South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-08-08
KNOWING GOD" IS
THEME OF SERMON
BY DIR. BELLYILLE
Tells Of Search for God" In
Address at Indiana Avenue
Christian Church.

the only true God. and Him whom
Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ"
The lesson read was from Hebrews
cpe. verses one 20 nine 4 large and
sppveciauve audience heard the dis
courae- Among other things the
pasto- said
Mans religious history IS the
record OF mans search for God. II
matters not what the religion. the
idea OF a God outside Of oneself IS
necessary. This idea Is as universal
as mankind. and comprehends a be-
lief in a God who cares for His crea-
lures IN the present and orders for
them a future. Missionaries in go
ing 70 distant lands find there human
hearts as responsive % the religious
appeal as are found here in our own
native land.
Found a Type.
''The Apostle Paul found a type OF
the universal longing for God al
Athens when he saw erected there
an altar with the inscription, 'To an
unknown Cod on t. Using that as
a point Of contact. Paul declared TO
the Athcnians that whom they wor-
shipped in ignorance he made known
20 them as the God who made the
world. and all things therein, and
He. being Lord Of heaven and earth,
dwelleth not in the temples made
18th hands; neither IS He served by
mems hands as though He had need
OF anything, seeing He Himself Civ
eth 20 all life, and breath, and all
things: and lie made Of one every
nation of men to dwell on the face
OF the earth, having determined their
appointed seasons. and the bounds
OF their habitations. that they
should seek GOd-though He Is not
far from each Of us; for in Him we
live. and move. and have our being;
as certain of your own poets have
said. for we also are his offspring
in this saying of Paul three things
are 20 be noted: the Lordship Of
God, His nearness TO us, and our
sOnship. There Is no need for that
faraway feeling we have about God
which we too often have when
everything goes smoothly. but let
trouble come or let twilight shadows
gather to deepen into darkness and
we instinctively turn to God as One
vastly above us.
Sense of Nearness.
but, my brethren, we would urge
that you have the sense of the near
ness of God continually and that
your friendship with the Almighty
be perpetual. We commend this
friendship to you through Jesus
Christ, who was God manifest in the
flesh. and who declared that TO
know Him and God the Father was
life eternal In Jesus we see the
revelation OF God as 10 His supreme
purpose TO save the world-that por-
ton who viii believe on Jesus-and
we find in Jesus as the incarnate Son
Of GOO the satisfying longing Of the
race for God with us. Why is all
this seeking for God2 Is II not be-
cause creation and life and destiny
are unexplained without God? Is
not this searching the search for q
reality that must correspond to the
universal longing in the hearts of
mankind?
The search for God began in the
early days of the race. but It remain
ed for God to reveal Himself. and
the record Of His revelation is in the
Bible. For two thousand years the
BBle has remained as the word of
God and the revelation has not been
improved upon I'm the least. The
gospel and the writings OF Paul and
James. Of Peter and John are final
IN giving up the complete revelation
OF God who cares for His creatures
and gives them assurance Of His
presence. We would have YOU OBJ
serve that the wisdom Of men does
not reveal God. but the Bible is
from God 90 us. as it makes known
the gospel or Jesus Christ. The
writer's 90 the Hebrews said. God
having OF old time spoken unto the
fathers IN the proph is in divers Dor.
lions and divers manners. hath al
the end OF these days spoken unto us
in His Son lIeb. 1:1.2D
Mast Accept Jesus.
IL you would find God YOU must
accept Jesus as Christ. for it was
Jesus who said, He that hath seen
me. hath seen the Father And
again. NO man cometh unto the
Father but by me- See in Jesus the
love of "a God who cares. Gods JUS
tlce was challenged when men sin
ned and ueriteG dea p. but cod nail
ed HIS own rights 90 The cross when
His Son suffered that he penalty
might be removed from us. We
would have YOU see in the atone
ment something done outside OF us
but more zoo. We would have YOU