The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-06-26
SEXSON SPEAKS ON
LODGE AND CHURCH

Despite the extreme heat last
night a large audience gathered at
Convention Hall to hear Mark Sex
son. Those who heard his message
declared it the most practical one
they had ever heard from the view
point of both lodge and church.
What | have to say declared
Mr.. Sexson, will be highly in IA
vor of both these institutions for
! recognize their force and love
their message. If mere outsider
should come into the lodge and
find the Bible on the altar, and like
wise in the church, he would nat
urally conclude that both institu-
tions were on the same lines. His
conclusion would be partially right.
| have heard mrn say that The
lodge is a good enough religion for
me. ! shall attempt to answer that
by presenting what | believe to be
both the lodge and the church
viewpoint, lay this Bible on the
altar of the lodge first. and on it
! take the vow of brotherhood. l
am not required to believe in its
inspiration. | may, if | please. |
am told it is the great light and
through its leaves / may see God.
But the questions that are vital to
the story of mans redemption arc
left TO my own personal choice OF
acceptance. | come to the story OF
the divine incarnation, the match
less life of the Son OF God. But
| am told that | may either accept
or reject it, it matters not. He was
a great and good man, and taught
His people the story of love and
sacrifice, beyond that We do not
ask you to 60, | admit that there
is enough in that story to purify
the life and make those who are
thus associated together by that be-
lief brotherhood, indeed glorious.
but | can see no way to save a
soul from sin except through the
blood of Jesus. | come at last to
the story of creation.
" In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth, that
story, as told in the book of Gene
sis. | say to my brother, | don't
believe that story. believe that
the world has been millions of years
in the process of evolution. and that
it grew from the workings of few
atoms and that man came as re-
suit of these primary movements.
while out of chaos came order. Now
the thorough-going man. the mind
that is finely conscientious and
sensitive, is likely to cry out Who
that | can withstand Cod?
The fine thing about the aver
age fraternity teaching is that it
starts an investigation; it awakens
4 power that sweeps past the Bible
On the altar, past the moral inter
collation. into the religious and spir-
tual. So | will turn this Bible I
over. | will look at it from the
'iewpoint of the man of religion. | ,
will begin with the book of Gene
is and look down the ages. The I
'bject of the Bible on the altar of c
he lodge is to send men in search I
II God, but on the altar of religion {
he story is changed and God, the
Gather, comes down the ages in t
carch of his children who have /
one into sin. The church goes to t
I,+~h =, f,nIe IL - |
eeks out the ruined. Wherever S
nan goes it goes, and wherever it
lnds him it demands that he be- a
eve, with all his heart, the Bible c
tory. You find it hard to BE- eve
hat God created the heavens and \
he earth in a period of six days; II
on find it hard to believe in the
essurection of the dead to life.
jpon these shores | have stood for /,
ears and cried across the channel, =
ut the voice of love has not an d
wered back. No face has appeared
mong all the faces of the living :,
-om the land of the stars. stand y
umb and challenge the future. :,
Vhile God says to me, you must be- =,
eve i'll the resurrection OF Jesus .
hrist or YOU can't be a Christian. =,
on might be fairly good man .
ithout it, but you can't be Chris ,,
an. Measure yourself by that =,
anding. l repeat it again, you i
light be fairly good. but it takes :,
lie atoning blood of Jesus. it takes r;
1 honest to God faith in the fact
make a Christian. You will find 9;
lie requirements big. God does ii
ot put the priceless things of this S,
fe on the surface. He hides them. D,
ut suppose you did believe tina, 81
ory; suppose you believed it like 4
our child believes in you. How
rtunate then the resurrection. II
ow fortunate your hand in His. pt
he Bible on the altar of the 81
lurch makes God. God makes men th
e children of God, makes Jesus
hrist the Savior of the World, and OF
,u a sinner until you believe in =