Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-21
What Does Christ
Want Us to Do?
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD ". rOMKISS.
Text st. John XIV. I2-l8,
It helps us greatly to remember that

- at'po 10 hIcd'lS w TGInCl1pcT tndt
our lives arc to be governed by the
will OF our dear Master. 1t is not a
question Of what other people arc do
ing or OF what other people tell us
We ought to do. Nor yet is IL a uucs-
ton of what VIC wish 10 do. The only
rule for tho Christian life is that which
III, Paul expressed when he said at
III: conversion: Lord. what 1ouldst
Thou have me to do" TO inc. this
s!mplihcs life greatly. / simply have
to go 10 my Best Friend and ask Him.
and He Will surely show me HIS will
II | prove myself ready and willing
TO obey. The more ohedicnt 7 am.
and the more willing in my service,
tho more easily and clearly do l hear
His voice saying. This is what I would
havc you 10 do. My child"
We must remember. too. that what
our Lord wishes us TO do is for our
o"n best good. Hc is not an arbitrary
King. commanding VS. to do this or that
hecause lie wishes it: but He Is n low
ing Savior who knows what .S best
FOR us and asks VIZ to obe. Him hc-
cause through such obedience only can
- INV JOY anu De6Fc. VIC cannot al
was tell how the things lie asks US
to do arc going 20 bring us a bless
ing. for VIC arc ignorant like little
children. But NC can trust as We
ohoy, and know that the dear i.ord's
10y is planning for Ms moro wisely
inan We can plan for ourselves. Hence
me JOY OF Christian obedience. II ia
not following a law nor Ia II 4 literal
!~uifllmant of a command II is -ath-
or q loving listening 10 the voice OF
Christ and a sympathetic understand
!nE OF Him ana Ills care for vs. which
comes through our Fellowship with
Vim.
INSTRUCTIVE UNDERSTANDINGS
IN TRUE FRIENDSHIP
We know that among friends. Thcrc
the friendship Is real and deep. there
IL An instructive understanding of tho
wiuhcs OF each other. W. know. with
out his telling us. what &: la that our
friend desires. This IL one Of the beau
ties of close. unsclfsh human friend
ship. and It IL 4 parable Of the nay IN
which tho Christian can grow 20 under
stand his Lord. Indeed. / think Chri3-
tianity, when il is true, does not de-
pcnd very much upon commandments
or Laws; II passes beyond them. u 10
not even governed by that measure
which tho world may sivo as to right
and wrong. l. is so much higher than
this. though not contrary 70 X. that
tho Christian tccls 10 coInpulsion. nor
does he act from fear. Love becomes
the great power Of his life. and he docs
what Cod wants him 70 do simply be
"auso he cannot help IL. or course.
this i. = hiGh ideal which VIC do not
ul"iyr reach. and so Cod helps AS by
giving US ruics and laws 10 guide Gs
But NC should remember that these
rules are no. 10 Shut VIZ in or 20 hind
80 49,. ,N..s .-n lt-L,r -, 49,, d. 4.
show US tho course which "c should
follow. Therefore. We do not use the
word must" in connection with our
Christian life. but. NC put in It's place
"priviloFe." ~ love to- becomes the
expressed or unsurpassed spirit Of the
Christian ne.
think wc may group the wishes of
our Master for Us under three general
heads The frs. is tho Masters desire
hat NC should love Him. When | re-
NIB how He asked Petcr for his
love est John xxi. l5). and when | re-
member how John, the beloved disciple.
seemed to be especially dear 70 our
Lord because Of his loving nature. and
when. above all else. ] remainder that
Christ came into ,hc world because
He loved the world. and that He died
for me because He loved me. I am sure
that my best service can he rendered
through the devotion OF my heart. Let
us remember that the dearest prayer
We can cTeT night ana morning ~
simply this: MY Jesus ] love Thee"
pos>IpLE TO carr: MORE
AND DEEPLY ron ALI.
Again. our Lord wants us 70 love
each other. VIC are all brothers. and
while tho circumstances of our livce
may differ. Ne All have the same hu-
man struggle, tho same sunshine and
shadow. the same ending when dea.h
comes and, II We will. the same 10y
~, entrance into rfprnify All chat
separates us comes from sin and
satan. All that unitcy us comes from
God. Therefore. the dear Lord wishes
MS to he kind % ono another, tender
hearted. forrivinr one another. help
ing ono another and hearing ono an
others burdens.
This gives such a beautiful color TO
human life. it seems 70 me. When the
mother loves her child. when the child
laves hts parents. when brother loves
~sistcr, when friend loves friend. II is
sim ply the love OF God working OUT in
US that which fe desires nnove all
else. OF course. thcrc are thinEs in
our lives, because We are human. which
arc not very lovablr. We make mis-
takes. and because we are weak some
times our temper gets the better of
Us; but In spite Of all this. IL wc let
tho sunshtno Of Gods love enter our
souls We Will find IL possible to over
look the difficulties. and TO care more
and more deeply 1Or every one, even
for those whom VIC rave never seen.
I am sure that we never saw them.
So We can love the poor people in
china or India. though W. have never
seen them. Indeed, this love becomes
go great that II almost seems TO EN-
brace tho world. as did the love OF
christ when He died that all men
might live.
EXPORTS TO LEARN ARE
FART or LOVING; SERVICE
And then ] am sure tho dear Christ
wants us to tell the story OF His love
~ al the world. He wishes every one
OF us TO be Il missionary. leading others
10 Him that they may find happiness
and peace. helping others 10 conquer
thcir sins. encouraging the despairinG
comforting the sorrowing, and being
ourselves imitators of tho Christ as
lIc Is pictured to US in the Gospels.
All OF our efforts to learn and TO be
;nccessful and to establish righteous
ness in the world, arc rart OF this
loving service. We fight evil and we
try to bring in the rule of good be-
cause We want tho world to br what
christ wishes il TO be. The whole mis-