The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-19
. 5 RD|S COMPARED
 I0B|RM|NGHAM McVoy on Living Right In
 Birmingham LIFE's ENVIRONMENT Surroundings Have Much to do With Forming of haracter-Eyery- thing Should Be Sacrificed
 for Christianity
LIFE's ENVIRONMENT

.'Iiving Right in Birmingham" was the
 subject of very interesting sermon de-
 livered by the Rev. E.. C. MoVoy at the
 Highland Methodist church at Five Points
 last night. Mr. Mcvoy compared the city
 of Birmingham to the ancient and wicKeo
 city of Sardis. He took his text from
 the fourth verse of the third chapter of the Revelations or Gods instructions to the church, Thou hast few names, even in Sardis which have not defiled
 their garments; and they shall walk with
 me in white; for they are worthy"
 Much has been written and spoken in the last few years,' said pr. McVoy, "con- erning the power of environment. There is no doubt that ones surroundings have great deal to do with the forming of one's character. Young and old alike are influenced by their associates and their
 lives are shaped by their environment.
 We read in the Bible of an ancient city by the name of Sardis. This city was one of the largest in >the world at that time and was also very wicked and was filled with vice. The men and women of Sardis lived lives
 of great wickedness and shame, but m this wicked. vice ridden city. one little
 
 fiourished in spite of all the evil influ- ences against it. Of course a large num- ber of the converts of the church re- turned to the ways of the world, but tne faithful toiled on to spread the word of God in Sardis. And 1t was here that God spoke to St. John, saying Thou hast few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are fIxy Co faffl fttI ar1p Applied to Birmingham
 ''Let us apply the text to Birmingham. There is no doubt but what Birmingham is city of much vice and wicledness. In spite of it's hl ldreds of churches and thousands of church people, there arc many places that vice hourishes and wick edness thrves. Let it be said, Thou hast a few names even in Birmingham which have not defed their garments' And my friends, hope that you will be on that list.
 How many people come to me and say that they cannot be Christians be- cause they are business people, and that one cannot be successful in bus mess these days and still be entirely honorable. They say that in order to be successful they are required to prac- tice methods that are not quite square. l would say to them that they should l get out of business-that the care of their souls is of vastly more import .ance than the care of a dishonorable | business. And how many homes there are that there is nos@morning and evening prayer; where none of the family at tends church. and where the religious side of life is neglected. In such sur roundings child's life has small chance of being religious, yet some of the finest Christian characters 1 have | ever met have been reared in homes | that were most ungodly. The spirit of God should be told to the children by | the parents in the homes. And still again you hear someone say. I have no chance of being Chris | titan because the shop or factory or | place in which I work has so many |, evil and wicked surroundings.' It may | be true that there are evil surround | ings, but if one will trust in God they | will be sure to conquer, no matter | what the environment is. |
 And still you hear: T cannot be a | Christian because the crowd with which | ! associate does not attend church and | This Is deplorable state of affairs, | and I would tell such a person to quit | that crowd and take up the church | instead of quitting the church and | staying with the crowd. Thou hast even in Birming gham q few names which have not defiled their | 'garments; and they shall walk with | .mc in white, for they are worthy"