The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-04
One Person Can Set a Church
On Fire Nth Zeal, Like One
Match Could Burn Whole City
Personal Work of Church Members and Pastors Lacking
and That's Why Churches Show Little Progress, Says
Billy Sunday-Dont Leave Religion in Your Heart, Put
1t to Work
! what's In the Bible, that will save your

what's In the Bible, that will save your !
soul.
And it's the church's business to
save the |eople. Other people can
do the other part There are other
| institutions to educate them. That's
their business. That's what l do to!
win people to God Because if every
| body in the nation knew everything
there is to known, and didn't know
| God, what would be the conditions of
| the people in the community? So,
! fifty weeks ought to be spent in go
| ing after the unsaved, and two weeks
a year talking and preaching to the
| church. and we want soul winners
/ in the pews and the platform and the
! choir loft One person can set a
church on fire with holy zeal for
| Jesus Christ, the same as one match
could burn a city. And the church
of the future must work more for sim
/ ners or it will stop; and it must work
for all, rich, poor, great, small, learn
ed, or illiterate. It is something
everybody can do, and God will bless
you whether you have got much o"
| little, whether you wear homespun
or silk, whether you ride in an auto or
whether you hot-hoof il, whether you
have got a servant to wait on you or
whether you have to wait on your
| self, the Lord can honor you, and will
| il you will do His will and help bring
somebody to the Lord.
There was a time when a preacher
was looked upon as a sort of an &C.
clesiastic locomotive, and they
thought his whistling and blowing off
steam and cinders was enough to
bring the whole bunch to glory. It
won't do it! Everybody's got to do
something to help. Now the MAORI
ty of Christians never speak word
or do a thing to bring the interests
of religion before the mind of the in
dividual Personal work is the bust
ness of every minister and deacon
and every member of the church, and
you ought to begin at home among
your friends and your own own fami-
4 Iy, too.
Personal Work
Is Necessary.
How many of you have spoken to
ANYBODY about religion since these
meetings have been in progress The
majority of you would be compelled
to admit that you met with people
day by day in your club, in your
lodge, in your literary, in your home.
and you casually talk about every.
thing under heaven except about
their soul. And people ask why so
many people are out of the church
| think the responsibility for it must
largely be placed at the door of the
1 church. That's what l think!
i am getting sick of hearing about
the non-church goer. l am talking
about the non-going church after the
non-church goer. That what I'm
talking about!
Let's get the thing Strengthened
around right. Don't crowd out the
fellow that doesn't come, when your
, own bunch never asks him to come,
and never does thing to help him
, to the Lord Get them to do their part,
: and then when they do their part,
: it's up to the other fellow If he don't
do his
So if l stand up and preach the
) truth and you sit there and reject it
: and you go to hell, that's up to you!
; It's not up to me at all! What ]
, preach is the truth, and you reject
: it-then God will damn you! If it
isn't the truth, then God will damn
: me. You come and show me that
! what I preach isn't the truth, not
: from the standpoint of some old
theological bell-wether. but the word
of God. Come and show me thai
what | preach hasn't the word of God
back of it, The Christian people.
think are responsible that thousands
of people pass out into darkness and
are lost. The opportunity to do some
thing for Jesus Christ is never alb
sent. l will be personal.
Too Much Theory,
Too Little Practice.
l am not going to be theorist too:
there is too much theorizing and not
enough practice in the church today.
Debating over this or that dogma will
: never give spiritual life or power
never-and real effective results are
obtained by personal contact. When
you ask an individual meet the indi-
viduaI and speak with that individual
That's where the great work is to be
done. So many OF them do nothing
That's the reason we are not accom-.
, plishing more; they are doing nothing
: at all; they are dead ones.
: He that winneth souls is wise"
, So, Garry your religion with you
everywhere you go and do your share
! Carry your religion with you just as
! you do your hair and clothes. Don't
. think that religion is a good deal like
! cloak; you put it on of Sunday
t morning, trot out to church, Their
hang it in the closet for the rest oil
\ the week. Carry religion with you
! wherever you go. Take it with you
+ at all times, to the hotel, the restau
; rant, the train,-Oh, you will find
= somebody everyday that doesn't know