The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-05
At the Baptist
Church Sunday

An eloquent sermon by our Iasto-
on "The Mission of the Church." fol-
lowed as a sequence the sermon of
the preceding Sunday, "The Estab-
|lishment of the Church" Reading
from Math. 10th chapter, we see the
names of the charter members and
heard te credentials given to them.
their power to perform miracles,
this power ceasing with them. Then
the mission" of the church as given
by Christ Math. 1875 and Z: "But
60 rather to the lost sheep of the
house Of Israel, and as ye go,
preach, saying the kingdom of heav-
en- is at hand"
BY this plan of the church as es-
tablished by Christ and with the
mission as outlined by Him, every
Baptist church since that time is
formed, a local organization, inde-
pendent, yet doing cooperative work
with other Baptist church in assc-
Citations. There is no such thing as
"The Baptist Church." or "The Bap.
tist Church of America" Based upon
Scripture, We speak of the Baptist
church in such place, or the Bap-
tist churches The church is the only
organization through which Christ
works-that institution builded for
the esctablishment of Christ's KinG
dom is the New Testament Church.
In speaking Of the supreme mission
of the church, our conclusions are
best arrived at by an elimicative
process The church is not a political
institution, standing aloof from po
litical things, yet interested in all
moral questions and those that would
lift humanity. AS the great cause of
Temperance, not educational, though
We support our denominational col
leges. Not institutional. though we
support our Orphanage; assist in the
Red Cross work, and are answerins
the calls for a larger Y. NJ. C.. A.
fund. All this is but the result of our
being Christians and having the
Christ likeness in us.
| Not our supreme mission to train
the men and women Of the church;
not to minister to saved people, but
to listen to the words of the Master,
II came to call the sinner to repent
ance." John says, "He came to seek
and to save that which was lost" As
He was sent on this mission by tbs
Father, even so he sends his dis
ciples. The carrying out of this COM
mission is the Supreme mission Of
the church, to seek the lost, to feed
the hungry soul with the bread Of
life. The church will never reach its
greatest usefulness until first It full.
Fiy realized the Nervousness of sin;
and that the church is the only in
SA'~'Aoh ehAou6A WulCu q udu can
be saved. and, secondly, that the
church sees that it is only through
the atoning blood Of Jesus that there
is salvation for the lost sinner. How
can you az a church member fulfill
your mission? First, by a consist
ent Christian life, for we lead Others
unconsciously by our daily life. Sec
ord, by the gifts we send to build
Up and entend His Kingdom. Third.
by educating others who can 60 and
tell the great gospel story to those
who sit in darkness in our own land
and to those in far distant lands who
are bound about by chains Of idol
airy.
TWO were added to the church by
letter and one candidate for baotism
AT the evening hour the subject of
the sermon was The Church and
Her Risen Lord" Appearing t. the
samc body He had organized two and
half years before that He might
establish His divinity, calm their
fear, lift their doubts and cheer
their hearts. Revealing Himself TO
their vision, to their touch, and eat.
ing with them; they rejoice in their
Risen Lord, receive His benediction
OF blessing and peace. This peace Of
200 within the heart has been with
the children of God in all ages. Civ
ing to this company of IL. His
cnurch' its great commission to