The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-05-20
Sunday School
Lesson

6uuuuy NNiiUuA AAtENOh lUi 4thJ
Subject Making the NeighborhooG
Christian.
Two weeks ago our subject was The
Church; last week, The Home, and
this, The Neighborhood.
The p. R. R. Co outglew their
quarters in a certain city in the East,
They went 10 miles outside the city,
built shops, yards, etc; their en-
ployes built quite bit OF a town.
most of them were Christian and they
wanted a place of worship. One man
knew a minister with the United
Brethren people, two miles away. He
said to his fellow employees, let us
make up a purse large enough to
build a good sized meeting house
They did Then out OF respect they
let him get the man for the pulpit,
Well he went to the United Brethren
people And why not? And now il
was called United Brethren church.
and why not? But the membership
was made up of all evangelistic de-
nominations A good live congrega
ton. | held the first meeting there
q blessed time, blessed fruit; some OF
it there yet; some have slipped away
To be with Jesus Money always in
the treasury, no begging. no church
suppers, no divisions. Well, the city
was Christian. Men came there to
open saloons, but no go during the
three years this program was on and
YOU see the devil didn like that So
he sent a Presbyterian man there In
drag the Presbyterians out; later =
Baptist man; later a Methodist man.
and later d Christian man. and by
this time they had the Little town
churched to death. Yes! | have for
gotten to mention the Lutherans. The
whole thing was pity in the sight OF
heaven-no more people saved, could
not command the respect of any man
and it became anything but Christian
Strange indeed that sensible people
in so many ways will be such fools IN
what they call our religion, to let men
make them believe they are serving
God. How well the devil does know
that every time he can make a divis-
ion in the church he weakens the say
ing power of the whole thing. Man
was not nor is not the author of sin
only the channel through which il
comes and goes, and we can thank
God that we did not originate it and
b. the saving and keeping power OF
God through our Lord Jesus Chris
we don't need to let the devil make IT,
channel for his dirt.
There is absolutely no way to es-
innate the value of Holy Spirit-tilled
minister in a community. He feel,
the Holy dignity of his place. He
stands unafraid he is to speak Il
men about the most important mat
ters of two worlds, he is to warn, re
huke, entreat and promise; the Holy
Spirit of God is upon him. People
will be convicted of sin and sinner,
will be converted and Christians will
be sanctified; he will erect family
alters in the homes and the members
will call him blessed because Goo
has hold of him. The higher places
Of learning may be able to help him
and it may not. They often undermine
the faith in God and the Bible. | was
converted in 1889. have found min
listers like I've mentioned and because
of them | grew in the word, in His
SIdGt. Oul IlOh SUI W huOh vi llCl
in some OF our evangelistic pulpits
who don't believe any of the super
natural part of the Bible They ar,
afraid of a revival They will lei
none in their congregation if they car
keep it out and they can do it. | was
working with one until clock il
the morning in his study. Never viii
] forget the look of distress in his
face as he said, "Oh Jim, if I could
only get rid of the stuff l loaded u!
with in the school" Don't you seJ
it. So many of the schools are un-
loading the most deadly rubbish into
the church. Another minister said
You see Jim. I'm theological mar
and in the school they told me al
about the Bible but not the Bible
Another has written a little book tC
show the world getting better anC
one of his points is that there is ne
man yet to take Bob Ingersoll's place
You see the poor fellow didn't know
that the devil don't want another Boil
when he can get preachers to do {
better work for him. Bob never
fought any part of the Bible but thu
law and God of Moses. But he ha:
ministers fighting the book from
start to finish. Our blessed Lord ha
used the book in my hands to put A.
men and women into the ministr!
in some form and you see the devi
don't like that. And what is more
all OF them have been converted ant
believe and teach the work of tn
Holy Spirit filled life This lesson il
making the neighborhood Christian
I'll let my reader draw his own con
clusion as to how to go at it. Lor,
willing will give you more next week
J. NJ. BERWICK.