The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-08-20
CHRIST KNOCKS
At THE DOOR OF
SINNERS HEART
az ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE
AND OPEN THE DOOR I WILL
COME IN"
DR.. MACK At UNION SERVICE
Shows The Difference Between The
Believer and the UnbelieVer-'one
Shuts Christ From Heart-The 9th
er Admits Him.

First Cumberland Presbyterian church,
addressed the united congregations of
the city Sunday evening at the First
Methodist church.
The text was Rev. 1920, Behold
stand at the door and knock; if any
man hear my voice and open the door
| will come into him, and will sup
with him and he with me-"
He said in part:
"A truly great picture needs little
explanation but much contemplation.
Here is one of the greatest pictures
of the New Testament; Christ at the
door of the heart. Let US look for a
time on the picture and see what 1t
tells us.
Here we see the difference between
the christian and the unbeliever. With
one Christ is within the heart-wlth
the other he is without-at the door.
You can't always tell by their lives. The
christian makes his missteps, he has
his faults, he commits his sins, while
the unbeliever may lead life that is
lust as clean and maintain an equally
good reputation.
I'VE must look deeper-at the cen
ter of the life. In one case Jesus
Christ has been allowed to enter the
heart, the life belongs to Him. He
may not control all the issues, may
not fill every chamber of the heart
with His presence. The man may
even fall into sin. But none are
grieved more than he himself and the
violated covenant is renewed He
loves his Master, hates sin and at
| reart is right.
But at the hearts door of the other
Christ stands without. He is not
held as Master nor confessed as Lord.
And though he may be near, he is not
within.
see the attitude of Christ in the
nicture, i stand and knock. How
natiently has He waited for you, while
Won have sought your pleasure, your
own ambitions. He has awaited, but
the convenient season has never come.
And He makes you know he is
there by his knocking. He leaves no
one with any excuse. He knocks 10
attract your attention. You were SO
engrossed with the toys and gew-gaWs
of life you hardly heard him. How
natient he has been. A son became
tired of his fathers rule and ran away
tn the West. He became a cowboy on
the nlains. In the long evenings the
boys would play church and Jim was
good at imitation the preacher. one
night in their mock service While Jim
was preaching a stranger OF mldoie
age came within the circle. Being a
christian and impressed with the oc'
casion he prayed a fervent prayer for
the boys so far from home and cnurcn
and loved ones. 1t was too mucn 1oi
lin. They all skunk away and soor
after Jim left for home. His Ole
father had met every train expecting
his bow home and this time not dis
appointed, they met with open arms
Jim became true preacher; and II
was because of a father whose att
tude was that of Christ-waiting FOL
his boy.
Then see the sinners part. YOU
must not merely be aware He Is there
hut heed His voice, give serious
thought to it. Then open the door
All. here is the hard part. To teal
away the tenacles OF sin, the sins w
: love: to loosen the nest of indifferenc'
and unconcern on the hinges-tn'
hreak.nn is not comfortable-and thel
, to surrender to the rule OF another, U
the will of Christ-all this is not easy
Conversion-tru conversion-is NJ
light matter for the one who has To-
Elowed the course Of his own Will 10
wears. But 1t is the noble thing, tn
, manly surrender.
And the results are He comes in
/ He never fails to do Sole enters fe
\ lowship that sustains us in all our III
: and leads to the fellowship OF tn
blessed hereafter. Open the door t
I Him now, and let Him in.
viii He leave If you do not? In
disciples were directed to WITHDRAW
from a city that did not receive then
But better it is to say that the doc
will be so overgrown with the vine
I or habit and sin that the will OF th
man will not be able 10 open IT,"
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