The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-13
Defines DUTY
OF the CHURCH
House Of God Tells Story Of Re-
demptiop, Says Rev. Stalker


church. For according to our estimate
of twill be the effort we will put
forth In It's behalf. our conception
must not be too common place and
uninspiring,' said Rev. ID. ID. stalker
at the First Presbyterian church Sun
Jay morning in a sermon on The
Church, the Body, and Christ
Continuing Rev. Stalker said:
What Is tho church? The entire
body of believers throughout the
world together with their children, or
as the Apostle Paul puts it. the Body
of Christ" This definition of the Apos-
tie Is most Illuminating one. and the
grandest thing ever said of the church.
If the church is the body of Christ,
then He Is the head of the church.
No closer union can be conceived than
that between the head and the body,
They cannot exist apart. SO believers
cannot live apart from Christ and He
cannot do His work apart from the
church.
What is the purpose of the church?
In other words, why the body? The
body Is the servant Of the soul the
medium through which the soul trans
lates its thoughts and purposes into
facts and gets into touch with its en-
vironments. So the church is the SER
want of Christ, the medium through
which He makes His will known and
gets into touch with and influences the
world. Christ. while on earth, had His
body of flesh and blood wherewith to
work the works Of God. The earth
still needs Him but instead of that
body He has another-the church--tu
give Him visibility here. Think Of It,
fellow christians, we are Christ's body,
His flesh and bones, His mouth, hands
and feet; His very brain to think His
thoughts, and His heart to throb with
His love; His passion to seek and save
the lost. What an honor What re-
sponsibility!
THE work OF the church is twofold
She is the first mouthpiece of God
called to make His will known. To her
is committed the duty of telling the
world the story OF redemption. mans
sin, and his deliverance through the
life and sacrificed death of Jesus
Christ. This is her message and n
church with such a message will al
ways be listened to, and in her serv-
Ice men will lay down their lives.
But the church is not charged with
speech alone. but also with deeds.
While an earth Jesus not only taught,
He performed deeds of kindness and
love. He healed the sick, fed the hun
cry. and comforted the sorrowing and
discouraged. SO now I'm addition TO
teaching. lie imposes on His church
the duty of ministering TO the other
wants of His creatures. 1t is to fight
disease, poverty, and vice. and to be-
stow its ministry of help and blessing
along these lines. Today Christ is
thrustng this work upon the mind and
conscience of the church as never be.
fore. From every side comes the de-
mand for the church to make herself
Il more adequate instrument of Christ's
uoings as we'll rs His teachings.
her social ministry? First and al
ways, through the individual efforts
Of her members. Let him that hath
give to him that needeth. That was
the method Of new testament times.
and a method that will never grow
obsolete. or, again, the church, in
her collective capacity. may directly
the task, as she does in the
mission field. where beside the preach
ng station Is placed the school and
he hospital. The church must lend
her Influence to every movement that
would lessen disease, poverty, and
rhine. and do what she can to pro-
note the welfare OF society. The
,hurch exists. not for herself but the
hrobbing. sinful world outside. And
The conquers. not SO much by getting |
men into her. as getting herself into |
men. The true measure of success will |
,e found. not in crowded services, an |
,verflowing treasury. or a multitude |
4 organizations, but in the extent to |
which she lcavcns the surrounding |
World
The church will have glorious |
uture There are prophets of evil,
Who predict mischief to the church and
peak OF her as a dying institution.
'hese prophets forget the fact that the
hurch is the. body of the Lord. Jesus.
nd as He is eternal, so will His
hurch be. She will never perish. We
hall see the passing of the prison. the
and places that work evil,
ut for the church we shall see Il
Irgcr life and usefulness as the ages
ass. The time will come when tele
rams and cablegrams will speak of
nvivals in religion instead of war,
murder and riots; when excursions will
q run to religious meetings instead of
, race courses. athletic contests and
hows Of questionable character. The
hurch may have her fluctuations. her
bb and flow, but she will ultimately
'iumph and be presented faultless in
no presence of Gods glory with eX-
aeding joy"