Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-02-28
"THE FULL REWARD"
Sunday Sermon By Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur
Chapman.
The Spirit that Is Needed In the church-Hov
to Win the Crown Which is IneorruptIbIe
New Plan OF Salvation


evangelist the Rev. DIR. j. Wilbur Chan
man, Is the author of the following sermon
entitled The Full Reward" which was
preached from the text, Every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in
all things. Now they do ii to obtain a cor
rup.ible crown. but we an incorruptib.e.
But j keep my body under. and bring il
when / have preached to others. / myself
should be castaway" Cor tx: %, q.
Paul, in the figure OF speech, is on the
race course. He is striving to reach the
goal AMI win the prize. Here, therefore, it
is not question OF life. but entirely a
question OF awards; He is not writing TO
the unregenerate, but to the children Of
God. He says: II will keep under my
body, lest l shall become a castaway"
The word "castaway' in the Greek is lit.
orally "disapproved." Paul is teaching
that even If he is to win the crown that is
incorruptible. he must deny himself. he
must put forth heroic effort. he, must be
faithful 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
OF Christ, and next to the baptism of the
Holy Ghost the church to-day needs the
baptism of enthusiasm. 1t is a great mis-.
take for men TO allow their preiudices to
lead them against the methods of church
work upon which God has set His seal
There IS 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-
eostal methods of giving, for in those DAYS
ill L. a L
TO go back TO Pentecostal methods of
preaching; the early preachers had Just
two themes in mind-namely, Jesus and
the Resurrection. We ought to 60 back to
Pente ,estal living. for in the olden times
the disciples lived in the exnectation that
each new day would bring back the Lord
Himself. and having this hope in Him their
lives became pure and their testimonies
powerful.
Ever. church ought to change its method
every SUNDAY. if the methods in use do
not compel the peple 10 accept the gospel
We have no responsibility for conversion
TIE Spirit OF God takes care of that hut
we do have tremendous responsibility.
resting upon us 70 make every man. wom-
an and child understand that the Son OF
God died to set them free from the PEN
atty o. sin. and that He ever pleads at
Gods right hard to !iherate them from its
power The church is not IN end. but
rather means to an end. II counted an
end. the membership becomes satisfied
with the church in itself. its preaching.
Its music, its social standing its ability TO
influence the minds of the peon;e and in
all seriousness l dare to say that such
church will be curse To a community in
the thought of God, rather than a bless
ing. We have this to remember: when
counted ms a means to an end the church
loses sight OF herself and realizes that she
&c n 1valr- e. l,r.~. e.. 1~-A
sinner the message Of the gospel So lonr
as there is one sonl in the world unsaved
God calls His children tn carry the NOS
sage of peace and glad tidings OF great joy
TO that one.
There is Scriptnral warrant for this
frequent change OF method. Vt is all
summed mn in one word: until How lone
did the father wait for his son. Until
he returned. How long did the woman
search for the lost niece OF silver? I'm
tiP' she found it. How long did the shen-
herd look for his sheep? Until he had it
IN his arms and was bearing il back with
rejoicing to the fold. How often ought
Until we have a method upon which
God viii set His sell and to which the
HOLY Ghost will give His approval. because
that method "omnels the pecrlc to hear
the gospel and TO known that Jesus Christ
died To save al mankind
II
only he might better influence mon To the
wise he would be wise: to the ignorant he
was willing to be counted ignorant: 10
the weak as man of weakness-f only
bv all means he "might ssve some" MAY
the Lord God fll The church with this
spirit! We cor.d shate the cities and
move the world with the power of God
And when the great dav Of awards should
come. simnly because we had bee1 dead in
earnest. h2d counted personal case ne
nothing. had lahorod incessantly Nv day
and by nicht. in heat and in cold. we
should receive the crown that is incorrupt-
IDLE.
THE CROWN OF REJOICING.
Thess. ii: l9-"For what is our hone.
or JOY or crown OF rejoicing: Are not even
We IN the presence OF our Lord Jesus
Christ at His coming:"
Whel Paul remembers the Thessalon-
ians whom he had won for Christ. he i'm
medlately replies: "Ie are our crown of
rejoicing" and so this third form OF the
reward is properly called the soul-win-
ner's own.
Alas, some who are born OF the Spirit,
who have been trained in the Christian
church. or might have been. who have
lived all their lives dead in sin. shall never
wear II. But it Is possible for everybody
60 receive II from the hands of the Master
Himself.
This Is the crown that the sainted Spur
eeon Is To wear. II Is said that 1900 peo-
pie joined his church in his ministry. and
this was only the beginning OF the multi
tude Of Others that have been influenced
by his life the word around. IL is the
crown that Mr.. Moody Is To wear. because
IN all parts OF the word he has pointed
men IL the crueiied One. IL is the crown
that faithful Sunday-school teachers and
devoted workers are TO wear.
i had IN my home at one time n very
celebrated Sunday-school worker He told
me how he became a servant of Christ. He
was converted rs n boy before the Young
People Society OF Christian Endeavor was
known. He wanted To do something for
Christ, and all he could think of was to
teach a Sundayschool class He went TO
the superintendent with request that he
might be made a teacher. and was re-
fused. He went n second time with a
like result. He went a third time. and
proposed to bring in a class from outside
and this time he secured the consent OF
the superintendent. When he went out to
find bows his first visit was to great
brownstone mansion. He rang the he'll
and the servant opened the door. He
asked II the lady OF the house could be
seen. He was shown into the parlor. and
soon the mother OF the boy entered
He said: Il have come to ask If your
boy en- come to Sunday-school"
Her face flushed and her eyes flashed
as she replied: my child has been TO Sun
day-school and has had such miserable