The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-01-17
GO FORWARD
TEXT OF SERMON
ssv a. {. CLEMENT breaches
ON THE EXPERIENCES OF
COPS PEOPLE.
ne 70 Moving Heaven And Earsh
FOR the Redemption Of
Word.

strong sermon on Ouhuay Ai A5 -
q fair congregation. He took-for his
text Exodus 1915, Go Forward" The
theme Of his discourse was Going
Forward" and he said in part;
"The experience Of the children q
Israel at the Red Sea is similar t.
that of the Church today. Often we
are shut up with enemies behind US
and difficulties before Us and no visi-
ble means of escape. Then it is that
men of faith cry to God for help, and
the way opens almost miraculously
for ne as God says in, answer to our
Flea. Go Forward" For US t.
linger mere would be inevitably death,
but for US to move on at Gods coR-
mand divides the waters and lands w
sater on the other shore
Cod is calling In unmistakabs
terms upon the Church to move out to
the conquest of this community and
the world. Within the 573 members
of this church there is a power locked
whose force cannot be estimated. Our
Sunday school is doing a magnificent
work. but not half what ii should be
doing and what il can do il we wiz
let the spirit OF progress that Is
abroad in the land take hold upon US.
Every other enterprise and profession
among men Is receiving careful con
sideration and thorough preparation
for its work, and IL the Church of the
living God is to maintain its position
in the consideration OF men and do the
work allotted to it. IL must move
abreast with the times and be awake
to every line of progress.
IN many instances the Church Is
too conservative We are afraid the
spirit of progress will run away with
our enterprises To be sure we should
be cautious in every move and not
reach beyond the province of the work
allotted to us, but on the other hand
we should not let our part be that OF
a brake on that which God is anxious
to have carried forward Some meR
take 10 any new theory of the gospel
and espouse any new line Of work just
because it is new. We need to be on
our guard at that point, for incalcut
able hurt may be done which years
and tears cannot heal. And yet we
should not let our conservatism lock
the wheels of progress in thought ana
action and make US towards, for Goo
is urging us forward to take the worla
for our King whose messages call for
haste and whose labors require skilled
workmen We would do well to In
yestigate all, try some, and hold to
the good.
whether we recognize it or not,
progress is inevitable in the work OF
God. The pages of history speak that
fact to us in uninistakable tones.
When the Bible was chained to the
pulpit a vain endeayor was being put
forth to stay the hand of religious
progress. but God placed his hand ON
Luther and sent him forth to preach
free gospel and justification by faith.
Later on when men became indiffer-
ent to vital goodness the Lord laid
his hand upon Wesley and he began
to preach long hidden truth of lex
perimental religion And whenever
men or Churches undertake to stop
the wheels of progress in Gods move
ments for the good Of the world they
are pushed aside while God is raising
I'D others to take their places. For
God cannot afford to stay his hand for
the whims and ideas of men. He Ia
moving heaven and earth for the sal
walton of the world. This is true be-
cause there is life and truth In IT.
ever increasing and expanding life
that cannot be quelled, truth a.
strong and eternal as God and Is alb
solutely indestructible. Browning has
we'll said, Gods in his heaven, airs
we'll in the world"
THE hindrances. however, to tns
progress of the Church's work are
many l call your attention TO a few
OF them: Satan and his allies, the
selfishness of men, and the deadeninS
sin OF Indifference. These are doins
their best to confuse us and bring ID
Into open rebellion against God Ana
If they fail at this point they DO the"
best to destroy US. Satan, the leader
and promoter of 1t all, must be routed
from his entertainments and driven
from the possessions Of our God an
destroyed, for he will not surrenoei'
And our fighting for the kingdom :.
God and our King must not be that ..
defense alone, bat We must move ou'