The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-11
STRONG SERMON BY
 REV. STURD|VANT
Successful Revival Meetings
 Ended Last Night
TEXT FROM ST. LUKE
Announcements Made By the Baptist Pastor in Bessemer-Negr0 h. terrupts Ice Cream Party
 With His Pistol

| Bessemer, September (Special.)-One of the distinctive sermons of the revival
 meeting that has been in session at the Methodist church of this city for the past two weeks was the concluding ad- dress delivered by Rev. J. F. Sturdlvant the resident pastor, this morning, pref aced by the announcement that the meet ing would end with the song service of this evening. The musical programmes lthat have been capaby planned by Rev. A J. Notes.-The of Alexander City, throughout the meeting have been attrac- tive features of the services, and today's quartette, composed of Messrs. Whit.le, Baty. Notes.-The and Reid. and the solo by Rev. Notes.-The were no variation from the usual good numbers.
 Rev. Notes.-The requested the oongrega- tion to come prepared for an "experi- ence" song service in the evening, each person to tell his or her favorite song, and the circumstances or reason for the favoritlsm. A report from the chairman, Mrs E.. L. Huey of the August committee on finance for the new church, was to the effect that this committee had cleared S1O1. .5o for the building fund.
 The text was taken from the fifty-first verse, twelfth chapter of the Gospel ac- cording to Luke, and the sermon was in part as follows:
 christianity is the outcome of the life and teachings of Christ, the greatest force h. tt,a ,fe~It op the universe. It takes the hardest cases and revolutionizes them into real men and women. It Is world wide in its sweep, sympathy, love and kindness and has never been known to reject anybody. One of the sweetest passages of all Scripture is the verse. He that cometh unto me will in no wise reject and no matter how low down a man has gone, Christianity will elevate him to his former plane. YoI cannot say this about any other force, that an outcast, friendless, homeless and immoral will be picked up and cared for, except the cause of Christ and the power of the church. You can't think of the great organizations, the Masons. the Odd Fellows, or the Knights of Pythias as do- ing this.
 "It is a quiet force, but 1t makes de- mands of life, person, soul. heart nina. body and the highest standards of every man and woman in the work. It demands noble ideals. lofty service and self denial to strive ever In the upward movement. But. on the other hand, 1t promises more than any other institution. Nothing gives such assurances of peace to the soul, par don to the penitent sinner, and life ever lasting to the Child of God and follower of Christ, an eternal home.
 Another thing Christianity does is that it discriminates, 1t makes issues of right and wrong by always taking stand for the right. It causes a separation of sin and righteousness, from the material worldliness and the divine. It has proven itself worthy of mans time, thought and consideration and calls for you to take sides and fight for the right.
 Suppose Christ had no better repre- sentative on earth than you, that Chris- tianity had no better exponent in Besse- mer than you, and that the Master had no better banner bearer for the cross than you, what would become of the church? You business men and women, suppose 5000 was offered for every soul you ear nestly endeavored to bring to salvation, would you try to save any more than you do now? Would you do for price what Christ's commandments direct you to do? Are you not responsible for the everlast- ing undoing of brother as well as his bodily welfare or destruction? If every member of this church should say today, I will never stop until have brought a soul into the church. until I become a soul winner this revival would usher in a tide of good that would flow on and on and conquer the evil afloat. l wonder if Heaven will be Heaven unless there Is present there some man or woman you have helped. Should an employe among men give such spasmodic service as the average Christian, how long would he hold his position? Yet we are called to hold positions in the work for Christ, ana do not cease to be indifferent and luke warm after earnest expressions of faith. 'In conclusion, I turn to another thought and instead of condemning them selves for past indifference let every Christian wake up and gather in his breth- ren to the church"
 General News
 | At the Baptist church two important | facts were announced from the pulpit | by Rev NJ. K. Thornton, namely, that the annual picnic would be held Tuesday at Avondale park of Birmingham, and that the Bessemer Baptist congregation had been requested by the Jonesboro hosts of the district meeting to be held
 there on September 26, 27 and 2s, to assist l in the entertaining of the delegates. A committee composed of Mrs. c. G. Moore
 and Mrs. JIG. Johnston was named to su
 pervise the placing of the visitors in the homes of those who would offer their hos pitality.
 All those going to the picnic are to meet
 ait the church Tuesday morning at s:2t o'clock and special cars will convey the
 party to Avondale.
 | The funeral of w. w. Moore was held
 at the Moore cemetery, near MeCalla
 with Masonic rites, following short ser
 vice pronounced by Rev. Hoston of Mo
 Calla. Worshipful Master Pro Tem John
 T. McEniry, assisted by Wardens J. H
 Phelps and T. A. Hines, was in charge
 of the ceremonies, and large number of friends of the deceased, who nas livee near McCalla all his life, were present
 The active pail bearers were: Sam Er' lick, Sam Lefkovits. Robert Nelson, E
 Finch. G. Reams and s. U. Spence.
 Driving to the home of Justice Of tht | Peace J. E. Wilson in Jonesboro, Mathew l Wesson and Miss Lear McDaniel Of Pot iIters were united in marriage this morning lat 10 o'clock The contracting partie,