Sunday
school with much success, be a teacher of
acknowledged ability, lead the young peo-
pies. work in the church. be chosen lead
er OF the mission work. and upon all these
positions have the seal of the approval O;
men and the bandits OF the multitude be.
cause OF acknowledged success, ard yet
miserab'y fail at the great day OF awards
to receive one single crown for faithfulness
simply because the work was born in sell
hshness and carried on in pride. II was
not done for the CORY OF God but rather
for the CORY of man. One might build
churches, and Tor ms supposed generosity
be highly esteemed OF men, and yet re-
ceive reouke from the lips of the risen
Christ. One might endow schools which
God would use for the betterment of So
city and for the accomplishment of His
own purposes or the working of His own
pans, and yet have no recognition on the
great day OF awards. One might give his
money TO clothe the poor and feed the hun
CRY; he might be known wherever the
English language is spoken. for his charit-
able works, and when the great dav OF
awards should come might hear the Mas
ter say:
Depart. for l never knew you.''
His soul is saved. but his life is lost All
of these things are true, because. while
outwardly the service was wonderful and
the success great. the motive that prompt
Cd 1t al was selfish. jesus Himself has
said that there would be some who
sled IN Thy name, and in Thy name done
many wonderful works. Thus the teach
ing becomes more intense and the lesson
more startling. for one might even think
that he was shaping his life according to
Gods plaa and yet most terribly miss the
reward.
When Paul wrote his first letter to the
Corinthians he said: For other founda-
tien can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. Ii any mans work
shall be burned he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as ty
tre' Thl. is very clearly. to my mind, a
lesson to Christian workers in general. but
to ministers IN particular. The foundation
is the same for US all-Jesus Christ, bu.
the suDerstructure may be very different.
Ii Is most solemn thought-one OF the
most solemn ! kuow-that when the great
day of fire shall come every mans work
shall be tried, OF what sort it is. The min
istry OF the man whom the world honored
shall be touched by fire. The service of
the Christian worker. from the first effort
made for Christ to the last. shall certainly
be tested. The teaching of the Sunday
school teacher, throughout his or her en-
tire Christian experience. shall be brought
beneath the searching light of the Son of
God. The testimony of every Christian
IN every land shall be searched through
and through. The life in the home in the
place OF business. in the streets, at home
or IN foreign lands. by day and by night,
shall be tested by the fire of God. Il the
work Is burned. the man shall suffer loss,
but he himself be saved, though as by fire.
1t is tremendously solemn message.
| might have all the experience God has
given me, as preacher. teacher. evangelist.
father. husband. friend. and then stand be-
fore God az the last with all my wor';
swept away. going into His presence with
the smell of fire upon my garments God
forbid. Paul had this fate in mind when
he said Il Cor. ix: ., 27): Every man
that strireth for the mastery is temperate
things. Now. they do it to obtain
b!e crown. but we are iacorlupti-
Bat | keep under my BODY and
into subsection. lest that Ly any
when have preached to others.
should be a castaway," or las we
ready Scent. Zoe dsapprovcd.'
keep us from meeting such an c.
a. this on that great day.
must labor with clean hands.
lever uses an unc,can man. 1t is
that one may he saved. and vet
in some way to control him. but
possible for God to use that which
common or unc.can. Come ont
oag them and he We separate and
Il the unc,ean thng''-from which
/ of the Scriptures We learn that
in the very slightest touch with
j he Is against God. and soon loses
r; he i shorn OF his testimony.
sets him aside. Search me- oh
know my heart; try me and know
ghts. and see ii there be any
say in me, ought to be the cry
Christian everywhere.
law touching the priesthood is a.
for us to remember LeviticGsi
81: And the Lord spake unto
.ying: Speak unto Aaron and to-
that they separate themselves.