The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-25
Our Social Life for Christ
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOMKINS

icAS' 81. Luke, XIV. 1879.
Christians form a great family of
which Jesus Christ Is the head, and as
lin good family there is always a
In the church, the family of the Master.
Our Lord passed thirty years of His
earthly life I'm a family. There were
Ills father and mother and Himself.
and perhaps some others. Artists have
always loved to picture this Holy
Family" as 1t was called, and some of
their paintings are wonderfully beau
tiful We can well imagine that fam
lily life. There was mutual love and
confidence: there was mutual service,
rs each one boreGa part in the work
OF the household: and there must have
been pleasure, recreatlon, happiness,
else the home would not have been
natural. So we have from the Masters
own experience suggestion OF the
social life We know. too, how He
began His three years ministry by
choosing those who would go with
Him and be His companions. Nothing
is more beautiful to me than the
thought OF Jesus and His apostles
forming family In which there was
the same mutual trust and love and
pleasure and service as In the Nazareth
home. They walked together and
worked together; they went on the
Sea of Galilcc together. and the life
they lived was almost ideal as we see
IL pictured By the gospels.
Heaven itself Is to be place OF
social fellowship. There we shall have
pleasures forcvermorc psalm xvi. ID.
We shall know each other, and be
free from sickness and sorrow and part
ing. and VIC shall be with CHRIST. Ger
tainly then the social life is in accord
with Gods viii. He wants us to be
happy and loving here, In spite of
weakness and suffering. He wants us.
so far as We can. to live the life of
heaven on earth.
THE TRUTH OF nROTHERHOOD
AND SOCIAL SERVICE
There are several truths for US to
consider here. The first Is the truth
OF brotherhood. We are all one In
Christ Jesus. The things that divide
us are of sin. not OF God. and We must
Danish them and not permit ourselves
to be Influenced by them. Neither
wealth nor education nor advantages
nor race nor color should separate
Gods people. II anything like dis
elimination liz found in our churches 1t
should be attacked vchemcntly st.
James tells va In no measured lam
guagc Games ii. l-l2) how wrong 1t
IS for the rich TO look down upon the
poor, or the learned to dcspisc the
ignorant. We need everywhere a
stronger spirit OF unity. Church unity
VIII never come until we arc nj one
with each other In brotherly love.
Again. there Is the truth of social
service. We hear much OF this in these
days, and we may rejoice that we do.
We are here on earth to serve and
help one another, and we must do this
In the largest and finest way. seek
ing to lift Mn the fallen, to relieve the
distressed. TO make happy the sorrow
fIl But all these things must be done
in tho name of Him who went about
doing good. There is danger OF our
falling into n philanthropy separated
from Christ and based upon some
human philosophy which cannot endure.
] think there Is danger, too. In our
making social service q kind OF Do-
litical power which depends upon the
passing and enforcing OF laws rather
than upon the loving bcstowal Of per-.
sonal effort. You can never make men
good and happy BY Law. Law Is good,
and VIC need ii. but grace is the divine
power which Christ established. and
which we must preach. We sometimes
laugh at the old ndagc, BE good and
YOU VIII be happy; and Mark Twain
used 10 say, "Bc Soodgand you VIII be
loncsomeW But after all il Is good
ness that must lie ut the root OF all
lasting happiness. and that. not n mere.
moral goodness rs men interpret 1t, but
real trust In Christ and an effort
to please Him. The trucr our Chris
tianity, the deeper will be our happi-
ness. II is not, therefore, by the re-
moving OF evils, general or particular.
that we can best serve men, though
1t is right 10 fight against these evils
and seek TO Danish them; but by lead
Ing men to love Christ will we most
surely attain IN our midst the true
social life.
MUST BE GOVERNED
ny THE WILL OF GOD
The question of pleasure and of
amusements comes in here. and IL has
been vexed question in the church
for a long time. What pleasures are
right for Christian? Some branches
Of the church have laid down very
strict and exact rules to govern their
members: other branches have led their
members to rely upon the advice or in
some cases the commands of their min
listers | cannot help thinking that
neither Of these plans is wise. The first
is apt to make the obedience regarding
aInusemcnts formal and not spiritual;
the second is apt to take away the per-
sonal responsibility which God Himself
has laid upon each one of, us. We must
DO governed by the will OF God, which
He has given us in His Book. and then
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
decide, each for himself. what is right.
and in doing this we must be careful
to hold firmly and intelligGntly to the
spirit of the ten commandments, and
also guard against Judging our neigh
Dor. I fear there is danger to-day Of
scorninS the old so-called Puritan Gus
toms, and making pleasure quite mat
ter of convenience rather than a rev.
crcnt obedience. Sunday amusements
come in here, and / am sure that the
real observance OF the Lords Day
means a putting away of the common
play OF the week. If we open the door
on a crack it may all too easily swing
wide open If baseball and all kinds of
games arc right on Sunday, then why
may not our moving picture shows and
cur concert halls be freely opened for
those vino enjoy such things? And soon
the stores will open for trade and our
saloons follow suit TO satisfy the de-
rnands of many. and where will Sunday
be as a day of rest and Worship and
spiritual delight?
Sunday gloomy day. Sunday day
for one hour of worship and then for
play! The latter is n return to medic
valism and to the custom of countries
where Christianity has not a very
strong hold upon the daily lives of the
people. The former is to forget what
the old customs did In the making of
men In orr AmertcoO land and how