structure bum, the neighbor was interrogated by a church member, “What brought you over to the church? I’ve never seen you here before.” “ This is the first time I’ve seen the church on fire,” came the reply. We must be certain that there is some fire in the pul pit and in the pew if we are going to meet the needs of any community! Vitamin B Is The Bible. We must be certain that our action is Bible-centered. A Bible-centered program will be a Christ-centered program, for Christ is the subject of the Bible. The message of the Bible is the great contribution the Church has to offer to any community. There are other organizations with perhaps better buildings, finer equipment and more money, but these do not give the people the Word of God. We must be careful that we do not allow ourselves to deteriorate into just another organization. Let us remain God’s organization, the Church, giving the Word of God to the people. It is the Bible that makes the difference in life. It is the Bible that makes the difference in homes, in the family, in churches, in communities and even in nations. With all our sinfulness-in this great nation we still can see and feel on every hand the influence of the Word of God through the lives of the people of God. We shudder to think what America would be and what it will be if the time ever comes when we cannot preach and teach the Word of God. As a church and as a Sunday school, if we are going to give out God’s Word we must be certain that we know it. For how can we teach it, if we do not know it ourselves? The law of teaching declares that the teach er must know what he is to teach. So must each and every one of us study to show himself “ approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, right ly dividing the Word of truth.” When I think of that verse, II Timothy 2:15, espe cially in relation to Sunday school, I always think of the various age groups and the different departments. It says, “ rightly dividing the word of truth.” To me this means giving it out in such a way that whether we are talking to a four or five-year-old or to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old he will be able to grasp something of that Word. That means, we must learn how to impart it to the beginner, the primary, the junior, the junior high, the young person and the adult. It is tragic when someone teaches a group of juniors as though they were young adults. And it is just as great a tragedy vice versa. And, yet, how often a teacher will talk over the heads of the children and another teacher will talk down to a group of young people. The children cannot grasp that which is put above them and the young people resent that which is put down to them. Be certain as a teacher that you are giving your class the Word of God every single week. But if that Word has not become a part of you and if you are not practic ing it, you will not impart it to others so that they can interpret it into daily living. Vitamin C Is Contact, an important vitamin for vic tory in every Sunday school program. May I challenge you to look around and see today the denominations and the churches that are growing most rapidly. You will find that, without an exception, they are those which have a real Sunday school program. Take a closer look and you will discover that a vital part of their program is visitation and contact. Going out and witnessing to the people about Christ, and inviting them to the church and the Sunday school is certain to bring results. Do you know that there is not one single command in the Word of God for the unsaved to come to church?
W e have heard a great deal in recent years about vitamins and their value for health and strength. Without certain vitamins, we are told our bodies become ill. If this is true in our physical life, is it not possible that there are vitamins which we need for our spiritual life of our Sunday school if we are going to have a vital organization? I would suggest six vitamins that are essential to our Sunday school life if we are going to have real victory. Vitamin A Is Action. An entire book of the New Testament is given over to action, the Acts of the Apostles. That book is primarily the history of the apostles Peter and Paul. Wherever we open this book, we see the Lord’s servants busily engaged in His work. When Paul went into a city, it was not long before a New Testament church was started. He began wit nessing in the synagogue, then in the market place. Before long in someone’s home a group of Christians was meeting. This was a result of action. It was the re sult of talking to people everywhere about Christ. A verse in the Epistle of James (1:22) demands ac tion: “ But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It is not enough that we are orthodox in doctrine; we must be orthodox in our liv ing. Men have a perfect right to question the spirituality of one who claims to be “ so spiritual” but is not doing something about it. Dr. Henrietta Mears says, “We have a situation in many churches today where so many people just sit. . . . Sitting church members always create a situation.” We must distinguish between activity and spirituality. It is altogether possible that we may have activity with out spirituality. But I do not believe we can have real spirituality without activity. When there is the right kind of spirituality something is going to happen. That something is revival. I read some time ago of a man who lived next door to a church. Though he had lived there for many years, it meant little to him. Perhaps years back a call or two had been made, but the church members had soon put him down as a hopeless case. He was known in the city as the town agnostic. But once, in the middle of the night, the church caught fire. This man, with other neighbors and friends close by, a few of the members, rushed to the church to see what they could salvage. While he was watching the
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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