July, 1940
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
252 i
before him are hurt souls needing heal ing, bewildered travelers needing guid ance, and heavily laden shoulders aching for relief, he will learn how to speak comfortably to his flock. And the great est school for training in sympathy is at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His company, hearts grow hard to sin and tender to sinners. The kind of pity the preacher needs is not the mere outflowing of a natural kindliness, of disposition, of inborn good nature; it is the impartation of a Calvary heart. It is the reflection of Christ’s own com passion. “All His words are music, Though they make me weep; Infinitely tender^ Infinitely deep.” Let all your sermonic preparation be touched by the Hand with nail scars in it, and men and women will find their way to the Saviour’s cross. W om e n 's W o r k a sermon to myself. Oh, I have a great time here—just my Lord and I.” At the farm, there are many prayer partners like this man, and in the providence of God, they will some day share in the reaping of many precious sheaves. Euodia and Eteri Clubs in Oregon One important phase of the work of the Bible Women of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles is the conducting of Euodia and Eteri Clubs—weekly Bible study classes for high-school girls and for college and business young women. This spring, Natalie Romans, ’24, one of the Bible Women active in this work, was asked to address a mass meeting in the high-school auditorium at Dallas, Ore., for the purpose of organizing Euo dia and Eteri Clubs in and around Dal las. The mass meeting was attended by friends from Salem, West Salem, Monmouth, Rickreall, Salt Creek, Dallas, and other towns in that "Vicinity. Helen Wiens, ’36, who is an accepted candidate of the Africa Inland Mission, and who is ready to go to Africa as soon as the way is open, was chosen as the field worker and teacher for the new groups in Oregon, and she began her work immediately. A number of classes were organized at once, and several others have been formed since. The en- ; dorsement and cooperation of the min isters of Dallas and of other communi ties helped in inaugurating the work. So assuredly did the Lord lead in all of the plans that there is every confi dence that Oregon will be blessed by Him in these Bible study groups as Southern California has been blessed in similar ministry. : ^
The snare, of course, in having con stantly to prepare afresh is just to lay hold of something with which we are familiar, and, without studying the oc casion, to preach a sermon which can be classed only as a.-misfit. “It is not enough to expatiate lucidly or eloquent ly on a passage of Scripture,” F. B. Meyer tells us. “We must show each person that it Jhas a message for him, that it belong^ to him, that he must heed it and obey.” Striving for Freshness Having a multiplicity of themes to browse among, the preacher has no ex cuse for limiting himself to one line. If people are not interested in the mes sage, the preacher must make them so. “Mapy sermons fail just here,” says Jambs Reid. “People are not interested in the subject, because, if the truth were told, the preacher is not interested in them!” Staleness or sameness should never characterize the preaching of one who has a treasury out of which he can bring things new and old. Said a dear saint of God, “It says in the Bible that the preacher must bring out things new and ould, but we’em had it all ‘ould’ here lately.” May our sermons never carry a musty smell! If we have little to give, let the little be fresh. A dead sermo« should be buried quickly. And, let it be said, there is enough vitality in the truths we have to preach from the Word of God to make the message fresh and powerful without the preacher’s having to resort to the use of unworthy meth ods. There is no need to be sensational in order to be interesting. The constant anointing of “fresh oil” (Psa. 92:10) will produce messages that are invigorating in their substance and manner, that have variety, color in style, and vivid ness, and that arouse and retain inter est. Striving for Courage Bishop Quayle asserts that “it takes more courage to be a preacher than to be a gladiator or a stormer of fort resses, because the preacher’s battle is ever on, never ceases, and lacks the tonic of visible conquest.” Handling stern and solemn truths, the faithful preacher knows that he dares not be silent, no matter what foes his messages may make. If he is tempted to yield to the peril of silence concerning some of the unpalatable truths men must hear, he is ever braced up for his serious task by the cour ageous declaration of the Apostle Paul: “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16). In the prepajta- tioii of every one of his messages, the servant of Christ must allow the Spirit of God to create in his heart that utter fearlessness that his ministry demands.
Striving to Be Sympathetic While courage is needed, as the preacher on God’s behalf acts as the accuser of his hearers—charging them before the bar of conscience, declaring the eternal consequence of rejecting Christ—he will see to it that sternness is combined with pity. “Lacking the accent o f pity,” says one writer, “the accusations of the preacher will degenerate into scolding, and of all scolds, the pulpit scold is the most objectionable.” George Whitefield gave this counsel to Howel Harris: “Weep out, if possible, every argument and, as it were, compel them to cry out, ‘Behold how he lov- eth us!’ ” When we learn how to preach against sin with sore hearts, something will happen. The preacher must never forget to be “steeped in the life of his people.” Thus, as he comes to face them, knowing that R e p o r t s o f B ib le Joy—-at the “ County Farm” Every Thursday afternoon, one of the Bible Women of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles goes to Rancho Los Amigos (the Los Angeles County Farm) to hold a service in the chapel, and later to visit the patients in the infirmary and the home. This regular ministry, which reaches scores of very grateful men and women, is only one part of the many- sided program of the Bible Women. As the hour for the weekly meeting approaches, one can see men and wo men wending their way to the chapel. Some are blind; many are in wheel chairs. But all are joyful, for they’ are going to the place which, for them, is "the house of the Lord.” One of the most eager attendants was a Negro who had lost both legs and the sight of his eyes, but the joy of the Lord shone in his face. One day he was missing from the service, and when requests for prayer were made, prayer was asked for this man, who had had a “ stroke.” Later, the Bible Woman went to the infirmary, and she found this dear old colored man, confined to his bed, helpless. In the weeks which fol lowed, she visited him every Thursday. She heard no complaining—only praise to God for His goodness, for the good home He had given, for the kindness shown, and for the privilege of witness ing for Him. One day he said to the Bible woman: “Do you know that I have ‘church’ here in my bed every Thursday while you are having the service in the chapel? I sing two or three songs, then I read God’s Word [from memory], and I have prayer. I pray for the meeting and for you, and for all the. young people in your other Bible classes. Then I preach
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