inspiration and encouragement for holy living through the fellowship of other believers. Jesus formed His Church to provide a place of worship. The Pres ence of Christ is manifest in a peculiar sense when His people gather in His Name (Matt. 18:20). The church is also a place of instruc tion (Eph. 4:11; Matt. 28:30). Christ calls pastors to teach and preach the Word of God for the spiritual instruc tion of God’s people. Every believer must make sure that the church he attends is a Bible-believing and a Bible- teaching church. Our Lord intended His Church to be a place of service (Matt. 9:36-39; 20:18-20). Christians banded together can do much for Christ; more than they can do singly. The church was founded for the pro motion of the spiritual strengthening of believers (Heb. 10.:25). As the days of this dispensation draw to a close and the dreadful days of apostasy approach, every Christian needs the spiritual en couragement that comes from the cor porate worship and fellowship of the church. Jesus Christ is Concerned That Men Accept Him and Come Into His Church When our Lord was on earth His heart was moved with compassion for the multitude. He longed that they might know Him whom to know is eternal life (John 17:3). As He looked out over the multitudes, He noted sev eral things about them: In the first place they were in great distress (Matt. 9:36). This means that they were in spiritual distress. This is the sorry plight of all mankind because of sin. Every man without Christ is in deep spiritual distress and will be lost for ever unless he comes to the Saviour (Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 3:9-20). Again, these people were in moral distress. Men have always, since the fall, given indication of something ter ribly wrong with their hearts. The Word of God tells us that the problem is sin (Jer. 17:9). Men may deny it, ignore it, camouflage it, but the fact remains that man is a sinner. The moral situa tion in the world is the evidence of this fact. Man needs to be born again if the situation is to be changed (John 3:3-7; 2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus Christ is Concerned That His People do all Within Their Power to Persuade People to Come to Him and His Church The Saviour likens the multitudes to a harvest. This is a wonderful simile! A harvest is useful; it is very valuable; it is perishable. Thus the urgency of the appeal our Lord makes for workers. Jesus complained that the laborers were few. This has always been so in the church. There are plenty of workers to do the devil’s bidding, but few to do
their father as the head of the home. This is “ fit in the Lord” . This does not mean that the husband will act like a bully or a dictator, but what Christian man would want to? The Christian husband is to love his wife. Read Ephesians 5:25-33 and First Corinthians 13 in this connection. These Scriptures practiced faithfully by the Christian husband and father will help to make the home a place of peace and joy. The husband is to take the leadership in the home in the discipline of the children (Col. 3:21), and he is to exercise leadership in their spiritual nurture (Eph. 6:1-4). Children in the home are to obey their parents in all things (Col. 3:20). In this day of lawlessness and revolt against authority it is well to consider the Word of God regarding obedience to parents. Your Home is Fun if Every Member Lives a Practical Christian Life The practical Christian life includes tenderheartedness, kindness, humble ness of mind, meekness and longsuffer- ing (v. 12). Study each of these words and ask yourself if you practice these things in your home. The practical Christian life includes bearing patiently with one another and readily forgiving ©ne another in times of grievance (v. 13). The Christian life in the home must include love, which is the pefect bond of union (v. 14), and peace of heart, which dissipates un pleasantness (v. 15). The Word of God is to be central in the home, and there is to be an atmosphere of music there (v. 16). Everything done in the home should be done with an eye single to the glory of Christ (v. 17). If you are doing your part in putting these things into daily practice in your home, then your answer to the question of this lesson is, “ Yes, my home is really fun!” The real truth is that everybody needs the Saviour. It is possible to belong to the church and still not know Christ personally. Church membership can never save, and it can never be a sub stitute for the new birth (John 3:3-7). It is true, however, thpt every Christian needs a church home, and every Chris tian ought to be in a church working for Christ. Jesus Christ Instituted the Church The very fact that the Saviour formed His church is evidence of the need for it. Jesus instituted the church as a means of fellowship. God’s people gain May 18, 1952 EVERYBODY NEEDS A CHURCH Matt. 9:36-38; 21:13, 14
Y OUR prayerful assistance needed in our growing Christian orphanage min* istry. Confused, homeless children in Hong Kong, Lebanon and The Jordan plead for admittance to our homes. Glorious oppor tunities to win these "leaders of tomorrow " fojr Christ.
W rite for details and Dept. 11 free literature. I O M E O F O N E S I P H O R U S 3939 N . Ham lin A ve ., Chicago 18, III. '
Every Sunday folders for BIBLE BELIEVING CHURCHES Attractive duotone, lithograph bulletins Christ-centered, evangelistic, inexpensive Specific folders also for fundamental Baptist Churches Write for Samples CATHEDRAL FOLDERS v 0«ar, Mkh
1, Missionary, Bible-Centered, Scholarly 2. Schools of Bible, Religious Education, Liberal Arts 3. Prepares Young People for Graduate Study or Directly for Christian Service 4 . Trains Christian Youth to KNOW . . . GROW . . . GO!
For D etailed Information W rite Office of. Registrar DR. HYMAN APPELM AN, Pres. SAN FRANCISCO BAPTIST COLLEGE 121 Haight St., San Francisco 2, C alif.
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