South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-06-12
OPENS SERIES ON
MOUNT SERMON
Rev. T. J. Parsons Finds That
Heaven is to be a King
dom on Earth.

Rev. T. J. Parsons Of the Quincy
Street Baptist church. opened
series of Sunday morning sermons
on the general topic. The Sermon
on the Mount" The first sermon,
delivered Sunday morning. covered
the chapter Of Matthew froms the
first to the 18th verse. The sub
ject was treated in an eXpOsitory
manner, as follows:
Matthew'S gospel is to the New
Testament what Genesis is 10 the
old Testament. in that it contains
an elemental form all that is un-
folded in the later books. The
great theme of Matthew is the
kingdom of heaven on earth. The
salutatiOn, in the opening chapter.
begins the book of the generation
Of Jesus Christ the son of David,
the son Of Abraham. There is q
reason why Matthew does not carry
the genealogy beyond Abraham.
1t is because his mission is to show
that Jesus is the promised King
Messiah, son Of David. and also the
seed of Abraham. through whom all
the nations of the earth are 10 be
blessed.
Search OF Wise Men.
In the second chapter we find
the account of the search of the wise
men, or magi. for him that is born
king of the Jews Then John the
Baptist comes upon the scene.
preaching that the kingdom of
heaven is at hand The fourth
chapter introduces the king i'm the
person Of Christ, through His bap-
tism and temptation. after which
He goes TO His home city of Naz-
areth and delivers His inaugural adj
dress. following it with a tour of
teaching and healing. in which He
presents the credentials of His king
ship. The message of our Lord is
the same as that of John-the near |
ness of the kingdom of heaven.
The fifth, sixth and seventh |
chapters contain a declaration of
the principles and characteristics |
of the kingdom of heaven. The SER !
mon on the mount has been abused |
and misinterpreted by failure TO
understand the kingdom character |
of Matthew'S gospel. There is moth
ing said OF the church, for the first /
mention Of the church is in the 18th /
chapter and il is then spoken of /
as in the future; nor do we find /
here anything about the regener-
alton as a requisite for becoming /
a Christian that is found in Johns
gospel. order is heavens first law, /
and it applies most beautifully in
the Scriptures. and there is no
hodge podge, hit-or-miss confusion /
in the Bible when rightly under
stood.
Heaven Kingdom on Earth.
THE kingdom of heaven is to be
a special. political kingdom on
earth. Perhaps Christians have
been more concerned about the
land beyond the sky than about the
land in which they live; but the
Lords prayer is a kingdom prayer.
and it reads: Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done. in earth as il is
done in heaven our Lord ever
taught that one of the objects Of /
His coming is TO transform the
social and moral conditions Of this
earth. and not some ethereal sphere
which has never been cursed by the
trail of the serpent The kingdoms
Of this world must become the king
dom of our Lord and His Christ
The kingdom is to be built on
spiritual qualities, and not by bat
tleships and 42-centimeter guns.
Here are nine beatitudes, pro-
nOunced on those who possess these
qualities. The mighty forces in the
kingdom OF God are now the poor
i'm spirit the mourners. the meek.
the righteous. the merciful, the
pure in heart, the peacemakers, and
the sufferers for Christ. How would
these look in the war councils Of
Europe today? How do they look
i'm Christian America? And yet we
persist in preaching and praying as
though the kingdom were here
already. AS we examine our hearts.
we see how far even the best of
us is from realizing these beatiic
qualities. without which the king
dom cannot come"