Evening journal., 1916-02-16
A Business Mans Conversion
Sermon preached in the tabernacle last night by Dr. Lyon

ernacle last night by DIR. Lyon.
lpeople say. Why. IL they saw me
going out TO meet Christ every thug
and lOafer and tough on the street
will be swearing at me and damning
me and ridiculing me, and it will
imean hardship. trial and persecution. -
viii it? believe that you will agree
with me that during these meetings
have never pictured this life as easy.
It's mans job to be a Christian.
and live a Christian life. It means
that there is struggle, often hardship.
frequently ridicule, but praise God, it
means victory. For weak, vaccilla-
ting, spineless person, the Christion
life will not appeal. AS someone has
said, the reason the lions didn't cat
Daniel was because he had so much
backbone l wish we might have
more Daniels in these days, men that
are willing like this business man,
laccheus, to come down the trail no
matter if all the devils in hell try 10
keep them back
: Friends, the devil will put excuses in
your mind from now until the crack
Of doom If you will let him. Has the
devil been speaking TO you? You just
cut loose from his acquaintance, and
do as this business man who turned
his back to cowardice and case and
criticism, and did the only thing that
a true, honorable man could do. when
the opportunity to meet the Son of
God was presented to him, he went
out to see Jesus.
Now we come to one OF the most
important points that has been ut
tered from this platform. What ever
YOU forget or remember about this
message, get this: This business man
put himself in the way of receiving
the blessing He found the street thai
Jesus was going to pass on, and he
went and got up into a sycamore tree
on that very street A good many
fellows that you know of would have
sneaked down a back alley and hid
, somewhere where Christ wouldn't see
them. ] know Of no point more i'm
portant than this-put yourself in The
way Of receiving a blessing.
A godly old colored man worked
for an infdel who took delight in
ridiculing religion. "You belong t
the church, Sam, that believes il
election. don't you?" yes, boss.
> guess l do" Then. Sam. if / am
, elected to be saved, l will be saved
4 and II ! am elected to be lost, / vii
/ be lost" The old man meditated Z
T moment and replied. But, boss.
> never knew Of any one being elected
. to any Office around here unless h'
! was first a candidate"
, Now friends, if you will just lei
/. that soak in it will solve the great
4 problem Of election and free nora
agency and solve it right. Are you {
. candidate for salvation DO you wan
: TO be saved? The elect are the "Who
: sCever Wills an1 the non-elect ar
8 the "Whosoever wOn'ts."
You remember that when Jesus wa
coming down the street one day.
woman touched The hem OF his gar
ment. For twelve years she had ha
. hemorrhages Jesus turned and eN
, claimed. Someone has touched M
= for I perceive that virtue has gon
: out from Me-" The disciples mus
u have thought this almost a Joke
Someone touched You Why. Mas
u ter. il one has touched You. hundred
have. as the multitddes have bee
II lthronging about Youl "Oh. that
y true. but only one really touched Ne.
u Jesus might have said. "Only one re
! ceved healing for only one came re
!. alizing her need and believed Chris
had the power to heal.
As the old adage puts it. "lf yol
u wish the stream TO turn your mil
i wheel. put the mill wheel in tn
\ stream" Friends, let God have I
II chance with your life. Make yourse
a receptive to the spirit Of God.
There are many people who seem
think that they must act toward Go
n like they court down in Centra
. Africa. where the young men get thei
l. brides by going in the village ant
~ taking a club. knocking down som
e dusky maid and dragging her out III
. conscious. Some people think ths
l' .hey have to fight and struggle again'
u God as long as they can. that the
y have to resist with all the strengt
% they have. the pleadings and nero
E, of God. and. at last. in some grea
"a spiritual cyclone. they know not hoy
it is to come. they will be swept O
Is their feet-then they will becOm
u Christians. Why. friends. that ism
# reasonable When you are convince
IT that any course is right in politics {
s. business. you take it. don't you
e Friends. why don't you use the san
H. common sense in religion? You don
20 depend merely upon your emotions an
feelings in business. You deper
oi on your reason. When you are col
r vinced that the Christian life is Il
J. right life, accept Jesus. Put you
III self in the way Of receiving a blessin
= feeling or no feeling.
Now mark you, what he does.
climbs up into a sycamore tree. {
the very street where he knows Jesl