499
September 1926
T H E K I N O ’ S B U S I N E S S
THE COMMISSION COMMITTED TO THE CHURCH
Is not this neglect a serious sinf Is it not true that world and church conditions today are evidences of it T If one were told that a bequest of ten thousand dollars had been left for them, would it be long before they would be telling the good news! Is, then, a gift of money of more value than the gift of God which is eter nal life f I f we possess this great gift and have the knowledge that “ whosoever will” may have it also, then what excuse can we give for failure to “ pass it on” ? It is the business of every believer to take the Bread of Life to hungry souls, and if from every evangelical pulpit every Sunday morning and night for sixty days this could be emphasized, there would be a real revival that would glorify the Lord, and bring joy to the homes and hearts of countless thousands. Why not have this revival f What do you say t PERFUNCTORY PRAYER In approaching this subject we have no desire to be critical, but we feel deeply that it is a solemn and ser ious matter, aqd worthy of the most careful considera tion. We are creatures of habit, and too often our habits are careless, listless and perfunctory, and when such a habit is associated with prayer, it tends to degrade what should be the highest and holiest relationship of our spiritual life. For prayer includes worship, fellowship, dependence and gratitude. In public prayer we must use words to express our thoughts, and are apt to be occupied with wondering how they sound, whether the language is appropriate, etc., the result being a tendency to become stereotyped, lifeless, meaningless,—a prayer from the head and not from the heart. Real prayer is a wish, a desire, an intercession, a supplication. I f the thing prayed for is not really desired, longed for, yearned for,—the words uttered mean nothing and the prayer becomes perfunctory. There are certain conditions which must be recog nized in real prayer: We must be right with God—in His will—or our prayers will be perfunctory. A set time and place for prayer is very desirable, but it may mean nothing if we simply go to the place and go through with the performance. Again,—a conscious ness that can make “ eloquent” prayers, may result in merely “ perfunctory” prayers. Prayer is a life ! A thought springing up within the heart and going out to God is a real prayer, even though it is not expressed in words. Fellowship with God is a life! We are “ at home” with some people. We can speak freely, talk confidentially with them. The deeper things of our heart and life are expressed frankly and naturally. So it is when we walk and talk with “ the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” Is this not the solution o f the problem of real prayer f If we could only forget that men are listening and remember that God is listening, and then make Him the
The church is the body of Christ—a “ called-out” body of people from the world. Israel was the Old Testament church,—a separated people in the wilder ness. Every believer in Jesus Christ as Sayiour and Lord is a member of His body, and therefore a member of the true church. The choice of membership in any par ticular organization of believers is left to the individ ual, but the obligation resting upon every believer, no matter with what denomination he may be affiliated, is the same. “ To preach’ ’ is to “ announce,” “ bring,” “ cry.” That is the “ A B C” o f preaching.” It means also to “ herald,” “ proclaim,” “ tell.” The Gospel is the “ good news” to a lost world,—the news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to save sinners; that He paid the penalty of their sins by His own death on the cross; that His blood made atonement (or, “ satisfaction” ) for their sins; that the acceptance o f Him as personal Saviour gives them all the rights and privileges of the sons of God, and that they have the right to appropriate to themselves the blessed promises belonging to the Church. I f this is true, and it is, then a solemn obligation rests upon the believer. Being saved by His grace and having the new nature—the nature of God Himself— the relationship of sons and daughters implies obed ience to His command to tell the good news to others. But many believers have never sensed this obligation, or if they have, they have never obeyed the command. We have personally known hundreds o f Christians who have confessed that they have never realized that it was their business to tell others the story of redeeming love and to press the claims of Christ upon the unsaved. They assume that it is the function of the minister to preach the Gospel, and that he is paid for that pur pose. They seem to think that if someone does feel a burden for lost souls that such an one should become a missionary or preacher, but they themselves have never understood that they were included in the com mand “ Occupy (do business) till I come.” No doubt much o f the blame for this state of affairs rests upon the ministers, who have never made plain to their people the obligation resting upon them. How many real Christians have been robbed of their highest, holiest and happiest experience by this failure! If there is “ joy in Heaven over one sinner that repent- eth” (and there is, for the Bible says so), then what joy has been lost by believers for time and for eternity 1 If “ one soul is worth a world of gold” (and it is, and more), why should God’s under-shepherds fail to instruct their flocks t I f souls are lost because of the failure of the leaders to instruct the laity as to their duty, and their privilege, how about the reckoning at that day when “ every man’s work shall be tried by flre” t
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