812
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
December 1927
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE
Adam and Eve had never listened to Satan and disobeyed God, everything would ’•have been perfect, and just like heaven right here on earth. We see how good God is in making a way for us to have our sins forgiven, to receive ever lasting life and to live with Jesus in heaven forever. That way is the Lord Jesus Christ, who .said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the XiJpjjjgMgS In our story today Jesus is helping the 'sick people, for His. heart is full of love and sympathy for all who suffer in any way, Because He was God’s Son He has power to heal the body, and power to forgive sin. He had been in. the syna gogue and had healed a man there. You know sometimes we go home from church to dinner with friends, and this day Jesus went to the home of Peter. Soon after entering that home He learned that some one was sick with a fever, the mother of Peter’s wife. Now of course Jesus felt sorry, for it is not pleasant to be sick and with a burning fever. What do you think the Lord did? lie went over where she lay sick and took her by the hand, and lifted her up. Then what happened? Just as soon as Jesus lifted her up she was all well, and ministered unto them. Our. story does not say just what she did for them, but I think she got something for them to eat. How happy that home must have been. The news soon spread that Jesus was in this home, for people around brought their sick folk to Peter’s home, and Jesus healed many of them. He never thought of Himself but always of others, and helped in every way He could. Love al ways wants to do something to help, and Jesus gave of His time and strength to heal and help. Our memory verse tells us that He did all things well.; Are you kind and helpful to the sick people, or to those who suffer in any way? Are you always watching for a chance to be kind, to help the aged ones, and give up your seat in a street car to some one who needs it? Remember Jesus sees and knows all we do. Prayer. In the midst of the Master’s sermon, a peculiar thing happened. Four men who had a love for souls had taken it upon themselves to bring a helpless man to Jesus. They did not wear longtailed coats nor collars that buttoned in the back. They were just laymen who had gotten tired of singing “Rescue the Perishing” and talking about “the brotherhood of man,” and decided to test out their senti ments upon an individual. It is time the church realized that the Lord’s work is not tied to preachers. When four praying men yoke themselves together to get a man to the feet of Jesus, there will be something doing. Four men lugged a. man to the place of meeting and couldn’t get in with their load (v. 4). We talk about the obstacles in the way of our doing soul-winning work. If the poor paralytic had been in the hands of some modern church mem bers, the story would have ended outside the door. The sick man would have had to take a taxi home.
But these four laymen had faith and they hadTow. When men have; that com bination, their heads are not slow to work. An idea struck the mind of one of the four. Why not make a hole in the roof and let the man down by ropes, into the very presence of Jesus? They were de termined to get the man before Jesus. They had faith that he would go home on his own feet. We may well imagine the comments of some of the staid and proper church members who beheld these men breaking into the routine of the service by punch ing a hole in the roof. Did a real revival ever take place, that there were not plenty of religious kickers on hand? One of the greatest hihdrances to soul-winning to day is the conservatism of church mem bers. In spite of -the kickers, the man was lowered into the presence of Jesus. “Jesus saw their faith’" (v. 5). Faith is the look of expectation to HIM that HE will do the work. Saving a sinner is not a hu man task. We can only be instruments of getting sinners to the feet of Jesus. Spurgeon was once asked by a young preacher how he might get greater re sults from preaching. “You don’t expect conversions every time you preach, do you?” asked Mr. Spurgeon. “No—of course not,” replied the young minister. “And that’s why you don’t get them,” was the answer. Did thé paralytic have any faith for himself ? He should have had after wit nessing the faith manifested by his four friends. The Master, after noting the vicarious faith of the four, turned His attention to the needy man. “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (v. S). He saw behind the paralysis. He always goes to the roots of things. He knew where the shoe pinched. There are plenty of people who would run to Jesus for healing who prefer to keep the sin question under cover. Some so-called divine-healing systems begin by the denial of the fact of sin. Jesus never failed to bring the fact of sin before those who sought Him for healing. In many cases physical conditions are the direct results of personal sins'. It does not always follow that healing of body would result from the salvation of the soul. Many times the physical re sults of sin remain after conversion as a sentinel to the world to remind men that organic penalties follow the breaking of organic laws. We know that our Lord has been saving men for centuries, yet many of the most godly continue to suf fer. .Christ has not failed in His present covenant, nor have they failed in faith. The question is often asked : “Is not Jesus the same yesterday, today and for ever?” He healed bodies when He was here. Is it not His purpose to heal be lievers now? The passage in Heb. 13:8, taken in its context, indicates that Jesus has not taken some other form since He departed. Were He suddenly to descend to your side, He would be found to be the same Jesus the disciples knew, with the same warm heart beating in His breast. That does not imply, however, that He works in every period by the same methods . We are left in no doubt as to why He performed healing miracles when He was on earth. Verse 10 informs us that the paralytic was healed, that they "might know that the Son of man had power on earth to forgive sins." This
-rVCJRPOSE M-Tno. 10:10. M lT Y (L ov e)—Mark 6 :34. JL OWER —Matt. 28:18. He hath done all things well. —Mark 7 :37.
Jesus and The Sick. Mark 1:21-34. Memory Verse:. “He hath done all things well.” Mark 7 :37. Approach: Have you ever been real sick, and mother had to call the doctor? Is it pleasant to be sick? When you are sick whom do you like to have care for you best? Mother, of course. We love to
have mother because she loves us and feels so sorry to. have us suffer, and does all in her power to make us comfortable. To day we are to hear about another whose love is greater than even mother’s, and He felt sorry for the
sick people, and went about helping many while He lived on earth. Let us bow our heads and thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings of health and strength He has given to us. Lesson Story: In our beautiful story last week we learned how John the Bap tist went before Jesus and told the peo ple of His coming. We also learned that God the Father was well pleased with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder if He is well pleased with us? He is if we are obeying Him, that is, doing the things He tells us in His word, the Bible. Did you know, boys and girls, if there was no sin in the world there would be no sickness or suffering of any kind? If
J anuary IS, 1928 Jesu s an d S inners Text Mk. 2:1-17
w E have before us the interesting story of the healing of the paralytic. Jesus was again in Capernaum, “and it zvas noised that He was in the town" (v.
1). There were no handbills or n e w s paper announcements, yet, when Jesus Was around, it couldn’t be kept quiet. “Many were gath ered together." We read that the house
was full and the people jammed about the doors. Jesus “preached the Word unto them” (v. 2)—not a bad idea for a preacher who wants to attract and help a crowd of needy folk. A noted writer recently warned preachers to give up the old gospel and preach evolution or the churches would soon be empty. Such ad visers could well afford to visit the churches of the land and see which kind of churches are empty. The largest con gregations in the land are found where the Word is expounded.
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