today, who, although they are members of some church, yet do not know the Lord, even as Paul was a very religious man, and yet he was not saved during these years of his religious service. Surely there are multitudes who are trusting today in their baptism, in their connection with the church, in their forced obedience to certain rules and regulations imposed by the church, and still they have not been bom again into the true family of God (John 3:1-7; 2 Cor. 5:17). Have you made sure that you really know Christ? Do you know certainly that you have been bom again? Have you done the thing Paul says he did in vs. 7-9? Have you forsaken every shade of trust in anything you have done in order that you must rest only in what Christ has done for you? Then, notice how the Apostle main tained his Christian life (vs. 10-14). Study this paragraph carefully in your group and discuss it together. Note how the Apostle was now ambitious to accomplish certain things in order that he might gain the prize, not the prize of salvation, for that is a gift (Eph. 2:8, 9), but the prize of spiritual perfection, of Christ-likeness, which is the goal of every believer. Paul wanted to know Christ fully and intimately, and this became the grand obsession of hist life (v. 10). He wanted to know Christ in His power, and how we need the power of Christ in our daily lives if we are going to go over the top for Him. He wanted to know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings; this means that he wanted to be fully inden- tified with the very life of Christ, which was the way of suffering (cf. Rom. 8:17; John 15:18f). Paul never boasted of his spiritual attainments, for he was a hum ble man (vs. 12, 13). And if the great Apostle did not consider himself yet to have reached the mark of perfection surely you and I need not be puffed up as if we had arrived! Paul put forth every effort to be all that God wanted him to be (v. 14). Are we as zealous for the will of God as this? Over the Top in Our Church Life The spiritual power of the church does not depend upon the minister alone, but upon every member of the church. If each member will do his part in building for God in his local church the church will grow in numbers and in influence in the community. The first desire of the Chris tian ought to be for his home, to make sure that it is a truly Christian home; but after this his responsibility is to build the church of Christ. Every member of your young people’s society can help build your church. Let me sketch how this can be done. In the first place pray for your pastor and for the church. Pray earnestly that God will bless the man He has sent to you to be your spiritual leader. Encourage him in
the major purposes of the group is the training of leadership. Another important committee is that on the social activities of the society. There ought to be a well-planned social at least once each month. The social is one of the finest means of interesting other young people in the Saviour and in His Church. Plan varied social affairs, parties, skating events, hikes, picnics, etc. Keep the group busy doing things together. Sept. 20, 1953 Over the Goal Posts Phil. 3:1-16 This is a young people’s day, perhaps more so than at any other time in history. Young people today are being called upon to determine the world’s history. Every nation under heaven is taking a new in terest in the training and using of its youth. We think of militant communism. This is a young people’s program. Com munist leaders are working day and night to capture the youth of the world in or der that they might succeed in enslaving the entire world to their concepts of life. There are great youth movements in the world that are making tremendous im pact on the thinking and living of the world’s youth such as Youth For Christ International, and on the other hand the Communist youth movements. What does all this mean? It means that national and international leaders realize the vast po tential of youth more than ever before. I want to suggest in this lesson that Chris tian young people can accomplish wonders for Christ if they will set their hearts to it. There is a great challenge in these times for young people who love the Lord and are willing to serve Him. Over the Top in the Doily Life This is really the basic meaning of the Scripture in Philippians: Paul here sets forth the secret of his success in the Chris tian life. In the first place he had come to the place where he realized the weak ness and worthlessness of human merit in connection with salvation from sin. Paul had many things to his credit according to the flesh. He lists these things in 3:3-6. He shows that he was correctly identified with the covenant people of God, the Jews, through the rite of circumcision (v. 5 ); he was bom into the tribe of Benjamin, one of the tribes of Israel, and related to the favorite son of Jacob (v. 5 ); he was a champion of the law, being a Jewish religious leader, a member of the highest Jewish religious order . (v. 5 ); he was zealous for God, but not according to wis dom, for he was blind with the rest of the Jews in his persecution of the Church of Christ (v. 6 ); as far as the demands of the law were concerned the Apostle thought he kept it perfectly before his conversion (v. 6). You see, instantly, how each of these things can be applied to church members,
Y O U N G P E O P L E continued that sincere believers do not enjoy nor want to enter into. A substitute for these things must be provided by your society for these young people. Give much care ful thought and preparation to the social and recreational program of the group. Christians can have and ought to have a lot of fun in living for Christ. An active social program keeps up the interest and also draws young people whom you may win for Christ. The Program of Your Society One of the essentials in any young group is to have sponsors who love young people and who are willing to devote time and energy to planning and working with the young people. A man and wife in the church ought to make this their avenue of service to Christ. Nothing will pay greater dividends than work with young people in the things of Christ. The youth leaders are vital to the pro gram. These leaders must be young people of genuine love for Christ; they must be zealous for the Lord; they must be enthu siastic in their service; and they must live lives above reproach as Christians. Just a few leaders who are really “ on the ball” for Christ will make the wheels go round and great blessing will attend their leader ship. But every member of your group is im portant. There is something every mem ber can do. Keep your eyes open for little services you can render. Volunteer your help, don’t always wait to be asked, and then sulk and pout because you seem to have been left out. Bring your friends to the meetings and socials; come on time for every meeting. Enter into the song service with enthusiasm and into the dis cussion with genuine interest. Put Christ first in your life and in your service and watch Him use you in your society. The passage in Ephesians which forms the basis of the study teaches us that God has specialists in His service (4:7, 11). This is also true in every organiza tion designed for His glory. There ought to be a committee whose duties involve planning the weekly meeting. Every part of the meeting must be planned in ad vance, and every detail carefully worked out. Someone must be responsible for the music, both group singing and specials. Someone must be responsible for seeing that the physical needs of the society are met, that is chairs in place, song books distributed, etc. Someone must be in charge of greeting visitors and making them feel at home and seeing that they are properly introduced. No one should ever be made to feel unwanted, a must in your society is friendliness and genuine interest in the other person. The program committee should plan to use as many members of the society as possible in the weekly program of the society. One of
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