Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-26
What Is Reverence2
Sermon By =
REV. FLOYD w. .rOMKINs.
Text: Heb. xii. 1899.

| f>oFoFouCe results from q realization
OF Gods greatness and goodness. 1
know my own weakness and sinfulness
II j am a true man and honest with
myself; and this knowledge makes mo
conscious OF a desire to be strong and
good. In the presence OF God, Who
alone Is perfectly strong and good,
this desire leads mo to reverence
that IL, to an appreciation Of God
and to a prayer that He would help
mo to grow like Him.
We. always feel this desire when we
are in the presence of anything or
any ono who possesses that which we
lack i feel a reverence for the great
mountain which Islands SO strong and
interchangeable while I am feeble and
tickle. feel 1t when / hold in my
hand pure flower. which shames my
sinful nature and fills me with a long
Ing for goodness. That Is what tho
poet Wordsw orth means when he cries.
In his 'lntimations Of Immortality:
e To me the Ineancst flower that blows
Thoughts that do often lie too deep
for 'tearu."
And Matthew Arnold suggests tho
same truth when. in his poem. Self
Dependence" he sings:
"'Ah. once more cried. 'ye stars. We
waters.
On my heart your mighty charm renew;
Still still let me. as gaze upon you,
Feef my soul becoming vast like you"
This emotion finds It's highest ex.
preston In the contemplation OF tho
Eternal God Whom Christ revealed as
our loving. Father. For He. more than
anything Hc has made. is perfect not
only In power. but In pity. and we
long to be like Him.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
REVERENCE AND FEAR
Reverence is not fear. though fear
seeks at times to enter In where per-
feet love has not yet cast it out III.
John. w., 49,. When the Bible bids
us fear God. 1t does not mean that
We, arc to DO afraid of God. but that
we arc to reverence Him--that Is. W.
arc to realize how great and good He
Is. and bow before Him in humble
prayer. We can understand this in our
human Relationship. II am afraid
OF my father l am not really reverent
1t Is only when look up to him
md love him and know he loves me
that have the reverence which leads
me to obey him and try TO emulate
teacher 1t is either his fault because
he discourages confidence. or my fault
because / do not trust him. When
really reverence my teacher 1 will try
to get near to him and learn OF him
II only we could know the meaning
OF that divine message, God Is Love-"
we would have no fear. but rather
yreat desire manifested In prayer and
obedience I revere God. not when I
tra;nbIe before Hip and PROSTATE my
SELF and GO through all kinds of cere-
monies. but when my heart seeks Him
and come and lay my poor weak self
upon tho bosom OF His love. 1t is tn.
bowling down OF the heart rather than
the prostration Of the body that proves
my reverence. 1 think we should re-
member this. Sometimes we try to
work. UP 1 spirit Of reverence by So
ing through" some outward service.
SACRIFICES MUST BE
RESULT OF HEART LOVE-
III can say so many prayers and
deny myself SO many comforts. then
surely will prove my love for God"
But the dear Father wants something
more. This people draweth nigh UNI
TO Ne. with their mouth. and honorcth
Me. with their lips: but their heart is
far from Me-" est Matt, XIV. So II
is all right to bow down and offer sac
rifices. but these must result from
heart-love: they can never create real
reverence. s -.
Reverence for God naturally leads to
reverence for all that is associated with
Him. My reverence for rnysmother leads
me to treasure and touch carefully
| with loving memory all that is associ-
ated with her-letters which she wrote
or books which she gave me. So when
] hold In my hands the Bible which is
Gods gift TO me, or when I enter the
church which is called a House of
Prayer. Or when I sing my hymn or
listen to message from Gods min
lister, ! will have reverence. These
things are. touches from Coos hand
words He is speaking to me or words
:, am singing to Him. They are sacred
because He is sacred We need a little
more of this reverence. think in our
daily lives Where do you keep your
Bible? How do you feel as you enter
FOUR church? What are you thinking
pf as you sing your hymns? If your
heart Is not there. your heart of love
and faith and worship. then all these
things are as vanity. They mean moth
Ing. 1t is the thought OF God and the
knowledge OF His love and the conscious
need Of His forgiveness and strength
InaG give ~ LSioiC dhu CHuICu
and worship
So 1t Is with reverence for people
It is Quite popular now to speak Of
'brotherhood" and OF the bonds Of
sympathy which should draw us all to-
| gether. But real brotherhood comes
! from: knowledge that all men are
created by God and so we love them
las our brothers. 1t is cheap emotion
Ialisrn to cry out and weep over human
sorrows when we do not feel that peo-
nile are bound TO us by the most sacred
bf ties and do not help them as our
Fathers children.
HOW GOD INTENDED
HTS PEOPLE TO DE HAPPY
Reverence. for humanity bids US. see
how God intends His people to be hap
nv and good and free, / reverence my
friend not only or chiefly because Of
(. what he Is; excellent though he may
y be and far superior TO myself. But I
revere him because he Is my brother.
because he. is Gods child for whom
Christ died He represents God to me-
and see him not simply as he is but
as God wants him to be. That is why