THE KING’S BUSINESS
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This is especially true o f chapters chosen from the Kings and Chronicles, and some times the prophets.. There are passages in the Kings which have-their sequel in the Chronicles ; and in the prophets which have their sequel in both these books. For illustrative sermons on Great Chap ters as Texts, see pp. 176-178.
o f the Spirit? and 50 on. These answers will furnish you with the divisions and sub divisions o f the chapter and also o f your sermons. All your sermon will then be in your text; you will not be likely to wander from it: your text will then be, a text in reality, and not, as is ofttimes the case, a pretext. 6 . Compare the Parallel Accounts.
SERMON OUTLINES
IV.
The Conclusion, or Summing Up of
The first chapter o f Isaiah, because, it presents us with a completed theme, may well be chosen' as a text for a sermon. A careful reading o f the chapter reveals to us the theme, namely, “God’s Controversy with His People.” The scene is that o f a trial court. God is .the-judge and plaintiff; the prophet is the witness; the people of Israel the defendants; the charge is clearly stated, and the verdict announced. The following may be suggested as an outline: Theme: God’s Controversy with His Peo ple Israel. T ext : Isaiah 1. I ntroduction . The .moral and spiritual condition o f the nation at this time. I. God’s Complaint Against His People, This complaint or charge is three-fold: 1. Ingratitude (v. 3, “My people doth not consider” ). 1 2. Disobedience (vv. 2, 3). 3. Rebellion (vv. 2, 3, “ Rebelled against me” ). II. The Prophet as a Witness Re-En forcing God’s Indictment, 1 : 4 - 9 . ' 1. Showing the course o f sin (v. 4). 2. Showing the punishment for sin (vv. 5-9). III. The People’s Plea of Defense, 1 : 1 1 - 14 . 1. Laborious sacrifices (vv. 11, 12). 2. Much ceremonialism (vv. 13, 14).
the Trial, 1 : 16 - 3 1 .
1. The call to repentance and reason (vv. 16-18). 2. The verdict and sentence announced (vv. 19, 20). 3. How the sentence will work out (vv. 21-31). A Children's Sermon. The Parable of the Lead-Pencil. E very boy or girl is like a lead-pencil. I. In make-up. A pencil has two parts, wood and lead. So every boy or girl has a body and soul. The main thing is the ,soul, just as the lead is more important than the wood. But as the wood has a special, service to perform for the lead, so-the body serves the soul. “The body is the house w e ,live in.” Therefore the body must be kept strong and clean and healthy, else the soul will become unhappy and diseased. II. In object. W e use a pencil to make a mark. So every boy or girl is placed in the world to make a mark, and a good one, too. Pencils are used by men and women o f every occupation—lawyers, teachers, merchants, ministers, artists— they can not get along without pencils. Every boy or girl has a chance to be useful. III. In the means used to make useful. Before a pencil can be o f special service, ,it must be sharpened. So every boy and
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