The Washington herald., 1918-01-31

Last night Billy Sunday delivered
the following sermon:
The third chapter of Revelations,
the 10Th verse, Behold 1 stand at the
door. and knock; If any man hear Ny
voice, and open the door, 1 will come
IN to him. and will sup with him, and
he with Me-"
In other words, It is up to you, Be
hold. 1 stand at the door and knock. ="
That is a part Of the message of
Jesus, through The Holy Spirit and
the Apostle John to the back-siidden
church.
There are many who enjoyed the
exalted privileges that are not ours.
They had seen Jesus face to face and
heard him speak, and caught the in
fiuence which came for associating
with him.
They had heard him speak the
words, and disease would flee away
and the storm would still. He showed
his power over disease, death and
devils, and Notwithstanding all that,
they had drifted into a comatose
state spiritually. which occasioned the
necessity for the present book, of
which my text is a part
Notwithstanding there are many
things that are discouraging today, 1
see many signs that are encoura ging,
splendid signs. The missionary zeal
which is sweeping throughout the
length and breadth of the land. The
minds and hearts in men and women
in nations wherever they have been
immune to appeals are now open,
and with outstretched arms they are
looking across the mountains and the
seas for US to come with the glad
tidlngs Of the message of salvation
through Jesus Christ.
Encouraging signs.
Churches are arising and member
ships are increasing. and the relig-
ious wave that started at the close
OF the seventeenth century under the
preaching Of Wesley and Whitfield
has not yet lost its force. Yet there
seems to be something lacking.
We are increased in goodness, in
culture and wealth, and we seem to
be despiscd and forsaken. And I be-
leve that Jesus Christ stands at the
door of the church life. and there is
no music and there is no ritual.
There is TO progress in material
matters that has a feathers weight
with God. We admit philosophy and
God would not rebuke. We admit
ethics and God would not say nay.
We admit education, society and
these things which are a literal part
of our nature and which God does
not deny US. He wants US to enjoy
them to the fullest, but we compel
Jesus Christ to stay without.
II you'd let him come in, out would
go suspicion, back-biting, wrath, NAL
ice. lies. vilifCatiOn. SANDER, and al!
that turns night into troubled in
sOunia and the day irtO a mirage.
Your hopes are assassinated and your
ambitions for noble Things are cleo
trOcuted and there you stand, my
friends, n grinninE skeleton, bearing
upon you an epitaph of what you
might have been il you had only
yielded to God or his influence sur
rounding you to help you DO his will.
1t applies to every soul as well as
those who are shutting Jesus Christ
out of their lives. There he stands
pleading. There you are. a care
less inhabitant. boiling the door of
your mill and refusing Jesus Christ
permission to enter.
Religion isn't in your handker-
chief. religion is in your will. If
your will is not in conformity to
the revealed will of God, you are
not religious
1 don't give a pfcayune who you
are. where you are, whether you
are a hobo. counting the ties over
a division, or a multi-milliOnaire,
hitting the town with a limousine.
u your will is not the will of God,
yousare headed for the pit.
Religion comes from the latin
word 'Teligio." Christ's way OF get
ting back to God. \ sinner forfeits
his stsDding with God. the same as
a traitor forfeits his standing with
the government. Therefore. God
will never kneel in mercy with a
sinner. unless he comes. in through
faith in Jesus. Therefore. Christ is
getting the sinners back to God.
So. if he wants to get back to
God. he has to come through faith