The Brinkley argus., 1912-03-01
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 LESSON
LESSON FOR MARCH 3
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LESSON FOR MARCH 3
 CALL or THE FIRST DlscIpLEs.
 LESSON s9rExr-MARK 1.l4:2s: Luke
 MEMORY vERsEs-ls. IT.
 GOLDEN TExT-The harvest truly 10 ys tSereiors ths Iopd Of atf tSe ,e Sarvess.-Hatt i,sas ns Iia s:s7-@ - ~ 'A'0 ."
 (This exposition of the lesson is Ebased on the narrative in Luke 5:1-11.)
 Already in our previous lessons we khave seen Christ as the founder of the Kingdom of Heaven upon the earth. He was born king; his baptism was in . senee tho Inauguration of the king: tho temptAtion. the testing of the kine. Benz himsslf thus pro pared, we ITO him starting out to re- cruit the AFst members of his king dom, whQ, In addition to being mem bers of the Kingdom themselves. should also be Instrumental in enlist ing others under it's banner.
 In the call of these first disciples, we recognize the essential conditions which wore to underlie all subsequent calls of discipleship. To discover these conditions should be the purpose of all who teach this lesson The fundamental condition, or condi- tions underlying entrance into the Kingdom Of God, are forever the same with each succeeding generation. 'The gifts and calling Of God are without chnnge.'
 We arc told that the crowds press ed upon Jesus to hear the Word of God" Tho preaching of the Word of God is always drawing card. The crowds have not wearied of the preach. ing of the gospel, but only of the aver. age preacher who fails to preach the gospel. Wherever you find man who like Moody, Torrey. Sturgeon, and many others, breaches the Word o1 God, there you will find the streets full of men and women still pressing to hear the message. Fire will always at tract those who are cold, and food those who are hungry. So will the preaching Of the simple gospel attract the hearts of men for whom 1t Is pre-. pared. The world was made for tho gospel, and the gospel for the world.
 All great sermons in the Bible were preached in the open air. If the peo pie will not come to church. then let us take the church to them. If 1t waa not beneath the dignity of Jesus Christ to hold open air meetings. 1t surely cannot be beneath any pretended and assumed dignity we may profess to pos. sess. Lot some ministers who, dur ing the hot months of the year. preach to but corporal's guard, 90 out into the open air and preach to the crowds The best way to reach the masses is tt so after them.
 Jesus requested of these men the loan of their boats, and they at once compiled with the Masters request. IF other words, he asked these men tc surrender their business for little while to him. And they did. How magniflcently he repaid them is seen in the miraculous draught of fishes No man can surrender his business tc Jssus Christ without eventually be, ing gainer by it. He Shall receive hundredfold more in this life, and in the world to come life everlasting. Next, Jesus requires that these men recognize him as knowing more about their business than they do them selves. He requires them to do what their own common sense tells them there is no use in doing. This Is evi- dent by the answer of Peter: Lord we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless" etc The word .INrds meaning "shipmaster.",
 clst required from these men the
 Yer of their whole lives They
 S0Sk their nets, and their business, and followed him. This vas final and complete obedience. Ever after they were to devote their lives to catching men, not fish.
 No man can enlist under the ban ner of Christ, nor become a member of the Kingdom of God, who Is not willing to make an absolute surrender of himself and all that he has and expects to be to the Christ and his service. "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath. he cannot be my disciple." Of course, Christ may not, in fact does not call upon us all to leave our daily vocation and become preachers or mis- stonaries.~ No; ofttimes he calls upon us to do what Is very much harder to stay in business and use 1t for him and his kingdom. There can be no question, however, but that ere we can become Christ's disciples there must be the complete surrender of ourselves to his absolute and authoritative con- trol. This is the crucial test of Chris tianity. And 1t Is just at this point of unconditional surrender that many peo- pie hesitate and ofttimes- refuse to comply with the terms of disciple ship.
 Implied, yea, clearly stated. in this call to membership in the kingdom, was was the consecration of these fishermen to the task of catching men. In some Sunday schools, there Is kept