Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-19
SAYS CHURCH MUST
. BE DEMOCRATIC
Should Have More Than Pres
tige and Material Influence,
Declares Mr.. Chenault.
BE HOME OF THE LEAST
BE HOME OF THE LEAST
Loses Its Vision When 1t
Stands Aloof From Worlds
Crying Needs.

o"'hhuiI, pastor Of Broad street
,he.n'uist Church. declared las, night
in '"e second OF a series of sermons
on The Home" The church ~
Christ must be an AGGRESSIVE. and
lrNoIutionary power. the church thar
- truly Christian also is democra,ic
he said. 1t must have more than
prestige and material influence. !,
Shoulh be the home of the least and
the lost: the sorrowing and tbr
needy. The church that stands aioof
from the crying needs of the world
mas lost It's vision; civilization. H.,
sell. VIII be ovcrihrown and hccouno
one with Nineveh and Tyre uuiees
the church makes Christ real and
potent
The lodge. he said. although he is
not opposed to 1t. declaring thcro
is much TO be said in its favor can
NOT he substituted for the church
such "a belief is tragic Many things
he declared. are done in tho name
OF charity. though, often, without
Justification. The church. ne said.
is the foundation Of every material
I fuccass-it offers the only inspira-
ton for real service.
Society OF believers.
Mr.. Chenault said In part: The
church is society Of believers gath
cred around the person of Christ TO
carry on His work. Those who com
pose the church must he loyal to
christ must have the power Of God
In their hearts. Christ is tho founda-
ton OF the church. The church.
therefore. to be truly the church of
christ. must be an aggressive and
revolutionary power for the putting
down OF sin and the establishing OF
righteousness.
The church should be the home
OF the social interests OF the people.
! Ihc church that is truly Christia n
IL also democratic. The church that
seeks To be exclusive may have
prestige. and material influence, but
not spiritual power
The church should he the center
OF the social life Of the community.
Its program should be continuous:
it's activities should touch every
phase Of life as well as every ella Sc
and age. We must tall; to the peo-
pie in such way that they may
know that the church is really uu-
sc!nshly Interested, and not a so
cial club. or engaged i'm n WORK
separate from tn" common interest
of all men.
should BE Home OF Least
Likewise, the church should be
the home OF the least and the lost.
The church should be the home
OF the sorrowinE and the needy. The
church that gets away from the poo
pie Is church that always loses
it's power. The church that stands
a!oof from the crying needs OF the
multitude lex the church that has lost
Its vision OF a world mission. Clvi-
lization Itself. will be overthrown
and become one with Nineveh and
Tyre. unless the church can make
Christ real and potent to the lost
and least.
The church is the foundation Of
every material success. Roger
Babson. in his little book CALLED
Making Good in Business. has
It's not land and labor, nor inven-
tons, nor new discoveries that have
made possible the march of civiliza :
tIon. hut these things. plus Chris
tianity.
THE church offers the only in
spiration for real service Men do
not strive for the higher thlnEa u
tromptcd purely by seliishness.
.ncre has TO he a motive beyond self
TO make Il man do his best. The
world must get its inspiration for
service from the church.
inspiration OF Service.
The arts and the sciences were
born under the inspiration OF ser
vice. The great paintings were not
executed for commercial purposes.
but TO spread the gospel and the
Scriptures and the writings OF its
teachers. Men who live worthy
life must first forget themselves. The
church OF. Christ teaches men how
to forget themselves and gives them
"A motive worthy or their best"
At the morning service. Mr.. Che
nault based his sermon on the Incl
dent of the storm at sea. when Christ
stilled the waves. Among other
things, he said
Christ was very human as we'll
as divine. He became weary and cx-
hausted with the continuous round
OF duty. In His preaching and min
istrics of love, lie gave himself. All
ministry that blesses is costly The
kingdom of God is not place for
idlers. but workers. The cross Is
not merely a historic fact, not yet n
statement of the worlds redemption.
but an Interpretation of human suf-
ferins and sacrifice for the con-
tinual redemption Of the race.
Seek I.ifc's Realities.
1.-The Christianity that pretends
experience and does not hold as
sacred. time and opportunity. is n
mockery. Multitudcs spend their
days with superficial, transient and
selfish interests and pleasures: but
~ sense of eternity In their hearts
would make them seek LIES reali-
ties.
Christ seemed to be Indifferent
to the disciples anxiety at the storm.
but the Indifference was only ap-
parent. Christ is never Indifferent
to our needs, though He seems to be.
Sometimes He tells us to wait-for
waiting brings patience. and trust,
and character.
Christ is sufficient for every
storm that arises. The storm OF
failure often comes. the storm OF
temptation blows hard. hut Christ
can say. Peace, he still.' when the
SIGN of sin and shame threatens
III destruction of character, whom
sorrow comes, or even when death
calls. His grace is sufficient for rs"
Speaks to ". u. & y. Employees.