Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-04-10
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Topic For the Week Beginning April
14-Comment by Rev. $. H. Doyle.

Topic For the Week Beginning April |
14-Comment by Rev. $. H. Doyle.
Tor1c-Foundations.- vii, 24-27.
These are closing words Of Chrfsts
sermon on the mount The people
have heard His gracious words, but
hearing alone does not benefit. They
must not only be hearers but doors of
HIS word before they are His. This
Christ teaches them in the parable Of
the houses built upon the rock and
sand. He who hears and does is
founded upon the rock. He who hears
and does not builds upon the sand.
Christ points out the results Of hearing
and doing, and hearing and not doing,
and then places the responsibility of
action upon the people. We are not
compelled to become Christians. Christ
does not force us to do His holy will.
He shows us the advantages of doing
it and the direful consequences of not
doing it. and if we are wise we will be
both hearers and doers of His words.
Two foundations are mentioned in
the topical reference as the basis of our
study: /. The foundation of rock. Our
lives may be builded upon foundation
of rock. That rock is Christ Jesus
Himself He is Laid for foundation
and "other foundation can no man
lay" The man who builds upon Christ
for time and for eternity builds upon a
rock that nothing will ever be able to
move. The very gates of hell shall
never prevail against it. Christ here
+I,a+
the rock when we both hear and do
His words. He who knows what Christ
would have him do and does it Pounds
his life upon Christ. Christ's desire
toward US is for our justification and
our sanctification. We are justified and
saved by faith in His death. We are
sanctified by the power of His holy
spirit. And in these two great works
the will of Christ should be our will.
Thus should we found our lives-our
hopes for time and for eternity-upon
Him as the rock of our salvation.
2. The foundation of sand. Any
foundation other than Christ Is sand.
Any building material other than
Christ is straw and stubble. Some
build their hopes for eternity upon
their personal goodness, their personal
morality. But he who does this builds
upon the sand, for he who hears and
does the words of Christ will not have
much confidence in self. Some build
upon the hope of future probation.
But this is sand. The words of Christ
call upon us to believe in Him and to
accept Him now and teach US that our
future is unalterably fixed at death.
Some build their hopes upon a pro-
fession of Christianity. They have the
name but not the power of religion.
They profess, but do not possess. But
this is foundation of sand. as is every
thing else other than Christ Himself.
On what foundation are you build
ing? The testing day is coming-the
day Of rain, of storm and tempest.
Will the house of your life fall or
stand? If founded upon Christ. it viii
stand. If founded upon anything else,
it will fall. Build then upon Christ,
the sure foundation. Act as well as
sing
On Christ the solid rock i stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Have an object lesson meeting. This
topic can easily be illustrated by OBJ
jects or by chalk talk. Appoint
some member to make a special adj
dress along these lines.
BIBLE READINGS.
Prov. K, 25; Ps. xvii, 1; lisa.
xviii, 16: lviii, II; Luke vi, 47-49;
Cor. Iii, Ills; Eph. il, 1922: Tim. vi,
1919; II Tim. ii. 10; Heb. ri, $40.