Evening journal., 1918-02-01
WEEKLY TOPIC
and
SOCIETY ITEMS
T tbe>
CITY AND STATE UNIONS

Topic: Winning Others TO Christ"
~rlften by Mr. Wilbur Smith, assistant
pastor West Presbyterian Church.
In the passage which has been as
signed as that portion TO be taken as
the text for the them this week, we
have recorded one Of the finest exam
pies Of true Christian enthusiasm that
anywhere is to be found. The princi-
pal characters Of these verses have
three successive periods OF the day re-
corded seeking finding and telling
Those are the three stages in the round
ed and full life OF him who Is born
again. but, sadly, not Of all who are IN
the army Of Christ The first element
seeking. is giving unto every man, IN
one form or another; the scientist is
searching for truth in the realm Of ma
tire: the theoloeian IN the realms Of
Biblical speculation: the historian in
the PAGES Of mans activities; and the
artist In the object which he interprets.
He who has no interest and never
seeks Is mentally and spiritually dead.
But unto an men, whether scientist
historian iaborer. or offlce clerk, IS
and through all the ages has been, an
other search: the search for peace Of
soul for rest from the world, and, in
the ultimate-salyation from the power
and the penalty Of sin. No man but
that, even contrary 10 personal confes-
sion. longs for that peace that passoth
all UNDERSTANDING on that basis the
worker for Christ can approach his fell
low-men.
The seeouu period Of the narrative
I..N ah
sought they found This is not the
case, as it was above, with an the
race. They all, nor nearly all have
not found The world lieth in darkness.
Great nations arc yet in their entirety
heather. and great myriads OF those
within the confines Of Christian coun-
tries are without the light These men
OF our story are never known 10 have
sought for themselves again. They
sought others. First they were salts
ned. So must he who seeks Others.
+ The personal appeal Of the Christian
who has not really been satisfied in his
own finding falls nat on the ears Of
him who does not believe When a
mathematician cannot find an answer
10 his problem If is not the fault OF
the problem but Of him who seeks 20
solve it SO also. In the seeking Of
Christ. the fact that many have found
Him not is not due to Christs distance
nor TO His aloOfness, but TO the wrong
path pursued by the seeker. Finally,
an who seek do not find. but all who
find sufely ought 10 tell Of his own
great discovery and the peace and sat-
isfaction that has come to him through
knowing Jesus
This ushers in the third stage in this
narrative: that at which many Chris
tians stumble. OF all the good news
that can ever pass from the lips Of one
man TO another it is The sentence Of
Andrew: I'VE have found the Mes
eiahn What a wonderful rapture must
have been TO those who, strained with
the expectation OF the Messiah, bur
dered with sin, seeking a decaying race
and a crumbllng empire. and a loos'
people round about them, came upoi
Him whom they knew was their kine
and who along and forever was to taxi
away the sins Of the world. Yet W.
are men as are they, sinners as were
they, and the same Joy that was tC
them should be the immediate posses
sion Of all who have found Him. Anc
% Is to this great work Of telling The
world the geod news that Christ Is
here that all protesting believers arc
called TO participate in. As one has
said. NO greater honor could be given
the believer IN Jesus Christ than to be
associated with Him in the great and
blessed work Of bringing a lost world
to a knowledge of the TRUTH All are
not TO be preachers. but all who speak
the name Of Christ have been called
forth to win others, the paramount
duty and the most lofty privilege thai
was. ever given unto men TO do.
Next Sundays topic will be written
by Or. irwin, pastor Of Delaware Ave
nue. Baptist Church
Wen we are gong out 20 Or. Gil
nllian's church lOlivet) TO hold oui
business meeting next Monday night
February 4th. Yes. the church on the
hlll. We don't bother them very
often. but let MS nll the church anC
make our presence known.
Endeavorers, you have heard the
saying. "The latch strings hang out
Let that be our motto in church work
each Endeavorer acting as the latci
string by extending the welcome hanl
TO members and strangers alike. Max
your society the open door TO YOU
church a door that your pastor vii
nave no dimculty IN opening, one tina
he can rely upon 70 help him in hi
work Of bringing Light TO the com
munity.
Come out and give Bethany Bapts
royal reception.
The word Stacker does not soun
very well when connected with on
names. Does It apply 10 you in En-
deavor work? II so, get busy and be
--oIrs.tror IL. nh~f-fs-