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The Presbyterian of the South 4$r*~ w Vol. 96. No. 21. RICHMOND, YA. May 24, 1922. Christ's Type Of The Church's Mission REV. A. B. CURRY, D. D., MODERATOR. I have thought it appropriate, fathers and brethren, to bring you in this opening service ;i message in accord with the last Assembly's expressed desire that this Assembly be "an Evangelistic and Home Mission Assembly." The passage of Scripture containing my mes sage is John 20:21 : "As My Father hath sent Me, even so 1 send you." My topic is this: "Christ's Mission a Type of the Mission of His Church." My purpose is xo snow mat tne great truths under lying the mission of Christ are pre cisely those which should underlie the mission of His Church, as expressed in modern missions, not only Home, but Foreign Missions as well. "With the mission of Christ in view, I therefore deduce the following truths respecting M issions. I. Missions Constitute the Church's Principal Task. With some, even church members, missions are a side-line, a secondary matter, an optional appendage to the Christian program. These think the main issue is to sav? one's self, then to ? an* for one's self, to see one's self thoroughly comfortable: after this, if ihere is any time, and strength, any money left, these may go to missions. There are others who reject missions outright and totally, especially Foreign Missions. "No missions for me," say they. Hut Christ gives missions a promi nent plaee in His program. The words of our text were spoken by Ilim at His tirst. recorded interview with His assem bled diseiples after His resurrection, after completing Ilis work of demep t ion. 4 ' As My Father hath sent Me, even ?o send I you." But for what did the Father send Him? He Himself states it thus: "The Son of Man is come to s?'ek and to save that which was lost." In other words, the Father missioned Hie Son to comc into this world to find and save lost men the world over, and the Son missions His church likewise to "go into all Hie world and preach the gospel to every crea ture." This is the Church's great business; for this it was organized, to go find lost men and tell them of the love of God in Christ." He says; "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have ?hosen you and ordained you that ye should Ro and bring forth fruit." The Church's ef forts, therefore, should not center on itself, hut on a lost world. The Church is not the ?nd, but the means. Saving a lost world, es tablishing God '8 Kingdom on earth is the end; the Church is Christ's instrument for accom plishing this end. The Church that fails here, 'ails everywhere. History proves this over and over again. I have read the story of an artist Painting the picture of a dying church : not an old, dilapidated building, but a magnificent temple with elegant pews, carved pulpit, great organ, stained-glass windows. Just inside the door could be seen two of the pillars of the church, supporting beautiful collection plates for the offerings of the fashionable congrega tion. Right above each of the plates, hanging from a nail, was a small box marked: "Collec tions for Missions,'' and over the slot in the box was a huge spider web. Why was that a Rev. A. B. Curry, Moderator General Assembly. dying church? Because in neglecting missions they were changing Christ's program aiul los ing His presence. II. The Ground of Missions Is a Perishing World. God sent His Son, that "whosoever believ eth in Him might not perish." Then, without Him, the world was perishing. Without Him, the world is perishing today. Men in Chris tian lands are perishing because they are breaking the law of God as revealed to them in God's written word. Men in heathen lands are perishing because they are breaking the law of God as written in their own hearts, for both alike are under this immutable law: "The soul that sinneth it shall die." There is but one remedy for sin. It is that which John the Baptist pointed out, when, looking on Jesus Christ, he said: "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." It is that to which the inspired apostle Peter re ferred when he said: "There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." This remedy is in the Church's hands with the command to pass it on to all men, that they may not perish. Men in our cities and mountains, on our plains and across the seas, whether white, red, yellow or blaek, are perishing. This is why the Church in missions is trying to send them the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of sinful mon. To refuse to send them this knowledge would be base. It is said that one of the govern ors of the Isle of Man had been accused of treachery to the king in the time of the civil wars of England, and bad received sentence of death. Interces sion was made for him and a pardon was sent, but it fell into the hands of his bitter enemy, who kept it locked up and the governor was hanged. But the crime of this enemy was -light com pared to that of the man who has in his bands a pardon from God which delivers, not from temporal, but from eternal death, a pardon suited to all, sent to all, designated for all, but who keeps it locked up in his own posses sion and lets thousands of his fellow men die. III. The Effective Power in Missions Is the Holy Spirit. As Jesus entered upon His ministry the Father baptized Ilim with the IIol> Ghost, who descended as a dove upon Him. A little later lie said: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because lie hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor." The Father gave Him the Holy Spirit without measure. Then just bfore loaving His disciples lie saul to them: " As My Feather hath sent Me, even so send I you." And when Tie had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." The Holy Ghost chose the early missionaries. To the church of that day, "The Holy Ghost said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.' " The scenes at Pentecost were possible, because of the pres ence and power of the Holy Ghost. He gave power to Peter and his sermon. The same is true today. Equipment alone, however ample, educated missionaries, however many, and money, without measure, will not give saving power and real success to our mis sions. Only the presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the workers and in the work can do this. "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, said the Lord." Let there