South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-07-18
OFFERING TO GOD"
IS THEME OF TALK
Rev. Phillips Cites Respective
Offerings of Cain
and Abel.

The acceptable Offering OF to-
day was the subject OF Rev. Russell
Phillips sermon TO the congregation
OF the Trinity NJ. z. church, Sunday.
He told Of the offerings OF Cain and
Abel and the rejection OF Gains be-
cause IL was not made in accordance
with the old Hebrew conception OF
God. He closed by comparing the
present day offerings to those.
The sermon follows;
"Caia and Abel made their respec-
tive offerings 70 Jehovah. The for
mer was a dller Of the soil and made
his Offering accordingly, the latter
was keeper OF sheep and offered
the firstling OF his flock. Abels Of
fering was accepted by Jehovah,
while Gains was rejected. II was
not the agricultural Offering that God
did not respect. The author Of Cen
eSis gives the reason that there was
sin in the life and Offering Of Cain.
What was that sin? The Offering
was not made in accordance with the
old Hebrew conception OF God. IN
I'll their location in the land Of Ca
naan they had no home, but were a
nomadic. a wandering tribe Of peo-
pie. travelling from oasis 10 oasis
with their few possessions. Under
these conditions all they possessed
with which 10 recognize their God
would be an offering from thei-
flock. That had always been their
conception OF an Offering, and natur-
ally the writer of Genesis thought no
other would suffice"
Change Occupation.
But when they entered Canaan,
this book Of Genesis being written
long after they entered that land,
which was so rich with the fruits OF
I the soil, many Of their numbers ceas-
ed their old occupation as herdSmen
and began to till the soil, which
brought forth so much bounty. When
those folks wanted to make an offer
ing TO Jehovah they were compelled
TO take the fruit OF The soil TO do so.
Their conception Of the Offering to
God was changed because their idea
of God had changed. but the author
| of Genesis had not changed in his
idea of God and His offering. hence
in his mind the Offering CT Cain Was
sinful.
I'm our thinking 1t IS absurd 20
think that God would not respect a
farmers Offering as we'll as the one
which came from a flock of sheep. I
believe we can put 1t down as a
maxim that the Offering which coin
cides with ones knowledge Of God
and conception of God is acceptabl
at the hands of God.
Have Disclosures.
I'VE determine our conception and
knowle dye of God by means Of the
revelations which God discIoses to
the human family. We have all the
! disclosures Of the Old Testament TO
shape that conception, as well as the
wonderful revealings which Jesus
| brought forth concerning the char
acter and the personality OF Cfed.
| The succeeding Christian centuries
with their Pauls, their Savanarclas.
their Luthers and their Wesleys have
added 20 our knowledge and concep-
tion of God. Our offering today in
order 10 be accepted Of Cod must be
in keeping with our fullest idea Of
God. God and His kingdom is call
ing us 10 an Offering Of service; and
it must be a service ensured not so
much by hours OF time nor by dollars
and cents, but by its value 70 human
ity and the kingdom OF God. 1t is
possible for both time and money to
enrich such a service.
"All of US in this Christian land
have some knowledge Of God and He
is going to hold each one of us ac-
countable for an offering of our tai
ents in His kingdom which CORES
ponds % our fullest knowledge OF
Himself. That lays great respon-
sibility upon all His disciples. for the
more we know of God the more ser
vice He can expect OF US"