The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-07
TRUE PURPOSE IS
VITAL IN WORSHIP
DR. White Takes Text From
Matthew for Week. End
Sermon.


Matthew, eleventh chapter, wherein Je-
sus cals on all those who are labor and
Meary-aden tn come unto Him. the
ReV. w. NJ. White. pastor of the Liza.
den Avenue Christian church, points
OUT -FOUR distinctive notes In the appeal
OF the Saviour
This Is one Of a series of sermons pre-
pared by committee Of the Protestant
Pastors association TO be published
While the influenza ban ns3essitAtcs
me closing OF churches. The sermon
Come unto me, all We that labor and
are heavy laden. and l will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and
learn Of me, for | am meek and lowly
IN heart: and We shall find rest unto
your souls For my yoke is easy. and
my burden is light. Matt. 11:2S-30
To a world staggering and unsteady
OF step because Of its burden. and with
hearts breaking OF a thousand sorrows
these words of Jesus are challenging
indeed. Yet, the greatest Of care must
be taken that we do not force him 10
mean more than he really meant to say.
All possible constructions have been
placed upon these words, but 1t is
\ apparent that many OF the things which
have been associated with them were
not IN the mind of the Lord at all.
No Fixed Form.
ut certainly was not the purpose OF
our Lord to call His hearers to any
fixed form of worship, statement OF
truth, or formal organiZat ton. For
such things Jesus had little concern.
and stately forms Of the temple serv-
Ice as such, but He does dissent in
emphatic terms from all useless formu-
lations which had grown out of the
speculatons of the scribes and Pharl-
sees, and which LAID. upon the people
burden too great to be borne.
The first distinctive note in the call
Of the Master is that OF freedom. For
Himself and His followers Jesus ac-
cepted no stereotyped plan of worship
as essential. To the questioning wom-
an at the we'll of Samaria He gave
the outline Of His idea OF worship by
saying that the historic distinction be-
tween Gerizim and Jerusalem as the
place where men ought to worship God
was immortal; that place and time and
circumstances were all nom essential,
but that the vital element in worship
was the true purpose, the aspirations
of the soul to companionship with God.
THE spirit of true worship as inter-
preted by Jesus permits the use Of all
forms of service which accredit as
christian experience and which are
helpful and uplifting If they meet the
Of grace. In SO far as they substitute
for the worshiping heart and the con-
secrated life, they are but sounding
brass and changing symbol. Jesus calls
not to a particular kind Of worship
but to worship itself as the communion
ton for the life Of service.
If the Jewish spirit expressed itself
In certain forms Of worship, not less
did the Greek mind exercise itself upon
foundations Of truth. The represen-
tatlve Jew as he accepted Christianity
ritual. To the Greek it became a new
philosophy. Jesus did not call men to
an acceptance Of q new philosophy. In
deed, He gave His teaching to- the
world in no such ordered and numbered
TEN like those which had been set
forth by other teachers before Hid
day, and have been the delight of the
schools in all the years.
THE second note In the call of the
Master is its distinctive personality
Come unto. me.' He called men t.
knew full we'll that worship would take
forms adapted to the Christian spirit
that the truths of which He was the
center would properly group themselves
and that the association of believers
would form the church which should
spread throughout the world; yet these
We're the remoter issues of His great
call.
Come unto me- that you may gel
the right view Of the Father. 1t hac
as Father. 1t was the purpose Of jesus
to make the fact of the Fatherhooc
clear to the thought of man. The at.
titude OF man toward God had beer
that OF aloofness, Come unto me- sale
Jesus, and l will bring you into close
Father These barriers. it Is my pur,
pose to break dcwn and for that pur.
pose have come into the word. Come
unto me- and will reveal to you q
Father Of love. LATHE had man ever
before thought of God as God of love
but now 1t is to be made clear to the
lowlicst Of men that God loves him.
Rest for Weary. ny
Another note in the call OF the
Master 10 clearly distinguished to b
ceomradeship, Take my. yoke A YOKE
ever given such emphasis to comrade.
ship In service as did Jesus. No mar
lveth to himself is distinctly a Chris.
tian principle. The best in the human
heart Is kept alive by constant crea.
ture communion.
mosphere Of His life, to come and learr
how simple and yet how glorious
thing life is, to come and learn, the fine
art Of living. It was this same grea
Jeacher that first taught the work.
that life does not consist In the abun,
dance Of things we possess, but rather
IN showing, possessing and doing The
will Of God.
Once again, let's hear the cali o.
the Master as He declares that VIZ
shall find rest. How foolish have W.
been to think that in this Jesus wa,
concerning Himself wholly with thu
WEAKNESS OF the flesh--doubtless Ht
does care for and give rest to thos,
who have grown weary with over
much toll, but this can not be the Un1i
OF the content of these wonderful
words, and We shall find rest unto YOU
souls There is no burden SO heavy a;
that which weighs upon the SOUTH,
burden Of sin the consciousness Of be.
ing separated from God because OF gu,
gilt. Release from these burdens ha,
been sought in wild orgies of pleasure
In vain accumulation OF gold, In acoui
sition of power. but these all alike hav,
failed TO supply that for which the son
craved-rest from the burden OF con.
scious sin. Jesus bids all such to com.
unto Him and find that coveted, long
ed-for rest
Possessing Him they all possess,
Wisdom and strength and righteous