The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-18

A digest of the sermon on "Thou
Art Not Far From the Kingdom"
preached by Rev. w. a. Sunday sat
urday night. follows:
Mark. 18th chapter. "a verse:
Thou are not far from the kingdom
OF God"
A person may he very near the
kingdom OF God and lose. or all
cases OF spiritual ruin, none are so
Distressing as that of man ar woman
who under similar circumstances
have been brought as near as you
now are and yet refuse the last step.
A sad sight is that of the ship
that goes down when the passen-
gers are within sight OF their native
shores, and the towers and spires Of
the seaport town make a bright s.l-
houette against the blue skyline for
a background.
Whatever became OF this young
lawyer TO whom Jesus uttered these
words? | do not know. / presume
ne never did profit by them or the
Bible would not have left rs to
guess for the last 1900 years. |
presume he never did enter the
kingdom OF heaven, although he
was even as near as you are now.
If Won make q will. that Will Is
not in force as long as there is a
minute you pass from the realms
OF The living. that will Is in force.
Some people are nearer the king
dom OF God than others, Until you
accept Jesus Christ and are born
again by faith in Him, you are out
II tho kingdom. The moment you
accept Him and are born again you
are in the kingdom.
The difference is not ono OF de-
I - lff, -
degrees of salvation,
You find yourself in the middle
OF circumstances that have contrib
uted 10 bringing you nearer TO
where you find yourself now. the
elements of character may develop
into circumstances, These circum %
stances are appealing to the best
elements OF your character ana by
making that appeal they have
brought you nearer TO realizing that
YOU ought 10 be a Christian.
Your condition Of mind may be
duo to elements of character. You
are compelled TO admit that you are
| in a condition of mind toward good
and religion that you were not In
some weeks ago. This city Is in a
condition of mind about God that
she was not I'm weeks ago. She was
looking cross-eyed at the cross then.
Her mind ana ner noaft ~ open now
! That condition Of mind is brought
about by circumstances; series OF
meetings the prayers and everything
| that has been said or done, and the
element OF character is the condi-
ton OF your mind and the clrcum-
stances have brought you whore you
now find yourself.
mot far from the kingdom OF
God"
Lack Gods Touch.
In the cathedral at Strasburg
there rs clock so wonderful that
some of the. ignorant suppose II to
/ have been fashioned by the fingers
of angels. II Is said that the man
that made that clock was not paid
| for his work, and was angry. and
went into the tower and touched a
secret spring in the clock
The clock ceased TO run. The clock
| forgot TO crow, the milkmaid failed
| TO trip along her way, the anvlls did
not clang, and the apostles did not
march in solemn procession.
The clock would not run, or would
run at the touch OF the makers
fingers on the secret spring The
clock was an automaton and when
the man touched the spring II
moved.
You are not an automaton, but
what you lack is the secret touch OF
God In your life. When that touch
is applied youll become all that God
intended you TO be- and that touch