The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-10-25

theran Synod, by the retiring presl-
dent. the Rev. Jas. D. Kinard;
subiect-"God works through hu-
man instrumentality.
Text-Joshua 1:9: "Be strong ana
of good courage; be not afraid neltnef
he thou dismayed: for the Lord thy
God is with thee whithersoever thou
goest."
At the time of our text Israel faced
MACMILLAN circumstances. Moses, their
lesder. who had under God brought
them to the border Of the Promised
Land. was no more. God now calls a
successor to Moses and in our text he
gives him instruction and assurance OF
His presence in carrying on the great
work to which he was called. He as
sured him as he was with Moses so ne
would be with him. He was to have
strong faith and show his faith by be-
ing strong and vigorous in doing the
work God called him to do.
We see in this subjugauon OF the
people who occupied the promised
land through human instruanentallty
the work of the Christian church OF
today in the evangelization OF the
world for Christ.
As God is the author of order and
manifested this in his plan against
the heather nations by placing Joshua
q leader and commander Of the Israel
itish forces, so in the church OF Coo
he has his under shepherds who are
10 lead the great hosts of God against
sin and in the establishment Of His
Kingdom in the world. The same IN
struction comes to the church and her
pastors today that came to Israel ana
Joshua, be strong and courageous for
the Lord thy God is with thee whittier
soever thou goest.
As this command is to individuals
and churches, so it is to the body OF
churches composing this synod.
We note then from this account:
Gods Call to Service.
(a) He calls Joashua as leader, but
the people are also to discharge their
duty under him. 1t was no light task.
They had only come to the real con-
dict-hefore them was the country to
he taken. The greatness of the work
now seems to rise up before the hosts
A new leader and they were apt to
think that the best days Of their his
tory had passed, but God gives assur-
ance that while leaders fall He, the
great head, still remains.
God has called US as a church ana
synod to a great work. Our name
would be a, misnomer did we not Ia
bor for the evangelization Of the world.
We are now just opening our eyes TO
the great opportunities around US, and
seemingly we are just now entering
GREAT neriod of advancement. TOO
long we have been content on oolnS
small, and only in a feeble way car
inp for our own near us while the
great field Of opportunity and need
Law out before us, but now we nave
caught the inspiration and have seen
the vision of great things and are not
content with our home work, but have
gone abroad carrying out the command
of the great Head of the church who
calls to service, "Go ye into all the
world and make disciples, etc.
If our people would give the same
serious consideration to the work OF
Gods kingdom as to its advancement
which they give to business there
would be no place for the thought that
in this commercial age the church's
growth is not commensurate with ma
terial development. Let us as church
and as a. synod realize that the call
of God comes for great service, more
liberal support of the institutions OF
the church. The peculiaritles OF
this century do not lnteeple
God. He is present in all his
power-as he was with Moses and
Joshua and the people so he will be
with us. He will not make a Joshua
into a Moses, nor an Elisha into an
Elijah, but with special grace for their
task he will equally endow each. De-
spair not of Gods church: tremble not
for the ark of God, despair not of our
country, but let US do our part and
"as he was with our fathers so will ne
be with u.s.