Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-03
CHURCH is LIKE
PROMISED LAND
THOSE OUTSIDE ARE R0BBING
THEMSELVES
Rev. Robert J. Burdette Compares
Christians Who VIII Not Come
Into the Fold to Prodl-
gal Son

AT the Iemple BdpUSC CHurCH yeSlSI- :
day morning DR.. Robert ]. Burdette
preached on 'Borderland Christians" +"
taking for his text Numbers, S2:5, Let
this land be given unto thy servants
for a possession bring us not over the
Jordan"
"There were Israelites east of the
Jordan-outside the boundaries of the
Land of Promise. Reuben, the tribe of
the first-born of Jacob, was one of the
tribes that remained outside the land
promised to Abraham. But it was a
dwindling tribe. 1t never took the
place of its birthright in history. AT
first the most powerful of the tribes,
it lost precedence and power and pros
perity until at last it was swallowed up
by the tribe of Cad, the son of the
slave girl.
"Gad, the other tribe that elected to
dwell outside the Land of Promise was
a mighty tribe, and warlike. 1t was
a. fortress and a refuge for Israel dur
ing the Philistine wars. Dwelling
among his brethren, Cad would have
been a stronghold in Israel. But 700
years before Christ it disappeared from
history
'Those two tribes were at first a
strong people, and they chose rich
and fertile and beautiful country for
. I0elr 1Qn6TlIdHCe. 6ul II WcS OH Al
heritance among their enemies. 1t was
a home very much such as they had
had in Egypt. All their surroundings
were hostile. All the influences that
pressed upon them were hurtful. Syria
was to the north, Moab crowded upon
the south and idolatrous INDIAN on
the east. Reuben and Cad were Jews.
They worshiped God. They attended
the feasts at Jerusalem. They were
,icns oh
Abraham. But they did not claim to
the full their rights as children; they
did not lay hold nightly upon all the
fullness of the promises.
Like Strange Son
'They were like a son of the family
who for some strange reason elects to
live in the barn rather than in his
fathers house. A son who chooses to
live in the mems quarters, with the
ranch hands, rather than in the home
with his father and mother and Sis
ters and brothers. That's my home
he says pointing to the beautiful
house among the trees and Towering
shrubs, with a velvet lawn OF fadeless
greenery sweeping around it; gardens
of fruit and flowers bordering 1t;
sounds of merry laughter and sweet
singing ripping from the opened Win
dows; the voice of prayer and praise
making it holy; love making it beauti-
full: cleanliness and comfort; books and
society of the best; refinement and cul-
ture. making for 1t an atmosphere of
delight for mind and body and soul
that is my home he says, but l pre-
fer to live here among the ranch hands.
Some of them are MeXicans; some are
Japanese laborers; some are Chinese
cooks and laundrymen; there are some
nice fellows among them; some OF the
foremen are college graduates; some
of the men get drunk on pay day; none
of them speak good English; most of
them gamble and hght-it's about the
usual outfit on a big general rancn.
But you see, can do as I please out
here. There is a sense OF freedom ana
don't careness that ] enjoy. on, yes
go home once in a while; go into the
house, but 1 have kind of fallen out of
fhe things that interest them, and l
kind of get along better by staying
out here
Is Robbing Himself
"Now. that man is robbing himself
He used to discuss the books ms
brothers and sisters read, but ne mas
lost the taste for good reading now.
he used to enjoy the best music, but
somehow, listening nightly to the
raucous cacophony of talking ma
chimes with ragtlme repeAtoHeS ~
depraved his taste. He used to love
+be sweetness and cleanliness and or
derliness of a beautiful home, but alas
these things sicken and die in the at
mosphere of Moab
1.-THE prodigal son was son exen %
while he was herding pigs and snarlHg
their provender at their own trough
But he wasn't the best kind of a son.
He wasn't a very good son at all he
was a very bad son. And he was ROD,
bing himself-he was ropplng pouy aaS
mind and soul every day he stayed
away from home. .Lo
aThere are Christians outside or the
church, but they are not the oest Kn9
of Christians. They are not very goou
christians at ALL They are the worst
sort of christians And every day they
stay outside the church of Christ they
are robbing their own souls. They are
robbing the church which needs them.
They are robbing God, VINO "an's