Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-06-07
TIE GREAT TEACHER
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
The Lord Taught Obedience to His
Law as a Prerequisite to the Proper
Service of His People.

Brooklyn. N. 1.-Sunla, morning
the Rev. Daniel II. Overton, pastor of
the Gro.n. Avenue Presbyterian
Church, preached on "Confessing
Christ" The text was froLl John xii.
42-43: Nevertheless even of the rulers
many believed on Him; but because OF
the Pnarisees 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 Cod
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
or 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
Chrlst'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
siah, 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-
sition % Him. Such experience would
not argue against the Mes 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, as it has been the exper-
ielce 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 I would speak this
Sunday morning. And leading up to
this would speak first Of believing on
Christ.
This, of course. is fundamental. and
all-important. without faith it is inn
possible to please Him." Without faith
it is impossible for Christ to be any
thing to US, or to do anything for US.
It is faith that links our lives to His
real. to us. We must believe in Him
or we cannot reap the benefit Of His
great and glorious work for u.s. 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 it Is
supremely true of our relationship to
God. There is little that He can Go
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 wish to emphasize:
Our faith must be strong enough to
lead to something. It 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 false and
useless faith. say that because be-
1ieve that so much Of the faith in
Christ is of this kind. It is a vague,
visionary, general. half hearted, spas
modic faith that leads to nothing per-
manent, and takes us nowhere worth