South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-02-20
CHRISTIANITY AND
OUR BANK CHECK
Is SERMON TITLE
Rev. b. ID. Beck Delivers In.
teresting Address at the
Grace NJ. L. Church.

OldAC W.
The Grace NJ. z. congregation lis
toned Sunday morning to a sermon
on Christianity and Our Bank
Check" Rev. 3. D. Beck took his
text from Exodus Az. where God
asked Moses. What is that in thine
hand ?" Moses answered. "A rod 3"
Then God told him 10 use II so Pha-
riOh and the people OF Israel would
know that God had appeared TO him.
What God wants Of Christians
today is that they use their check
after pay day so that people Will
know that God has appeared unto
them. Whether it represents toll.
rent, interest, or dividends, the
check you hold I'm your hand can 50
Phariohs will tremble before vou
and others will come close to you
for the good of your life"
Some people conclude whenever
a preacher talks about money that
he is about 10 make a collection. II
he is true 20 Christ the religious
value IS first No one Is thoroughly
Christian who is not Christian in his
acquisition, possession and use of his
money"
UnclIriStian Money.
ITO the man with the check i'm his
hand God says, What is that in thine
hand p What does it represent?
What did you give in exchange for
it? How did you get il? a man cam
not have fellowship with God in his
soul when he holds a check in his
hand that he got in an unchristian
way. no man like that will ever
show God to another man. God has
not vet revealed Himself TO that
man"
God asks again. What is that in
thine hand p Is that something you
own and control wholly? How do
YOU look upon il as yours or Gods?
Unless a Christian believes that the
earth is the Lords and the fitness
thereof and they that dwell therein
and that he is Gods agent on Garth
looking after Gods things he Will
not use his check so that people will
know that God has revealed Him
self 10 him"
There are two things God wants
His agents TO do with His things here
viz: To use them probably and TO
do Il righteously. Jesus made il
emphatic that Gods agent here is
not TO hide his treasures away. but
10 invest them. The man not having
the daring 70 risk an investment and
too slothful 10 put II in the bank
where it would yield interest of a
savings account was cast out of the
firm entirely. Jesus said. Lay not
UP for yourselves treasures on earth
where moth and rust corrupt but
get them out where they viii yield
something and do somebody good 80
Due Recognition.
Another way a Christian may use
his check to show that God has re-
vealed Himself 10 him is 10 make
due recognition Of Gods ownership
in IL. II is not right TO claim what
is not my own. We don't do that
with our neighbor's house. We
should not do it with the things that
belong 10 God. The owner of a
house determines how the tenant
shall acknowledge the riEhtfuI own
a
The owner would not be satisfied
with an oral or written declaration.
He wants rent. God has determined
: also how we shall acknowledge His
ownership. The acknowledgeme Is
the 1.-THE. No vocal statement will
suffice. Such plain statements as
The 1.-THE is the Lords II is holy
unto the Lord Thou shalt surely
tithe all the increase Of thy seed -
are in the law. Not being ceremo-
/ MEL law 1.-THE is not set aside. Jesus
approved it. ST. Paul commended II
and Christians early and late have
practiced IL 20 their great spiritual
good. Gods expressed fear for Is
rael on the way 10 the land flowing
with milk and honey was that IN
1 their prosperity they would forget
God who had brought them up out
/ OF Egypt
To 1.-THE their increase 10 God
would be the great preventative OF
that sort OF thing. Il will prove the
/ prosperous mans salvation yet TO-DAY
/ The man who gets "a large income
l religiously. holds il as a trust from
/ God and administers IT. as God s
/ steward. paying the first tenth %
| God. will not lose his soul without
Y that kind o. relation and course he
/ VIII be in grave peril"
Same Relation.
This il by no means a thing for
/ prosperous people alone. The man
with a small bank check stands in
\ the same relation TO God and what
\ he has in his hand he will do right
/ 20 make the same Acknowledgement
/ He cannot AFFORD 70 do anything else
\ He too has a soul. lie dare not for
/ get God. To pay the 1.-THE 10 God for
/ service for others and 70 trust God
! 10 bless the use Of the rest for self
! Use IS 20 keen him IN daily cornnan-