Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-10
ReUiUdLs as Told Of in the Bible
Billy Sundays Afternoon Subject

Billy Sunday took for his topic. THE
Revival at Pentecost," as told in the
Bible. this afternoon at the tabernacle
1t is one of his favorite topics because
1t relates the wonderful story of 3,0OC
persons converted by one sermon.
Billy said, Nowadays it takes about
! 5000 sermons to convert one person.
And the cause for this he declared "a
be the lack of spirituality in the church
and the lack of the "one accord" spirit
| His sermon was as follows:
THE revival at Pentecost was moi
a man-gotten-up revival. The leader was
the Holy Spirit from start to finish,
There was no cut-snd-dried schedule
They looked to the Holy Spirit for guild
ance as to how the meeting was to
be run. They were looking for two
great things-first the Holy Ghost and
then power. You'll have better prayer
meetings IL you go oexpecting something
Not culture and then power. not wealth
and then power. not power and the Holy
Ghost-its got to be first the Holy Ghost
and then power.
1--WE are disciples today just as GER
tainly as those men back in Judea, when
! It comes TO the work of carrying on the
gospel. One reason for the church's
failure today 10 that It does not realize
that it has the Same God-given mission.
II the church is not doing the work OF
God. who is? The saloons are not. The
politicians are not. The clubs are not.
II the church is not doing Gods work
today, who is? Show me7 I'll leave
the church because I'm looking for God g
representative. II you are not get out
Of the church. You and have the same
command to keep the world in state
of perpetual revival that the disciples
had. You'll find the church that isn't
is dying OF dry rot today, too, pure and
simple
"Why did they scatter in all direc-
ton like shot from a gun! 1t shows
good sense in you when you try to find
out Gods way of doing things. His
way is to plant In April and May, not in
October or November. You may not be-
Iieve in God. but there isn't any old
infidel who can run even his own farm
without following the divine order. The
time you spent in getting an education
Ia not wasted. The time you spent eat
ing and sleeping and gathering energy
is not wasted. Let's have the same kind
Of horse sense in the church. They
waited ten days for Pentecost. What the
church needs today is a baptism of horse
sense.
Let GOD Come First.
"rhey made their business and domes-
tic affairs arrange themselves not TO in
terfere with the ten days prayer meet
ing. You do the same with these cottage
and union prayer meetings Never mind
your club and your literary society. You
can read your paper on Ruskin four or
five months from now Just as we'll as
now. You'll get It all out OF the en-
cyclopedia. anyhoSy. and It'll be there
then Just as we'll as now. Gods purpose
Is to give Him the right-of-way. Your
way Is to let housecleaning, theater-going,
feasts. lodge meetings. card parties.
weekend blowouts and everything else
come IN first before God.
They were continuously IN the temple.
They had all-day meetings. not for an
hour In the morning. What did they go
fort Did they so to gossip and talk
about their neighborsf No. they went
TO talk about God. II fellow Hot up 70
say something he didn't have some fellow
pulling a watch on him II he happened
to take up five minutes of his time.
rye been In churches where they had
clocks screwed on the pulpits, and be-
lieve the devil had his hand in that II
the minister happened to go five minutes
overtime-whewl They took time to pray
and praise God. Just consider why It
was and see how much they had to be
thankful for. Then they were brethren
there and they had better times. Judg-
ing from the church attendance today.
heaven won't be packed with men. No
doubt the disciples had just as Pressing
business 5 the men Of Omaha today.
And those we're warm meetings.
Everybody was enthusiastic There was
no danger OF catching pneumonia By sit
ting down IN a seat that had just been