The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-26
WORLDS SUNDAY SERMON

inspired, invinCible hosts OF time
will refuse TO follow any church or
creed that in the realm of morals
or religion abandons the power OF
love for the force OF law. lesus was
;he antithesis of Caesar. He refused
TO fight with the sword, and could
not be conquered by the sword. Al
exandcr won world by force and
lost II in death. Force put Jesus to
death, but the Christ idea has con-
quered and held the allegiance OF
more subjects each century since,
than ever acknowledged fealty to
a Caesar. an Alexander or a Napo-
leon. The gospel OF love has multi.
piled his power, increased his fame
and placed nations. thrones and
prlncipalities at his feet. The glory
and splendor won with the sword
by the gods OF force perished with
the victors. Every time the church
has seized the sword she has re-
tarded the cause Of Christ. Every
time she has called upon the law to
make men righteous or moral. she
has discredited the power OF love
and Injured the cause of righteous
ness and true morality Contrast
the religion " Saul OF Tarsus with
the religion OF Paul the apostle. and
you get "A true conception of the diff
ference between a religion OF force
and religion of love.
A Personal Savior.
The Jews looked for a temporal
ruler, Il great lawgiver after the
| order of Moses, and the Pharisees
or today are trying TO represent
Christ as such, when MS a matter of
fact he was and Is a personal Savior.
His gospel Is not a law Of the realm,
but law of the soul; not for the
government Of the state, but FOR the
guidance Of the individual In re-
cent sermon at the Hyde Park
Christian church I'm Kansas City. the
Rev James Small said: Jesus
never used force. lie was a lover,
and not n legislator. lie was a re-
doemer, and not "A policeman, lie
was teacher. not an officer. Chris
tianity is insp!rational, not lcgalis.
tic"
without fear Of successful contra,
diction | make the assertion that the
lives and efforts OF all those who
have attempted TO reform the world
by force have been failures; while
the names OF those who have fol-
| lowed THE Man Of Galilee in his ef-
forts to reform the world with the
gospel of love and moral suasion-
SutH ldllltS as lulntIt hnOAt w ts-
ley and others-will ever adorn tho
brightest and most glorious pages In
the worlds history.
The Ideal Man.
The man most needed today is not
the legal reformor, not the profess
sional uplifter, but the ideal man
the man who comes nearest to him
who was the model of all moral and
manly beauty, whose words were
pearls OF wisdom. whose deeds were
untaintod by selfism, whose man
ners were affable and couteous,
whose gentleness caused him TO call
his betraycr friend" whose benevo-
lent love caused him to lay down his
life TO save his foes, and who asked
no return for all he was and did,
but a love responsive TO his own.
The man who comes nearest this
ideal man-the divine Rodeemer--
Is the man most needed in this
hustling, restless unbclicving, self
seeking age. Such man, be he
rich or poor. learned or unlearncd,
titled or untitled, ennobles human.
ity, lifts his fellows up from degrad-
ing vices, makes this old world
brighter and better and purer and
happier, and holds high rank among
the benefactors of his race and the
friends OF God. Therefore, the age
greatly needs him, and whoever
longs to serve his generation will
strive to rise as nearly as he may to
the stature of this ideal man.