Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-07-05
SOUNDS WARNINGS
OF FALSE FAITHS
Too Many People Depend
ing on Government to
Exclusion of God
AT UNION SERVICES
Presbyterian Pastor in First Sermon
at Sunday Evening Union
Meetings of Four
Churches of City

A warning against false faiths was
sounded by Rev. James A. Jones, pas
tor of the First Presbyterian church,
in his sermon Sunday night at the
first of a series of nine Sunday even
ing union services of four cooperating
churches during the months of July
and August The service was held at
the First Methodist Protestant church,
and attended by a congregation that
nearly filled the main auditorium.
Too many people, said the preacher
are depending upon the national gov
eminent to assume the role of bene-
factor and protector to the exclusion
of a trust in God and his goodness,
and the tine will come when these
things will oe found wholly made
quate. False faiths are being pinned
to possessions and the matter of be-
ing moral and being religious is being
confused, Mr.. Jones declared.
Paul Patterson played several viol-
in selections, accompanied by Mrs. j.
B. Martin at the organ.
Churches cooperating in the union
meetings for July and August are the
Methodist Protestant, First Baptist
First Presbyterian and First Metho-
dist. On next Sunday evening the sec
ond service will be at the First Pres
byterian church and Rev. A. S. Hale,
pastor of the First Baptist church, is
10 preach. AT last nights service he
led the invocation and the services
was presided over by the pastor, Rev.
I. j. Whitehead.
Rev Mr.. Jones text for the evening
sermon was from Isaiah 1920: For
the bed is shorter than that a man
can stretch himself on it; and the COW
ering narrower than that he can wrap
himself in it. F"
Isaiah in this declaration" said the
preacher, "is affirming the insecurity
of much that his people thought to
be secure. He is counselling them
that the alliances they have made to
prevent attack from an enemy will
avail nothing when "the overlooking
scourge" Of God shall pass through.
And even as in the time of Isaiah
there are a great many people in this
day who are placing their confidence
in things that cannot endure in the
face of lifes greatest difficulties
Many of us are substituting what we
do for and in the church for that
deeper faith in and relationship to
God without which we cannot claim
to be Christian.
Certainly one of our false faiths
is "functioning ecclesiasticism." An
other is the apparent virtue we attri-
butte to common decency. We are con-
fusing the matter of being moral and
being religious. We cannot be reli-
gious without morality, but we most
certainly can be moral without be-
ing Christian. Life's perplexities are
not determined upon the sole issue of
behavior, but also upon belief. And
we cannot have faith in decency to the
exclusion of all other creeds.
"And, again quite obviously, we are
making a false faith out of posses
sions. We deem that material wealth
can deliver us from the majority of
the perils and the hardships of ex
perience. But life's greatest burdens
are not lifted by anything material.
The truly difficult trials belong to
the human spirit, within which realm
material things are wholly inadequate
and futile.
Particularly in our day a great
many of us are making our national
government assume the role of bene-
factor and protector to the exclusion
Of a trust in God and His goodness.
And as in the days of Isaiah the time
will come to us all, has already come
to some, of us that these false faiths,
and others like them, are comparable
to beds that provide no rest nor COM
fort, for they are too short to cover
that is too narrow for protection.
Life's primary faith should be in the
goodness and providence of God, and
therein will be found the only security
that shall not be removed"