280
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
June, 1941
right, and we cannot help but admire him for saying, “I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Perhaps we shall never be' asked to die for the Lord Jesus, but every one Is asked to live for Him, and sometimes this is harder. Are you willing to say: "I’ll live for Him who died for me; - How happy then my soul shall be” ?
“I see the picture of a book. It is marked, ‘Holy Bible.’ ” You will notice that the picture of the Bible grows larger as I blow air into the balloon. ' This picture of the Bible reminds me o f what happened in Ephesus when Paul preached the Word of God. We read in Acts 19:20, “ So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.” yyhen. the Word of God first was heard by these people, they did not really ap preciate its importance, but it grew on them, and more and more it attracted their attention until many of them were saved. • On the other side of this balloon is a sketch of a church. You will notice that it grows as the picture of the Bible grows. Wherever people sincerely con sider the Bible, it grows in its impor tance, so far as they are concerned. Wherever the Word of God grows in the lives of people, the church will grow. We read of the church’s growth at Ephesus: “And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds” (Acts 19:18). We want to see our church grow, and the only way to accomplish this is to present thé Word of God faithfully. Then as the Word grows in the lives of those who hear, the church will grow. to be sober, io love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. 6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded. 7 In all things showing thyself a pat tern of good w orks: in doctrine showing uncorrnptness, gravity, sincerity; 8 Sound speech, that cannot be con demned; that he that is of the contrary part m ay be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. GOLDEW T E X T : “ Ye are the salt of the earth* (M att. 5:13). DEVOTION "AL B E AD L N G : Col. 3:1-14. Outline and Exposition I. T he D iscipline to B e E xercised (1 C or . 5:9-13) VIDENTLY the church at Corinth was so greatly divided that no discipline could be exercised, be cause of the several parties to which the members adhered. The members were not members of the church, ap parently, but members of their parties. This condition hindered the instruction given by the apostle, because if one party accepted it, another would op pose it. The apostle is here writing to correct an impression which prevailed. He had written to believers that they should not keep company with fornicators. But he -did not mean all fornicators, for then
they would have to go out of the world. ■His meaning had been that they were not to associate with any member of the church who was known to be a fornicator. In this Epistle, he is writing to tell them not to keep company, nor even to eat, with those members who were known to be vicious, that is, covetous, extortioners, idolators, drunkards, and so on. These believers had nothing to do with judging those who were with out, that is, who were not members of the church. The Lord Himself would judge them according to His own wisdom. But the church has everything to do .with judging those that are within, and the church is to see to it that discipline is exercised among the members. It is a sad thing that the church has become intensely interested in trying to regu late the customs of the world, judging what is right or what is wrong, and passing laws to hate the wrong done away arid the right installed, while at the same time refusing to exercise discipline among its own members. This should not be. H. T he C hurch to B e T aught ( T it . 2:1-6) Titus had been sent to Crete to set the church in order and to organize it so that it would be a blessing to the community as well as a place of spiritu al growth for the members. Titus was to speak to all classes “the things which befit the healthful teaching” (Tit. 2:1, R.V. margin). The aged men were to be marked by six characteristics. They were to be sober, or temperate; grave, or steady; sober-minded; healthy in faith; healthy in love; and-healthy in patience (v. 2, R.V. margin). Happy is the church in which the aged men are of this type. Their influence would be greater than can be expressed in words. The aged women likewise were to be “reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that Which is good” (v. 3, R.V.). These aged women were to teach the younger ones, and train them also “to love their' husbands* to love their children, to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands” (vs. 4, .5, R.V.). All this was for the purpose that “the word of God be not blasphemed.” Finally, the young men were to be exhorted to be sober- minded (v. 6). There is nothing in this lesson touch ing the use of alcohol as a beverage. However, the exhortation that the' older men be sober, or temperate, is a much- needed one in these days when intem perance in speech, dress, actions, as well as in the use of strong drink, is so prevalent that there is. little or no dif ference between the members of the church and those who make no pro fession of faith in Christ.
Object Lesson A B ook , A B alloon , and A B uilding >OBJECTS: A toy balloon. (Inflate slightly, and with an indelible pencil moistened in water draw the outline of a Bible on one side and the sketch of a church on the other side.) LESSON: Do you see anything about this balloon that is different from oth ers? Watch while I blow it up.
JULY 20, 1941 THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH REGARDING BEVERAGE ALCOHOL 1 C orinthians 5:9-13; T itus 2:1-8
I Corinthians 5:9 I ■wrote nnto yon In an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornica tors of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolators; . for then must ye needs go out of the world. II But now I halve written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an Idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one, no, not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to Judge them also that are w ithout! do not ye judge them that are within! 15 But them that are without God Judgeth. Therefore put aw ay from among yourselves that wicked person. Titus 2:1 B ut speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they m ay teach the young women BLACKBOARD LESSON
A
I
Made with FlippingBook Annual report