Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-06
SAYS INERTIA WEAKNESS
OF MODERN CHURCHES
Rev. Russell Cecil Declares 1t
Task 10 Get Members
Working.


Rev Russell cccm. pastor Of tho
Third Presbyterian Church. delivered
the following sermon yesterday. lie
7pohe In par; as follows
II am IN" true vine. and My Faith
"r - the huSbaudmar. Every branch
in NJ" that bcarcth not fruit lie TAX
9th away. and every branch that
h.arcth fruit. ne uurgcth II. that it
may bring forth more fruit."-John
Az. l-2
This is on" OF christ's mos, inter
cst!nr and instructive rables-the
narahl" 81 the vine and the branches.
There are three parties mentioned in
tho parable: Christ Himself, who 1.
tn" tru. vine. the Father who Is
tn" hush ndman; and IN. branches
ON the vine. ssh" are tho disciples OF
Christ When Christ calls Himself
'th" true vine" He means the gen
uine vine. the one which has no
rival. He is not trying 10 say that
He is literally vine, but thar, fig
urativcly and spiritually speaking.
Ills work Is properly sym bolized by
the true or .enuin. vine. and His dis
cipl"S arc related to Him as the
branches arc tn the vinc-thcy have
no life and fruit bearing qualities
apart from their connection with
Him. The Father in heaven is the
husha ndman.' or the vine dresser.
A. Christ Himself sus,ains living or
ranic relations to the Father. or vine
dresser. so the branches. His dis
cipl.s, sustain living organic rela-
tons 10 Him. the Vine. By a slight
effort OF the imagination it is pos
s!h!c TO bring before our minds the
intimacy and vitality Of the unique
relationship existing between the
three parties mentioned in this par
able. We can think OF ourselves AS
walking in vineyard and admirinE
some vigorous and we'll dressed vine
laden with delicious fruit. and can
make ourselves understand how this
desirable result has been effected
The Father in heaven is back OF all
the originator OF the whole scheme OF
grace IN salvation. AS the prophet
says, salvation is OF God" and fire.
qucntly throughout the Scriptures lie
Is spoken OF As the God OF our sal
vation." He is the God and Father
OF our Lord Jesus Christ" as we'll as
our Father. Christ Himself tells us
that He came forth from the Faith
err and tina; the Father sent Him
into the world. II is from Christ
Himself that we learn most about His
divine origin and His divine rela-
ti"nship. He speaks OF the glory
which He had with the Father be
Christ, and believing in and wor-
shipping Him. We should always see
the Father in Him, and remember
that lie and the Father are one.
Christ HimseIf Vine.
Observe next that Christ Himself
is the vine. and. as He takes pains
20 say, the true or genuine vine
The relation Of Christ to the Faith
er is living organic union. In sym
bolizinr this relationship the par
able OF the vine and the branches is
not sufficient. All parallels are lin
tied in their Application. OF course
IL vine is distinct and separate from
the hushandman who keeps 81 and
dresses ~: hut the relationship he
tween Christ and .he Father is liv-
ing rcSatioashp. Jesus has already
brought that out in the early par, OF
this discourse with His disciples. for
example. lie has said ia the four
tceEth chapter lie that hath seen
Me hath seen tho Father. Be-
lievc Me that ! am in the Father.
and the Father III Me" ''At that day
yc shall know that I am In my Faith
er. and We Ia Me. and in you" Hav-
ing made clear this relationship ex-
listing between Himself and the
Father In the previous part OF His
talk with His disciples. in this pOr
ton Of Il. namely, in the parable OF
the vine and tho branches. He pro-
ceedS Ia show the intimacy Of the
relationship between Himself and
Ills disciples. AS He had already
said. Il am in the Father. and the
Father in Me-" He now says. II am
the vine, yc are the branches" Abide
in Me. and I in you" On the one side.
the divine side of His nature. He is
the same with the Father: on the
human side He Is the same with the
disciple. AS lie is like the Father in
His divine nature. so He is like His
disciples I'm His human nature.
Our Welfare Concerns Father.
We come now to speak of the way
in which the Father. who is the hus-
bandman. deals with the branches
OF the vine. He Is concerned about
our welfare and our fruitfulness. 1t
is by no means matter OF indlffcr-
ence to Him whether or not as a
Christian you are fruitful. Many
protesting Christians seem to think
that they may work or not as II
pleases them; and that their future Is
not involved in the matter. That Is
serious mistake, as we shall dis
cover in following the line OF thought
which our Lord develops in this par
able OF the vine and the branches
The weak point In the church, and
| that is true In our individual church
as much rs anywhere else, is the
difficulty in getting all OF The mem
bcrs, or branches we may say, to he
come useful and fruitful. You can
SEQ from the study OF this parable. as
our Lord and His apostles, that there
Is absolutely no place in the church
| for tho unfruitful member Every.
body Ia expected to work. ThA Lord