Gilpin observer., 1911-11-02
SUNDAYS SERMON

Ait s. James M. E. church Sunday
morning, Rev. S. A. Webber took for
text. Stir up the gift of God that
is in thee" II Tim. 1-e. He Impress
ed the necessity of stirring into act
ivity the faith and powers with which
man is possessed. He said In part:
The gift" as l understand 1t is
that Of faith. By a consecration ser
vice and the laying on of his hands.
the Apostle Paul has given to him
thority to go out and preach to all
men salvation through faith" This
is the gift that is in him and that
the Apostle urges him to stir into
activity.
1t doesn't matter how much faith
tice We can never accomplish the
work to which God calls us.
have selected this text because
all over this land are men, whose
faith is dormant and dead ani whose
faith ought to be stirred into activi-
ty Possibly there are some such
people in Central City.
This belief or faith in God, is
in some measure at least in the
heart of every man, whether he be
Hindu or Chinese or Parisce or what
ever he is. But like the seeds of the
blue flowers on Col.oden's battlefield
which had waited all the years for
the blood of the slain to stir them
into life;. this faith, or belief in God,
in the hearts CT men. has been wait
ing all the years for the blood of
Christ to stir it into life.
Whatever will stir into life the
faith in the heart of man, renders
greatest service to that man; wheth
er it be his faith in God or his faith
in the feasibility of some earthly en-
terrrise. am saying in the begin
ming that it doesn't matter how much
you believe in Gods plan for the sal
vation of sinners; you might as well
have never heard of Jesus Christ If
you will not act uIon his faith. So
far as your salvation through the
atoning blood is concerned.
In this time in which we live, the
first question of the employer. wheth-
er it be the head OF Il great mercan-
tile establishment. or congregation
employing n pastor, is-dces he do
things? Dc-s he bring things to pass?
Everything hinges upon this. The
man whose gifts" have not been
stirred into activity has no place in
the twentieth century. Whether his
particular gift be the power to tame
the nghtnings. span mighty rivers.
navigate the air or conduct n vast en-
terprise Listen, behind every sue
oessful enterprise is the same sc:t
OF faith which placed in the everlas;-
ing God has brought salvation to
race of sinners. II is this awakened
faith in living Christ that has car
rled the gospel story across every
mountain and river and sea, in this
old world of ours. II has been the
stirring up of this gift that has turn
ed the religious world upside down
wherever the advocates of the Christ
ian religion have gone.
If | had my way every college in
the land should have in it new
chair. | would call 1t the twentieth
century chair. II should be occupied
only by man or woman who had the
ability to so put himself into touch
with the lives of the young men and
maidens, that the gift of God plant
ed there should be stirred into ac-
tivity. And with chair like that
every college that permitted its grad
yates to go ont into the world aim
less. should be raized to the ground.
We used Nto have a couplet that
We some times repeated. | cannot
give 1t to you in the words we used,
but the thought was like this. when
we apply 1t to the churchill every
other member was just IKE mo. how
many folks would we have at the
prayer meeting? And in the time of
special services II every other
member was just like me how many
people would we have who would talk
with the unconvertei and strive to
lead them into the kingdom? How
many would we have to lead in pray
er when prayer was needed CT TO
bear testimony when a testimony
was needed? Stir up the gift of
God that Is in thee"
One of the first reasons that | men
tion for stirring up our gifts and
putting them into service. is that we
must use them or lose them. This is
an immutable law of God.It is beau
tifully nresented in the parable Of the