Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-28
CHURCH BORN AT
THE EMPTY TOMB
RESURRECTION THEME OF DR..
BROUGHER'S SERMON
BEAUTIFUL EASTER SERVICES
AT TEMPLE AUDITORIUM
Twenty Candidates Are Baptized by
mmersion-Cantata Is Sung
by the Choir in the
Evening

The Temple auditorium was radiant
in floral splendor yesterday in celebra-
ton of the Easter day Both the great
auditorium and Berean hail had been
deliberately decorated, Easter lilies ana
Gala lilies being used in the number
of several hundred in the elaborate
decorative scheme.
In the main auditorium the decora-
| lions were confined to the platform.
which was banked with potted palms
and lilies and presented a scene Oh
| fairylike beauty. The stage was ar
ranged with a woodland scene with a
! tall white cross at the rear, around
which were grouped the chorus choir
in white SUPPLIES In front of the
altar railing were banked potted East
er lilies, white carnations and aspara-
! gus plumosus. These potted plants
were also arranged very effectively in
the orchestra, while a Gala lily cross
1 three feet high was arranged in front
| of the lectern.
Twenty candidates were baptized by
| immersion at the morning service and
each was presented with cluster OF
white carnations on leaving the bap-
| tismal font.
Mrs Martin Bekin and Mrs. f. +.
+ Wolfe had charge of the decorations Of
the main auditorium. assisted by Mr..
and Mrs. Robert RaYenScraft, Mr.. and
Mrs. Lewis Whistler and Mr.. and Mrs.
| Stewart. Mr.. and Mrs. Leonard Mer-
rill and Mr.. and Mrs. T. I. Woodruff
had charge of the decorations for the
Sunday school in Berean hall The
potted Easter lilies will be distributed
among the hospitals of the city today.
Despite the inclemency of the wealth
er a large congregation attended the
morning service to hear the first East
er sermon preached by DIR. Brougher
as pastor of the Temple. An elaborate
musical program was rendered. Last
evening the Easter cantata. Victory
Divine" was rendered by the church
quartet and choir under the direction
of J. p. Poulon.
Monuments of Resurrection
DIR. Brougher preached an eloquent
Easter sermon on THE Monuments Of
the Resurrection" He said in part:
In the religious world memorial
days have been more or less multiplied,
and some have been inclined to give
up the observance of all because there
are so many. But nearly all Christians
observe Christmas as the birthday of
Christ and Easter as putting special
emphasis upon the fundamental mir
acle in the life of Christ, his resurrec-
-
nificance of everything that Jesus said
or did. 1t was at the empty tomb that
the real church of Christ had its birth
and began its stupendous work of con-
quering the world.
Some of the monuments which give
emphasis to this truth we will notice.
1.-THE Lords day Every Lords day
is a commemoration of the resurrec-
ton of Jesus Christ. There is no
other reason for the change from the
seventh day to the first. The apostles
were Jews. trained to observe the sew
enth day Sabbath. But with the resur-
rection of Jesus Christ on the first
day of the week they began to OBJ
serve that day as the Lords day Every
time they met it was upon the first day
of the week, and they would salute
each other with the same. Christ is
risen This is still the custom among
the Russian peasants on Easter morn
ing. 1t would be a beautiful custom
for all Christians if on Sunday morn
ing as they go to church they would
salute one another with the trium-
plant shout, Christ is risen indeed.
"2-The church of Christ. The real
birth of the church was the resurrec-
tion of Jesus Christ. If he had not
risen, there would have been no
church. on that blacklist of all Fri
disciples had seen Jesus cruelty taken
and crucified. The Roman soldiers
had done their harsh and deadly work
They had gashed his side; they had
poured out his hearts blood; and he
had died. Tenderly and lovingly he
had been buried; and in the tomb had
been placed the hope, the courage of
the disciples. They were now scat
tered and Respondent; and there had
oh nd haA
not been revived by the resurrection.
Thus the church of Christ was found
ed on an empty grave; it has been
built over an empty grave; and it will
stand until the end over an empty
grave.
Reasons for Baptism
"3-Baptism. Paul said: (Romans
go: We are buried, therefore, with
Christ through baptism into death,
that like as Christ was raised from
the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we also might walk in new
ness of life. For if we have become
united with him in the likeness of his
DEATH we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection 1t is for this rea-
son that Baptists and many other dis
ciples of Christ believe that the only
proper act of baptism is immersion. 1t
is to commemorate the burial and re-
surrection of Jesus Christ.
"4-The Lords supper. In this mon
ument we may read the great truth
that we still worship a living Christ
who sustains us by his spirit. All
Christians are urged to observe it in
remembrance of him till he comes
Jesus said: 10, l am with you al
ways as you go forth to evangelze the
world He is to be our nourishment
and our strength in the conflict of
life. We will eat at his table. to re-
member his death and his resurrec-
ton. and to inspire our hone and ex-
pectation of his coming. Just when,
lust where he will come we do not
know; but he will come with all his
holy angels and our loved ones with
him. and we shall triumph with him.
GAS we read the Inscriptions upon
these monuments today, let them in
spire our lives with new hope, new
aspirations, new faith, new courage;
and let us never doubt that the victory
of life shall be ours"