Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-02
SERMON EXPLAINS chow
DEATH MAY BEAR FRUIT"
SECOND IN SERIES BY REV. w. D.
Lands
"Death Is Not Only the Begin
ming of the Path of Life, but
1t Stands Necessary to Sancti-
fication"

The second of a series Of sermons on
the three steps to Easter was preached
yesterday by the pastor, Rev. w. d.
Lands, at the Westlake Presbyterian
church.
The subject was How Death May
Bear Fruit?"
The pastor gave many applications
of the verse of scripture, except a
corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die. it abideth alone; but, if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit"
when Jesus saw the Greeks inquir-
ing the way of life it filed him with
Joy and satisfaction, for he saw the
first gleam of hope from his tomb. He
knew he must die for the world. His
nature shrank naturally from the great
struggle, but he became obedient unto
death, because he saw that out of this
was to come the fruit of life.
I'm fact death is necessary to life.
His death was necessary to his ulti-
mate object. His desire for the spirit
1Ial life of his followers was not to
be realized till the agony and mystery
of the crucifixion were endured. He
was not to reach the crown till he
succumbed to the pangs of death. He
felt that his work had accomplished
so little that he was still almost
alone and would abide that way un-
Jess he passed through the valley of
humiliation.
what is true of Christ is more true
of us. We cannot enter upon the path
of life till we pass through the cruci-
fixion of self. We are to learn that
doing the will of God, and not our own,
is the royal road to life.
Yielding our wills is the hard point
for us to pass. His cruciixion was
real and necessary for his glorified life.
And there cannot come to us the real
and excellent attainment of character
till we lose self i'll the valley of humil
iation.
Death Is Necessary
Death is not only the beginning of
the path of life, but 1t stands necessary
to sanctiflcation. / am sure we all
feel the need of holiness in our lives.
We are so imperfect God has called
lis TO holy living. Paul says the flesh
life lusteth against spirit. The spiritual
life may be so choked by the tares that
it will be hard to find it. The. flesh
life may so dominate the Christian
that ones life may not grow spiritual
ly. He will still be babe in spirit.
But there is a deliverance from this
domination to be found only when the
soul is completely yielded to God. He
does not want us to be under the do
minion and power of sin. He longs
for our freedom. He hopes to see us
free, but the complete surrender of our
wills alone to him will give him power
to set us free.
I'VE will never walk the mountain
paths of peace till we, walk the valley
of self-annihilation and the crucifixion
of selfish ambition. Holy lives find
their center i'll God. The natural life
revolves around self.
1.-THE orbit will be the same till the
center and attraction has been
changed. Let us make God the center
of our circle and the will of God the
path of our travel.
again, death of self is necessary
to service. He who serves self cannot
serve Christ nor his fellow man.
1t Abideth Alone
"rhe wheat may be covered up in
the mummies of Egypt for thousands
of years. 1t does not yield anything.
1t abldeth alone But this same
wheat was sowed and brought forth
an abundant harvest. He who has
been cruciied with Christ will be able
to lead others into a new life.
He who has not Travelled with Jesus
the path of the valley will not be
able to show men the hilltops of peace.
How it cheered his heart to see the
Greeks who came to him on this oc
casion for he saw in them the first
ray of glory from his grave. He said:
The hour is come that the son of man
should be gorified.'
1.-THE Lord is glorifled whenever men
seek him. The way for us to honor
him is to bring our dear ones to him.
They will not be saved till we get out
of the mummy OF selfish living and
plant ourselves III the grave as Jesus
Christ was planted, to bring up fruit
unto God.
''When we can reckon ourselves dead
even while we live, then our lives can
bear fruit. When we are not our own
we can bring others to our master"