The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-11-25
4 TIE RUL@Lk
4 SERMON AS.S IS
81 THE REM- NN&
MWHENDEHSoNW~
Subject: The Sustaining God.

Z NC AIN Va = bSNN
be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed;
for the Lord thy God is with thee wlther-
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
disagreements, 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 a 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
particularly fitted was completed. A
vision from a mountain top. Canaan
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 1t with us, as together
in this church we confront the larger
Ilabors Of another year. The leader
is the same. The cause is the same.
The same Spirit move within us.
The same Sovereign directs. But the
old year is dead. A new one lives.
The old year had its problem, difficult
ties, discouragements, perpleyities,
delights. The experiences Of the old
year are memory, history. yesterdays
tasks, mightier opportunities, more
searching joys, lies ahead. The old
year had its peculiarities that will for
ever differentiate it from any other
that shall ever be. The g 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 OF
Moses persists. Joshua is the leader.
The promise of God to Abraham and
Isaac, Jacob and Moses, is the prom
Use of God, in its ripeness and eflor-
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 a new
year. Joshua has no mortgage upon
the loving kindness of Jehovah. He
has no monopoly Of the grace of God.
The arm Of the sheltering God is not
shortened, His affection is not less
''ened, His promises are not ceased,
His heart yearns toward us. God
speaks to US as much as He. did to
Joshua. We shall not do damage to
the text to unduly strain it II we in
sist that God advises US that which
He delivered to Israel through
Joshua. He makes covenant with us
as we face the work Of the new year
in the language that He used to
Joshua. BE not afraid, neither be
thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God
is with thee whithersoever thou
goest.""r
Under the sway of the conscious
ness of the reality Of the promise
Israel took courage, received enthu-
siasm, was enlarged with expectation.
Believing that God was with them the
people entered with h%eartiness, en-
thusiasm and hopefulness into the la
bors of the Lord.
We need courage, enthusiasm, ex-
p%ectation. That is to say, we need
heart, heat, hope.
Without these we cannot be erect
i've in the service OF our Saviour.
These we may secure If We will accept
as words Of comfort and encourage
ment from God to each Of us. the text
of our discourse, BE not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the
Lord thy God is with thee whittier
soever thou goest.".
We need courage. Heart! A Lao
dicean church, neither hot ncr cold,
lukewarm or warmed over, is as inef-
fcient for real accomplishment as the
white of an egg to the satisfaction OF
the taste. The people must be cour-
ageous and the organization must
have the heart Of the Master-k1nd,
robust, roborant-to attract the null
titude and to uplift the mass. Only
by intrepidity and interest can we In
spire or command the men and Wom-
en- to whom as the messengers we
come with a necessary and vitalizing
appeal.
We need enthusiasm. Heat! On
the day of Pentecost the disciples
were so enthused that the natives
said these men are full OF new
wine" They were hot with a mighty
Joy, thoroughly on fire. They acted
as though they were drunk. They
appeared to be fools. Fools for
Christ's sake. But it seems thai the
heat of Pentecost is the only force
that has kept and can keep alive the
force and power of the church.
Would God that we had more Pente-
costal fools! Men and women who
could be as much on fire with enthu-
siasm for Christ and His kingdom as
they are ablaze with interest i'll poll
tics, fashions or art.
We need expectation. Hope! Hope
that shall not be deferred. Faith
that there is life in God, value in His
truth, salvation in His Saviour, use
in our efforts, result in sight. hope
is the breeze that fans the flame OF
enthusiasm. It is an1matlVe. A
hopeless church is like a hopeless
fight. Lost! The hopeful company
of Christ's followers is scintillant, Vi