Lesson XLII—October 29th.
RELATION OF T HE DISCIPLES TO T HE WORLD. Jno. 17:14-21. We now view t he disciples in t h e ir r e l a- tion to t he world. T he L o rd said, "I a m n o m o re in t h e world." H e w a s glad to h a ve finished H i s w o rk a nd to be a t h o me w i th H is F a t h e r. H e f o u nd this a dark, dismal, sinful, w r e t c h ed place. I ts course is hell- w a r d, E p h, 12:2. I ts god is S a t a n, 2 Cor. 4:4; Jno. 14:30. I ts children a re blind, 2 P e t. 1:9. I ts c o n v e r s a t i on is evil, E p h. 2:3. It lies in t he lap of t he wicked one, 1 Jno. 5:19. I ts e nd is destruction, Phil. 3:19. 1. The Disciples Given Out of the World. T h e world is t he field, Ma t t. 13:38. T he dis- ciples a r e t he pearls t a k en out of it. Ma t t. 13:45, 46. T h ey a re not of t he world, Vs. 14-16. T h ey a re pilgrims on t h e ir w a y to a h e a v e n ly country, 1 P e t. 2:11. T h ey a re crucified to it. Gal. 6:14. T h e ir loyalty to t h e ir Lord c o n d e m ns it, 1 Jno. 2:15. T h ey a r e e x h o r t ed to k e ep t h e m s e l v es u n s p o t t ed f r o m it, J a s. 1:27.. S e p a r a t i on is a sign of discipleship. 2. Disciples Sent Into the World. " As t h ou h a st s e nt m e i n to the' world, even so h a ve I also s e nt t h e m into t he w o r l d ," vs.
18. This is a r e m a r k a b le verse a nd m a k es plain t he f a ct t h a t e v e ry believer is a m i s- sionary. One s e nt into t he world to s a ve t he lost out of it, L u ke 19:10. God loved t he world a nd s e nt H is Son, Jno. 3:16. C h r i st loves t he world a nd s e n t H i s disciples—we t a ke H is place. W e a r e e m b a s s a d o rs f r om h e a v e n 's court, 2 Cor. 5:19, 20. Citizens of no m e a n country, for o ur citizenship is in h e a v e n, f r om w h e n ce we look f or o ur Lord, Phil. 3:20. W e a re w i t n e s s es to t e s t i fy to t he truth, of H is Word, A c ts 1:8. W e a r e in t h e world b ut not of it. W e a r e to see it a s o ur Lord s a w it; s h e ep w i t h o ut a shepherd, M a rk 6:34. W e a re H is b o n d m en to sow a n d reap. W e a r e lights to light t he d a r k places. W e a r e in t he world to m a n i- f e st t he life a nd love of our C h r i s t; to so live in t o u ch w i th God t h a t we m a y t o u ch t h e world w i th s y m p a t hy a nd power. T he one whole b u s i n e ss of t he believer in t he world is t o be a Christ-one. 3. The World Will Hate Us, Vs. 14. T he world h a t ed J e s us a nd will h a te us. H a t e u s b e c a u se we h a ve H is life a nd a re identi- fied w i th H i m. Cain h a t ed Abel. E s a u h a t ed J a c ob a nd J o s e p h 's b r e t h r en h a t ed him. W e will love while t he world h a t es a nd will seek t o s a ve s o m e t h i ng out of t he w r e c k.
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W e n ow t u rn f r om a m o n th of s t u dy a b o ut t h e k i n gs of Israel and J u d a h to t wo m o n t hs of s t u dy in w h i ch t he p r o p h e ts a re t he
c e n t r al T h e se lessons involve s o me of t he Bible stories w h i ch children love b e st a nd m u c h should be m a de of t h e m. ' figures.
Topic for Sunday, October 1st.
mel. T he lessqn will be m o st i n t e r e s t i ng if t he children a re allowed to r e ad it in p a r t s. Choose a good r e a d er to t a ke Eli- j a h s p a rt a nd let a n u m b er of J u n i o rs r e p r e s e nt t he p r o p h e ts of Baal, while t he r e st r e p r e s e nt t he people of Israel. B e f o re b e g i n n i ng to r e ad m a k e clear t he d r a m a t ic situation on Mo u nt Carmel. Begin t he r e a d- ing w i th t he t w e n t y - f i r st verse of t he e i g h t e e n th c h a p t e r, a nd close w i th t he t h i r- t y - n i n t h. L«t t he s u p e r i n t e n d e nt r e ad all t h e n a r r a t i ve portion, s t o p p i ng a t t he di- rect q u o t a t i o ns for t he children t o r e ad t h e ir respective p a r t s. Close t he lesson w i th a few questions. W h a t decision did E l i i ah a s k t h e people to m a k e ? Did E l i j ah himself h a ve to decide on this occasion? W h y not» Did t he people k n ow on which side E l i i ah w a s ? Could he h a ve helped t h e m to decide rightly if he h ad n ot been on t he L o r d 's side? B r i ng b ut t he f a ct t h a t if we w a n t to help o t h e rs t o choose t he Lord, we m u st first be His. D e ar s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s, let u s also g et a lesson f or ourselves o ut of t h is W e c a n n ot b r i ng our boys a nd girls to J e s us C h r i st unless we k n ow H i m. E l i i ah could be bold f or t he Lord, b e c a u se he k n e w H i m, a n d he k n e w H i m b e c a u se he obeyed H i m. •
ELIJAH, T HE BRAVE PROPHET. 1 Kings 18:17-24. Begin this lesson w i th a r e v i ew of t hé s t u dy of A h ab t he wicked king. B r i ng out t h e f a ct t h a t God s e nt h im a m e s s a g e, a nd t h a t God's m e s s a ge w as E l i j ah (1 K i n gs 17:1). M a ke vivid t he p i c t u re of t he prophet, a bronzed, r o u g h l y - d r e s s ed m a n of t he d e s- ert, a p p e a r i ng suddenly in t he p r e s e n ce of t h e k i n ? of Israel w i th h is s t a r t l i ng m e s- sage. E n l a r ge u p on his boldness in s p e a k- ing God's word. N e xt talk a little a b o ut t he f a m i ne w h i ch E l i j ah foretold, s h o w i ng h ow m o n t h by m o n th t he g r a ss dried up, a nd t h e s t r e a ms g r ew small. W h e re w a s E l i j ah d u r i ng this a w f ul t i m e? H a v e t wo children give t he a n s w e r, telling t he t wo stories of God's care of H is -prophet a s found in 1 K i n gs 17:2-8, a nd 1 K i n gs 17:8-17. A s s i gn this w o rk to t he children b e f o r e h a n d, t h a t t h ey m a y be t h o r o u g h ly p r e p a r e d. Show t h a t God w as able to t a ke c a re of E l i j ah b e c a u se he did j u st w h a t God told h im to ¿ n . H e obeyed to t he letter. T e a ch t he children 1 P e t. 5:7. T h is would be a good t i me also to sing " T r u st a nd Obey." D u r i ng t h e second half of t he J u n i or h o ur t a k e u p t he story of E l i j ah on Mo u nt C a r -
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