486
August 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
motto, “Consider Him.” Consider Him in His appointed course. He accepted and finished His task. He accepted the past and went forward into the fulfillment of its spirit and purpose. To the present He came, not to get something, but to give something. He came not to be min istered unto, but to minister, to give His life for others. For the future He made available His life and resur rection power. In all of this He believed God and dared to accept His will for Him, even. when, that will called Him to go the way of the crosS: He despised its shame and He won the throne. “The Appointed Course” often runs that way. He who would evade it must lose his life, but he who dares to accept it shall find his life. As you “Consider Him,” my dear young friends, re member that you are going to go out into the world as He f T was the Sabbath day, and as the Lord entered into the synagogue, the Pharisees watched Him—the creature gazed at the C r e a t o r to see if he would go aright-gif He would heal on the Sabbath day and thereby break, not the Sabbath day, but their rules about the Sabbath man: “Stand forth in the midst.” . There are three striking phrases here— stand forth, stretch forth , and then we read of the Pharisees that they went fo rth and took counsel how they might destroy Him (literally blot Him out) because He wouldn’t take them at their own valuation of themselves as religious persons. “Stand forth .” That was the harder of the two com mandments to this man. It was the Sabbath and they were in the synagogue. Everything was going on as usual —all staid and proper. The ruler of the Synagogue had probably seen Jesus during the week and was expecting Him to come and take the service. The congregation was waiting. The side door opened, and in came—not just a preacher, not a prophet, but the Lord Himself. I remem ber as a boy how on Sunday I would watch the door to see whether the regular preacher, or a visiting preacher, came in—and would then act accordingly! This man with a withered hand was there. There is a tradition that he was a stone mason. I f he was a stone cutter, he was totally spoiled for his business. You are spoiled for the thing you were made for. That is the doc trine'of total depravity. Sin spoils. The sinner cannot serve God, but glory to God! Jesus is come to put us right! You cannot hold the chisel and hit with one hand. God Send that home to you! If you are not saved, you are totally spoiled, friend. That is why Jesus came. Maybe this man crept in to test the big “report” of Jesus. Perhaps he might get a chance to see Him. He got more notice than he imagined, and no one told Jesus that he was there, either. The Lord called him up. He needs not any one to tell Him who is present. No one sent up a little notice to the desk saying, “There is a poor man here with a withered hand.” Jesus just felt it—“There is a needy man here. He wants me.” He knows all about you. I f you tell Him your case for an hour, you couldn’t tell it as well as He knows it already.
came into the world, not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give your life. That is the “Appointed Course” ; that is God’s highway. “Out from, the bliss of worshipful song,
Into the pain of hatred and wrong; Out from the holy rapture above, Into the grief of rejected love; Out from the life at the Father’s side, . -Into the death of the crucified; Out of high honor and into shame, The Master willingly, gladly came. And now since He may not suffer anew, As the Father sent Him, so sendeth He you.”
“ go ye ”— “ go ye !”
. . . §te ste ate Stretch Forth Thy Hand D r . J ohn M c N eill .Mark 3:1-7.
S tand F orth in the M idst Jesus said, “Stand forth.” Was that easy? Remem ber the influence of the ordinary routine of worship. Sup pose the minister said to you, “Get up.” This is a stereo typed, time-honored program. Every one was looking. The man wouldn’t bluff it off. He wouldn’t say to him self, as he looked off in another direction: “I wonder if He means me.” There was no escape. The Master had His eye on him. The eyes of the Pharisee critics had him singled out, too. They were all gleaming on him, as much as to say, “Will you dare to encourage this sensa tion monger?” They are whispering among themselves. They disapprove of “this sensationalism.” The Lord still does His work with the same old back ground. I f the minister stands up simply to speak his little piece, the devil won’t bother him. If the Lord is present, in mighty power through His preached Word, the critics, the watchers', the faultfinders, according to their nature, are always there. “Stand forth.” Says the man to himself, “I hoped I might see him privately in the vestry at the close.” Some of you have a sneaking notion that it is all wrong with you, but you want to come to Jesus when no one is look ing. That is not His way. H e1is Master in His own house. We’d better know it. The critics’ eyes were .gleaming. You know what it would cost you to rise up in church. What does this man need to care for these cross-grained, self-righteous Phari sees? I think he gripped the seat in front of him until his knuckles grew white— hut he was up. The critics gasped — but he was up. Angels in heaven began to cheer. Hell was baffled. Another soul was on his way' into the hands of Jesus. Oh, break loose—step clear—let go of that which keeps you back from surrender! Invisible hands are pushing you down. Put your foot on these hindrances. This man broke with mock modesty and the fear of man. He arose and stood forth. G etting S aved O n T he Q uiet There was once a woman (the story is right here in your Bible). . She wanted to get saved by Jesus in a secret, hidden way. She was a shy, timid woman. She came behind Him—not in the synagogue, for she didn’t dare go there. It was in the street. She crept behind and
day. Before He entered on the service, He said to'the
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