Rev. Elmer L. Wilder
Illustrated by Gladys Bowman
October 2, 1949 W hole and H elpful
October 9, 1949 B reak or T ake
Octdber 16, 1949 T each , R each , E ach
Objects: Two flowers. Lesson: I hold in my hand a beautiful flower. I want to give it to some person here this morning. To whom do you sug gest that I give it? “ Give it to our pastor,” you say.
Objects: Two mirrors, a basin of water, a red cloth, a small sauce dish. (The one mirror should be inexpensive enough to break. Blacken the inside of the sauce dish with a burnt match.) Lesson: Esther, I want you to help with the lesson today. Your face is nice and clean. Hold still while I put some of this black on your cheek. (With your finger rub soot from the dish onto her face.) Now Esther, you may do one of two things; either ask someone whether or not your face is dirty, or look in this mirror. Which would you like to do? “ Look in the mirror,” I hear you say. Yes, that is the best way to learn how you really look. The Bible speaks of it self as a mirror. When the people are uncertain as to their spiritual condition, they often run to people and ask them instead of looking into the Bible, God’s mirror. Esther, how do you know your face is dirty? “ By looking in the mirror.” Yes, you can always find out your true spiritual condition by looking into the Word of God. The Bible not only shows us our condition, but it tells us how to get rid of sin. Here is a red cloth, re minding us of the blood of Christ; which cleanses from sin. It will remove the marks of sin if you desire. Esther, there are three things you can do: Ignore the image you have seen in the mirror; break the mirror, like this (break the inexpensive one) ; or you can use the mirror and the red cloth to cleanse yourself. Even though the mirror is broken, your face is still dirty. The Bible says, “ Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway for- getteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:22-24). In the days of Isaiah, the people were told to learn and then do what they were told. Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the op pressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” It is not enough for us to learn, we must do as God commands.
Object: A piece of paper 8 inches long by 2 inches wide. (Three inches from the left end. begin the word “ TEACH.” An inch and one-half from the end of the paper, fold forward, so as to cover the “ T,” in “ TEACH.” Print an “ R” on this folded piece, changing the word from “ TEACH” to “ REACH.” Fold the “ T” and “ R” just before the “ E,” and fold the paper back, leaving the word “ EACH.” ) Lesson: This is a very interesting piece of paper which I hold in my hand. It has the word “ TEACH” printed on it. It reminds me of Isaiah 2:3: “ God . . . will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” In many other places in the Bible we have statements made regarding God’s teaching His people. In each case the teaching was for a definite purpose, and that purpose was to reach the people. We shall fold this paper and see what happens. Instead of “ TEACH” we now have the word “ REACH.” (The “ R” is folded over the “ T.” ) In order to “ TEACH” people God is endeavoring to “ REACH” them with His message. If we fold the “ R” in back of the paper we shall see a further truth which the Lord wants us to learn. We now see the word “ EACH.” God’s “ TEACHING” and “ REACHING” is for EACH indi vidual. Unless we recognize this truth, much of the Bible will be applied to others, and we shall miss many bless ings which the Lord wants us to have. TEACH 0EACH EACH In the day in which we live, it is the will of God for all of us to teach and reach each with the gospel. “ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptiz ing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19, 20). Page Twenty-nine
That is a good suggestion. If he will come forward, I will be glad to give him this flower. Pastor, because you have been a faithful minister of Christ, I want to give you a flower this morning. I am going to give it to you one petal at a time, so that I may have some to enjoy, even after I have given part of the flower to you. I never realized that there were so many parts of a flower, until I started pulling one apart. Now that you have all the petals, I might as well give you the stem. Pastor, you do not appear to be happy at receiving the flower, petal by petal. “ God can put a flower together, but I cannot. I would have enjoyed it more if it had been given all together.” You are right in feeling the way you do. I have here another flower which I want to present to you, perfect, just as God made it. You look happy about this flower, and I am sure it will bring more joy to you than the other. You, and the boys and girls were shocked when I gave our pastor the flower, petal by petal, but have you stopped to realize that we often give our lives in worship and service to the Lord that way? He wants us as a whole, and we give ourselves and our talents to Him in parts, which cannot be the way that will bring the most joy to Him. In the sixth chapter of the book of Isaiah, we read of the prophet Isaiah who gave himself to the Lord at one time, as a whole and not in parts. He had seen a vision of God and Was very humble. He said, “Woe is me!” After the seraphim had cleansed his lips, he heard a voice saying: “ Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” It was then that Isaiah gave himself to the Lord—not in parts—but as a whole, and he said, “ Here am I; send me.” God wants our lives, like Isaiah’s, completely surrendered to Him in wor ship and service. S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 4 9
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