The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-09-02
The
Sunday =Scl1ooI
INTERNATIONAL LESSON co,,
MENTs FOR SEPTEMBER =

subject: Paul's Third Miss;o,
Journey---FareweIls, Acts eo,a
S--Goiden Text: Phil. 4:1a-
Commit Verses 81, BE.
TIME.-A. d. 58.
PLACE.-Miletus.
EAPOSII1ON.-I. How pavtu
Lived and Worked at Epbesne su ="
~. III ever there was a man wbn 10, -
] right to be puffed IN over tau tau
/ endured and victories won !, ,,aI aa's
! raul; and IL ever there was a las las
III all his history when il wouId hs'.e
Deen natural for him TO have hacor'oo
exalted because of the wonSn.o
| wrought by his hand it was Enbos,,na
! He had served with "tears 3 to'
! tears over the hardness ana ir,ro",'
/ tence of their hearts ". 70. ~ on
/ PauIs trials never kept him from do
| claring the whole truth ~ "a
! VI. Paul never declared trntb sn. M
the sake of startling people ana %
arousing opposition or for the sats ~
! parading his knowledge; he oni,,
sought to find what would be ''nros,
able for people. He taught whor
ever he got an opportunity, "publiciy
and from house to house" II was
men he was after and not the noto'
riety that comes from large av.
| diences. He was at It., always q, !,
! He had the same message for ho,b
Jews and Greeks-repentanc toward
God and faith toward our Lord .Iesna
Christ.
ii. Take Heed, Watch, Trust God
and His Word, 1882. Paul had an.
pealed to his own faithfulness as an
incentive to faithfulness on the mart
OF these Ephesian elders or bishons
Only the one who takes heed to him.
| self is in q position to take heed to
| others. Many of us are so occupied
with our work that we neglect opr
own spiritual life Comp 1 Tim 4.
16). While we should first take heed
to ourselves, we should not stop with
taking heed to ourselves We should
go on to take heed to our flock. Our
flock may be church or a Sunday.
school class, or a family, or something
else, but we all have one, and let us
never forget that 1t Is the Holy Ghost
VINO has made us overseers over II
This verse brings out. beautifully, the
glory OF the church: U) 1t is, "the
church OF Cod" CD He purchased
II with His own blood (3) the Holy
Ghost presides in Its government. The
verse also brings out the purpose for
which the Holy Ghost appoints bish-
ops and elders--"to feed the church"
tsee Prov. 1921; Matt. 24:45D. Paul
proceeds to utter solemn words of
warning. These dark words of warn
Ing came true q Tim. 2:17, Is;
Tim. 1919, 2O). Grievous wolves.
false teachers, come sooner or later
to every church and community. They
were never more numerous or raven
Gus than to-day. But the most dan
gerous part of it was that some of
these grievous wolves we're to arise
from among your own selves" The
great danger to-day Is not from out
side wolves, but the wolves that arise
from among the ministry. One skep-
tic or false teacher who writes "Rev."
before his name, or "D. D." after 1t.
Is immeasurably more dangerous to
the flock than the wolf that is outside
the fence. What a moving and in
spring spectacle; this great man,
loaded with many labors and cares,
going up and down the streets OF
Ephesus and from house to house,
night and day, with burning tears,
warning those he met, and keeping
this up for three years. How could
our love for souls appear in contrast
to this. The Holy Ghost has record
ed this for our imitation. Paul was
to depart, but God and the Word
were to stay. Gods servants are ever
passing away, but God Himself and
His Word always abide. Paul points
to the Word as the great safeguard
against error (cf. Tim. 3:13-15).
Nothing makes one proof against
false doctrine like the persistent
study of the Word. 1t is the woeful
neglect of the study of the Word on
the part of the churches to-day that
makes them so easy q prey to the
devils pretentious and smooth talk
ers. This verse tells two other things
the Word has power to do: (l) "bulld
up" CD "give an inheritance among
the sanctified''
iii. Paul's Unselfishness, 1885.
Paul was mighty preacher by word,
but he was a mightier preacher by ex-
ample ". 35). He had not worked
for personal gain of any kind. He
desired to get for his own use nothing
that belonged to any other man Il
Sam. 12:3). 1t was mems souls, not
their money and clothes, that he was
after. He had worked hard with his
own hands TO make living for him
self and his co-workers (cf ch. 1873;
/ Cor. 4:12; l Thess. 2:9; Thess. 8;
81. He sought not Injuries, but me
cessities." In all things he set an
example for those to whom he
preached to follow w. 35, r. W.
Two lessons In particular he desired
them to learn from his example: "a
Ito help the weak" (cf Rom. 15:1.
CD 10 give out to others rather than
to take In from others. Jesus Him
self had said. 1T is more blessed to
give than to receive" Jesus said
this. and yet large portion of the
church does not seem to believe IT.
Get as much as you can and give as
little as you can seems to be the prln-
ciple that governs many in the church
as well as those In the world. II was
by experience that Jesus knew that
II was more blessed to give than to
rpnatvab 70 for q %. Matt O0.OQl