“Purpose, the Backbone of Character” was the subject of a masterly inspiring sermon at the high school auditorium last evening for the graduating class of the high school by Rev. A.E. Baker, pastor of Dickey Memorial church of Hillsdale, Baltimore, Md., a former pastor of the Presbyterian church of Lumberton.
This was the first occasion on which the large auditorium of the new high school building, seating more than 1,000 people, has been filled. No services were held at any of the local churches last evening.
Mr. Baker’s text was 1 King 19:9—And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest though here, Elijah?
Mr. Baker said, in part:
Purpose is the first principle of all true living. Achievement is purpose bearing fruit. The important question is not where you are, but what you are doing: not what sphere you occupy, but how well; not what position you hold, but what use you are making of it. The purpose-filled life is the only life that counts. Some one else may determine where you are, you alone can determine what you do.
The great question is, What use shall we make of our lives? All true life clusters around a well-defined purpose. The greater your purpose, the greater will be your life. Where there is a supreme purpose there can be no failure.
Life without purpose is like a ship without a rudder. It is bound to end in failure; it will be tossed about by the winds and wives until it goes to pieces on the rocks.
Life is like a loom, and duty is the shuttle. If the shuttle is threaded with purpose you weave a web of character and achievement; but if the shuttle is empty, nothing is woven.
Opportunity and environment are unable to produce a subline success without noble purpose and personal effort. Others have been reared amid the same rugged and beautiful surroundings that produced Patrick Henry, but not another one like him has come from those surroundings. Others had the same opportunities and environment out of which came Martin Luther, but they did not change the course of history as did Luther. It was not because he happened to be President during the World War that Woodrow Wilson became a colossal world figure.
With the strand of opportunity must be woven the strands of glorious purpose. The greater and opportunity and talent, the greater the ruin that results from want of purpose. Purpose directs your will. A purposeless life brings no inspiration, no power. Purpose is the measure of value. A dollar consecrated to a noble purpose is worth many thousand aimless dollars. The true man or woman is one with a purpose. Seek to find what you are best fitted for, form your purpose great and high and noble, and throw all your life and energies into it. Lose no time in aimless drifting.
Let your life purpose be the same as the purpose of Jesus, to do the will of God. The three most important things are: that you believe on him; who God hath sent, that you strive to be like him, and that you endeavor to lead others into his fold.
The service was conducted by Rev. Dr. G.E. Moorehouse, pastor of the Presbyterian church. The order of the service was: Anthem, “Praise the Father of All,” by high school choir; invocation by Rev. Geo. H. Whig(?), pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle; him “Come Though Almighty King” by congregation; Scripture reading by Rev. N.L. Seabolt, pastor of Lumberton circuit; prayer by Rev. I.P Hedgpeth, pastor of several Baptist churches; anthem “The Lord Is My Shepherd” by Lumberton Choral Club, Mrs. L.R. Varser, Mrs. A.E. White, Mrs. R.E. Lewis, Mrs. J.Q. Beckwith, Mrs. R.A. McIntyre, Mrs. F.H Townsend, Mrs. J.A. martin, Mrs. T.A. McNeill, the last named at the piano. Miss Iva Pearson playing accompaniment for other sections. Sermon. “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” by the congregation. Benediction by Rev. A.E. Baker.
The ushers were eighth grade boys—Howard Phillips, Glenn Davis, Richard Norment, J.A. Sharpe Jr., Rufus Robbins, William Cottle, Bunyan Warwick, Glenn Crofton.
Mr. Baker also preached an excellent sermon yesterday morning at the Presbyterian church to a large congregation.
From the front page of The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., Monday, May 25, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84026483/1925-05-25/ed-1/seq-1/#words=MAY+25%2C+1925
No comments:
Post a Comment