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"RE-DISCOVERING THE GOSPEL"People often wondered if amid ruins of antiquity there lies buried a lost gospel! Whatif there are manuscripts buried in some ancientsanctuary? What we would not give if we couldbring to lighta fifth gospel. Our present gospel is so inade quate and fragmentary. What wewould give to know something about the "HiddenYears". Perhaps there might be some clarification of the Mind of Jesus and His message of thekingdom. Rather a vain hope of course.But many stories and le gends grown up roundthat hope. Fascinating story told by ArthurTrain. Tells how at outbreak of First World WarTrent, an American and Harnach-Hulsen, a German,found a startling manuscript in some ancientruins in Egyptian desert. Purported to be FifthGospel, written in Latin in house of Pontius Pilate. Written by Roman gentleman, Silenus whohad interviewed Jesus to see if his teachingswere treasonable. Silenus wrote down answers ofJesus in respect to ownership of property, war,and other matters of controversy.Trent, american archaeologist overjoyed andwrote home "This 'WOnd erful manuscript going tochange everything". Harnach-Hulsen reacted differently. Ideas opposed to German concept ofculture. vanted to destry it. Quarreled. Trentkilled and Fifth Gospel burned by his partner.Breathtaking - but pure fiction. Futile tohope there is such a manuscript. There is noFifth Gospel - there is one gospel. But there isa lost gospel - not lost in desert of gypt butlost in sands of indifference and neglect. Andit needs to be re-discovered.Impressed by sense of compulsion and urgency aboutNew T s t ament and gospels t ory . Ministry of Jesus completed three years. ver upon His way - other cities; other people.Hurning sense of compulsion; "Work while day".Need to Re-DiscoverGospel of Urgency

(There are) millions who claim adherence tofaith in the Living God, but who would beashamed to get excited about it. That wouldbe bad form. The faith is harmed far moreby such timid upholders than it is by violentenemies. The worst blasphemy is not profanity but lip service.Our ancestors believed a gospel which involvedthe note of urgency because it was concernedwith damnation and salvation. It had a masculine vigor about it. Ours has become aChristianity and water with both the urgencyand the vigor gone.In any case, the problems of the world are sogreat that they cannot be solved by thosewhose convictions are half-hearted. The crisisis too deep for that.- ltonTrueblood

(There are) millions who cltiim adherence toftiith in the Living God, but who would beashamed to get excited about it. That wouldbe bad form. The faith is harmed far moreby such timid upholders than it is by violentenemies. The worst blasphemy is not profanity but lip service.Our ancestors believed a gospel which involvedthe note of urgency because it was concernedwith damnation and salvation. It had a masculine vigor about it. Ours has become aChristianity and water with both the urgencyand the vigor gone.In any case, the problems of the world are sogreat that they cannot be solved by thosewhose convictions are half-hearted. The crisisis too deep for that.- ltonTrueblood

"RE-DISCOV.ffiiNG THE GOSPEL"People often wondered if amid ruins of antiquity there lies buried a lost gospel! Whatif there are manuscripts buried in some ancientsanctuary? What we would not give if we couldbring to lighta fifth gospel. Our present gospel is so inadequate and fragmentary. What wewould give to know something about the "HiddenYears". Perhaps there might be some clarification of the Mind of Jesus and His message of thekingdom. Rather a vain hope of course.But many stories and legends grown up roundthat hope. Fascinating story told by ArthurTrain. Tells how at outbreak of First World WarTrent, an American and Harnach-Hulsen, a German,found a startling manuscript in some ancientruins in yptian desert. Purported to be FifthGospel, written in Latin in house of Pontius Pilate. vvritten by Roman gentleman, Silenus whohad interviewed Jesus to see if his teachingswere treasonable. Silenus wrote down answers ofJesus in respect to ownership of property, war,and other matters of controversy.Trent, erican archaeologist overjoyed andwrote home "This wond erful manuscript going tochange everything". Harnach-Hulsen reacted differently. Ideas opposed to German concept ofculture. 'd anted to destry it. :)uarreled. Trentkilled and Fifth Gospel burned by his partner.Breathtaking - but pure fiction. Futile tohope there is such a manuscript. There is noFifth Gospel - there is one gospel. But there isa lost gospel - not lost in desert of gypt butlost in sands of indifference and neglect. Andit needs to be re-discovered.Impressed by sense of compulsion tind urgency boutNew Tes t dment dild gospels t ory. Ministry of Jesus completed three years. ver upon His way - other cities; other people.Burning sense of compulsion; "Work while day".Need to Re-DiscoverGosp el of Urgency

-2-lfirst sermon - "This the acceptable year ofthe Lord". Same urgency in His teaching. Lookat some of the parables. "Friend at Midnight";"Wise and Foolish Virgins"; "Wedding Banquet".Jesus was urgent. Wanted men to recognize HisLordship and give themselves to God.Same breathless urgency in Early Church infected by His spirit they went out and literally "turned the world upside down". Crucifiedof course. "Get out in front and they'll takea crack at you" says Stanley Jones. Not one ofapostles died in bed - martyred. No indifference or complacency there.\lesley - the world was his parish. Roughroads of England . Criticised by Dr. Johnson.Healey "never able to sit down and talk". Alwayson his way. "Evangelical Revival did more forEurope than victories of Nelson and '#ellington".J).1essage of urgency. "Be saved now or bedamned". Believed in imminent return of Christand end of this world. An edge to the preaching.Have lost that sense of doom and urgency in ourmodern preaching. Yet there is a sense in whi chwe do face doom and corporate disaster unless wemake our Christianity function. That is evident.e either make our religion work or we perish.Listen to Elton T'rueblood.In our time, Nazism, Shintoism, Communismhave shown us what real commitment means. Misguided fanaticism, of course, nevertheless senseof mission and urgency and consecration. Dante's"Inferno" has a place for for those who shirkedresponsibility - neither hot nor cold. Leavesthem outside heaven and outside hell. Unwanted.Headline - ncHURCH IN FLORIDA REPLACES HARDPEWS VHTH ROCKING CHAIRS" Uncomfortable, har dpews never saved anyone but too much rockingchair religion - and too many rocking. I praythis church may re-discover sense of urgency andmay realize the fun ct ion the church should beplaying. Thank God, I believe the church is beginning to be concerned - the World Council ssembly was concerned. And thank God Fremont hassame sense of urgency - must do something forour generation and society. Are you with us?

-3-The Early Church was afellowship. Knew noboundaries and recognised no essential difference between Jew andGentile, Greek or barbarian, bond or free. Allchildren of God within the fellowship; and 11within the saving grace of Christ whose kingdomis universal.How we are divided in our relationships.Our American society is full of divisions. llnlychurch has message of reconciliation. The churchin the name of her Lord sits in judgement uponall systems and philosophies. There will be nonational peace until men catch a vision of theUniversal Christ and apply that spirit to everyrealm of our economic and political and socialrelationships.Need to re-discover gospel of universalityin relation to our divided world. Need to re member there are 300 million Indians; 400 million Chinese; 200 million rtfricans. To s ynothing of thousands of displaced persons andsuffering men, women and children - and they areall children of God - for whom Christ died . Itis around the altar of the church that all menkneel as children of the Father - God.But must get it down to where we live.asyto talk about these relationships when they referto peoples thousands of miles away. Let us notforget the si millions of Negro Protestants whocannot worship with white people in Protestantchurches. /hat would Christ say? I know Christtold about a certain man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves .Need to Re-DiscoverGospel of Universality.1r s t ew rds.All gifts tm.d allgraces are given tous by God - and toGod we shall have to render an account. Health,ba ckground, talents , opportunities all belong toHim - that is the Christian teaching. Cannotread half a dozen pages of gospel without runningNeed to Re-DiscoverGospel of Personal ACCountbility .·rl e

into this idea. nTo whom much is given, fromhim shall much be required I t .I think of those who have worked this outin terms of service and accountability. FritzKreisler - "I was born with musi c in my system.as a gift from God. I never look upon the money I earn as my own. It is public money - fundentrusted to me for proper disbursement".George ':Jashington Carver. Eminent scientist. .!!'eels himself in creative partnershipwith God the Creator and spurns mere wealth.Albert Schwei tzer in Lambarene, Afri ca - agreat scientist, musi cian, thinker, philosopher- with a deep sense of accountability to God .l ne rson Marc ley - a farmer who caught afarmer who twenty years ago caught a vision ofhis stewardship and ever since has given histenth to the work of the church and ministeringto poor and needy of the world. Wherever theris need his money is ready.I think of a schoolteacher who has sent aten dollar parcel of food to urope every monthfor some years.I think of others, in this church, who havekeen sense of accountability to God and who giveand serve to best of ability.isi t t o B rmingt on Congr g t ionctl Church.Initials on boys' side of church. Heau tiful oldpulpit. d individual candleholders of wroughtiron in the pews. Symbolism: if you were absent then your light did not shine. The oldchurch needed everyone. There was a responsibility. We need to re-discover that sense ofpersonal accountability inthese days.

" 'Why call ye me, Lord, and do not the t1Jings wbiciJ 1 say? "IN A DAY when so many are wont to speak glibly of"The Lord/' it is surely pertinent to ask, Who has aright to call Jesus Christ his Lord? Certainly not everyone who has a slight or passing religious interest. Rightfullyto call Him Lord, a person must recognize a very definite relationship between the Lord and himself. That relationshipis suggested by Jesus Himself in the question, "Why call yeme, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"Mere lip service is not enough. Deeds according to HisWord are required. "He that doeth my Father's will" has aright to call Christ, Lord. It is a sober thought expressed byJesus when He says, "Many shall say to me in that day,Lord, Lord- and then will I profess unto them, I neverknew you. ""The things which I say." The Sermon on the Mount isa summary of these things. Through them is established therelationship between man and his Lord. They embrace allof life. By these sayings man is to live, to labor, and to serve .Only in the spirit of love, faith and obedience can manrightfully profess, " My Lord and my God. "A. P. H. No . 89 1 l itho in U.S.A .I"" 1fl!ly L01rd