Arizona republican., 1917-03-05
ELDER ]. [. YATES
 BREACHES SERMON
 0N RIGHT SERVICE

Text: Rom, l2: l. Present yourselves a living sacrifice unto God. Is this an m easonable service to our maker?
 What would you think of a preacher
 Yho would not put his best ability in his work?
 What would you think of an em-
 ,loye who was too lazy to work, or
 5ho wanted to spend most of his time or himself?
 If your service to your maker is the
 heapest you have, what does God mink of you?
 My sermon this morning is about living, as principle The subject strikes humanity in d cross grained way. but whether we like il or not, the principle of giving. is as much of scientific requirement. for personal de- velopment as receiving is needful in order to gain any ything. The right kind If giving is a command of God, and is IS important a principle to the giver, (not to mention the reeeiVer,l as either aith. repentance. baptism for the re- mission of sins, or the laying on Of ands m prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 Some people stay out of the church or fear they would be expected to give
 They shilvel and pinch and dwarf theil own souls by hiding from this God given principle The divine principle of siv.ng applies to other things more han dollars, but it includes dollars To
 i've love and service to your brother is
 ar more important than to give dol lars for a dollar is only valuable for the service it will buy. but if you love mankind or a cause. where the giving Of your dollars will bless mankind or promote a good cause and you refuse to give. your profession of love is a lie. The gift of q true hearts devotion to your God. and Of proper love to your fellow creature is the best personal asset ever deposited in any bank to your credit for that bank will never break. and all deposits placed there. accumulate at compound interest. Some people profess To love the Lord and his gospel as the grandest cause among men. and put up such nice deception
 concerning faith and loyalty to right, that they even deceive themselves; but
 when il comes to giving in a material way they draw up and shut mp just like a clam, and then wonder why the Lord does not hear their prayers in the day 0f calamity.
 We must give of our physical energy 1 Tn proper exercise. if We would retain health and vigor. We must give friend hip. if we would nave friends. We must give ardent love and prove 1t in some more convincing way than cool words. if we would be ardently loved
 Shall We give anything beside a nice sounding profession in return for eter- nal salvation2 Let me tell you that a Christian profession without the sacri- flee of dollars. is as an idle tale-a hol- low pretense.-a sounding brass and singling cymbal
 The poor shriveled soul who expects to get something for nothing either in ;his world or the heavenly realm, is doomed unless he repents. II some peoples salvation In the kingdom of God should be mcted out in proportion their liberallty in this world to the ausc of Christ ii would take a mag nifying glass to find their department in heaven. and then it would be like ! ooking for n chiEgcr on iimson weed Think Of the person who wants God s ! sunshine and air. free. wants all the ! products of the earth yielded hy the iaws of nature free. wants every one 10 wait on them. wants good hymns 1 written and Inspiring music sung To him in church. wants the preacher to ! spend his days encouraging him toward heaven. and preaching soothing ser mons to him free. and then expects to set into heaven free. and tD be served tn the mansions over there by the Lord md the angels forever and ever. with nothing to do but look sweet and reel off an occasional criticism against the management of heaven
 If there are any sinners who need to be warned of fire and indignation and wrath to come. if is this very kind of hypocrits. Oh. but some complain. l nm not able to give. | wonder how all of the sums that very person has spent needless and worthless things. and for pampering the lust of selfishness would ! look all sumed in one grand total. and l set beside the total given in tithes and offerings for the advancement Of the church of the living God,
 It is easy for us to hatch up cheap excuses for not doing what the scien- ! tific law of progress.--the law of God | requires. but when we all come to stand ] before the judgment bar of God at the last day we will discover that there 1 is vast difference between cheap excuse and real reason for not doing i the things required Of us. l want the | mental vision or those who do not meet with us in this place. but who through
 the reporting Of this sermon may get some of my words. to see the cheap
 material pulpit from which this ad . ' hi'o5 ttfS but- anu to fHpW or ine nara scrabble of the little flock whose ideals 1 speek for themselves for all that is
 noble and good.-the hard scrabble to meet it's financial obligations and main
 tain hall in which to worship where
 the plain furnishings and surroundings speak of abject economy in louder tones
 than the laundering garage which is
 located one floor below. There stands
 the pulpit. It is little kitchen work
 table wrapped in green burlay with q l soap box in disguise on the top. But
 We are not daunted in this.
 The age when truth may come from
 as lowly place as manager is not
 past. If We do our part in the procla .
 nation of the truth. and there are
 those who recognize it's value and could
 enhance its effectiveness by giving to
 q worthy cause and fail in their oppo~- l tunity to obtain great blessing by
 giving. we cannot be held responsible
 If We continue to give to the world of
 our best. I close with three citations
 to the word of the Lord. And if there
 be any blemish therein--;hou shalt not
 sacrifice unto the Lord thy God. Deut. | 15: 2f.
 Salvation is not cheap affair and God wishes as a sacrifice from us. the
 best we can bring. Seek ye First the
 bingdofn of God and his righteousness .
 Matt. 6: 33.
 Salvation as q first class article and
 God requires that they who obtain il
 slall give him their first attention.
 And the dead in Christ shall rise
 first" 1 Thess {: 16
 | Those who love first place, and are wise will meet the conditions by which