The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-02-19
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"RULES FOR SERVICE"

on What We Should DO to Get Our
Reward ut tho Hands of Coda Heart
Cry to the People.
New YORK CITY. - The distinguished
and well-known evangelist, the Rev. Dr. j.
lication the following sermon entitled
Rules of Service" 1t was preached from
the text: mo 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 if man also
strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully" 2 Timothy, ii:
T. s.
1t is not enough simply to perform what
might be called good deeds, in the estima-
ton OF the world, for one might receive the
applause of men, and miss his reward at
the hands of God. Neither is it enough
that one should be so given to service that
ne might win the applause of people 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 a good thing for the Chris
tan to square his life, both public and pri-
yate, his lnnermost thoughts, and the hid
to see It in any point ne is falling away
from Gods plan and the Holy Ghosts
guidance. When John, in 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,
celved into His presence, and be saved
throughout eternity, and yet miss his re-
ward and lose his crown.
This chapter is note of warning and a
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.
/. All service must be prompted by
right motives.
1t is not so much how the work appears
outwardly that commends it to God-in
this His judgment is given differently from
that OF man, but it is altogether a question
as to what, back of it 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
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 of
men apd the plaudits of the multitude be-
cause OF acknowledged success, and yet
mlserably fail at the great day of awards
to receive one single crown for faithfulness
simply because the work was born in sell
fshness and carried on in pride. 1t was
not done for the glory of God, but rather
for the glory of man. One might build
churches, and for his supposed generosity
be highly esteemed of men, and yet re-
ceive rebuke 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
plans, and yet have no recognition on the
great day of awards. One might give his
money to clothe the poor and feed the hun
gry; he might be known wherever the
able works, and when the great day of
awards should come might hear the Mas
ter say:
depart, for 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
ed it al was selfish. Jesus Himself has
said that there would be some who
should say: lord, have we not prophe-
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 plan and yet most terribly miss the
reward.
When Paul wrote his first letter to the
Corinthians he said: "For other founda-
ton can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ IF any mans work
shall be burned he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by
fire" This 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 alHJesus Christ, but
the superstructure may be very different
1t is a most solemn thought-one of the
most solemn | know-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
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 IF the
work is burned, the man shall suffer loss,
but he himself be saved, though as by fire.
1t is tremendously solemn message.
l might have all the experience God has
given me, as preacher, teacher, evangelist,
father, husband, friend, and then stand be-
fore God at the last with all my work
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. TX: %, ~: every man
that striveth for the mastery is temperate
in all things. Now, they do it to obtain
corruptible crown, but we are incorrupti-
BILE. But I keep under my body, and
bring it into subsection, lest that by any
means, when have preached to others,
myself should be castaway," or Gas we
have already SEEM, ''be disapproved."
God keep us from meeting such an ex-
perience az this on that great day!
2. We must labor with clean hands.
God never uses an unclean man. It is
possible that one may be saved, and yet
allow sin in some way to control him, but
it is not possible for God to use that which
is either common or unclean. "Come out
from among them and be We separate, and