The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-02-08
REV. SMITH
PRESENTS A
GOOD SERMON
AT CHRISTIAN CHURCH SUNDAY
MORNING - SUBJECT, IAN ES
SeNTIAL TO SUCCESS" - SER
les OF SERVICES BEGIN.

Rev Smith presented a strong ser
mon at the Christian church yester
day at the morning service, his sub
ject being An Essential to Success"
The text was taken from the historic
book of Nehemiah, 1st Chapter, verse
6, THE people had a mind to work.
The speaker took time to set forth
the historic surroundings of the
times. Persia was the great ruling
power of the world A part of the
Jews had returned TO Judea and
Jerusalem in b. c. $40. Ezra, the
priest, discovered the law and recon
structed a temple worship.
But this despised people could not
maintain political rights and keep a
racial independence without walls of
| defense to their rebuilt city, which
had been razed by the Babylonians
in b. c. $50.
Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in
45S b. c. The speaker set forth
Nehemiah as a strong character, a
jew in the Persian capitol, making
a success. He was cup bearer TO the
monarch, equal to premiership at
this time. He must have been a
man of fine physical appearance, and
person of great mental power. He
was noble Jew, who voluntarily
| left the luXuries of the greatest court
of the age and the coveted power of
the greatest empire of the time to
take his place with the people of
God who were poor discouraged and
harassed on every side by jealous
| enemies.
All this put Nehemiah in a class
with the heroic, the patriotic and
| the truly great. He was like Moses,
who forsoOk the riches and royalty of
Egypt to lead out crowd of slaves
to freedom and nationality He was
| greater than Washington or Gladstone
| or Couvier or Kossiousko or Kos
south. Such a leader is a vital ne
cessity in every great enterprise.
Such a leader eXcites jealousy and
opposition, as did Nehemiah
But, great and heroic and philan-
| thropic as was this unselfish leader,
he could not accomplish the work.
/ ,bn t,1,
lies in the text, The people have
| a mind TO work"
The mind to work lies at the base
of all success, depending upon united
effort. The willing minded soldiery
makes the successful general A pa
triotc people must be back of every
executive. Oratory fails unless there
| is mental response of approval or
opposition on the part of the listen
ers. An eloquent pew is as essential
as an eloquent pulpit.
Business depends upon the willing
mind to work on the part of en-
ployes. Such mind gives ease to
task and victory to effort
A Christian mind to work must
spring from a Christian principle,
which in turn creates a Christian
ideal. GAS a man thinketh, so is he"
Life today is blessed or cursed by
choice made through ideals. This
Christian mind to work must spring
from a sense of gratitude toward God,
sense of necessity and duty, and
from a spirit of benevolence and op-
timism.
Such a mind to work" will show
itself in actual work, in abundant
effort and in willing trial and stead
fast action, and the Christian mind
to work" will secure freedom from
fruitless speculation and in unhealthy
controversy 1t will be a growth in
true Christian life and give success
in doing Gods service. AS the wall
was rebuilt at Jerusalem, so the |
Kingdom of God is now advanced on |
earth. Have you the mind to work? |
The home forces of the church are
to start a series of services on We'd
nesday night of this week, and on
that night the study of the service |
will be: What was necessary for the
early disciples to enable them to be
ready for the spirits outpouring of
Pentecost." Every member is urged |
to be present with his bible and the
whole city is urged to lay aside their
work and join with us in advancing
knowledge of the bible and to ad-
vance the kingdom of God Come
one and all, and attend and work and
worship with us in these services.
Remember Wednesday night at 1880.