Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-23
The Times-Dispatch Sunday
Sermon
ny Jxnr. l,iddlck Lourh,on.
Finishing the Work.

on the earth. l have flushed the work which
Thou Gaycst me to do"
Jesus Christ the Son OF God. the Son OF Man.
that mysterious blending of the divine and
the human. was standing In the very shadow
Of Calvary. His public ministry began with
II prayer. as He was being baptized in Jordan.
Ills whole life life that shot
through with prayer. Now lie closes Ills
ifc's work with Ills farewell prayer. the in
;erccssory. or high priesiy prayer.
II is Thursday night. In few hours Jesus
viii be betrayed into the hands OF sinners
ON the afternoon OF the following day. at
the time of the evening sacrifice in the Pass
over feast, Christ Passover will be
riiiccd for u.s. In spiritual communion with
HIS Father. Jesus views the bitter experience
OF Gcthscmane just ahead of Him as already
accomplished tie viewss the agony OF Cal
vary as already passed through and the vie
tory of the resurrection as already won.
Standing on prophetic ground as IL were, and
looking back. He views His mission as
pletcd. although il not until the follow
ing afternoon that lie cried. at is fnishcd!"
me au-d o'niiatme Thought and purpose OF
Christ was 10 glorify God, and to accomplish
HIS work. He Eicriticd God in the accomplish
mcnt OF His work. This is shown in many
or Ills uttc:anccs. and in the records OF His
iab"rs 1t Is shown In His life II was u
ne or beauty. 1t was life without a flaw.
thc Hatchlcss purity of that life is admitted
even by his enemies. Christ's was the only
selfish! He went about doing good" is the
pregnant record. Christianity is a selflcss
khiEhthood. because Jesus taught and prac-
ticed unseishncss.
Jesus slorifi"d God and accomplished His
work in His death. At the time OF the Of
fcrinE of the sacrifice of the pachal lamb In
the Passover feast. Jesus, the Lamb OF God
was offered up on Calvary for the sins OF the
world.
Not nll the blood of beasts
On Jewish affairs slain
Gould give the guilty conscience peace
Or wash away the stain
but Christ. the heavenly Lamb
takes all our sins away:
y Sacrifice OF noblcr name
Anh richer blood than thcy"
'r""S Giorined God and accomplished His
work in His glorious resurrection Tba
resurrection OF Jesus is fundamental n
CHRIST be not risen. our prenchinc ,s Wi, our
iai'h is vain When Christ issued forth from
inc broken tomb Deaths Conuuer.- II,
Proe'ained TO the world what lie here an
n'uhceu 20 the Father in the text. He APP
Jared as the complctcr of IIis work tho
finishcr OF His mission tho AccnmnIish.r -,
the plans ana purposes OF God Divine work
is always perfect work
The mission OF the disciple is the mission
OF the Master in this two-fod purpose We
accomplish
work. We are to glorify God in the accom-
p!ishment Of work.
Every soul is given by God n work to d D
Every life has divine purpose for It, There
is no thought OF waste in Gods economy.
We should earnestly seek to lind out Gods
purpose Tor our lives The greatest thing
that one can say at the close of life is: ~
have slorined God, I have finished my work
as God would have me finish it,"
Whether the work was great or small:
whsiher II was done in the full blaze Of the
hoon-day sun, or In obscuri,y: whether IL
was broad or limited: is not the question The
sole question Isl Have ! been faithful to n
God-siving trust whether men praised or
blamed?
We cannot finish work absolutely. That
IS no lfe-work is perfect. 1t cannot be- with
our human limitations. Christ's was the only
hnished work God does not count our SER
vice by days and months and years He
does not keep tab with time table and
schedule. With Him days are not reckoned
according to hours of labor II is the purity
the nobility OF purpose and of motive that
meets His approval and that counts as sue
cess Many u head that was crowned with
thorns In this world. has received at the Mas
tcrs hands the glory crown OF everlasting
life
God completes incomplctcd work
Blessed truth! In the vestibule of n beau
tiful building erected in memory Of a noble
ana gtntIc woman lHesc lines are inscribed
bronze tablet:
The good she tried do shall stand as IL
'twcrc done;
God finishes the work BY noble souls begun"
in LOngfellow's poem. "Sa ndalphon," he rep
rcscnts the prayers that 20 up to heaven from
sincere hearts being changed into flowers
in the hands of the angel. radiatng their
fragrance throughout heaven. Gods word
says that the prayers Of the saints are in
Christians. our broken prayers our broken
hopes our broken hearts. the broken programs
of our lives. il given To God, He Will make
into things of eternal value. Our ircompeted
work, our incompleted plans. our incomplcted
lives. il done and planned and lived for His
glory, God will complete. His work is al
ways perfect work.
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