THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S b u t t o s a v e HEART OF THE something out of LESSON AND the world. Some PRACTICAL POINTS wheat from thé m i d s t o f t h e tares, and some good fish out of the sea. The material for the lesson is so much, that you will be compelled to hold yourself to the great theme of soul-saving. A suggested outline is: The Flavor of Salt. The Faculty of Light. The Function of a Disciple. The Fervent Call. The Finding of a Convert. The disciples have a definite work to perform in the world; they are saved to serve. The great object of Goji in redemption is His own glory. This object is obtained in the bringing of many sons unto glory. The agents used by God are, (1) His own Son; (2) The Holy Spirit; (3) His holy Word, and (4) His chosen servants. There are many titles conferred upon His servants. Here they are called “salt” and “light.” As salt, they have a preserving power, and as light, they have an illuminating power. Salt in the East loses its savor and light is easily hidden. All thpt saves the world from the coming judgment of God is the presence of believers in the world, and the only method the Lord has of illum inating this dark world is through reflectors, and He uses His own children as candles to reveal the beauty and glory of His own face. Our lives as believers are essential to God. We become the “Christ-ones,” Our lives have a message. Our Lord sought to emphasize the importance of a consistent Christian life. We can never influence the world by living a worldly life, but we can compel the world to see the presence of Christ in us. We are in the world, but not of it. We are delegated by God to per form definite functions. We can not
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choose for ourseilves; this is our busi ness, committed to us by our Master, our Commander. We are to preserve our testimony by living a godly life. We are to compel men to look upon Christ by holding forth the Word of life. An illustration of this lesson is given to us in the incident in the life of Paul, which will enable us to take the lesion home to our own hearts, and to fasten it upon the hearts and con sciences of our scholars. Paint the picture of Paul, forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go into Asia Minor and led by the Spirit into the city of Troas. Paul standing by the seashore, perhaps praying and meditating upon the pur pose of the Spirit’s leading. Suddenly the figure of a man is projected before him. It rose from the other shore, the coast of Europe, and from the lips of the man comes a cry “Come over and help up.” The man represented human need. The cry, the depth of that need. There can be no mistake in the mess age. The vision is supernatural, not a dream. It means that there has been a cry in the souls of the lost which God had heard; that inarticulate cry which comes from burdened souls and finds expression in sighs and groans and broken hearts. The appearance of the figure is that of a man—a man in the dark calling for a light. A sinking, shipwrecked,drowning man was calling for help. The man represents lost humanity^- ' the unevangelized masses. It is the voice of God sounding a call to the church, ordained of God to minister to the suffering souls of lost men. The cry comes at night, symbolical of the darkness of sin. Over the turbu lent waters of a wicked, restless world comes the cry “come over and help us.” This is the cry that should ring in the ears of every follower of the Lord. If ever the King’s business required haste, it is now. Ears should be attentive to hear; eye's quick to see; hearts softened
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