The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-23
BY WILLIAM E. GILRoY, d. D.,
Editor ~ The COnSreEatiOnslist

By WILLIAM T., 1ALhOI H. bs
Editor o. The CongreEatiOnalist
THE theme of this lesson as
Il stated in the topic for young
people and adults is Stewardship of
Self. Substance, and Service" That
elaboration of the title aptly sug-
gests the content and the treatment
of this lesson.
We are apt to think of missions"
as a department of Christian life
and work; whereas the idea under
lying missions is the basal idea of
Christianity both historically and
spiritually.
Christianity began in a mission.
It's forerunner. John the Baptist,
was a missionary, "a man sent from
God, whose name was john" Jesus
came into the world on a mission,
to seek and to save the lost and to
bear witness unto truth. The early
| disciples were sent forth to pro-
| claim the good news or sent back to
their homes and communities to
live the Christian life. The man
who processes to follow Christ but
who has no sense of a mission has
never learned the meaning Of
Christian faith and experience.
FulflIment
Along with this sense Of a mis-
Esion in the Christian life is the
consciousness of the need of power
to fulfill that mission and the means
of securing that power. Before go
ing out to various parts of the
world to proclaim the Gospel the
disciples tarried at Jerusalem until
they had the experience of Pente-
cost.
There is a danger that we may
think of that experience too much
in the terms of the strange and UNI
usual, but the more closely we .ex-
anime the record, the more we shall
find that the power of Pentecost de-
pended upon, and was the result of,
complete conservation to the divine
will.
How can any one be filled with
the Spirit if a great part Of his life
is taken up with unspiritual inter-
ests? 1t is in the fullness of, the
surrender of oneself to the will of
God that the will of God becomes
powerful in ones life. Hence, then,
underlying all truly effective Chris
tan service in the sense of the
stewardship of oneself and of ones
| substance.
Paul was continually insisting
upon this fact. He found the law
of his own giving of self, substance,
and service, in the law of Gods
grace in Christ Jesus. God with
held nothing of the fullness of his
| love from humanity.
Jesus made a complete surrender
in the giving of himself to the full
fllment of the divine purpose. His
love for. men was such that nothing
whatever was held back. So it is
that Paul reminds the early Chris
tians of 'the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was
rich, yet for your sins he became
poor that We through His poverty
might be rich"
Motive of Life
Great living depends upon sufh-
Gent motive. In the spiritual life
it is exactly as in the physical
world in the matter of power. The
scientist and engineer know that if
they are to accomplish certain
physical results they must make
provision for certain physical
forces So it is that in the Chris
tian life great characters, great
deeds, great services are not in any
sense a matter of chance - they
come as the natural result of great
preparations and of adequate spirit
ual power. To find that endoW-
ment from the great sources of
spiritual power is the secret of good
and great living, and we can dis
cover and possess those sources of
power only through the sense of
life as a stewardship. Life is the
gift of God, and Gods own gift is
neither despised nor undervalued.
If we will cooperate with Him He
will use the gift that He has given
for its greatest glory.