The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-24
RESURRECTION BOUNDS
WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS.
Rev. Y. Arthur VIM. In Barton
Heights Methodist Church
breaches Strong Sermon.
CHURCH BASED ON ONE FACT
Church Must of Necessity Build Upon
Foundation of "Tho Resurrection
and the life" or All That Has Been
Taught May Fail.

In Barton Heights Methodist Church
yesterday morning, the pastor, Rev,
J. Arthur VIM. in strong sermon
told a large congregation that with
out faith in the resurrection the
Church would fail in it's effort to ac-
complish all that it has sought
through the centuries since Christ
spent His few years in the person upon
the earth. Mr.. Winn impressed his
hearers with the essentials on which
the Christian faith is founded. His
text and the sermon follow:
Jesus said unto her. I am this
resurrection and the life: he that be-
lieveth on Me, though he we're dead
yet shall he live. john t1:25.
The Christian Church is based upon
one central and fundamental fact
the resurrection Of the physical body
of Christ A recent writer comment.
on this says: IF this be not true,
Christianity at once shrtvels up into
disputable system of ethics: but II
il be true, then Christianity lays ITS
hand upon us and thrills US, as though
Il were the hand OF God" Professor
Adolf Harnack, of Berlin, is a the
ologian of great learning and popu-
lnrlty He says: "Christ's grave was
the birthplace OF an indestructible be-
lief that death is vanquished and there
liz eternal life. The certainty OF the
resurrection and of a life eternal
which Is bound up with the grave In
Josephs garden has not perished.
and on the conviction that Jesus lives
We still base those hopes OF citizens
ship in the Eternal City"
The supreme influence and import
ance of the Christian Church Is based
upon its power to show forth tina
spirit and the power of Christ, az the
Resurrection and the Life" Christ
+ is attempting TO reveal Himself to the
! world through His church, that His
resurrection is the church's life and
! foundation, If. then, the resurrection
1 is the foundation of the church, tha
church must of necessity build that
/ foundation, or else 1t is doomed to
perish.
] To resurrect means to bring back
to life that which once lived, but
Is now dead, The idea of the resur-
/ rection cannot be confined to the rails
! ing of the physical body of Christ
from the grave 1t means that and
much more. Christ accomplished the
! resurrection of His body from the
grave that the world might see In
Him all life. and the resurrection OF
every good thing.
When Jesus looked Mary in the
face and said; II am the resurrection
! and the life" He undoubtedly meant
u
+ to produce or to reproduce every form
+ OF life. And ] thing the close and
careful student of men and~of events
will find that that is no upward movc-
ment towards God and righteousness
| that is not permeated with the Spirit
| of Christ.
! /, Christ ia the individuals resur-
rection from sin.
The most appalling death that can
come TO mortal is the death of sin.
( And this death. has found It's way into
the heart OF every human creature.
Death that deadens a mans con-
i science. that lowers his ideals to the
earth. that makes him a slave to !
/ drunkenness to RIGHTEOUSNESS and to
every evil Of every grade.
( To save the dead from their tres
( passes and sins was the first object Of
( our Lords death and resurrection He
came and preached to a sin-cursed
race. He called sinners from dark
ness to light Matthew. the publican.
felt the power of Christ working
nightly in his heart as soon as he
heard the words Arise. and follow
Me" And Immediately" Matthew
began 10 rise. Or to be raised up from
his load of sin. on that day through
the resurrecting power of Christ.
/ Matthew, the publican. became Mat
thew. the saint. Is not the ministry
of Christ crowded with such works
of love? What OF Mary Magdaiene.
whom he raised out of pit of devils
and placed into a heaven of saint
hood? What of Zacchaeua whom
Jesus lifted up from under life of
theft and robbery and placed In q
realm of chartta bleness and benovei-
ence. Or. what of the apostles whom
Christ raised from life of Ignorance.
sin and obscurtty TO become in this
world fishers OF men, and in the next
world pillars of the New Jerusa-
| lem"
Such resurrection power as this 10
| the worlds greatest need. and IL was
Christ's first service to the world.
| The church, living the life of Christ
over again. must keep ND this SER
vice 20 tho v'"-1d urtt tho ridegrpom
shall make His reappearing.
| III. Christ is the resurrection Of the
heather nations from superstition and
blindness
The power OF Christ could not be
confined TO any part of the Garth.
christianity, from the beginning, was
destined to become the worid-relision.
The disciples who were hiding Them
selves on the first Good Friday. be-
came on the day OF Pentecost as brave
and as fearless as lions. What brought
about this wonderful changer Why.
the resurrection of their Lord had