The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-02-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON VI, FIRST QUARTER, INTERNA
TloNAL SERIES, FEB. II.


Eph. v, documentary Prepared Ivy
ReV. ID. ". SteRrns.
ICopy right. 1905, by American Pres Association |
Thus far we have had somewhat |
connected story OF this most wonder
full life Of God manifest In the flesh, |
but now We pass over great deal to |
reach this lesson OF today. From John |
|, 49, to w. %, Is all omitted. Other |
events and teachings which are, In point |
Of time, before today's lesson are taken !
up in later lessons OF the quarter Al |
though our lessons do not give us the
consecutive events, we may and should
for ourselves consider them. But In
every event Of His life and In all His
teaching we may see some new revela-
ton Of the Father and learn 10 know
Him better. and this Is the one great
aim Of all Scripture-to make us TO
know and trust Jehovah.
There Is that In the word OF God
which reaches aud satisfies the heart OF
man as nothing else can And as then
the people pressed upon Him to hear
the word OF God, so II Is still, as is
evidenced by the thousands who gather
daily 10 hear the word through Dr. Tor
rcy and from week 10 week 10 hear Mr.
Newell open the Scriptures, and IN
some measure | see II myself In the
hundreds " no gather ut my own classes
often at most unreasonable hours, 10
listen 10 simple eXpOSitlons OF the
Scriptures | cannot but believe that
those preachers make q great mistake
who do not open the Scriptures to the
people. See Luke xiv, -, 40; Acts
viii, -; NXyiii %.
In Matt ". 1922: Mark /, 1870. the
fishermen are In their boats. either cast.
Ing a net into the sea or mendlng their
nets, and there Is no mention there Of
Jesus using boat as a pulpit or OF
miraculous draft OF fishes, so that the
event Of today's lesson must be some
thing wholly different The only same.
ness consists Of His dealing with the
same four men and ~ their leaving
nets and boats TO follow Him. But He
was always dealing with these men.
and they received call after can TO FOL.
low Him. and II was not tlll after His
resurrection that they finally and fully
got away from their fishing Some are
expected TO continue In the same oc.
cupotlon In which the Lord finds them
when lie saves them-"Let every man
abide in the same calling wherein he
was called" Il Cor vii. 20. But. what
ever be the calling, the great thing Is
20 glorify God Il Cor VI. 10. 20: Z. 81.
The life Of every believer consists Of a
series Of calls TO leave one thing after
another until We can say Phil. III. 5.
but even then verses ~ and II will be-
our experience. While we remain IN
these mortal bodies there Il no end ~
the dying 10 self that the life OF Jesus
may be manifest III Cor. ~. III.
Let SImon's boat suggest 10 us our
bodies. which are called vessels ~
Cor ", :; ii I1m II. II: Jer. xviii. 49,
Are they at His disposal that lie may
occupy them and testify out Of theml
lie does not ask from Va anything We
cannot give Him. but lie does ask for
our bodies from. XII. /. p that through
US lie may minister by word and deed
TO others.
/. II we make His service our delight
and Ia all things seek "hrst the King
dom" lie will see ahundantly 20 all
our necd Phil ~. ~: Matt VI 80
Fishing was the lawful and honorable
occupation Of these men. and they were
doubtless sklllful fishermen. yet herr
was a whole nights toll and no result.
and after a much better Acquaintance
with Jesus they had q similar expert
cncc. We cannot hut think o. His
words. Without Ne We can do moth
Ing but more remarkable His words
concerning Himself, II can " mine
own self DO nothing" rnhn Nv. .: v.
30 The nothings of ~ called Chris
tian work-thc wood hay aud stubble
to be burned up q Cor 90. l2l5l-wln
be- something appalling. for only that
which God works viii stand
They had toilcd an night In vain.
and now IN the morning the Lord SAYS.
Launch ont into the deep and let down
your nets Tor dmft" tycrsc q. Simon
seems 10 think II useless. hut he puts
the responsibility upon the Lord with
his Nevertheless. at Thy word" He
does not seem 10 obey chccrfully or
fully, FOR the Lord said. let down
your nets" and Simon said. u will let
down the net" as II one net would
easily hold all they would get that time
Of day. Our gracious Lord ava not
allow the half hearted obedience Of
Simon TO hinder the fullncss u the
blessing. but filed the net TO the point
u breaking and gave enough fishes to
on both the ships" Verse q. lie loves
10 on. whether Il b. boats with fishes
Or the hungry multitude with bread. or
Ills people with the Holy Spirit. and
Tie viii vet ON the whole earth with
His glory.
Nothing can he compared with the
blessing OF the Iori which makcth
rich and TO which our toll can add
nothing prov 4, -, II. v, margln).
But how Il does humble rs 10 see the
goodness Of the Lord 10 such unbellev.
Ing ones Ms we are. Peters cry. "De-
part from inc, for ! am a sinful man.
o Lord" Verse ~. reminds us of Jobs
II abhor myself" Isalah's Woe ls