The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-18
DR. MOORE ON HE DIVINE SACRIFICE Hard for Men to Under stand Gods Way  SAVED WHOLE WORLD Pastor Announces That Christmas Tree Celebration Will Be Held
 At Church Next Friday
 Night
 

Night
 The Golden Text of the Bible taken flom the third chapter of the Gospel 1e- cording to St. John, was the theme upon which Dr. A. R. Moore of the First Chris tian church based his sermon yesterday morning from his pulpit. The whole was tribute to the Divine sacrifice that made salvation possible for the world and 9 glimpsing of the intent of the passage concerning the teaching Of Christ.
 pr. Moore prefaced his morning lesson reading with the announcement that the Sunday school of the Christian church would hold it's annual Christmas tree cele- bration next Friday night at the church.
 Stating his theme, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting lie" Dr. Moore said in part:
 q do not know of any verse in the Bible that is more precious than the words spoken to Nicodemus by Jesus n their conservation regarding the belief Of christianity. There followed, as you all know, the recital of the matchless creed of new birth which the Pharisee could not understand. As Christ told him, if a man cannot comprehend earthly things how can he expect to come to understand the heavenly things that God has planned?
 I've know that God did love the chil- dren of Israel because He performed woh- derful miracles for them and led them into the promised land from Egypt to canaan If would not have been strange thing for Christ to have said that 6oa So loved the world that He gave Ills ohiy Son to save the children of Israel but this was not so, as the text embraces tue whole world, the people who nave passed away, those living now and the vet to worship the heavenly name. You and I find it hard to under stand why God made this sacrifice to the children of men, for we cannot measure the depth, length or breadth of Ills love except by our own feelings.
 Tt is only by our own capacities and experiences that we can place ourselves in the same position taken by others so we cannot always see why God has done that thing that man usually reverses. We know that if men were to burn our houses, slay our children, rob us of our goods and chattels or injure us in any way we would seek revenge or at least an of legal punishment for the guilty party. But God has been robbed of His ties, has been deprived of His children through the merciless arena and outraged in thousands of instances, yet in spite of this He so loved the wicked and evil world that He gave His only Son to them that they might have everlast- ing life if they would believe on Him. We can readily see how we can love our friends, but to love our enemies, as God teaches and instructs us to do, Is not within the range of every mans sympa- thies.
 "The word of two letters in that text contains the measure of Gods love for the world. If it is used to represent a ladder, 1t would reach from the lowest point of perdition to the highest pinnacle of heaven, or if it Is line, 1t would wind around and around the globe many times until it touches every living crea- ture and human being. But it is not something to be estimated by that which does measure quantity or distance, as it consists of quality. The nature of Gods love was such that He gave up the thing that would make Him hap piest for the need of the universe.
 nj hn side of Gods nature, as it is revealed to us and see, in our opinion, a man of wrath who pours out devastation upon our land with storms and tornadoes or smites one of our household with afflic- tion.
 ''He seems to sweep away our most cherished possessions with a relentless hand and be God of jealousy that inspires us with the feeling that we don't want such divinity. Thls IS all because we are not behind the scheme of things and have not been taken into the confi- dence of the Divine Architect that we might be able to see that everything that is. happens for our good. a All elements work for the best towards the man who loves God and His way is not to be questioned, no matter what transpires.
 What is the price of the sacrifice of an only son as paid for by God? It was done at a cOSl Ol uedli anu SCp- aration but with final ascendancy into heaven to sit on the right hand of His Father. Christ was born and reared in poverty and was trained up in the belief that he had been sent by God to save the world. He did this and after resting in His grave for three days burst the bonds of death that today we might reap the benefit of His entrance into the kingdom of an everlasting life.
 Man has a part to play in hastening the coming of the kingdom by believ- ing in Him, confessing devout love for Him and obeying His command ments The demonstration of mans s love for God is the going down into holy baptism with Him, walking in the paths prescribed by divine guidance and being brother to their fellow men who arlq entitled to the privilege ex- tended by the giving of Christ to the world that you yourself are if they o iC pi inn nc