The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-03
The A and the Z"-Dr.
 billiard SOuthside Baptist

Dr. James E. Dillard, pastor of the Southsde Baptist church, yesterday morning preached to a capacity congrega- ton on: The A and the z" He took his text from Rev. % :13 II Am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End, the First and the Last.
 pr. billiard said in part;
 These are the words of our ascended Lord He calls Himself the Alpha and the omega of all things. Alpha is the first and Amego the last letter in th9 Greek alphabet Christ is the and the z. That is, He is to the world what the alphabet is to literature what the digets are to mathematics; what the elghi simple notes of the octave are to muSlc; what the prismatic coors are to paint ing.
 we never get away from the alphabet We learned it when we first went to school We used it to spell simple words of one syllable. We had to have 1t when we began to read and write. We could not lay is aside when we studied arith- metic and geography. We were still de- pendent upon it when we advanced ,o history the sciences literature and phll- osophies And even now Tn the pracelca' affairs of our mature life, though ws may be unconscious of it's presence. ws are compelled to use our alphabet.
 50 with Jesus, our Lord. He IS the alphabet of creation. He was the begin ming and the end For by Him were all things created that are in the Heaven anG that are in the earth, visible and inVlsl- ble. whether they be thrones or domin ions, or prncipalities or powers, all things were created by Him ana TOT Him And He is before all things and by Him all things consist" This is HIS world The laws of nature are Ills habits. The heavens declare His glory.
 "Christ is the and z of progress His word His spirit, His example have inspired men to noble deeds and herol' service All those social and phiian- thorpic ideals that distinguish our ciNil- zation from those of the ancient Noiiu' are directly traceable to linn. TO tdN' the influence of Jesus Christ out or our civilization, would be like plotting tni sun out of the sky. The wofld Woui" flv on cold, dark, lifeless and lost, Men have tried to devise a system Of inorais and leave Jesus out; but it won worh' If is one thing to write thing on nsDer it is quite another to make IL appeal to the heart and consciehce anu control the life. All systems that leaVe Jesus out are either lacking in moral grandeur or else in motive power rye" those who are quick to deny the Lordsnip of Christ are cOlnpelitu to "Nh'e
 limity of His teachings ana charac'ei' Nietzsche was an exception. He salo Christianity is the one great curse the one intrinsic depravity." We have seei the application of his theories Tn Eu- rope: and unborn generations will weep JVer the result.
 .Christ is the A and 7 of righteousness
 He is back of every impulse lie IS ths supreme standard of Plato and Socrates hut we are still a thousand years pe- bind the standard of Christ IL IS SD connlete so compelling. so radlcal aHd unconditional that we must uncoVef~ooi heads. We feel that if God were 10 come to earth. He would live as Jesus diu,
 When we frail creatures study 'ne words and the character of Jesus, anu see what a man ought to be we are plunged into dispair There IS no pro ba bilitv of ever reaching the stanoara. R,1t just here He becomes the A ana of our religious hopes. He has antlclpateo our needs; He has removed the opstacIes
 He has provided q way hghted "i'n hone He is able to take pride anu nassion And sin Nand selfshness out o' inc heart of a man and can give parao' and neace and power No other can do H. I never heard of man saYed Tn any other way but His way, by ahy~otno' mower than His power Did you? Jesus is the A and z of comfort and reaefnp' tion. Make Him all in all In your iie'