Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-13
uNNERsALisT PASTOR AT
 SECOND CONC. CHURCH. Rev. Joseph F. Cobb Delivered Stirring Sermon at Sunday Evening Service.


 He brought a message of hope to waiting. troubled, sinful world, said Rev. Joseph F. Cobb, pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd, at the Sunday evening service in the Second Congregational church. In part, Rev. Mir. Cobb said:
 The question may have arisen in the days of Jesus ministry as to what he was trying to do.
 Jesus came and was announced as the Messiah, but many people were still doubtful about it. He declared himself the Good Shepherd, and told the people of their relationship and responsibility toward him as such. Among other things he said this: q came that they may have life"
 To whom was he the Good shepherd? To those whom he was addressing? He proclaimed the fact that he is the shepherd of the believing souls: and that there are those who do not yet believe, but, he said: Them also I must bring and they shall Glear my voice-they shall become one flock, one shepherd.''
 He is then, according to his own declaration, the shepherd of all
 Christian men and women today represent the Christ and his cause; so the same question that was asked concerning Jesus in his earthly minis try, What is Ile here for?" may be asked concerning us today. What are we as individuals and as churches here for? Let us try to answer that ques- ton:
 L We are here with a. message. Jesus came with a message to men. His message was vital; it was a mes sage ofslove and life.
 He brought a message of hope to a waiting, troubled sinful world He had message for all the world.
 So today it rests upon each Chris tian believer, as a disciple of Jesus, to proclaim his message.
 Churches exist to proclaim the glad ftfdings of God as revealed bhrousGl Jesus Christ and then through his disciples.
 We are here then as messengers ot | God, as presentatives of the Christ l We are trustees of the message. What is this message?
 (a) It is first a message to a sinful, world. No one can doubt or deny that this world has in it much sin and evil l Wickedness is evident everywhere l There is a message of personal re. Bponsibility. Every individual is per scnally responsible for his acts and deeds.
 Tt1e message is also that of "a cer. tainty of just retribution for sin," tha- l though hand join in hand. the wicked shall not go unpunished," and ''that whatsoever man soweth, that shall f1t also reap"
 eb) The message of which we speal is for a troubled world. Whatever tho l causes, man lives in a world that ha. sorrow in it.
 AS the world is full of sorrow, tn. message that has been entrusted to ta1t Christian disciple is message of hope It is a message that God is in hi. world, that the world is not drifting that the hand of the infinite is upoI the helm of the universe, that at t>lengta his will shall be done, man shall b, redeemed, sorrow and trouble shal pass away, virtue and joy shall reign.
 2. We are here with an ideal w are here with the ideal of matchIes moral life as set forth and revealed il the life of Jesus.
 The world needed and needs tn message of the love of God, and als, an ideal of character. We find thi ideal in the life of Jesus.
 We are here to believe in Gods un l failing love and purpose. We are her | to climb up a little closer to the grea ideal which we have taken as the pat tern of our lives.
 We are here to plead for intergit. and to be honest ourselves, 10 plead fo the spirit of altruism, and to be un selfish ourselves. We are here to plea for good will among men and nation and have in our own hearts spirit Q peace.
 So we are here to mirror forth, s far as possible, in our own lives tn ideal of Jesus.
 3. We are here to serve. The va, to honor our Lord is to serve in hi name. He said he was in the midst o his people ds one that serveth.
 It was and is an hour to serve. Jesu satd: T came that they may hay Efe. He would have people hay more abundant life.
 Is not this, then, what we are her for, to help our Lord in giving nor abundant life, not prolonged life. not new lease of life in ones own seIfis ways; but a better life, a nobler fff, a purer life, a life more in conforrnit with the life of him Wt1o leads us int glorious liberty and the fulInees c peace?
 Whatever our vocation or avocatfo1 we are called to be worknen wit Jesus. The merchant, manufacture taborer, minister, professional man, ar prentice, mechanic, are called in inc own work to be a servant of Jesu Christ, remembering that the thin that makes his task divine is a feeiin of personal responsibility to God. ths he is called of God, is working wit God, and is. in every true sense, a ser want of the MostrHigg14
 We are here then with a message a ideal and a service to render.