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for them. They needed to know that the Lord Jesus came to earth, just as- the first part said He would, and that He wants us all to love Him. So Paul told them that. (Continue to use the Bible itself as an object lesson.) LESSON STORY: In a city called Thessalonica, Paul went into the syna gogue—or church, as we would say— and talked to the people about the Word of God. He said something like this: “In the first part of the Bible, you know that it says Some One is coming to earth as a little Baby, ly ing on a bed of straw. It says He w ill grow up to tell people of God’s love, and even to die so that others might be saved. It tells there, foo, that He w ill rise from the grave, alive, and w ill live always. Do you know who that Person is, my friends? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. I w ill tell you. more about Him.” And the things Paul spoke about, concerning the Lord Jesus, are in the part of the Bible which tells us: He Has Come. When Paul left that city, he sent back two letters to his friends there. We have those letters now in the last part of the Bible which shows us that the Lord Jesus wants us to love Him— for that was what Paul was saying to them and to us. Object Lesson P ower for E very H our OBJECTS: A large tumbler, 1/6 full of white vinegar, 1/3 of a glass of water, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of soda. (Mix the water and vinegar before the les son begins.) LESSON: Have you ever wondered why so many of the prayers of Chris tians are not answered? It is often due to the fact that they have forgotten God’s recipe for prayer. Yes, there are rules for successful praying, just as there are rules for successful cooking. There are two common ways of learn ing how to do things in the best way. One is to be taught by some one who knows, and the other way is to learn from experience, which is very costly as a rule. I fear one would never learn to pray by experience, and I api thank ful that God has given us a tested recipe, in order that we might know how to pray. We w ill let- this glass with clear liquid help us understand God’s in structions for successful praying. You w ill notice that it is clean. If you are to pray, your life must be cleansed by the precious blood of Christ. There is a great need, and we stir the water, but nothing happens. Per haps we have not followed the recipe, which is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice evermdre. Pray with out ceasing. In every thing give thanks.” It requires faith to rejoice
Lord Jesus Christ. This is great preach ing. 3. "Some of them believed" (v. 4). Faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word always results in deci sions. Too often hearers decide against the acceptance of Christ. Many times they decide to postpone eternal mat ters. But it is always cause for en couragement when some believe. > 4. "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak" (1 Thess. 2:4). Paul was filled with a sense of the great privilege of preaching the gospel. He was not thinking of the responsibility resting upon the ambassadors of Christ, but of the condescension of God in committing such a glorious task to men. Such a privilege is not given even to angels. Only redeemed ones can enjoy it. Not until the serv ants of Christ conceive of their task in this light w ill their ministry be filled with the joy and blessing that God intended. A missionary was returning to his field of service. At the farewell meet ing he had made no appeal for money, but at the close one .young man said to him, “We’ll try to send you some thing more substantial than prayers.” Quickly came the missionary’s re ply, in deep earnestness, “My friend, you cannot do that. We shall be glad for anything you may send; but, more than all else, we need your daily pray ers.” God’s noblest worker ever plead ed for prayer.— One Thousand Tales Worth Telling. Paul's Bible A cts 17:1-10; 1 T hessalonians 1 and 2 MEMORY VERSE: “ Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep AIM: To s h o w that all the Bible reveals Christ. A P P R O A C H : it” (Lk. 11:28). Golden Text Illustration 1 T hessalonians 5:16-18
having been instrumental In bringing spiritual life to these Thessalonians, would carefully guard that life and nourish it. Third, he was as a father, strength ening spiritual life in the believers— a father dealing with his own children (v. 11, R. V.). He would teach by ex ample, calling upon them to remem ber “ how holily and justly artd un- blamably” (v. 10) he had behaved among them. “Holily” refers to the things relat ing to God; “ justly” to the things per taining to themselves; and “ unblam- ably” to things touching both God and men. Though he did not presume to be perfect, he could nevertheless hold before them his own example for them to imitate, so great was the working of the grace of God in him. He gave them exhortation, and comfort, and then solemnly pressed the truth upon their hearts and consciences. The end which he had in view for each believer was “ that ye should walk worthy of God” (v. 12). Perhaps there is no higher exhortation in all Scripture than this one. A worthy walk is a godly walk, a manifesta tion of what God is as Love, and Light, and Righteousness, a manifestation to all the world, both sinners and saints. Points and Problems 1. "When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica" (Acts 17:1). Why did Paul and Silas pass through Amphip olis and Apollonia? Why did they not stop in these places for a gospel min istry? They were both populous and important places. They were in des perate need of the gospel. The answer seems to be that Thessalonica pos sessed the advantage of a synagogue whereas the other places did not. The synagogue supplied the open door for the beginning of a fruitful ministjy. Likewise today, in beginning a new work for Christ, care should be exer cised in selecting the most advan tageous place for the beginning of operations. 2. “Reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead" (vs. 2, 3). The subject of Paul’s preaching, was Christ in the Old Testament. The New Testament was not yet written in its completed form. Pity those souls who cannot find Christ in the Old Testa ment! No wonder it is to them an un interesting Book, The method of Paul’s preaching was expository. He opened the Scriptures by simply explaining the meaning of the words that were written. He alleged, that "'is, he ,set forth logically, systematically, ana convincingly, the great facts concern ing the Person and ministry of the
Mrs. Anna L. Den nis, beloved teach er’of little children, p o i n t s out that merely in the way a teacher handles her Bible, she may
teach dispensational truth to even a very small child. Turning the pages reverently and lovingly from Genesis to Malachi, the teacher may say, "All the Bible is about one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. This first part says: He Is Coming (In the Gospels: He Has Come; and in the remainder: He Wants Us to Love Him).” In Paul’s day, the people had only the first part of the Bible written down
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