The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-04-30
At the Baptist
Church Sunday

bro. Wear preached one of tho
most Notwithstanding sermons at me
morning hour, fearless and emphatic
in its declarations TO those members
who, by their manner of life. bring
reproach upon the church. Subject,
The Barren Life" based upon the
parable of the barren fig tree. Text.
Math. $40: And now also the ak
is laid unto the root OF the tree;
therefore every tree which bringeth
not forth fruit is hewn down and
cast into the fire." Lessons drawn:
pathetic picture is the barren life,
nothing but leaves-no fruit; only
an empty profession. Justice not
meeted out TO the barren life but
dealt with according to Gods amaz-
ing grace and mercy Through Jes-
us intercessions The barren life is
spared, surrounded ny bis Influences
that perchance it may bear fruit.
Only by the fruit can we know the
{ hiistian. We not only bless our
selves, but others by bearing fruit
year by year. God expects us to in
crease in fruit bearing. The world
is influenced by the fruitful lie. and
thus we by our lives eXalt the Chris
tian life, and are a blessing to the
world; or we dishonor cur Lord by
al empty profession; are stumbling
blocks, cumberers of the ground.
and are cursed and doomed Our
cnulch is suffering; we have in our
membership those who do not bear
fruit, who by their lives dishonur the
church. In the church sould be only
those who bear fruit, the vile, pro-
fame, and wicked should have no
place in Gods house The axe is
laid to the root of every unfruitful
tree; it is doomed, Is the axe laid
to the root of your tree? Is your life
one of service, fruitful to the honor
anu vi bOu w HUI SHALL IL
be: Fruit-bearing or barrenness
blessing or the curse of the Lord of
the harvest?
Subject of the evening sermon,
Foot Washing AS the end OF
Christ's ministry approached, there
arose dispute in the liner circle
among the disciples of who should
occupy the highest position To
teach the beautiful lesson of humil-
ity and Christian service, Christ
washes the disciples feet The Lords
Supper as a church ordinance is to
keep before us the broken body AMI
shed blood of Jesus. Baptism as
church ordinance shows Christ dead,
buried and resurrected. These two
ordinances show, teach and practice
certain truths. In foot washing
there are no such truths exemplified.
Lessons on the spirit of service-the
greatness of a mans life insists
in the character Of the service he
performs. Great men are those who
have been great and unsellish in SER
vice. We think too much of our
selves and of the position We think
va ought to occupy in the church.
Some there are who in their humil-
ity and unselfishness do service with
out thought of self exaltation. No
service in the name of Christ is
mental; it is divine. Such service
will not go unrewarded We often
look for a service of self exaltation
and not one of humble service to
our fellow men in his needs. In our
to these we receive a
and an inspirations to
service. In our church life we are
a sleeping giant. We are not COM
ng up to the mark An earnest APP
peal for teachers in the Primary De-
pariment of our Sunday School to
leach these little ones the word of
Tod and to enlist for service for our
.orG, closed the evening services.
REPORTER