YOU HAVE HEARD THE OLD SAYING "PRACTICE WHAT YOU PRAACH" AND ITS COUNTERPART,

"DON'T DO AS IT DO, DO AS I SAY." THESE TWO CLICHE'S PRET
PROBLEM CONFRONTING THE
—

ON ALL LEVELS OF CHURCH LIFE
————

TY WELL SUM UP THE GREATEST

CHURCH TODAY, THE SPLIT BETWENN THSORY AND PRACTICE.
————

ON CAN OBSERVE THIS SEPARATION, CHURCH MEMBERS READILY
ee

ADMIT THAT THEY FALL SHORT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PUT INTO PRACTICE THY LOFTY OBJECTIVES

Qt
THEY VOICE ON SUNDAY. FOR THE MOST PART, BaaaiRiR, WHat

STAYS THERE AND AS WE GO OUT THE DOOR WE DISCARD THE CONF

MADE AS IF WE WERE BRUSHING A PISCE OF LINT OFF OUR CLOT

—

ON THE SCHOLARLY LEVEL HUNDREDS OF MEN ANE DABBLING

CARLKOLL

BUT ONE HAS TO SEARCH TO FIND A BOOK ON CHRIST)

5 SAID AND DONE IN CHURCH
ESSIONS AND PROMLSES WE HAVE

HING.

[iN THE FIELD OF THEOLOGY,

LAN ETHICS.
—

IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE baum WE LIVE AND BEHAVE SIX DAYS W WEEK

IS IRRELEVANT AS LONG AS WE DO OUR DUTY ON SUNDAY.
—

ONE HAS ONLY TO SCAN THROUGH THE LETTERS OF SAINT PAUL, HOWEVER, TO DISCOVER

———

HOW RADICALLY UNCHRISTIAN THIS STATE OF A¥FIRS IS. IN EA

DEVOTES A SECTION TO DESCRIBING TO HIS R“ZADERS HOW A CHRI

——— ———t

OBLIGATIONS H& HAS SINCE HE HAS CALLMW) JESUS CHRIST HIS L
———

TODAY THIS IS A THORNY PROBLEM. MANY GROUPS OF CHRI

—__

CH OF HIS WRITINGS PAUL
STIAN SHOULD BE-HAVE, WHAT
ope os THR

DRO.

STIANS FIND IT EXPBOLENT TO

INVENT THEIR OWN RULES. SOME SAY YOU MUST NOT PLAY CARDS, OTHERS SAY YOU CANNOT GO 10

—

MOVIES, OTHERS SAY SMOKING IS OUT, THE AMISH DON'T DRIVE

——.

PARS, SOME MORE WORLDLY OF

20
THEIR GROUP THINK IT IS ALLOWB IF THE CAR IS BLACK. IN

IT IS AN INDIVIDUAL MATTSR, ONE THAT MUST BE APPROACHED

EVERYONES THAT PROFESSES TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
IN PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN ROME WE FIND SOME
WHERE IN THE BIBLE.

AT THE TIME OF ITS WIRTING PAUL HAD

IN THE FIRST ELEVEN ¢

—

LETTER WAS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT.
—
CONSTRUCTED BRIDGEWORK, CAREFULLY WORDED, PROBING DEEP W
—————
AND INTO THE SOUL OF MAN, BUT THIS IS NOT ALL, EVEN TO '
———_ —_|

WHOM HE HA® EVER SEEN, PAUL GIVES DIRECTION ON HOW TO LT}

BEGINNING OF THIS "ETHICAL" SECGION THAT WAS THE SCRIPTURE LESSON THIS MORNING.
tained

THE FINAL ANALYSIS, HOWEVER,

es

SINCERELY AND SsRLOUSLY BY

OF THE LOFTIEST THEOLOGY ANY-

NEVER BEEN TO ROME, SO HIS |

HAPTERS HE BUILDS A FINELY

[THWWHE MEANING OF CHRISTIANITY

HIS GROUP OF MEN, NONE OF

J
pee

EAS A CHRISTIAN. IT IS THE

IN

IT PAUL ISSUES TWO CRUCIAL IDEAS, THAT ARE WELL WORTH CONSIDERING.

KEEP IN MIND AGAIN THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW THESE PEOPLE|

BABLY WAS COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THEIR PARTICULAR SI}
PRESSURUS THEY FACED, THE MAKE UP OF THE CONGREGATION ANj
WORDS ARE PARTICULARLY MSANTNUEUL TO US AND TO ALL CHRIS]
WE COULD PERHAPS CALL THESE TwO THOUGHTS THE Two PR
LIFE, OR THE FIRST TWO STEPS IN LIVING LIKE A GIRISTIAN.
IN THE FIRST VERSES OF THE 1gth CHAPTER HE SAYS, "I

MERCIES OF GOD, TO PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIJ

AS A MATTER OF FACT HE PRO-

UATION, THE RLITICAL AND SOCIAL

SO ON. BECAUSE OFTHIS HIs

TANS.

REQUISITES FOR A CHRISTIAN

.

APPZAL TO YOU BRETHREN, BY THE
———

MICH, HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE 10 GOb,

=a Aaa uw
WHICH IS YOUR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.

3e

( pasar YOUR BODIES AS A SRR | LIVING SACRIEY

| TAKEN BY THEMSELVES

THESE ARE STRANGE AND DEMANDING WORDS, WHAT DO THEY MBANP HOW COULU THEY APPLY TO US?

PAUL WAS A JEW.

HIS TORY+-SAUL.

AND NO ORDINARY JEWWAS HE. HE WAS BORN

HIS REAL NAME WAS THAT OF ONE OF THE GREATEST KENGS IN ISRAEL'S

INTO THE PHARISAICAL CLAcS, THE

MOST DEVOUT, LEARNED AND LEGALIST OF ALL THE JEWISH PEOPLE. AS YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME
———— ——

OF HIS CONVERSION HE WAS DOING ALL HE COULD TO DESTROY T

ON BEHALF OF THE J#WISH SANHE DRI.

PAUL RIGHTLY SAW THE LINK BETWSBI CHRISTIANITY AND
—
MINISTRY HE DEALS WITH ISSUES ANDPROBLEMS ARISING OUT OF
SO FROM THE LAW BOOKS OF JUDAISM AND FROM THE HISTORY OF
———

THE woup|sacer108) r0 HIS READERS.

TO THE JEWS THE SACRIFICIAL ACT WAS THE CENTRAL AND
——<——

WORSHIP, WHEN THEY GATHERED TO WORSHIP THEY WOULD SING

PERFORM THE VARIOUS AS

—=

PECTS OF THEIR RITUAL seca

LORD. THE SACRIFICE WAS NOT AN END IN ITSELF, BUT WAS A

SS

THE DEDICATION _OF THEIR LIVES TO GOD. WHEN THEY OFFERED

NOT MERELY GIVING GOD A

—

SYMBOL OF ih FE FLOM OVER THE ALTAR THEY WERE IN Eso

DEGD ANIMAL. BY KILLING THE ANIM
— a

= TINY CHRIS TIAN COM UNITY

JUDAISM AND THROUGHOUT HIS VAST
THIS RELATIONSHIP. AND

HIS PEOPLE PAUL INTRODUCES
5 ee

MOST IMPORTANT PART OF

PRAISES, READ FROM THE LAW AND

PRESENT TYEIR SACRIFICE TO THE

SYMBOLIC ACT, REPRESENTING
——

A SHEEP OR A GOAT, THEY WERE

\, AND LETTING ITS BLOOD, THE SXM

ENCE PRESENTING THEIR OWN LIVES TO GOD.

he

THIS WAS THE HIGH POINT OF THE RITUAL, THIS «AS TH

FORE os ay Ai ING_Td

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT PAUL IS ASKING THE CHRISTIANS
2 SS nn

DOWN HIS LIFE PB

His
ewstn moe

ULTIMATE MAN COULD DO, LAY
——————————

god 4
DO #88 WILL ALL THE DAYS OF

iN ROME TO DO. BUT NOW

ih NO NEED TO SABRIFICE AN ANIMAL, THEY MUST GO DINCTLY TO GOD PRESENTING

nd

THEMSELVES, THSRR OWN LIVES. THIS IS THE FIRST THING A
—— —————

CLEAR.

——_—_—_—

DONE THI$, A WAY OF LIVING WILL BECOME

TODAY PAUL'S APPEAL FOR A SACRIFICIAL ACT IS NO LS

el

/

CHRISTIAN MUST HAVING

5 IMPORTANT. IT STLLL IS THE

CENTRAL ACT OF WORSHIP: IT IS THAT PARTIC TOWARD WHICH, MVERYTHING ELSE POINTS. SME OUR
a }

HYMNS, CONFESSIONS, PRAYE S AND SSRMONS ARS ALL SECONDAR

ees

OURSELVES TO GOD.

THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE DESIGNATE THE LAST POR

———

Y TO THE TIME WHEN WE PRESENT

TLON OF THE SERVICE AS rie ACT

NES TO GOD, IN THE PRAYER OF

OF psnncasron | IN OUR OFFERING WE ARE PRESENTILNG OUR LI

DEDICATION WE NOT ONLY ASK GOD 1 ACCEPT? THESE OUR GIFTS, BUT TO ACCEPT OUR LIVES,
ooo | _——e ee

FOR WE HAVE PLACED TH ii ON THE ALTAR ALSO.

——

—_ ——e

ON THE WHOLE WE GREATLY UNDER EMPHASIZE THIS MOcT I
———

MOST CHURCHES IT COMES BEFORE THE S“RMON AND IN THIS SiN
———————

THEY TOO ARH AT HIS DISPOSAL.

MPORTANT PART OF WORSHIP. IN

bi THE SARMON BECOMES THE
——

5e

CENTER OF WORSHIP, IT IS NOT, T ASSUME THAT 1S THE REASPN THE OFFERING WAS LAST

WHEN I CAME HERE, IT IS THE REASON I HAVE LEFT IT THRE,

THAT TIME IN WORSHIP IS USUALLY CHARACTIRIZED BY SHWFFLING AND JINGLING,
eS La

SIGHNS OF RELIEF AND COUGHING, IF THE# IS axyous PORTION OF WORSHIP THAT IS NOT

—_—

SURROUNDED BY REVEREANCE IT IS THE OFFERING. WHEN THIS JS THE CASE WE HAVE ENTIRELY

MISSED THE POINT OF CONGRIGATIONAL WORSHIP.

THE CLIMAX TO ALL WE DO AND SAY HERE IS THE MINUT S$

WE DEDICATE OUR GLETS AND

OURSELVES TO GOD. WE ARE SAYING, THAT IN ALL HUMILITY AND REVERENCE WE HAVE FOUND

_————

IT NECESSARY TO REDEDICAT! OUR LIVES TO OUR LORD, AND IT
eel

THEY WILL BE ACCEPTABLE IN HLS SIGHT.
————————

WE HAVE GIVEN OUR LIVES, IN DOING THES WE HAVE PROM
* —_—

OF GOD'S WILL AND HAVING DISCOVERED IT TO DO IT. THIS Is

DOING, /INDEED IT IS THE CLIMAX OF WORSHIP.
——_———

pesee ise?
HAVING 29 REWN THE FIRST PRECEPT IN LIVING A CHiLs

A WARNING SOR THE SECOND STEP. NO LESS IMPORTANT THAN Ti

THAT HAS PLAGUED CHRIS TIANITY SINCE ITS BIRTH. HE WARNS

——— ———— —y
"BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE
MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD, OF WHA]

PERFECT. *”

1S OUR HOPEFUL PRAYER THAT

SHED TO SEEK UNDERSTANDING

NO SMALL TAING WE ARE

TIAN LIF PAUL THEN TURNS TO
= FIRST IT 15 A PROBLEM

TH FIRST CENTURY ROMANS
REN BWAL OF YOUR

IS GOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND

6.

THE ANCIENT HEEREWS, BEFORE THEY OFFERED A &XR SACH

SURE THEIR SACRIFICIAL OBJSCT WAS PERFECT, OR AS NEARLY
Bien

THE BEST SHEEP, GOATS AND OKEN WERE USED. THE PREFERREI

WHITE LAMB, SYMBOLIZING THAT THEY HAD PURGED THEMSELVES

STAINS OF EVIL BEFORE PRESENTING THEMSELVES TO GOD.
SS

FICE WERE COMPELLED TO BE

——

PERFECT AS POSSIBLE, ONLY

OBJECT WAS A SNOWY

OF ALL THE DARK SPOTS AND
—_————

ALTHOUGH THE FORM HAS CHANGED THE ESSENCE OF THE SACRAMENT IS THE SAME y-~PAUL
— ee

POINTS OUT TO THE ROMANS. HUMAN LIVES AS THEY ARE ARE Nd

EACH MAN, PAUL SO VIVIDLY POINTS OUT
————
bi sth
TO GIVE OF Fees.

IN THE SECOND VERSE OF THE PASSAGE I AM REFERRING J
———

PERSISTANT THREATS TO A DEOLCATSD LIHi THEN AND NOW, THH

em NL

IN WHICH IT 1S LIV#D.

iT ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, FOR IN

, ARE THE STRAINS O@ mg IDE AND RELUCTANCE
— ee

O PAUL ELUCIDATES ONE OF THE

PULL OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Ab) ESSE)
A FEW WEEKS AGO I fo THE PROBL. OF A SECULAR CHRISTMAS, HOW WE HAVE

TOTALLY CONFORMED TO TH CULTURE AROUND US, EVEV IN CLEHMRATING THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD.

THIS PROBLH{ IS NOT CONFINED TO CHRISTMAS ALONE, AT ALL
SOctE! /
THE DEMANDS OF OUR G AND OUR FAITH.
IN AMERICA, MAMXEM MORE THAN @NY OTHER COUNTRY ON T
SS

GONFORM IS PREVELANT. THIS IS A SUBJECT THAT GOES DE

Hi EARTH, THE TENDENCY TO

[NTO THE CULTURAL AND

7°

Ate ltl ay
SOCIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE WAY OF LIFE. AL!

L I WANT TO DO THIS

MORNING, HOWEVER, IS TO P INT IT OUT, TO SHOW HOW CONFORMISM CONSTLTUTES THE GRA\ EST

DANGER EVER FACED BY THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

——s

WE ARS THE MOST CONFORMING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. WH WEAR THE SAME CLOTHES, MORE

AND MOR® WE DRIVE THE SAME KIND OF CARS, THROUGH TSLEVId

USES THIS PRODUCT AND OBEDIENTLY WE JUMP ON THE BANDWAG
——— ee =f

ION WE ARE TOLD THAT EVR YBODY
fu heel

JON. ONE HAS ONLY TO DERIVE

THROUG ANY SUBURBAN AREA TO DISCOVER THAT MODERN AM SICHCANS DON'T MIND LIVING IN THE

SAME KIND OF HOUSE AS THEIR NEIGHBORS AND AS FAR AS THAT

i ccnmeneennenenell

IN THE ENTIRE AREA,

GOES THE SAME AS EVERYONE

NOW THIS IN ITSELF IS NOT PARTICULARLY BAD BUT If @E DOES POINT TO A SU TLE AND
ae ——

DEEPER APFLICTION THAT AS A NATION AND INDIVIDUALLY WE ARS LOSING THE AELLITY TO THINK
SS —_—_—_— eee

FOR OURSELVES.

AT THIS POINT ST. PAUL SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO 20th CENT
a —— ee

H&S GRADUALLY INFILTRATED INTO THE CHURCHES.

— et

A STRONG STAND ON ANY SOCIAL ISSUE.
———— —a

AHE THE EXCEPTION.

PROBABLY THE EXTREME EXAMPLE OF AN ACULTURTATED , CON]

—

| mn a

CHURCH DURING THE RISE OF THE NAZI REGIME.

————_— 8 —

AND HISTORY OF THE GERMAN NATL ON WERE THEY THAT THEY BA

ITIS A RA

TO BE SURE THEIR AR

DRY AMERICA, FOR THIS CONFORMISM

RE THING FOR A CHURCH TO TAKE
fe et

L SOME THAT DO, BUT THOSE

fORMING CHURCH IS THEGRMAN
—

SO BOUND HAN AND FOOT TO THE CULTURE

RELY LIFTED A FINGER AGAINST
ee,

THE MOST TARUVARIC DEMONSTRATION HANKIND HAS EVER SEN,

WHEN A NAZI CRONIS TOLJ A COUNCIL OF GEAMAN CHUCCH

on¥GOUSLY /OT A Jw BUP AN ARYAN WHEN

le

THSY Chasis.

CHUMCH THAT THS GERMANS HAD SuCOME THE CHOSEN PSUPLi, THs

ee

Ii THEIR MIDST iv THEIR SAVIOR AND MassTAH ADOL? HiTuan T

+

STLANITY AS NEVaek BS

oe

REASON TO POUT WHETHER Wi WOULD RSACT MUCH DIF FarSWiLY

Pa

THE Fass

FULLY ILLUSTRAT IS HOW rPHCPLs Aas

CULTURS CONFLICT WITH CHRIS ‘IANITY, CHRIs TIAVITY HKUST GO.
—

—

AND NeW ORLEANS ARS NO Lass DWWOUT THAN WH.
—

PUT TO SUCH AN 0}

MNT PROS. EM IN THE AMSRICAN SOUTH PRESENTS |
Ste

TeRLY BOUND TO A CULTU
ao

URC THAT JSUS CHaToT «AS

as

THE PASTY INFORMAD THs

THE INCARJATLON Hav OCCURRED

HEY SATD AMER.

ot

THAN THs GEHHAN CHUNCH IF

CH Ti} GAM# SITUA TION Ahp

———

beled

THE PEOPLS IN At SNS, GAORGIA

THEY GO TO CHURCH ON SUNJAY AND nuPaaT

THE ENPTY PHRASES ABOUT THE UNITY OF MANKIND, Tilat abh

—

ee

THs CRUATOR AND HEAVENLY fai uh, T THEY STLLL FIND IT

——— re

IN WAGE AT A MNINISTSR

——

WHO TOOK SERIOUSLY THE DE. ANUS OF
a

ST

HIS DAUGHTSR TO SCHOOL Ik

———

ORE tp
ONE

OR MLESM TH.T Lap G RUAN @

ark

PRON 2S OUT OF THEIR UNIVeRSITY, OR TO LIN# THE STR

Tis FACE OF AN ALL WHITS BOYCOT

ALLS

Teese ESSARY TO DRIYV jas Ta OF

JETS HOWLING AND SCR ZANLNG
—aeene

———

{IS FAITH AND) ESCORTED

THIS IS THE

the

SAB CULTUAAL
—

igl STTANS TO BOYCOTT THE ~— 4 THEN TO DRIV# THE OUT

De

OF THELR HOMES AND ULTIMATSLY TO SOLVE THE FPROBLEM BY MASSACDMING SIX MILLION OF Thm,

—-

THIS 13 CULTURAL COMFORMISM AN 9 iT DIFFORS IN DEGREB oN trio WHAT WH MUST FACE TODAY,

THE BASIC Is. Ug 1s THIS, WHEN WE PRESENT OUR Pei

— “ aa

ru

rNGS TO GOD y» WE ARE PRESENTIEG
OURSELVES, OUR LIVSS. wr ARE PROMISING GO) THAT OU. LIVSS AR DEDICATED TO HIp a
ee ———— ane eee

HIM ALONE AND THAT wR JILLNGYR COMFORM TO ANYTHING THAT CONFLIC S WITH OUR FAITH .

Wi ARE SOLEMLY ADITTING THA'T SVARYTHING wE DO WILL be DE Titi INeD BY THAT MOMENT IN

OUR WORSHIP WHEN WE TURN OLR SLY 3 OVER TO GOD,

THES IS TH GROUNDWORK OF A CHRIS TIAN LIFE, IF we ARE seRtous ABJUT LIVING AS

————

THIS MCRNING AND BACH TIME we JOIN TOG#'THAR IN THE ACT OF DEDICATLON LET US BE

ee

ERXE FULLY AWARE OF TH IMPORTANCE OF THIS StaP, REALIZING THAT HAVING DONE IT we

—

ARZ GQ 'S, THAT WE CAN al LONG CONFORM TO THE WORLD arc UND US, BUY ONLY TO HIS

——Sa

WILL. THEN, HUMNLY AND PRKAYSRFULLY Wa MAY WALK OUT INTO [HE WORLD, TOWARDS A Cal SrIay
— So

LIFE PECAUSB/AS Hs FIRS iP DID FOR Us,/ Wz

a IE HOENTEDOURSELVES AS A

LIVING SACRI#T CH, HOLY AND ACCEPTAILE ..