Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-11-12
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.nrse~SeS15 2Saen.,-,sek<N\
A SERMON G@aN -
81 ThE REV. AX@
fMMHENDEeSoN


Subject: The Sustaining God.
thee Be strong and Of GOOD canrare:
be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed;
for the Lord thy. God is with thee wither-
soever thou goest."
Moses is dead. Joshua, the son of
Nun, the minister of Moses, leads.
For forty long, weary heart-trying
years Moses had led Israel; led her
| in the face Of discouragements and
| d1sagreements, against the will of
| the tickle multitude that with long
ing looked back to the leeks and gar
lies and onions Of Egypt desiring to
serve a thousand years in the house
and under the bondage of Pharaoh
rather than to live for day by faith
in God; in spite Of Vaccinations and
cabals, through the desert to the
bounds OF Canaan. Moses work was
| done. The task for which he was
vision from a mountain top Canaan
to the west. "And the children of
Israel wept for Moses"
The old leader was dead. The new
leader is in command. Moses, the
cautious, relinquishes the rule to
Joshua, the captain. Moses had his
capacities, opportunities, talents.
Joshua is not Moses. But even as
Moses was the man of the hour, SO
Joshua is the called of God in his
Moses and Joshua are not struck from
the same mold, but they both strike
for the same cause, serve the same
people, yield homage to the same
God. Each is necessary to his age.
And the age that produced each is
prepared, by the wise providence that
broods upon the affairs of men, for
each.
Differently, and yet not altogether
otherwise, is it with us, as together
in this church we confront the larger
labors of another year. The leader
is the same. The cause is the same.
The same Spirit moves within u.s.
The same Sovereign directs. But the
old year is dead. A new one lives.
The old year had its problem, difficult
ties, discoura gements, perplexities,
delights. The experiences OF the old
year are memory, history, yesterday s
events. The new year, full of larger
tasks, mightier opportunities, more
searching joys, lies ahead. The old
year had it's pecnliarities that will for.
ever differentiate it from any other
that shall ever be. The new year
cannot be the old, any more than
Joshua could be Moses. The old year
is dead. The new year-Alleluiah!
Moses is dead. But the God o.
Moses persists. Joshua is the leader
The promise of God to Abraham and
Isaac, Jacob and Moses, is the prom
ise of God, in it's ripeness and effior-
essence, to Joshua. The God of Abra-
ham is Joshua's guide. The Spirit
who made bright the way for Moses
; is the evangel Of Jehovah to Joshua
BE not afraid, neither be thou dis
mayed; for the Lord thy God is with
; thee whithersoever thou goest."
The promise that God gave to the
, | new leader He makes to use in new
, year. Joshua has no mortgage upoI
,, the loving kindness Of Jehovah. He
has no monopoly Of the grace of Goo.
The arm of the sheltering God is moi
: sh ortened, His affection is not less
: ened. His promises are not ceased
His heart yearns toward us. Goo
, speaks to us as much as He did te
, Joshua. We shall not do damage tt
the text to unduly strain it if we in
sist that God advises us that whic,
He delivered to Israel through
Joshua. He makes covenant with u
t as we face the work Of the new yea
e in the language that He used t,
I Joshua. "Be not afraid, neither b.
, thou dismaved: for the Lord thy Coz
is with thee whithersoever tho1
goest."
:, Under the sway of the conscious
d ness of the reality of the promis
y Israel took courage, received enthu
sias1n, was enlarged with expectation
Il Believing that God was with them tn
- people entered with heartiness, en-
: thusiasm and hopefulness into the Ia
bors OF the Lord.
: We need courage, enthusiasm. es
II pectation. That is to say, we nee
1t heart, heat, hope.
II Without these we cannot be effect
g i've in the service of our Saviour
4 Th ese We may secure if we Will acceT
as words OF comfort and enconrags
/" ment from God to each OF us, the tex
St of our discourse, "Be not afrale
neither be thou dismayed: for tn
II Lord thy God is with thee whittier
d soever thou goest."
e We need courage. Heart! Lat
re- dicean church, neither hot nor cole
lukewarm or warmed over, is as inc
le ficient for real accomplishment as tn
I. white of an egg to the satisfaction {
le the taste The people must be cou
., ageous and the organization mu:
have the heart of the Master-k1n'
robust, roborant-to attract the mu
titude and to nplift the mass. On
by intrepidity and interest can we il
spire or command the men and won
en- to whom as the messengers y