The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-06-12
Inspiring Words OF Pastor Of
First Christian Church Lis
tened to Attentively.

Ing GLASS OF the Pensacola High School
yesterday morning, in spite OF the
heavy rain which fell just at church
tim@ and those who heard the Bao-
calaureats sermon viii never forget
the words OF inspiration, or the sense
OF youthful aspiration that tho eager.
uplifted young faces Of the graduates
expressed.
The music OF the morning service.
which was rendered BY the ohoirs OF
the First Baptist church and the First
Christian church, was under the di-
x@ction OF q, 8, Brlerley, and was one
% the most beautiful features OF the
service,
Chaplain William =. Edel. u. 8. NJ,
pronounced the invocation, and the
lesson for the morning, from st. John.
was read by Mr.. Ross. DIR. A. J. Mon
Grief made the announcements.
Following is the Bacoalaureate SER
mon in full:
In seeking to discover for our use
today the most appropriate message.
the thought of life seemed to hold the
place OF preeminenee. AS we thought
Aof this group OF young people. standing
at the very beginning of life with all
passed TO some extent the plastic state
OF life with habits and character
largely determined, you stand at the
commencement Of life.
Now to suggest to you from the Book
words that magnify and dignity this
simple word Life. we quote to you from
John 1910. and Jas 2:24: "Theh thief
cometh, but that he may steal and
kill, and destroy came that they may
have life; and have It abundantly."
What Is your lifeg
In our first text. Jesus Is contract
ing himself with other teachers; with
those who taught the people only in
order to win their following. while he,
in the spirit Of disinterested love.
taught them for their own good These
Weaohers were more worthy OF the title
OF thieves than shepherds, for their
object was selfish and sectariAn, not
"a humanitarian one. They wanted
men for their religion. He wanted
men for their salvation. He claimed
to be the Good Shepherd" because He
secured for the sheep life at the cost
of His own. And not merely that. 1t
was not bare life that He secured for
them. but Astounding life. life that is
a Joy to live.
In the development OF this message
OF the speaker, He has given us two
words indicative OF two individuals,
the thief and the shepherd, and these
two words are significant of the acts
of these individuals. The thief takes;
the shepherd gives. The thief COM
eth not, but that he may steal; I carne
that they may have This Is the in
effaceable distinction between the
world and the Savior. The world
cries: give me-" the Savior cries. Il
give thee" The world is selfish: the
Savior is unselfish The princes of
this world exercise lordship. l am
among you as He that serveth. The
world says-and practices it--that 1t
IS more blessed to receive than TO give.
Jesus says It is more blessed to give
than to receive. He gave His life as
ransom.
The thief takes life the Shepherd
gives life. The thief cometh not. but /
that he may kill; came that thee may
have life. Life and death are the great !
words OF any hour. They present the |
one contrast--the opposites-to which |
all others are subordinate. Life was
not physical health and strength IT |
was fellowship with God. in the lam (
guage OF Jesus. Life says the men of /
science, IS correspondence with the I
things around us; death comes when /
we get out of touch. Spiritual life is
correspondence with Him who is a |
spirit; It is trust, it is truth. Every I
antagonist of God--the world, the |
flesh, the devil-seeks to break our i
fellowship with God. Till Satan came l
Adam walked with Cod; then he hid
himself Jesus comes to the hidden
Adam that he may restore the fell /
lowship.
The thief comes to destroy; Jesus 1
comes to give life abundantly Before I
the thief--be he world, flesh. devil
can destroy, he must get us in his
grasp. This Is a late stage Of the pro-
cess. we lose when we begin TO fol-
low the world; then we are killed, the /
very conscience becoming blunt and I
blind; then we are utterly destroyed: 1
Before Jesus can give US life in album
dance, lie must give us life. We are
born again, and then we are changed /
into the same image from glory to
glory.
suppose we were asked any OF the
following questions; Can you tell me
In a word the subject OF the New
or, can you explain, Just
AZ briefly, the object for which Christ
came into the world2 or, can you in
dicate the final purpose Of the null
.ituda OF various religious organiza-
ions ana movements which we find
Il work all around us. many OF them
lending, like other kinds OF modern
to come more and more
complex Can you say why all the
sermons are preached. why all the va
IONS services are held, why this COM
sermon?
VIII not single word answer all
.Aese questions? surely the one word
Life" is a sufficient reply TO them all.
Is not life the one subject of all teach
ng and study. is not lie the one o.
ieot OF every kind of effort.
From time to time in the course OF
His ministry our Lord briefly. yet quite