298
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
August, 1935
INTERNAT IONAL LESSON Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children’s Division
Golden Text Illustration B y A lan S. P earce
Object Lesson B y E lmer L. W ilder
B y B. B. S utcliffe
B y B essie B. B urch
B y H elen G ailey
Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
SEPTEMBER 1, 1935 PAUL
verse 11 thus: “therein to be content.” There are many circumstances with which one cannot be content, but there is no cir cumstance in which one cannot.be content. Moreover, Paul praised God that he knew the experiences of both cpmfort and want (v. 12). Neither riches nor poverty disturbed the apostle. And one¡experience is as difficult to meet as is the other. Finally, he rejoiced as he looked into the future, knowing that he could do all things through Jesus Christ who strength ened him (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9; Isa. 43:2). Points and Problems 1. The words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive / ’ which Paul quotes in Acts 20:35 as a saying of Christ, can not be found in any of His teaching as recorded in the four Gospels. The quota tion is evidently a fragment of that body of our Lord’s teaching which was handed down orally, and used widely in early preaching before the New Testament books were written. Not all of this was recorded. In fact, John suggests that the ministry of our Lord was much wider than it appears in the New Testament rec ords (John 20:30, 31; 21:25). The quota tion is very precious, and we should be thankful that the Holy Spirit brought it into the New Testament record through the Apostle Paul. Can any experience pos sibly be more blessed than to receive the wondrous things of God’s grace? Yes. It is more blessed to give out these’ things to others than it is to receive them. This view does not minimize the first expe rience. It magnifies the second. If you have enjoyed receiving, start to give, and you will increase your joy. Some believ ers, it is sad to relate, know little or nothing about the blessedness of giving. 2. Philippians 4 :6 and 7 makes a very important contribution to the New Testa ment doctrine of prayer. It commands us “in every thing" to make our “ requests ” known to God. But as every Christian un derstands, our knowledge is finite; we do not know how to pray as we ought. There fore, we are constantly making “requests” that cannot be wisely answered. Now comes the remarkable part of the Philip pian passage: It is a promise that says nothing at all about answering our “re quests.” It merely assures us that once we have made known our requests, in the proper way, we may expect that “the peace of God . . . shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” How infinitely blessed! Even when God must deny our “requests,” we get something better, namely, the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” Certainly it is beyond all human understanding for the world to see a child of God, denied per haps his dearest prayer in some matter, yet dwelling serenely in the garrison of God’s marvelous peace. No unbeliever can understand that. Golden Text Illustration One day a man quite unknown called at the Salvation Army Headquarters and
(Worker with Hand and Brain) A cts 20:33-35; P hilippians 4:4-13
Golden Text: “I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak” (Acts 20:35). Outline and Exposition I. P aul ’ s E xample (Acts 20:33-35). O ur lesson is taken from the close of Paul’s memorable address to the elders from Ephesus who came to him at Miletus. In saying that he had “coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel” (v. 33), Paul touched upon that fault which was, and is, so common among men—the sin of covetousness. The apostle’s service among believers had been wholly without con sideration of any personal gain. His material support had come through the work of his own hands (v. 34). Not only had he supported himself, but he had also ministered to the necessities of his companions in labor. Hence there could be no suggestion that he had come among the Ephesians for what he could get from them. He had shown that he desired to give to them. In all his service, Paul had followed the example of the Lord Himself who came to this world “not to be min istered unto, but to minister” (Matt. 20:28). He recalled a saying of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive" (v. 35), which is unrecorded elsewhere in Scripture. This is the only quotation from the words of Jesus that is not found in the Gospels. Christ would have all His disciples enter into the blessedness of giving, of which He Himself was the Exemplar. But we must be care ful that we do not distort this truth by ignoring the other teaching given by the Holy Spirit; namely, that “the Lord or dained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14), and, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Gal. 6:6). Even our Lord received material support from certain women (cf. Lk. 8:2, 3). II. P aul ’ s E xhortation (Phil. 4:4-9). Rejoicing is the normal Christian experi ence and is the privilege of every Christian. The rejoicing will be constant in the meas ure that it is in “the Lord” (vs. 4, 5). . As Christians, we are to let our “modera tion be known unto all men” (v. 5). That is, our gentleness, forbearance, and reason ableness are to be known to all. This con dition necessitates our keeping ever before us the truth that “the Lord is at hand.” He is “at hand” in the sense that His sec ond coming is imminent, and He is “at hand” in the person of the Holy Spirit.
However the truth of verse 6 may be expressed—“Be careful for nothing,” or, “Let no anxious care trouble you,” or, “Do not worry”—the exhortation is a most surprising one when we consider the sin that is ever present with us, and the pain ful circumstances into which we may frequently be led. Nevertheless, God’s Word being what it is, the fact remains that it is wicked to worry. Worry is one of the commonest sins among Christians. The simple method by which one may be freed of all anxious thought is to be care ful for nothing, prayerful in everything, and thankful for anything (v. 6). The prayer is to be uttered with a child’s sim plicity and right of approach. It is to be offered in everything, whether the matter appears to be small or great, remembering that in God’s sight there is nothing of lesser interest. The sure result of such prayerful con duct will be that “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds” (v. 7). This heart quietness is not peace with GodBwhich is for the troubled conscience—but the peace of God, which is for the troubled heart. In other words, in essence it is the very peace that God Himself enjoys. As the mind dwells upon the virtues of Christ (v. 8), and as the individual engages in service for Christ (v. 9), the very “God of peace” will be his Companion« III. P aul ’ s E xultation (Phil. 4:10-13). Paul exulted when he found that his converts manifested their new life in Christ by ministering unto the necessities of another (v. 10). Paul was not seeking further gifts from these believers, but he was rejoicing in the recognition of Chris tian growth in them. To him, these men and women were his spiritual children. He rejoiced also that he had learned a lesson which cannot be grasped either through Nature or by revelation (v. 11). He had learned in the hard school of ex perience, where only such a lesson could be learned, how to be content in whatever circumstances might be his. The Revised Version translates the last four words of BLACKBOARD LESSON
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