King's Business - 1912-04

rich m a nh a smo re t h a n five b r o t h e r s. Let . t h e m heed Moses a n dt h e p r o p h e ts b e f o re t h e y a r edead a n d buried. An dw e poor- b e g g a r s, b u tf e df r o m o u rMa s t e r 's t a b l e; a n d healed o f o u rl o a t h s ome sores, l e t u s b e ar t h ew a t e r o f life t o b r e t h r en o f Dives^ a n d b r e ak t h eB r e ad o f Life, t o sore hearts,, a n d t o t h em w h o "fro mth e crow no f th e hea d t o th e sol e o f th e foot , ar e bu t wounds , bruise s an d putrefying : sores;" * rich o r poor, t a k e t h eh e a l i ng Wo r d.

7. Ye t eve n i n hel l th e prou d i s no t humbled . "A st h e t r ee falls, s o I t lies." H e h a sn o t h o u g ht b u tt h a t t h is s ome t i me b e g g ar c a nh a ve n o fitter call t h a n t o b e a rich m a n 's s e r v a n t. "Sen d L a z a r us t o cool m ytongue;-—to w a r n m y b r e t h r e n ." 8. Note t h a t t h is rich m a n 's i d e n t i ty is preserved, h i s c o n s c i o u s n e ss clear, h i s sensibilities quick, h i sm e m o ry u n i mp a i r ed even i n hell. 9. Hi s five brothers . I t i s sad ,b u tt h e

Heart of Lesson T. C. Horton

of choice c o n c e r n i ng H i sc r e a t u r e s. None- c an come t o H i mexcept t h eF a t h e r d r a w t h em. J n o . 6:44 . T h eelection o r selection of H i s s e r v a n ts i s i n the» h a n ds o f the - Lord. I n t h e Golden T e xt w e a r e given t h e seed t h o u g ht c o n c e r n i ng t h e purpose- of t h eL o rd i n m a k i n g me nH i s disciples. Am o ng t h et w e l ve w e re al l k i n ds o f c h a r- a c t e rs r e p r e s e n t i ng different occupations,, b ut H e chose t h em f o r on e specific p u r - pose, " t h at t h ey m i g ht b e ar f r u i t ." The - figure He uses i n J o hn 1 5 i s a n ol d one— God uses i t w i th r e f r e n ce t o Israel—-but it i s a s t r o ng one . H e i s a vine, m e n become b r a n c h es o f t h a t vine b y f a i th i n Christ. A vine i s useless i f f r u i t l e s s. A vine i s fit f o rb u t on e thing . A branch,, t h e n, becomes a b u r d en unless i t b e a rs f r u i t. Se eh o wsimple i s t h eo r d er o four - r e l a t i o n s h ip t o o u r Lord. F i r s t, H e associate s u s w i th H i m s e l f. We h a ve t h ep r i v i l e ge o f f e l l ow s h ip w i th Him, w e a r e H i s f r i e n d s, w e l e a rn the - s e c r e ts o f H i s h e a r t - l i f e. Next, H e ap- - polnt sa s ( c o n s e c r a t e s ), s e ts u s a p a r t f o r t he w o r k o f f r u i t b e a r i n g. T h en He - a n o i n ts us , g i v i ng u s t h e p o w er t o d o t h i n gs i n H i sname. H e t h en authorize s u s t o g o f o r th into t h e wo r ld -an d w o r t t h e w o r k o f H i mw h oh a s s e nt u s while- it i s called today . No wa f a i l u re t o b e ar f r u i t i s t o b e f a i t h l e s s; m o re t h an t h a t, it i s r o b b e r y. A r en o t som e b r a n c h es c u t o f b e c a u se t b ey fail t o b e ar f r u i t; n o tcut - off f r om t h e ir salvation , which i s a g i f t, b ut f r om t h e ir p ow er t o b e ar f r u i t? Are - you b e a r i ng f r u i t? A r ey o u w i l l i ng t o be prune d t h a t y o um a yb e ar m o re fruit,, a n d a r ey o ur e j o i c i ng t h a t y o ur f r u it will r e m a i n? LESSO NIV . Apri l 28 , 1912 . I n t h is lesson w e h a ve n o te i g ht differ- e n t m e n described, b u t a n eight-fol

LESSO NII . Apri l14 , 1013 . '•'The S a b b a th w a sm a de f o r m a na n d n ot m a nf o r t h e S a b b a t h, t h e r e f o re t h e Son o f Ma ni s Lord also o f t h e S a b b a t h ." T h e se t w o s e n t e n c es t a k en f r om t o d a y 's lesson give u s a g r ip upon t h ewh o le S a b - b a th q u e s t i o n .' T h e S a b b a th w a s insti- t u t e d a f t e r m a nh a d been invested with a u t h o r i ty a s t h e ruler. T h eS a b b a th w a s b r o u g ht into b e i n g—m a d e—f or t h e benefi t a n d blessin g o f m a n . I f w e o a nhold t h a t one s t a t e m e nt clearly defined i n o u r m i nd it will c l a r i fy al l o u rt h o u g h ts a s t o t h e p u r p o se o f t h eS a b b a t h. Al lo f God's l a ws a r e ordered w i th respect t o t h ebest i n t e r- est o f m a n , a n dw h e n Go dm a de t h eS a b - b a t h H e w a s t h i n k i ng n o t o f H i m s e l f, b u t o f m a n . T h eS a b b a th w a sn o t m a de f or t h e J e w only, b u t f o r man . F o rt h e J e w. Go d m a de c e r t a in r e s t r i c t i o ns r e - g a r d i ng t h eS a b b a t h; h e w a sn o t a l l owed to g a t h er s t i c ks o n t h a t d a y ,h e w a sl i m - ited a s t o t h ed i s t a n ce h e could t r a v el o n t h a t d a y ;b u t ma n I s n o tu n d er t h e J e w i sh law, n e i t h er i s t h e Christian. T h eChris- t i an i s u n d er a Ne w Law , a n dw e find i t s e x p r e s s i on i n t h ewo r d s, " t h eSo no fMa n is L o rd also o f t h eS a b b a t h ." E v e r y t h i ng t h e n t h a t i s done o n t h a t d a yshould b e s u b j e ct t o t h ewill o f t h eL o rd o u rMaster. T he question o f e v e ry believer should be , "Lord, w h a t w i lt T h ou h a ve m e t o d o o n t h e S a b b a t h, o r o n t h ed a yt h a t i s n o ws e t a p a r t i n place o f t h e S a b b a t h ?" I f t h e S a b b a th w a s m a de f o r m a n .t h en m a n o u g ht t o h a ve i t ; i f i t w a sdesigned f o r his b e st good, t h en h e o u g ht t o realize t h e a d v a n t a g es wh i ch i t b r i n g s. T h e re m u st b e some distinction b e t w e en S a b - b a t h ( o r S u n d a y) a n dMonday, f o r i t i s n o w h e re said t h a t H e i s Lord o f t h e Monday, a l t h o u gh H e i s L o rd o f all . T h e re a r ec e r t a in t h i n gs w ea r e s u re t h a t He w a n t s u s t o d o o n t h e S a b b a t h. H e w a n t s u s t o c a re f o r o u r bodies, s oH« s disciples p l u c k ed g r a i ns o f corn t o s a t i s fy t h e ir h u n g e r, a n d H e a p p r o v ed it . H e also Himself w o r k ed m i r a c l es o f me r c y, a n d s o a r e w e t h en t o g o a b o ut o n t h e S a b b a th d o i ng good. T h eN e wT e s t a m e n t, t h a n k God ,p u t s u s into n o s t r a i g ht j a c k et c o n c e r n i ng t h e d a y .b u t a l l o ws u s t h e f r e e d om o f d o i ng o u rMa s t e r 's will u p on t h a t d a y ,w h a t e v er i t is . S o o n t h a t d a y w e d o n o td o w h a t w e r^ease, b u tw e d o t h a t wh i ch will please H i m . LESSO NIII . Apri l 21 , 1912 . Men a r e first called t o b e follower s o f t h e Lord, a n d t h en a r e m a de f i s h e r man f o r t h eLord. T h e t w e l ve w e re first called to b e wit h Htm , t h e n s e nt f o r th fo r H i m . The L o rd h a sn e v er a b r o g a t ed t h e r i g ht

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