The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-02
GREAT SERMON AT
 CHRIS IAN CHURCH The Rev. A. R. Moore Delivers
 Able Discourse "CHRIST AT THE DOOR"
House of Worship Was We'll Filled at the Morning Service-Shows That Christ "knocks at the Door"
 Through Conscience.

The Rev. A. R. Moore pastor of the First Christian church, preached to a large congregation at the morning service yesterday, taking as his theme, Christ At the Door"
 He said In part:
 'The Apostle John was exlled on ac- count of his faith in Christ He was sent to a lonely isle in the Mediterranean sea called Patmas. There Jesus appeared to him, thus fulfilling the saying: If I will that He tarry till I come He came to John in the last great revelation. He made known to John the fortunes and destiny of the church. He sent a special message to each of the seven churches in Asia. Our text Is taken from the letter to the church in Laodicea. Behold, stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me
 ''The church in Laodcea had grown rich and careless. It had begun to say: T am rich and have need of nothing That Is a dangerous state for a church to reach When it feels able to get along without special effort and Is independent let 1t take head lest it fall from grace. Thou knowest not that thou art wretch ed, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked There was not life enough to achieve anything worthy of Christ and they were not cold enough to be pro- state of indifference and unconscience. which, in it's influence upon the world, was worse than death itself
 Stands at the Door.
 Now, the Master says: T stand at the door and knock This Is the door of the human soul. This door is the heart, for the heart Is the gateway to the soul. There were people in that church who were only nominal christians. They were christians in name but not in life. They had their names on the roll, but they had never really taken Jesus into their hearts and lives. Jesus now describes Himself as standing and knocking at their hearts. Too often we look upon Jesus as being far removed from us. But He is not He is right in our midst He will enter the heart and lives with us if we but permit Him.
 Not only does He come in this way to the christian, but Christ is knocking to- day at the door of nations. In the work of missionaries He is brought to the very doors of the heather and knocks for ad- mission. As He stands and looks upon Russia and Japan. dying the earth with the blood of their sons, His great, throb- ping heart must bleed again. Oh, may He not turn away from them. May the mis- slonares be able to stay at their posts that through them the Christ may find entrance into many poor souls.
 Knocks Through Conscience.
 How does He knock at the door !? Through conscience and early training. The memory of the good and pure brings us face to face with the blessed Christ and makes us to realize that He has long been standing and knocking Christ also knocks through the entreaty of friends who love us and plead with us to do right. Then through misfortunes and sorrows He comes and knocks loud and long for admission that He may enter and bring peace to our troubled souls. Through our own restless earning for something higher and better He knocks at our hearts.
 But Jesus does not force an entrance He knocks, but does not break in. He simply knocks and waits. Hark! He Is hooking now.
 Why keep Jesus waiting,
 Waiting at the door?
 Hear Him soul, and open,
 Open, implore.'