May, 1935
T H E K I N O ' S B U S I N E S S
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commen^ar) Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson, Children’s Division Golden Text Illustration Object Lesson By B. B. S utcliffe B y B essie B.^ B urch B y H elen G ailey B y A lan S. P earce B y E lmer L. W ilder Points and Problems B y A l V a J. M c C lain , Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
JUNE 2, 1935 OUR D A Y OF WORSH IP G enesis 2:2, 3; E xodus 20:8-11; P salm 100; J ohn 4:20-24;' A cts 20:7; C olossians 3:15-17
exalted. There will be thoughts o f thé Lord Jesus, in every act and deed, and there will be continual thanksgiving to God and the Father through Christ (v. 17). Thus the worship will be acceptable unto God and will have a reflex effect upon the worshiper, increasihg his joy, deepen ing his praise, and causing him to give greater exaltation to Christ. Points and Problems 1. The place o f Psalm 100 in the Book1 o f Psalms is significant. It follows a group of psalms which unquestionably speak o f the glorious coming of the Lord to establish His kingdom over all the earth. Psalm 96 calls upon the whole creation to rejoice at His coming to judge the earth: in righteousness (vst 11-13), Psalm 97 opens with the joyous announcement, “ The Lord reigneth ; let the earth rejoice“ (v. 1). Psalm 98 speaks o f the “marvelous things” done by the Lord, “the King” (vs. 1, 6). Psalm 99 pictures the “holy” char acter of the reigning'King (vs¿3 , 5, 9). Psalm 100 is the universal call to worship the holy King. It is a wonderful disclosure o f millennial blessedness. Although the primary interpretation puts the realization of this blessedness in the coming'kingdom,1 we who belong to the King are privi leged in advance to taste the blessedness o f the coming agg. Let us* therefore,« “come before his presence with singing” (v. 2). 2. It is interesting to note that in the- very Gospel which is rightly regarded as the most universal in its tone and outlook (John’s), the most unequivocal testimony is givèn as to the place of the Jewish na tion in the plan o f God. “Salvation,’’ de clares our Lord, “is of. the Jews” (John. 4:22). And this declaration occurs in the immediate context o f the passage in which our Lord sets true worship free from all conditions o f locality and ritual (vs. 21; 23). 3. The indefinite article* should be omitted from the great statement o f verse 24. “God is Spirit,” not merely “a Spirit.” W e haye here one of a group of four great affirmations about God, God is Spirit (John 4:24). God is Light (1 John 1 :5). God is Love (1 John 4 :8 ). God is Con suming Fire (Heb. 12:29). 4. Worship "in spirit” (v. 24) sets wor ship free from conditions of locality (cf. vs. 20, 21). Worship “ in truth" sets it free from conditions of ritualism. The Greek word aletheia points to reality as opposed to mere types and symbolism. Golden Text Illustration The captain o f a. whaler went ashore one Sunday and went into a little chapel. After the service, the minister spoke to him and found that no impression had been made on the man’s mind. “The fact ; is, sir,” said the captain, “ all the while you were preaching, I was thinking about where I should be likely to find a whale. There is no room in my heart for any- [Cantinned on page 182]
Lesson T ext: Psa. 100; John 4:20-24; Col. 3:15-17. Golden T ext: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Outline and Exposition I. T he C all . to W orship (Psa. 100)»;^ I n this prophetic psalm, restored and es tablished Israel invites all the earth to join in the glorious worship and praise of God. At last brought to understanding fellowship with her God, Israel has lost her spiritual pride and exclusiveness, and in humility and grace she takes her place and calls all creation to share in her joy. The call is to worship with joy and grati tude which will be expressed in song, the song being for the praise o f God be fore whom the people are invited to ap pear (vs. 1, 2). Israel is to be the channel of worship in that coming day (v. 3). And the nations of earth are to know that the Lord alone is God. Then it Will be recognized that how ever long the Lord may have permitted the nations to go on with the worship of their self-made gods, the time has come when these gods are shown to be false, and only the God of Israel is to be worshiped. Israel’s humility is seen in that she makes no claim o f superiority, but ascribes all the glory and honor unto her God. She has come to her place by the grace and mercy o f God in fulfilling His announced pur pose when He first chose His people. Is rael is also represented under the figure o’f a sheep, to be protected and provided for by God’s hand and not by her own strength. And into this humility and the blessing that flows from it, she invites all others to • enter with her. The nations are exhorted to approach with thanksgiving (v. 4). The thanksgiv ing would be because o f what the Lord has done, that is, His providence or ways ; the praise would be because o f what He says, that is, His word. This worship would rise from a sense, of God’s grace toward Israel as well as of His unspeakable pa tience with the idolatrous practices o f the nations. The cause o f such worship is simply that the Lord is good (v. 5). His good ness is universal, extending to all the earth. His mercy is everlasting, and His , truth endureth to all generations. II. T he C haracter of W orship (John 4:20-24). First, the worship o f the true God—in future dispensations as in all generations —must be apart from, mere outward forms (vs. 20, 21). All the forms and cere monies would have no meaning if the God behind the forms was not worshiped in the heart. God once had Commanded Is
rael to worship Him,.in (he place in which He was pleased to .set His name, that is, Jerusalem. The people of Samaria had for gotten this injunction and had set up their own altars. Since the-coming o f Christ, Jerusalem has ceased to be a special loca tion for the worship o f Jehovah, and the living God may now be worshiped only in the person o f ! our Lord Jesus Christ—■ upon whom God set His name forever. All who would come before the true God for worship must, o f necessity, come to Christ; otherwise their so-called worship has no more value than the pagan prac tices of heathen peoples. Second,' the worship o f the true God must be with understanding (v. 22). The mere bowing before some altar without consideration of what the altar represents is vain worship and worse than a waste of time. True worshipers are to worship what they know. Third, the worship o f the true God must be in the Spirit (vs. 23, 24). When man sinned, his spirit ceased to function, and. from that day there has been no true wor ship of the living God on the part of any; individual, except as men have been born again, having their spirits renewed «with understanding o f who the living God real ly is. III. T he C onduct in W orship (Col. 3:15-17). Peace is to be allowed to arbitrate in all spheres o f the life (v. 15, R. V. margin). A's Christians are members o f one body, peace should be revealed among them, and there should be no schism, or disturbance in the body. At the same time, there should be the spirit o f thankfulness for all things, because all things are controlled by the God before whom the worship is being presented. The word of Christ is to be allowed to dwell richly in the worshipers (v. 16). The “word o f Christ” here means the whole body of truth concerning the Lord Jesus, as found in both the Old and New Testaments. As this word is allowed to dwell, or abide constantly, there will be teaching and admonishing, and joyousness and singing in the heart to the Lord. The supreme purpose o f all Christian living and working and praising will be that the Lord Himself may be honored and BLACKBOARD LESSON
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