Valdez daily prospector., 1912-03-19
SERMON FOR
 STAY.AT.HOMEs
Sermon Delivered In Consrega- tionaI Church Sunday Ev-
 ening

took for his subject Sunday ev- ening, "Genuine Religion" His text, God is spirit and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."-- John iv:2l. The Lord Jesus had traversed long distance in the great heat of the Eastern sun and at midday reached Jacobs well, where He sat down to rest while His disciples went into the town nearby to purchase some food. In the interim a woman of Samaria came to draw water. The Master accOsted her for a drink. She was astonlshed that He, be- ing a Jew, should ask a drink of her a Samaritan woman, for there was no dealing between the Jews and Samaritans, consequent upon the fact that the Samaritans were heathens sent from Babylon to cOlOniZe Samaria after the Jews captivity, who, through the influence of the few Jews re- mia aiming and by the trading of a priest, adopted the Jewish relig '. ion, but never really fOra;.ok their idOlatr' Us practices. Thus when t;.r larger body of Jews returned frota captivity and h"@tn to re- hUild Jerusalem, the Samaritans offered assistance, but they were $nubbed and would not be recox niZcd in any way. Thus a bitter enmity sprang up that increas- ed as wears went by, so that at the time of Christ, the Samaritan wo- man was amazed that He should speak to her, much more ask a favor. This gave the Master a :aluable opportunity to instruct thr crring woman in the true principles of vital religion. In :aply she made much of tradi- tions, place and custom. Jesus ! revealed to her that forms and places were of no importance. But that facts and experience were all important. God was not confined to persons, places or cercmon- ics. God was a spirit, not cor porcal or material presence. He was vital life, supreme intclli- gcncc, unrrring in wisdom, un-
 fathomable in love. rich in mercy almighty in power, infinite in purlty--the eternal Jehovah.
 To know whom We must place ourselves in the right attitude Oi mind and heart. Places, tradi- tions. forms, ceremonies would not bring us into vital touch with the living God, but attitude of mind and heart would. There must be reality, sincerity. Thus Jesus revealed to the woman her true character until she abhored herself and turned from herself to Him in genuine confession and acceptance. Whereupon she went into the town testifying that she had found the Messiah, who had revealed to her her own real life and made known to her God in verify. So today there must be reality in religion. A coming in- to personal touch with Christ, a realization of our own true con- dition, turning from ourselves to the Christ whom we accept as our Savior and go forth testify ing by our changed characters that we have come into personal contact with the living Christ.
 What was neded in the world today was not forms, creeds, ceremonies or theoretical relig- ion, but practical manifesto tion in our daily walk and con- versation that religion was a vi- tai force in our lives. The world was sick of shams and make-be- lieves and wanted reality.
 Therefore let us show our re- ligion by our practices and then men would believe in our genu- ineness. Accept the Savior not only as our redeemer, but as our life and example, manifesting His character by His spirit op- erating through us. This can on- ly be exemplifed by sincerity and reality on our part. Sincerity in repentance, sincerity in faith,