The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-23
DR.. BEARD GAVE
fine SERMON
DR.. n. A. BEARD, q. o., PREACHED
SPLENDID SERMON YESTER.
DAY MORNING AT FIRST CON-
EDUCATIONAL CHURCH ON
CHRIST THE GUIDE

Rev. r. A. Beard, DID, preached {
powerful sermon yesterday morning
on Christ the Guide at the First Con.
gregationa1 church. DIR. Beard tool
his text from John xiv, 6, II am the
way" and from Matthew xvi, "a, Fol.
low Me-. In part DR.. Beard said:
The world Is full of people WhC
need a moral and spiritual guide
Many people are perplexed because OF
the conflict of religious beliefs: while
others are actually lost through ignor-
Ar1ce and sin, s.
ITO all who have lost their way
whether for n reason or another,
there comes One who says. I am the
way, follow me-. Notice the astound-
ing sweep of this statement, and its
implications. Christ does not say, 7
am a way but I am the way.
Il. Chrfst's statement implies that
all other ways are deficient in some
particular. The ace had many good
and wise religious leaders. Abraham,
Moses, and Paul were pre-eminent as
religious leaders; but as such their
influence upon the world has been very
insignificant as compared with that OF
Jesus of Nazareth.
%. Christ's statement implies that
his way is a way hat all men can
follow.
IF Jesus came to this world on a
mission of love to man he did no
point out to mar q way in which it
does not say, Think as I do. He does
not say even, DO as l do. What he
says is Follow me-.
1T would be impossible, of course,
to think as Christ did on all questions.
1t would be still more impossible to do
as he did in all situations. But it is
possible for all men to follow him.
pnI,r hnS-a q on \ lF1nHxTro oc 1L"011nuy
your leader. A swift and agile runner
starts out for a long run and a group
Of boys start after him. He leads
them through woods, over fences. over
the tops of barns, and ove every diff
ficult way he can find. The boys are
all following after, though some may
be a long ways behind, while others
are up near the leader.
"A mar who is doing his best to live
a Christ-like life is a follower Of
Jesus Christ. even though he may be
a long way behind him.
"A few years ago the cry was raised
in certain quarters of the theological
world. Back to Christ. The fact Is
nobody has yet caught up with him.
"3. ChriSt's statement implies, also,
that he felt conscious Of a power with
in him which justified his claim to be
the way for all men. If he made the
claim knowing he had no right to
make it he was a fraud. and his lame
would now be a byWord. If he made
the claim thinking he had a right to
make it when. in point of fact, he had
no power to justify such a claim. he
was self-deceiyed, nj as such his in
huence would have been short-lived.
THE truth is that Jesus Christ is
the only being that we lived in this
world who could make such a state
ment and stand up under it for nine
teen centuries.
Believers and unbelievers. alike
agree that Jesus Christ Is the only
character in ali history without q
blemish or a flaw. His own challenge
Which of YOU c~onvinceth me of sin?
remains unanswered. All men need 6
guide, and surely every man should
want the best. No man, in his sense
can afford to refuse his Offer