The Penn's Grove record., 1906-06-01
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BIZ
THE REV. D. H. oVERToN.
Subject: Confessing Christ.

Tue OretnC Avenue Presbyterian
Church, preached on "Confessing
Christ" The text was from John xii.
42-43: Nevertheless even of the rulers
many believed on Him; but because of
the Phartsees they did not confess it.
lest they should be put out of the
synagogue; for they loved the glory
of men more than the glory of God"
Mr.. Overton said:
We have mentioned here in the text
two of the greatest privileges and du-
ties of our lives, namely, that of be-
lieving in Christ, and that of confess
ing Christ. John, in telling the story
of Christ's work, is complaining that
there were so many who though they
saw the wonderful works Christ did
before them, did not believe on Him.
He explains this by saying that this
has ever been the experiences of the
prophets. Isaiah, one of the greatest
prophets of the Old Testament, had
this same complaint: "Who hath be-
lieved our report? And to whom hath
the arm of the Lord been revealed?''
He complained of blinded eyes, and
of hardened hearts and of stubborn
wills. If these things were true of
the prophets of the past; if this was
the experience Of them all, then it
was not strange that it should be
Christ's experience. isaiah saw that
this must ever be the experience of
any true prophet that would come to
this earth, even of that greatest
prophet whom he expected, the Mes
slah, the Christ. and so he predicted
this experience for Him. The greater
His glory and the more marvellous His
work, the greater would be the oppo-
s1tion % Him. Such experience would
not argue against the Mas-iahship of
the Christ, but in favor of it.
That this was the experience of the
Christ the verses preceding the text,
and many others that we might give,
declare. Often He complained of the
slowness of mems faith and the dull
ness of mems minds, and the stubborn
ess of mems will. We read that "He
marveled at their unbelief." He had
many things that He wanted to say to
them, but their minds were so dull that
they could not understand Him. He
wept over the Holy City most of all,
because of the stubborness of the wills
of its perishing people.
Yet even though this was Christ's
experience, a. it has been the exper-
fence of every prophet, His word and
His work did not return unto Him
empty. Some believed, and followed
and confessed. Many others believed,
as we read in the text, but did not con-
fess their belief. They were timid,
~hesitating, half hearted Christians. 1t
is of such that l would speak this
Sunday morning. And leading up to
this l would speak first of believing on
Christ.
This, of course. is fundamental, and
all-important. "Without faith it is i'm
possible to please Him." Without faith
it is impossible for Christ to be any
thing to US, or to do anything for us.
1t is faith that links u lives to His
that brings Him near, and makes Him
real, to US. We must believe in Him
or we cannot reap the benefit of His
great and glorious WORK for US. Every
where in Christ's message and in all
the New Testament faith is made a
condition of the blessed life. This is
true of all life's relationships and 1t is
supremely true of our relationship to
God. There is little that He can do
for us unless by faith we open our
hearts and lives to Him. Faith is the
channel that lets the life of God into
the soul of man.
But this is what I wish to emphasize:
Our faith must be strong enough to
lead to something. 1t must lead to con
fession, to service, to sacrifice. Faith
full work is dead" The faith that sets
us to no task, and that leads to no
changed and better life is a false and
useless faith. 1 say that because l be-
lieve that so much of the faith in
Christ is of this kind. 1t is a vague,
visionary, general, half hearted, spas
modic faith that leads to nothing per-
manent, and takes US nowhere worth
while. 1t is a faith that was we'll rep
resented in that crowd that followed
Christ, or that threw garments, or
palms in His way On that first Palm
Sunday long ago.
1t is believed by many that there
were many in the multitude who did
Him honor that day. but who before
the week ended were crying with an
other crowd: away with Him! CRU
city Him! Cruelty Hint" Their faith
was futile because it led to no confess
sion, nor conservation.
There is much faith in Christ that is
like that to-day. 1t is spasmodic, hys-
t%erical, ephemeral. 1t leads people to
church at Easter time, or at Christmas,
who rarely if yer are seen there at any
other time of the whole year. 1t may
be that such nave come to church
more to show their new found faith in
Christ, but we will not bring that ac-
cusation against them. We will give
them credit for a little faith, even if it
does not last except but for one or two
days Of the year.
Then there is a great deal of this
kind Of faith out in the world that new
er gets into the churches even for once
OF twice a year. 1t is a negative, pas
sive faith. 1t has nothing against
Christ, but it leads to nothing for Him.
There are lots of people who will tell
you, if you asked them, that they be-
lieve in Christ, and yet they are doing
nothing for His cause or kingdom.
They never have confessed Him pub
licly. They never have enlisted in His
service.
Now faith of this kind is good as far
as it goes, blu it doesn't so far enough.
1t is better than unbelief and opposi-
ton, I suppose, but it is sometimes
harder 10 deal with, md to get any,
thing out of, than are these, 1 have
thought. Our faith, if it is real, and
if it amounts to anything, must lead us
to confession, and to conservation, to
service and to sacrifice.
1t is of the great duty and privilege
of confessing Christ that l would speak
especially this morning. We see in the
text that there were many in Christ's
time who believed on Him, but who did
not confess their belief, nor show their
allegiance. There are very many such
to-day, l believe, and it is to those and
of those that l would speak. Why is it
that there are so many timid Chris
tians, and hesitating half-hearted
Christians in the world? Why is it
that there are so many men of good
morals, and of good will, and perhaps
of Christian characters, WHO are unat-
tached to any of our churches, and
who, although they believe in Christ.
have never confessed Him in that way.
at least.
Again we find the answer in the text.
"Nevertheless even of the rulers many
believed on Him; but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess it, lest
they should be put out of the syna-