The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-11
WOOldS Sunday Sermon
CHRISTIANITY TRIUMPHANT.
ny SAMUEL =. KAuFFMAN.
PASTOR English lutheran church.

Perceive ye how ye prevail
-,,bing2 BEHOLD the world is
gore after john xii, 10.
rlr Christian religion Is waning I'm
,ou.,r. The church ia losing hold
mon the masses. Christianity has
Sr,l such Is the language OF the
Avorid. ,-,- o.,
outraged. Spirituality ia declining
I'm our churches. a general coli
ian.e Of religious faith Is AT hand
such are the avowed sentiments OF
,re enemies of the cross: such are
,bo proud boasts of iufidelicty today
~ these absurd claims we an
swrr In the words of the text: Per
,.ivr So how ye prevail nothing
u.gold the world is gone after
HIM" Remember, too, that these
Vr-e the words of Christ's enemies
-.tEr self righteous Pharisecs who,
sr.r the raising OF Lazarus, had
taken measures to put Christ to
death. Jesus then retired to private
ufr. walking no more openly among
thcm and they thought Him van
ou,ahcd But at the time of tho
fa4-' Of Passover, Jesus comes to
Jerusalem. and when tho people
y hear OF his coming, they In great
rruItitudcs go out to meet Him and
make his entrance into the city a
Imogt triumphal one, His enemies
Pthaught Jesus would remain quiet
and that the people would soon for
got Him, and consequently, they are
not prepared for this fresh out
break.
They now confess among them
selves that all their efforts have
proved unavailing; that with all
their threats against Christ and
against the people for following
Him they could accomplish nothing
and that the people are going after
Christ our theme is:
Christianity Triumphant.
Never was there a couse more
hopeless of success than the cause Of
Christ in its beginning. lts founder
Young man and poor; its adherents
a small company of fishermen and
a few others. 1t required no temple
I'm which to hold its followers and
propagate their faith. The upper
room met all requirements. Besides.
1t had to encounter the hostility Of
the whole world. II had arraycd
against IL the prejudice and power
of the whole Jewish nation and o.
the whole Gentle world, too. Jewish
doctors and Greek shges, barbarian,
Scuhian. bond and free. were all
filled with the same spirit of envy;
some against the creed which 1t con-
talned. others against the morals 1t
imposed. and still others against It's
members. Its temper and genius
were opposite TO the habits. opinions
and customs of the people. The
apostles were men whose natural
talents. whose country and eNtrac-
tion, whose character and whose oc-
cupation were the objects of scorn
and contempt.
II had against it also all the priv
lleged orders; the influence OF the
priesthood and of the aristocracy.
the philosophy, the learning, in
short. the whole array of the moral,
intellectual and physical force OF
the world. The Jews hated 1t ana
looked upon 1t as apostasy. The
priests and the people spurned 1t as
religion without temple ana
without an altar.
And this was true. 1t had neither
church nor synagog. Its followers
were poor and 1t had alliance with
no political power. II was unshel-
tered and unprotected and 1t met
with the fierccst opposition. Chris
fians were ANONYMOUSLY burned and
in pieces by them. In short, every
thing was done in order that this
hated religion might be killed. No
cause on earth was ever 80 bitterly
and fierceiy denounced and opposed.
Religion was against It, law was
against It, policy was against H.
.xride was against IT, philosophy was
against it. and OF course vice In al
its manifold forms was against IL
And now. it's founder has been cruel
fled and the little discouraged flock
retiros to an upper room In Jerusa .
lem.
Close the page of history now and
4 tell us, what beanie CT this cause
' Did it live a single year? Did It's
friends ever dare advocate II in the
future? Did not the same mana
which put to death their leader
crush them? According to al
principles OF human calculation SO
/, might have been confidently pre-
dicted. But not so the fac,
Christianity lives today and, as mas
been well said, "it lives In power
that shakes the world
Solves Iifc's Problems.
But, IT is asked, wherein lie the
triumphs OF Christianity? f1rst ol
all, IN the fact that II has showf
70 man lnc true Solutlou VI iAl', -"
were cropping in the dark until th'
light Of Christianity dawned upoi
them. The greatest philosophers oi
tho ages could not solve the prob'
lem Of lifo-its origin. its object, ~
end As the heather in their blind,
ness they were feeling after saioc
If haply they might find Him Bu'
Christianity taught man that Goa Il
his father and that his destiny i
beyond this life. II has nfted mar
out OF the mazos and mysteries o.
speculation and has placed his rec
Upon the solid rock OF ccr'alntle'
and ~ everlasting verit!cs. MAJ
recognizes his design and he laoor'
90 fulfl the object OF his destiny
Here surely Christianity has gl"ri
ously triumphcd.
Again, the triumph OF Christiani'!
Is shown in it's effects upon IN
world. II has affected the inhi
ydual, and through him society u
general The gospel OF Christ Is tn
power ~ God unto salvation, Sal'
Justin Martyr: christianity must b
from God, because itmakos IN
vuluptous man Chaste. the avartciou
nan liberal, the man of cursIng I
man Of prayer. the implacapl
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