South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-25
CHRIST'S POWER
IN HIS TEACHINGS
Rev. w. H. FreShIey Says
Jesus Won by His Simple
ity and Fundamentals.


thing more than being merely relig-
.ious. II means christ-Iike living.
declared Rev. W. II. Freshley, pas
Tor Of the First Evangelical church
ia his sermon on The Power OF
Jesus sunday morning. Rev. Fresh
ley explained how the power OF
Jesus is shown in many ways ana
how IL can be made applicable 10
men.
Rev. Freshley said in part.
Christianity cannot he under
stood separate from Christ. No man
can live a Christian life apart from
Him. the two are inseparable.
There are many religions but
Christianity is more than a religion.
X is a religion bound up in life.
That life is the most remarkable
and the most powerful life that
ssas ever lived. 1t is the Christ
life. the life OF him who said All
power has been given unto me.
Exempliied BY Teaching.
- This power of Jesus is eXempli-
aed BY His teaching. by His for
s.iviness Of sin. by His character,
and by His life itself and His acts.
But all His whole life and charac-
Ter can almost be read from His
Reaching.
The teaching of Jesus was first
Of ali simple The simple people
heard him gladly because they
1couid understand Him. He did not
shoot over their heads The other
religions and PHILOSOPHERS of the
day the people could not grasp. but
Jesus they could comprehend. He
spoke to them OF the truths of COM
mon everyday life and they heard
and believed. A great many mod
ern preachers would do we'll 20 fol-
low the simplicity of Jesus i'm their
teaching. A great many preachers
could profitably follow the advice
of the old parson, who, when his
SOung son. who had just entered
the military complained 10 him that
ne did not know what TO preach
10 - parishioners. as the congre-
CATION was mace up of doctors, law
yers. business men, teachers. etc
who knew as much about the sub
iects on which he addressed them
as ne ala. replied My boy preach
tne gospel. IL is likely they DO not
know much about that
Taught Fundamentals.
Another reason why Jesus
teaching was SO powerful and sim
pie was because il was SO funda-
mental. IL touched mems hearts
y here 10 Is the most quickly and
deeply felt. Jesus did not teach
schoof distractions but practical
truths In mas great sermon on the
Mount which can be read in Is
minutes be combined more truth
than any other teacher ever did in
discourse wmcu lasted hours. He
touched upon human activity from
every angie
Jesus teaching was powerful
from another reason. 10 was revol-
utionary. He eNpounded new prin-
eiples spread new doctrines. This
was why the rulers and the men
En power hated the new sect SO
anueh For the eye for an eye. tooth
Tor "a tooth religion which then pre-
Vailed, Jesus substituted a religion
which admonished men 20 love his
enemies. Jesus said. resist not. the
meek shall possess the land the
proud shall Ice humbled All these
rs which the world had not heard
Before. but when it sid hear them
L vas finally forced Co admit their
eternal truthfulness
'SosChing Christ's Forte.
- Jesus gathered no great fortune.
put up no large buildings wrote
no books, organized no party. con-
structed no public works From a
worldly standpoint. ne did nothing.
Even the fact that he cured the
lame and made the blind see does
not count FOR much beside what ne
taught These things he did only
"a prove his power 10 assert the
positiveness OF his teaching. Ii is
cot SO much what Jesus did that
History IS concerned with and re-
hgion is based upon. as what he
taught and his own mode OF con-
duct.
Jesus inspired by his life and
Reaching ali the great movements
for the hetterment Of mankind !
Here we have certain evidence OF
bis great power. The elevation of
womanhood the abolition OF slav-
cry are two OF the direct esults
Of his teaching.
Many More To Follow.
Many other great movements
too numerous SO mention nave been
the outcome OF his teaching and
many other movements which will
come IN the near future will re-
suit from them. Among these are
the overthrow OF militarism and
alcoholism. When these two enemies
OF Christianity are OVerthrown with
what new vigor can we return "a
the night and how much rapid will
orr progress be. for. as J. Camp
bell White and John r. Mott tru-
81 say. II only "a fraction uf the
money. and the energy that is spent
on drink and war were used in
evangclizine the world il would
only be- q matter OF months till the
whole world would be protesting
Christianity and following the
teachings Of Christ as far rs it is
possible for maynard men 90 follow
them"