Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-30
Jesus, the Bread Of Life
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOMi<INs. 2
Text: St. John vi. 22-4o.

union Win Christ than this
~onuerful sixth chapter of st. Johns
Gospel He came that we might have
aouhoant life. He came to mako us
5000 and to. exalt our poor, sinful
humanity that we might live here By
strength and at last live with Him
ie'er IN Heaven. So often is our
Lord spoken Of AZ our Life that the
forceful declarations in this chapter
ieed not confuse. but rather draw us
INTO closer spiritual fellowship with
Jesus Christ. Many who heard tho
Aiaster speak were perplexed by His
WORDS, How can this man give us
HiS flesh TO eat. they cried. And
many have cried in like fashion since:
40" can Christ save us by His
ueathE But when we know that Jesus
the Son OF God came from Heaven to
oie mat We might live. and to draw
US TO Himself In loving friendship, the
oifhculty disappears. OF course 1T Is a
mystery; that is, 1t is beyond our
human comprehension: but 80 arc our
birth and physical life beyond human
comprehension. We cannot understand
anything perfectly. But We do know
'hat we are sinners and weak. and that
we have no power of ourselves to help
ourselves. We do know that the
nearer we live TO Christ the purer and
| napier NO will be. And this living
near to Christ means partaking OF
| His nature. drawing into ourselves His
| NItue' IeeulnS upon Him.
The blood Of 4 creature was counted
| by the Jews. in accord with Gods COM
| mand. as the life. And they were very
! particular in their mode Of killing
animals which were good for food. as
they sthl are. There was no difficulty
In Understanding what our Lord meant.
| Tor they knew how life and nourish-
| ment came from food.g and they knew
/ also that TO speak 81 drinking blood
\ meant to partake Of life. ~ I; think we
may revercntly say that Christ used
\ these strong words because He wished
TO emphasize the fact that no mae,
can be saved except through faith in
Him. So In st. John XIV He speaks OF
our being Joined to Him as the branches
4 are Joined to the vine. an equally strong
n figure OF speech.
NO REAL LIFE UNLESS
WE ACCEPT CHRIST
/ We can have no real life here or
H hereafter unless We accept Christ as
our Redeemcr. He died on the cross.
\ where His precious blood was shed
and His holy body bruised. that We
might be saved from eternal death.
n and that we might live on earth as His
loved children. In these days. when
1 many are denying that the cross has
\ any special power and affirming that
I Christs example Is the chief thing to
i consider. IL is we'll for US TO hold fast
E to these wonderful words about Christ
|, being the Bread OF Life. We need to
preach the old Gospel in all it's fun
Il ness. and the center Of that Gospel is
\ that Christ died for our sins and rose
again for our Justification. We are
4 to have His blood sprinkled upon US
and its virtue taken into our very ma
4 ture. and we arc to he nourishcd by
( His divine food. OF which the manns
OF the Old Testament was type, IL
We would be amongst those who shall
at last stand fedeeHied' btforeo the
n throne OF God. N, y r,0i.gs;rs--,0
n We must live near ITO the cross OF
" Christ II we would have nourishment
l First Of ALL we must have perfect
4 faith in Him who was the Son OF God
h and who came into the world to save
H sinners. There can be no questioning
h as TO His divine nature, no thinking of
/ Him as only man. OF forgetting Of
n His love and power. no turning away
d from His will as the rule OF our lives.
h II We would be Christians. Christ must
Fl be the center OF all our love and wor-
n ship and service. Doubt concerning
b Him we must rcpel: denial OF His
& goodness we must antagoniZc: sin
: against Him we must renouncc. So
I we shall find ourselves growing
Il stronger and happier. nourished by the
Lord Whose we are and Whom we
serve. II is no mere theory or dream.
4 II has been proved by thousands who
have thus fed upon Him as the Bread
4 of Life and found their hunger salts
4 fed, their WEAKNESS rested, their fears
removed.
\ MUST BE A CLOSE @
\ OBSERVANCE OF HIS WILL
Second. there must be close obscrv-
/ ance of His will. He bids us pray. He
has given us the Bible. He asks us 10
4 worship in church. Ho cries, He
spoke in the upper room. DO this in re-
\ membrsnce OF Me-" These are the
/ means by which we feed upon Him.
l OF themselves, as bare acts, they are
4 nothing. Done in response to His low
Il Ing appeal and In His name they be-
4 come simply glorious nourishment. and
Il we find peace which cannot be taken
from us. Have you not felt. as you
knelt In secret and poured out your
4 heart to Him. as if He gathered you
n In his arms and made you strong in
4 body and spirit? Have you not felt in
4 church, as you sang with the congrega-
i ton and as you listened to His message
that the Master was there. right by
j your side, speaking words of comfort?
| Have you not taken the words you
/ read in your Bible as such living truths
that it almost seemed as If the Master
i was Himself speaking them to you?
Is not this feeding upon Living Bread,
\ which alone can satisfy? He who re-
j calls the blessed Sacrament Sunday,
when the bread and vino were given
4 amidst holy silence, or as dear hymn
4 was sung. must bear witness to the
i spiritual peace, which turned the sane
tuary into a little heaven. Yes. He
feeds us with heavenly mamma in this
H barren wilderness. and we know that,
n though all else may fail. He cannot,
II will not. ever fail III .,.' 80, .
II Third, when we serve, Initiating Him,
! in going about doing good In His
II namc. we feed upon Him. He declares
we arc doing these Kind deeds TO Him.
He Is there with us in the hospital,
| by the sick bed. In the home of poverty
4 or when sorrow has cast a shadow
4 You know, dear friend, am sure, the
4 secret joy when you have helped an
other In some little way. You can
\ not describe tit is too sacred to
4 mention even to YOURSELF but IL
A nourished you, comforted you, made
you feel that life was worth while.
Well. 1t was your feeding upon Christ
as you served His children that brought
you the sacred joy like no other JOY.
CO the Sunday school teacher feals