Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-18
MT. Stephens Quotes Jesus Christ, Saying "You Must
 Be Born Again.
TOO MANY SLIDE IN
 AND OUT OF CHURCH
Evangelist Declares That There Are Lot Ot People Who Think They Are Sheep When They Are
 Nothing But Goats.

Sunday night was a great occasion for the Stephens meetings in the big tabernacle in Main street. Long be- fore 7:15, the announced hour of the service, the big building was filled By the time the song service began all available space was filled. Boards were brought in and extra seats made, but still the great crowd could not be accommodated. Many people stood up, and even more went away because they could not have advantageous standing room nor a seat. There seem ed to be the deepest interest pervad- in the big throng.
 Prof. Storrs led most enthusias- tic song service, and several numbers were rendered by the choir, among them being the popular chorus anthem "Wake the Song." Mrs. Powel and Miss Byrnes sang beautifully the duet, Raise Me Jesus, to Thy Bosom" Rev. J. I. Norris of the First Presbyterian church, led in prayer, after which Mrs. Powell sang "rhe Christian. MT. Stephens had for his subject, ''The Great Essential" He chose for his text John 3:7, Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again"
 q do not know how corn grows, said the speaker. Neither do know how the fire burns, nor how electricity generates power. Thus it 1 is with conversion. Truly has the Bi- ble said in this chapter in which my text is found, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof and thou canst not tell where it came nor whither it go. eth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit
 "All of us should deeply consider what it means to be Christian. Be ing a Christian is something that has the deepest kind of meaning. You are not Christian because you happened to be born in Ia Christian country. You l are not Christian because you hap pen not to be a heathef. am not a Christian because of something that happened to me fifteen years ago. am Christian because in my heart there is a throb that is a burden for the souls of others. You are not g real Christian unless you have the sal vation of others on your heart.
 "Jesus said, T am the poor of the sheep. The sheep know My voice and they follow Me. A stranger they will not follow. He that entereth not by the door of the sheep fold, but climbeth up some other way is the same as a thief and a robber.' Arc you one of Chirst's sheep? Do you hear His voice and follow Him? There are lot of people who think they arc among the sheep when they are noth ing but goats. A man who will lent his eyes to dirty leg show has the taste of goat and not of a sheep.
 "There are lot of people whose names are on the records of the church who are not Christians. Many people slide into the church like the! were greased and that kind of people slide out just as quickly. l tell you il is an awful thing to go to hell iron the church door. Don't have you name on the roll of the church if it t not on Gods roll. Jesus said I an the. vine and you are the branches, i ye abide in me and I in you, yo' shall bear much fruit There arr 6ome people that are not abiding in the vine at all. They are tied or with a cotton string"
 At the close of the sermon MT