June 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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2. The constant necessity (3-5). Even though these saints were at one time ready to give to the point of sacri fice, it did not mean that they would al ways continue -'to be so. They needed their pure minds stirred up by way of remembrance. Christians today are like wise in need of constant-reminding in the ■matter of their giving. Symmetry of char acter can be attained only as the grace of giving is cultivated along with the other graces. 3. The proper method (6, 7). First, Paul speaks of the measure of giving. He that sows sparingly will, of necessity, reap sparingly. Few seeds sown will bring forth a small harvest; when much seed is sown, large returns may be expected. We must remember that, in the matter of giving, the reward will be according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath no t; so that the poor have an equal chance with the rich._ Opportunities are all about us for the investment of funds for the Lord; perhaps one of the best is found in such a place as the Bible Institute of Los An geles. Second, he speaks of the control of giving (v. 7). This is “as he purposeth in his heart.” One should not be gov erned by emotion but by one’s relation to the Lord. We must learn to look upon human need as the Lord looks upon it and give as He would give. Third, he states the manner of giving (v. 7). Christians should give cheer fully^ not grudgingly, that is, “out of grief,” or unwillingly. Eagerness to have a part in an investment for Christ will bring joy in the very act of giving, as well as the promised returns in the com ing day. Christians are to give to the Lord, for the Lord’s sake, of the Lord’s grace, and through the Lord’s channels on earth. Give to Him with faithfulness, for Him with wisdom, o f Him with love, like Him with gladness. * * * L e sso n Q u e st io n s Acts 4:32-35. What was the Unifying element in the early Christian church? How did this manifest itself? What is the practical teaching in this passage for Christians of today? The realization of what great fact gave confidence and pow er to the apostles in their preaching? Did the members of the early church recog nize that believers are “members one of another” ? Should the consciousness of this fact dominate present-day Chris tians ? , 6:1-4. What controversy arose in the early church ? What was the solution to the problem ? What three qualifications were required in the men chosen as dea cons? Are these essential in all Chris tian workers? To what ministry did the apostles give themselves? Is this the di vinely appointed method ? 2 Cor. 9:1-7. To whom had the apos tle boasted of the Corinthians’ manner of giving? What effect had this had upon the hearers? Is there always the neces sity for frequent mention of the develop ment of this grace? In speaking of Chris tian giving, what figure did Paul use? How did he apply it? Are both imme diate joy and future rewards the result of cheerful giving to Christ?
BLACKBOARD LESSON
churches now who take care of sharing the things which people bring, with those who need help. We can do our part. At Christmas and Thanksgiving we share with others, but we should remember them at other times, too. The money which we bring to Sunday-school is used to help others. —o— July 26, 1931 Christianity Spread by Persecution Lesson: Acts 7:54 to 8:4; 11:19-21- 26:9-11; 1 Pet. 4:12-19. ( Lesson Text: Acts 7:59 to 8:4: 11- 19-21.) Golden Text: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). * H « * I. T h e S t o n in g of S t e p h e n (7-:59 to 8:L). 1. The final answer o f the Jewish nation to God’s grace (7:59). Up to this time, Israel as a nation had been the object of the apostles’ preaching. The continued unbelief and bitter opposi tion of the people as a whole found ex pression, at length, in the stoning of Stephen, one of the deacons appointed to take care of the temporalities of the church, whose wisdom and zeal by the Holy Spirit had put to silence the Jewish leaders whom he had charged openly with the murder of the Son of God. They fell upon him with rage, accused him of blasphemy, and put him to death. With this event, the testimony to the nation as such came to a close. 2. The first martyr o f the church (7 :60). Stephen manifested the( spirit of his Master as he prayed for those who stoned him. His resignation to the will of God and his triumphant faith have often been seen in .others who have been called upon to suffer martyrdom. He was upheld and sustained by the vision of the Son of man, standing on the right hand of God as though to welcome home His faithful wit ness. Only one who had a clear and un obstructed view of the other world could so “fall asleep.” The martyr’s calmness and confidence so impressed the onlookers that one, at least, was never to forget the sight. With the home-going of Stephen, the gospel was extended to the Gentiles on equal ground with the Jews. 3. The witness standing by (8:1). The first sentence of this verse rightful ly belongs to the last verse of chapter 7. At the stoning of Stephen, Saul, the Phar isee of Tarsus, was present, officially giv ing his consent. This scene furnishes an introduction to the man who afterward became the great apostle to the Gentiles. Here we see him “persecuting the church.” II. T h e S c a tterin g of t h e D is c ip l e s (8:1-4). 1. By man’s wrath. So greatly agitated did the people be come that a persecution broke out against the believers. This resulted in the scat tering of all the disciples who were at Jerusalem, with the exception of the apostles. The latter seem To have re mained in the city. ' They had been es pecially _appointed as witnesses to Israel, and their place, therefore, would seem to have been at the center of the nation. As the wrath of the people increased, the disciples had to flee. Many times the
G olden T e x t I l lu st r a t io n On a dark night, a suburban car was speeding to the city over a country road. Its powerful lights, like two great an tennae, searched out the road ahead. Sud denly, far down the road, the driver saw a red spot glow out of the night. Imme diately he began to slow up the car. He had gone only a few rods when he came to a sharp turn in thé road. A little far ther on, another red signal gleamed out. In curiosity, he stopped to investigate the warning light; and this is what he dis covered : Back of a powerful red lens was a series of mirrors which caught the gleam of the approaching headlight and reflected it back through the red lens, giving a perfect danger signal. The de vice was automatic. It cost nothing to maintain it, and it was always in ser vice. How many times does God warn us through the reflection of our own mood ! We give the world a smile, and it smiles back at us. We give it a frown, and it frowns back at us. We give it hard work, and it works for us. Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” * * Sharing w ith Friends Acts 4 :32-35 Memory Verse. —“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Approach. —Last week we found Peter and John sharing the message which they had to tell. One of the first things Jesus taught His disciples to do was to share
with others. When He was on earth, He warned His dis ciples about being selfish.. Do you re member the story He told them about the rich man who wanted to build new barns for himself ? Jesus Scolded the scribes and Phari sees, too, for being
selfish. But when He found people who were willing to share what they had, like the little boy with the lunch of loaves and fishes, He used their gifts in a wonderful way. Jesus even died that He might share heaven with us. Lesson Story. —We are not surprised to find that the people who believed in the teaching of Peter and John wanted to share with others all they had. They brought what they had to the disciples to divide evenly among them, so that every one could be taken care of. After a while, there were so many people who be longed to the church, that men called dea cons were chosen to take care of dividing the food and clothes among the people. People need help now just as they need ed help then; and there are men in our
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