July, 1940
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
260
A House That Did Not Fall M atthew 7 :24-27 MEMORY VERSE: “ Seek good, and not evil” (Amos 5:14). APPROACH: The Lord Jesus went up into a mountain to speak all night in prayer to God the Father. Next day His friends sat down on the mountain with Him to hear His words and to learn to obey Him. The Lord Jesus
sin, but soon he adopts the way of sin, and he ends in the settled condition of sin. Third, we have three words which describe the company of this man: “ungodly . . . sinners . . . scorn ful.” He begins with men who might be of fair morality but who give no time nor thought to God or His glory; next he moves into the company of those who think of neither God nor mor ality; and he ends with those who not only break the laws of God but also scoff at both God and righteousness. 2. His delight is in the law of the Lord” (Psa. 1:2). This statement, quot ed so often Without much thought, is really one of the most astonishing dec larations in the Bible. “By the law is the knowledge Of sin” (Rom. 5:29). “ The law entered, that the offense might abound” (Rom. 5:20). “The command ment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death” (Rom. 7:10). "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse” (Gal. 3: 10). “For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3:10). Now-put all these things together, and then con sider what an amazing thing it would be for a sinner to delight in the law of the Lord! And do not forget that the law also includes , its penalties. Well,' there is but one kind of sinner who can really take delight in the law of God—the sinner who has been saved by grace and who knows that the whole penalty of broken law fell on the Lamb of God and has been paid to the Ihst farthing. • 3 . “Whatsoever he doeth shall pros per” (Psa. 1:3). A good many times this does not seem to be so. I have always preferred the rendering in the margin of the American Standard Revised Ver sion: “In whatsoever he doeth he shall prosper.” Our works may not always prosper. But the redeemed of the Lord always prosper. “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Golden Text Illustration P salm 1 :6 While visiting a friend in the coun try, . . . I started for a walk, taking my host’s little boy with me. We chose an inviting path through the pastures, fringed with clover blossoms and but tercups; but the lad held back. “Why don’t you want to come along this path?” I asked. “That path was made by the pigs,” he replied, “and before you get far, .you’ll get into the awfulest patch of mire and weeds you ever saw.” How often we start on a path with out stopping to ask where it leads! Let us “walk in his paths.” —Sunday School Times.
feet square. (Paint one magnet white and the other black. Soak the matches in water and insert a pin in the head of each. At the lower left-hand corner of the paper, draw two parallel lines, about three inches apart, slanting to ward the upper right-hand corner. White the word "LIFE” between these lines. At about the middle of the pa.- per, draw a narrow gate leading up ward, and a wide gate leading down ward. Draw the outline of a city at the top, marking it “HEAVEN.” At the lower right-hand corner, draw flames, and write “HELL.” Place a small red cross at the narrow gate, and a map of the world in the wide gate.) LESSON: Did you know that every one is traveling the pathway of "LIFE” ? These matches remind us of people. They are on the pathway of "LIFE.” [Place the black magnet be hind the paper, and pull four of the matches tp the two gates.]' People come to the place where they realize that they must accept Christ or the world. Satan seeks to influence them to take the way of the world, which is the broad way leading to destruc tion. These four matches reject Christ, and go on in the broad way. The way gets blacker and blacker, but they are pulled downward by an unseen power. The door to “HELL” opens, and they now see the black magnet which has been pulling them all the way. Christ realized this truth, and He said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” (Matt. 7:13). These two matches are like people who hear and heed the words of Christ. Coming to the crossroads, they accept Christ, and walk the strait and narrow way to heaven. As they near the city, the door opens, and they see the white magnet- which has been drawing them upward. Each one needs to receive Christ, refuse the way of the world, resist Satan, and walk the strait and narrow way to heaven.
says to us: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I com mand you” (John 15: 14). LESSON STORY: One who hears and obeys God is like a man who built his h o u s e upon a rock.
5-bivision
Every building must have a foundation. One who builds his house upon a rock is safe. The winds cannot blow away the rock, and the rain cannot wash it away. But one who builds his home on sand is in danger, for the wind blows away the sand and the rain washes it away, and his house will fall and be ruined. Your body is the house in which you live. Day by day you are building a life inside your house. What is the foundation of your life? The Lord Jesus is like a Rock, so strong that you can rest on Him and He will never fail you. If you obey Him, you are build ing your life safely; and no matter what trouble comes to you, the dear Lord Jesus will uphold you so that you will not fill. If you forget what the Lord Jesus tells you in the Bible, and build your life in your own way, or if you rest on what unchristian people say, then you are in danger, for your house and your life will fall and be ruined. If you build your life upon the foun dation of the Rock, Christ Jesus, then God the Father and the Lord Jesus will come into your home and your life to live with you. How happy that will make you! “Blessed [happy] are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Lk. 11: 28). To hear and obey God’s Word is the good thing we should seek.
Object Lesson D ecisions and D estinies
OBJECTS: Two magnets, six matches, and a pièce of stiff paper about two
AUGUST 11, 1940 THE WORKS AND THE WORD OF GOD P salm 19
3 T h ere is no speech n or lan gn age, w here their voice is not heard. 4 Th eir line is gon e ou t throu gh all the earth, and their w ords to the end o f the w orld. In them hath he set a tab er nacle for the sun.
P sa lm 18 il The heaven» declare th e *Io ry « f fiodt and the firm am en t show eth h i» h andiw ork. 2 D a y o n to day nttereth speech, and n igh t unto n igh t show eth kn ow ledge.
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