The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-10-05
PINEY FORK LISTENS
TO GREAT sermon
The Rev. J. |. HudginS breaches 10
a Large and Attentive
Audience


Fork, the Rev J. l.. Hudgins, Of Union
City, Tennessee. delivered the follow
ing sermon to a throng Of earnest and
appreciatiye listeners.
The Church of the living God"
There is perhaps not a more compre-
hensive expression in all the Bible than
our text. The Church does not mean
a company Of people who admire Jesus
Christ. the son Of God, and who have
formed themselves into an association
for the mere purpose Of suscitsting his
life, great as that life was.
The religion Of Jesus Christ is not a
matter Of imitation, for that belongs
to the actorent. il is a force, power,
life,
The Church is the whole number Of
newborn souls who deriving their
life from Christ are related to him and
and to each other because Of that life.
Each is united 90 Christ the common
center. Of the Church. and being united
to each other. through Him, there ex-
lists that unity for which the Master
prayed.
The Church is the whole company Of
believers in Christ who have been link.
ed on to his life by the mlrade Of crea.
ton which We call the new life. and
that man is a member Of the great
invisible Church Of God. who has been
born from above and that man who
has been received into external church
fellowship. Is not real member Of the
church. unless he has been baptized
into life by the Holy Ghost. II is re-
markable. but true, that Jesus Christ
made but two references 10 a visible
organization that we call the Church:
Once when he said TO Peter ION this
rock etc. " and once when admonishing
as TO how a disorderly brother should
be treated. His thoughts naturally
concerned the kingdom which He came
TO establish-the great spiritual family
Of God into which men we're to be
born.
But with the Apostles the most
serious question was as TO how they
might aid in carrying out the sublime
purpose Of Jesus Chr 81. and TO them
the visible church became an object Of
great concern.
With Jesus the thought was Of wha,
Is TO be done. while with the Apostles
Il was Of how Il Is to be done.
In sense the church Is the continued
incarnation Of Jesus Christ, the hands
used BY him in accomplishing His
great designs. which are spiritual.
In doing Christ's work the Church has
inspired the erection and maintenance
Of schools, hospitals, asylums and
thousand forms Of charitable work and
has corrected every evil that has ever
been corrected among men. pillar and
ground Of the truth"
The truth u the gospel has been
recognized by some other organizations
but Il finds its most eongcnisl home
and most careful nurture in the
CHI oh.
She flashes the gospel light out over
the lark sea OF human sinfulness and
teaches the great cardinal doctrine Of
Fatherhood Of God and the brotherhood
Of man and the essential spiritual
nature Of religion.
wish 10 trace antecedent history
down 10 the organization Of the first
presbytery Of our church.
To the casual observer and ordinary
reader Of history the whole Of what
We call Providence seems to be chaos
Of incidents without system first one
and then the other nation has be.
come the center Of light and civiliaa.
ton. until now every continent bears
the proud distinction Of having al one
time been ''the light Of the world,
with but one exception.