The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-12
RELIGIOUS VENEER"
W|CkER'S SUBJECT
says Religion IN Nothing to Play and
TriHc Nitb--Poor Widow mt Jerusa-
lem w i'll outShine Alexander Before
King of Kings.

Trinc Nith--Poor widow Mt Jerusa-
lem VIII outxhtne Alexander Before
King of Kings.
Al Leigh street Baptist church Or,
J J. w ECKER preached last evening on.
Religious Veneer taking as his text
why call me Lord. Lord and do not
the things that command you. Luxe
SAC, The minister said in part:
Veneer is chean II covers defects
and hides inferior quality. All men
would like to be called good. 1t is
big thing II makes friends. 1t gets
business. II satisfies self esteem. 1t
puts all on the outside. II paints rot
ten wood. 1t leaves the back yard In
weeds hilo the front Is fun of roses
II is like an ugly woman's dolled-up
face. II rs rosy checks on diseased
man. 1t liz a uniform on traitor
1t is much easier to appear than to
be 1t is reputation without character.
II people would give half as much at
tcntion to character as they do to rep
utation, they would be angels. Take
care of your character and your repu-
tation will take care of itself. stop
trying to make an impression and be
natural. Self-consciousness makes
grotesque shadow. ion professed,
is not religion possessed.
CONDITIONS IN THE DAYS OF JESUS.
Take walk down the streets of Je-
rusalem The Pharisees crowded the
highways. They walked the streets
with whole ecclesiastical wardrobe on
their backs. Their headgear comprised
religious millinery shop. They made
broad their pAvlacteries and loved the
praises of men. They stood in the
streets and prayed, Their chief asset
was voice like the bulls of Bashan.
If they had not a voice, they blew a
horn. They were all sound 1t was a
religion of hot air. Lungs pumped
BY pride was religions chief express
sion.
than silver. If they had been as good
as they looked. they would have en-
| harra ssed angels. The Pharisees had
! no use for penitent Publicans. Gem
uine repentance interferred with their
! veneer. They took no stock in the
unfortunates; that was left to Samari-
/ tan Heretics. They passed by on the
other side Their robes were too sa-
cred to be soiled by sympathetic SER
! vice.
| The Pharisees died but their success
| sors are still living. Human nature
| keeps on propagating. The disease or
| phariseeism is very contagious. 1t il
| a painless disease except to others. 1t
| brings it's own opiate and would II pos
/ SINE, deceive IHt NETS t1eit-
| Religious camouiage is q tempting
| thing The man that sees himself. the
man that others see, and the man that
| God sees is often three men in one, but
| q II different.
| THE CALL OF JESUS
FOR THE GENUINE
In the midst of all these conditions.
Jesus stood and stands today the per
| feet personality He punctures the
! rtn1 20 nj the He
! imparts tRe truth. shows the way and
inbreathes the life. His searching eyes
are the S-Rays on every man. With
out mercy. he assaults the PhariSees.
| He calls them whited sepulchres, sons
of hell, liars, hypocrites. fools, blind
guides serpents vipers, self-lovers and
slackers.
Jesus Christ means business. He put
all into his mission, He washed his
face in bloody sweat. wore the cruel
crown of thorns, climbed the sleeps
OF Calvary and yielded uD his redemp-
tive life on the cross.
Christianity is no sickly sentimen-
tality. 1t lis no milk and water mix
ture Men should stop playing with
religion, II is nothing to tribe with.
1t demands our best We should clear
the track for the gospel train and give
it the right of way.
Be 4 -tFtie- ,ae++t.-I,et- there be no hes
itaticu or mental reservation or secret
evasion of mind Stand pat for Christ.
DO for Jesus as he has done for you.
Tie no string to your religion. Burn
the bridges behind you. Re UP and
down, out and out and through and
through Christians. Give him your
best and not trn leavings of your time.
talent and money.
WHAT Is TRtE CHRISTIANITY
IT is scriotural creed operating in
and through regenerate character
issuing in righteous conduct. My
creed must operate through and or
ganism 1T must have eyes, ears head.
feet and Il heart as Well as pair Of
lungs. Christianity cannot be con-
fined to- the organ OF speech The
tongue can only arttculate the life, no
more. no Less Profession and posses
sion should keep together. Doing with
out Christ is meaningless Christ
without doing is Impossible. Christ.
character and conduct are one and in
separatabe The root Is Christ. the
tree is character, the fruit is conduct.
claim no fruit apart from Christ.
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
: Here we VIII appear as we are. The
veneSr win be stripped off. The man
that God sees will be revealed No
ecclesiastical robe. creed or church
can cover defects before the throne OF
for that day of testing. Reputation
among men will not furnish a passport
to heaven. The Judge of all the earth.
Knows and VIII DO the fight ri this
life we should serve. LAS ever in our
great task Masters eye" In that day
great number of the now unknowns
VIII. be crowned with glory and honor
And In that day many of the worlds
heroes will hear the Judge say, II
never knew you" Worldly honor and
divine reward are not always Identical
The poor widow at Jerusalem who
gave heE all. Dorcas at Joppa who
made clothes for the moor, the unnamed
good Samaritan on the Jericho Road
will all be exhaited by the King of
Kings. They VIII outshine Alexander
the Great. Caesar and Napoleon.
Earthly treasures and earthly honors
are not to be. desDised by any means.
but the man who fails to lay on