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is away from God today, but the way back is open, for Christ is calling, “Come unto me” (Matt. 11:28). III. CIVILIZATION WITHOUT EVAN GELIZATION. A very real danger has been exposed by the events of the past year. One great Eastern power in the Orient has been unveiled as a tremendous threat to the peace and well-being of the rest of the’ world. Certain statesmen who should know are of the opinion that the cause of the danger has been the introduction of machinery without the introduction of Christ. The end of such procedure can be seen as a mani acal world crazily racing to its own utter destruction. Educate a monster and you have an educated monster. Evangelize one and you have a new creation in Christ (Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:12; 2 Cor. 5:17). IV. HOW TO MASTER. It is one thing to point out failure and danger. It is quite another to show the remedy. Thank God, we do not rely on our own wisdom or sa gacity to point the way to peace and true happiness! God, who is person ally, definitely, and earnestly inter ested in the welfare of the world, has provided a plan. Only this plan w ill produce all that the world fondly hopes for, and more. This plan is a Person—the Son of God. Receive Him as the Saviour and Lord of your life, and God Himself will do the rest. He never fails. Would to God the World would try Him (John 1:12; Acts 16:31)! Conclusion God does not wait till the whole world accepts His “Plan.” He will make true success real in the indi vidual life of the one who believes. Christians of all centuries acknowl edge the power of Christ in their lives. Some day, when Christ returns, every knee will bow to Him. W ill you be very happy then (Phil. 2:10, 11)? SEPTEMBER 12,1943 YO U NG PEOPLE’S WORK THROUGH THE YEARS R omans 12:1-9 By Cyrus N. Nelson Introduction The work of Christ and of believers is accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, a young people’s society can profit by studying the history, constitutional organiza tion, and methods of Christian En deavor. History gives fresh inspiration, and also helps us to avoid needless mistakes. The first Christian Endeavor Society was formed February 2, 1881, in Wil- list'on Church, Portland, Me., by the
pastor, Francis E. Clark. It was or ganized to help develop the Christian experience of young people. Other at tempts had been made along this line, such as debating clubs, musical soci eties, and attractive social gatherings, but they lacked a strong spiritual em phasis. On this account, the activities of the new society centered around the weekly young people’s prayer, meet ing, though of course they were not to end there. Perhaps $ome of our young people’s societies today need to go back to the beginning days and lay stress on spirituality first of all. For Those Who Have Topics I. FOUNDED UPON CONSECRATED LEADERSHIP (Rom. 12:1,2). The challenge to the first Christians was a life “ all out” for God (Rom. 6:12-14; Phil. 3:8; 2 Cor. 8:5; 2 Tim. 2:15-21). Likewise the history of Chris tian Endeavor has confirmed the fact that the work of the Lord is possible only through consecrated leadership. Christian Endeavor was begun to de velop spirituality and Christian life, and it met such a great need that thousands of groups were quickly formed in more than twenty denomi nations. In our Scripture the appeal to con secration is twofold. It is described as an act and then a process. The word “ present” concerns a definite act. We present our bodies to the Lord. They are placed in His hand. Most of us get along quite well up to this point. But often we have trouble when the process of living a consecrated life be gins. We do not always allow God to rule. There are two i m p o r t a n t words, "conformed” and “transformed,” which are involved in this process. Eithef we are letting our lives be conformed to this world. (1 John 2:15, 16), or we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds, by accepting the will of Christ and having the Holy Spirit as the dominating power of our lives. II. SPIRITUAL GROWTH THROUGH PARTICIPATION (vs. 3-9). Perhaps the most revolutionary prin ciple of the first Christian Endeavor Society was that every one was to have a part. We read from the pen of Dr^ Clark, “ In order to make the meeting a real power, each member was to promise to ^attend and to take some part in it.” Our Scripture authorizes such a procedure. We have different gifts and talents (v. 6; cf. 1 Cor. 7:7; 12:4-11; 1 Pet. 4:10), but they all can be used to His glory. As outlives and testimonies are counting for Him, we are being trained for all of life. Here are some striking words from promi nent men. “My life is filled with grateful recol lections of the Christian Endeavor So-
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