The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-03-11

| God chose the foolish things of the world,
that He might put to shame them that
| are wise" And this all means, not that
| God does not want the wise and cultured
and mighty to be saved, but that the very
| simplicity of His message which is able
to reach the world proves a stumblin g
block to them. Gods message is simple
| but profound, easily understood by all,
| and mighty to save those who receive it.
GODS message is also a pertinent
~ message tits 'precept upon precept,
precept upon precept; line upon line,
/ line upon line; here little, there lit
| tie" 1t is to the point. 1t is prepared
with the certain, definite purpose of
meeting a certain, definite need Man
! has one supreme and desperate need,
! and that is deliverance from sin and its
| consequences. There is universal con-
! sciOusness in the heart of man that he
! is a sinner. Even the most untutored
! savage is oppressed by the thought of
violating the will and pleasure of his
gods, and seeks in some way to appease
! and secure their favor. And man is
! sinner and lost, as God s simple message
apply the remedy, the only remedy which
| can meet the need. That is, Gods
message not only diagnoses the case
| tells what is the matter with man-but it
! goes on to prescribe just the remedy that
| is needed to cleanse and heal. When
Naaman came to the prophet of God,
/ with his desperate and distressing dis
ease of leprosy, and the servant of God
delivered Gods message to him, he was
minded to turn away in anger and dis
gust because the remedy which he had
expected would be applied was not ad-
ministered. And yet Notwithstanding
the fact that he thought the waters of
! Damascus were far better than those OF
the Jordan, it was bathing in the Jor-
dan and the Jordan alone which re-
moved his leprosy and made his skin
to return upon him like that of a little
child. Gods message to Naaman was
just such as would meet his need, and
Gods message to the world to-day is
just such as the world needs to be saved.
Pass before the great Physician, oh,
man! oh, woman! Let Him diagnose
your case He says: "All have sinned
and come short of the glory of God" He
SOSo On W say llldI Ildl COhOlllOA VI oIh
will bring forth death-soul death
For the soul that sinneth, it shall die"
And then having told you the nature of
your disease in a simple word of three
letters, SIN, having told you the con-
sequences of that disease in a word of
five letters-DEATH-H goes on 10
point to the remedy; He says: Behold
the Lamb of God. which taketh away
the sin of the world" 1t is the one
remedy for sin. And Gods message is a
pertinent message, because it speaks of
the remedy-the only Temedy-for the
supreme need of man.
GODS message is also persistent.
~ "Precept upon precept. precept upon
precept; line upon line. line up
on line; here little, there
little" Over and over, and over
and over again. God repeats His mes
sage to a lost and dying world. See Him
as He patiently, lovingly, longingly deals
with His chosen people. How persistent
He is! Prophet after prophet sent to
them to deliver His message. Punish
ment after punishment inflicted
upon them that they might re-
ceive and understand His mes
sage. In the chapter from which
our text is taken we have the prophet
ic story of Israel's captivity, of Samaria's
destruction, an example and warning to
Judah to hear and obey Gods message
1t was "precept upon precept, precept
upon precept; line upon line, line upon
line: here a little. there a little" And
heed, but plunged down to their ruin.
And for nearly 1000 years since Christ |
came as Gods message to the world, He /
has been persistently trying to bring
the world to its acceptance. All, Chris !
tian, have you grown weary in bearing
this message to the world? Have you |
about concluded that the world needs |
something else? Have you begun to !
feel that the simple Gospel message is |
getting monotOnous and is worn thread |
bare? Look away to Godi Learn from !
Him! Behold how persistent He has !
been in delivering His messagei And |
dare you be any less persistent? Dare |
YOU falter. and grow faithless, when |
God says: BE not weary in we'll doing, !
for in due season ,ye shall reap if We
faint rot? 1t is ''precept upon precept. |
precept upon precept; line upon line, ;
line upon line; here little there lit |
tie" 1t is Gods way. He keeps pre- |
scribing the only remedy which will eff |
feet a cure. What would you think of a !
physician who would change his medi- !
cine at the whim and notion Of the pa
tient. and instead of giving the remedy |
which alone could cure would provide |
something which would not stay the
disease or cure? No. the successful phy-
sician must be persistent in his treat
ment. not governed by the caprice of the
patient, but prescribing over and over
again that which will effect a cure. |
What if the patient will not take the
medicine? If the diagnosis has been
correct and the remedy prescribed the
needed one, then must the physician be
persistent and insistent. And so with
the patient, loving Heavenly Father,
He goes over His message, 'precept up
on precept, precept upon precept; line
upon line, line upon line; here a little,
there a little" because il is the only
thing which will meet mans need.
Gods message is persistent a repeated
message.