The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-04-28
"Self-Deception
Is Chosen Topic
Ut Rev. Rogers

Rev. Rogers of the First Pres
oyterlan Church will preach
Sunday night on. Different
Christianity" While fundamen.
tally there is but one Christianity,
casual observer could easily
cote the many differences of be-
lief which would make one won
der whether they had a common
origin.
Nh cahS'Mrs.' John Archer will
haVtj charge of. the music and
render a special number. This
VIII be The. last of the evening
services for the summer.
At the morning service the
choir will be under direction of
Mr.. Harland Merriam and they
will render as their special num-
Der. BE Merciful to Me. O. God, -
by Eggert. Mrs. Lloyd Hoover
Wi" al" the SOLO mart.
Mrs. Tom Whitley will be at
the organ and will play "A Song
II nope, by Mueller for her pre-
ude and, "Offertory Melody, -
b. beethoven for her offertory.
The pastor will use, Self De-
cep ION, tor his morning topic
1asing his sermon on Paul'S re-
)eated council to the Galatians.
Be not deceived" Gal CD.
Rev. Rogers explains his trea.-
r,ent of this subject by saying:
1t is so easy to deceive our
selves Mans mental calibre is 50
limited and pitifully shallow that
our twentieth century civiliza-
ton will seem savage and crude
indeed within the next thousand
years, especially in the light Of
Christ's perfect love. Contrasts
are most pronounced when some
backward or isolated community
which has developed a dwarfcd
psychology is measured by an
overall culture. Any individual
or community which lives in the
past, resentS outside ideas and
suggestions, is doomed to atrophy
and d"cav.
When Paul rounded out his
first missionary journey he visit
cd the churches in Galatia Prop
or. This country was separated
from the Black Sea by Bithynia
and Cappadocia and was some
one hundred and fifty miles
from the seaport of TarSuS. II was
inhabited by descendants of the
invading Gauls. At the end of
the Roman Republic it was 4 de-
pendent kingdom and at the be
ginning of the Empire it became
a Roman province.
The Galatians were simple
but tickle folk, easily loosed
from their moorings, II was not
difficult to ALLEVIATE them from
the teachings of Paul. False
teachers began to discr"dit the
apostle by telling the Galatians
hat Paul did not know Christ.
that nc was simply an evangelist
from the church at Antioch, and
DOT an apostle. at all. Like the rest
Of the Gallieg race; Z sthty were,
susceptible. Of quick impressions
and sudden changes, with tickle
/ ness equal to their courage and
enthusiasm, and constant liza
bi!ity to that diSunion which is
the fruit of excessive vanity"
What is true of these people is
also true of people similarly con-
stitutcd Not thoroughly ground
ed in the truth "a few speclous
arguments or fanciful theories
will separate them from their in
secure moorings. and carry them
away captivated by new notions
which they do not carefully
examine or understand. Advan-
age is taken of this superficial
and unbalanced attitude anG
their spiritual interests are wreck
ed and ruined.
The confusion wrought by
these false teachers called for
his remarkable epistIc to the
Galatians. We always find people
like the Galatians Paul tells them
not to be deceived, God is not
Knocked. for whatsoever a man
soweth that shall he also reap
If Christianity is to be uni
vcrsal religion, if it is to be d
spiritual experience and not a
mere ritual, if union with Christ
means emancipation from every
bondage, it is time that honest
and true followers of Christ
hold fast the form of sound
words" III Tim. l;l3). BE not
1oociUcd Cod is not Knocked -