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T IÎE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
December, 1942
COMPARE’TABERNAC LE HYMNS" WITH OTHER SONG BO$KS-IT'S MILES AHEAD
3. Thanksgiving (v. 24; cf. Col. 2:6, .7). II. THE CHURCH A PLACE OF CON SECRATION (1 Ki. 8:54-59). Of course if the church’s standard of consecration is low the spirituality, of its membership is going to be low. It is therefore well that we contin ually àsk ourselves these questions: “ For what purpose Was the church es tablished?” “Why am I a member of it?” Many of God’s people have no greater purpose in joining the church than to. have their names upon the church rolls. They are like the Chi nese, who stood by the roadside hack- ^ ing away. at a log. He never struck twice at the same place. A traveler came along and seeing his uncertain hacking, said, “Well, John, and what are you making?” , “Oh, don’t know,” said John. “Maybe idol; maybe bedstead!” / It is to our shame if we have no purpose in having our name upon the membership roll. . Young Solomon recognized the need for purposefulness in public worship, and thus we read in verse 54 that he earnestly sought the face Of God in prayer upon his knees. Oh, what a change would be wrought in the world today if more church members1 in genuine Consecration were to be found upon their knees before God! It is hard for a church or its member ship to backslide upon its knees, for as William Evans so well says: “As a rule, the bended knee is the end of all argument,” whether that be an argument with God or with our fel low man. Are you proving yoùr allegiance to your' church by being present at Prayer Meeting? Remem ber, when your right place is empty, you are in the wrong place! III. THE CHURCH A PLACE OF TES TIMONY (1 Ki. 8:60, 61). The church whose Christian influ ence is not reaching out into the com munity is a_ dead church. This pur pose of the church is well expressed in verse 60. Such a program of testi mony, however, requires cooperation on the part of every member. Amos R. Wells once said: “The Christian that is not making other Christians is as much a contradiction in terms as a fire that is not heating or a flame that gives no light.” Charles G. Fin ney expressed the truth even more strongly when he said: “The great object for which Christians are con verted and live in this world is to pull sinners out of the fire. If th'ey do not effect this, they had better be dead.” May God therefore help us as Chris tian Endeavorers to prove our alle giance to our church, and above, all, to our Saviour, by being witnessing church members.
2, Exhortation (v. 18). In the realm of nature, if a plant or tree fails to grow, it withers and dies; likewise, in our Christian lives if we would be useful for Him, we must “ grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” JANUARY 31, 1943 PROVING M Y ALLEGIANCE TO M Y CHURCH We find the term “ church” used in a twofold way in the Word of God. It is used when the Lord speaks of those who have been born again and have thus become members of the “Invis ible Church,” ' or as it is most com monly spoken of, “The Body of Christ.” In this body there is no such thing as a denomination, but rather we read in Galatians 3:28: “Ye are all one in Christ Jesu?.” And certainly it is paramount that we as redeemed ones prove our allegiance to this body, for unless we do, there will be no in centive to be loyal to the “Visible Church,” which is the second Osage of the word. This latter is the organ ized church that we see here upon earth, in which body there are many and varied denominations. For Those Who Have Topics I. THE CHURCH A PLACE OF WOR- ■SHIP (1 Ki. 8:22-24). The church, since its inception, has faced many hours of trial and temp tation—through many of these she, by the grace of God, has come forth vic torious, but in others has gone down in miserable defeat. Now one reason that we might give among others is the ever-present tendency of Chris tians to want to borrow their “stand ards” from the worlds—to forget their holy calling of God. This too was an outstanding sin with Israel (cf. 1 Sam'. 8:19-22). Rebellion is costly (Psa. 106:13-15). Often the church has lost her testi mony because of its “club house” atmosphere where a few gather to amuse themselves. This was never meant to be. Solomon recognized it to Be a place of: . 1. Worship (v. 23a). 2. Submission (v. 23b). “Who keep- est covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart." Theirs was to be not mere “lip service,” but proving their allegiance by their “walk”—some thing the world can see. It has been well said that more people read the Bible bound in “shoe leather” than there are people reading it bound in “morocco” (cf. Rom. 6:4; Eph. 2:10; 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:12). 1 K in g s 8:22-24, 54-61 By Wilbert A. Regier Introduction
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