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THE "KING ’ S BUSINESS
acceptance o f the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal Saviour, Redeemer and King is the fundamental preparation, that to be followed, by a life worthy o f one who is living in Him (John 8:21; Psalm 23:4). Theme: The Great Refusal T e x t : Mark 10:17-22. I ntroduction : Picture the scene o f the young ruler kneeling before Christ. I. The enquirer. There is much in him to awaken our interest. 1. He was young and thoughtful. 2. He was reverent. 3. He was moral. Yet he felt a lack, indicating that the six things above mentioned are not in themselves alone sufficient. II. How Christ treated 'the enquirer. 1. He loved him. 2. He took time to answer him. 3. By His treatment o f him He showed that He was not desirous o f quantity at the expense o f quality. 4. He put a test which showed the young mkn that he lacked the one essential thing, without which all else was as nothing.' III. The result of the interview. W e db not know. The pity is that he went away. W e hope that, on further thought, he came back to the Master. Some one has said that Calvinism is the house, and Arminianism is the door ; that Calvinism is all house and Arminianism is all door ; that the proper thing to dp is to use the door o f Arminianism to get into the house o f Calvinism. “Make your call ing and election sure.” (2 Peter 1:10). O -------------- 4. He was religious. 5. He was orthodox. 6 . He was sincere.
“ This night may require thy soul.” We stanfl today on the brink o f the grave. 4. As to the terrors that surround it. The best people in the world dread death; only the fool laughs at it. Death is still an enemy. It means farewell to all earthly things. II. Consider the warnings of death. 1. In the home and the family. Where is your wife, husband, father, mother, child? 2. In the church. Death has taken the preacher from the pulpit, and members from the pews. We can count the vacant seats. 3. In the world. The daily newspapers recount train and boat accidents, mine explosions, and many deaths from other causes. The husband places the parting kiss on his wife’s lips in the morning and is carried home dead at night. 4. In ourselves. These twitchings, pains, gray hairs, this failing, sight—all are the stabs o f 'death. III. Preparation for death. Antedate yourself dying now. Are you ready for it? 1. Preparation for death is natural. If we knew we had but a few days to live we would prepare. 2. It is wise. It is the part o f wisdom to prepare for any journey which one expects to take. 3. It is necessary. (a) Because there is no change after death and really not very much at death. (b ) Because o f the issues involved after death—heaven or hell. 4. The nature of the preparation. Two questions to settle: The question o f sin, and the question o f Christ. We - “ die in sin” or “we die in Christ.” The
ILLUSTRATIVE President Wilson is quoted as follows by Advocate: “When we say that the w;ay to Bishop' Candler in the Raleigh Christian ' get young people to the church is to make
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