The Brinkley argus., 1912-02-16
INTERNATIONAL SUNIlNS0N)0[
 LESSON
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 1a.
MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
By Rev William Evans D. D., Director BlDle Nou''e " Moody Bible institute, Chicago

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 GOLDEN TExT-Repent ye: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.-Matt' o'%'
 The story of John the Baptists min istry, opening as it does With prophetic reference, connects the o.u and the New Testaments, ehowinS the New to be the fulfillment of the O'd' Thus we say: The Old is in the Ne" contained, the New is in the Old eX- plained; the Old is in the New con cealed, the New is in the Old revealed. Christ is the theme and unifier of both Testaments. If he had not been com ing, the Old would not have been writ ten; if he had not come, the New would not have been written.
 What strange impression this fiery preacher of the wilderness, John, must have made upon his hearers! His dress, as his message, bore the marks of the wild Strange, is it not, that such a one should be chosen to pre- pare the way for the Messiah? We might have chosen a different instru' ment-a we'll dressed, polished, elo-- quent, silver-tongued orator.
 The Baptist'se message had its basis in the word of God-"The word of God came unto John in the wilderness" That is where every pulpit message ought to come from. The business Of the preacher and teacher of Christ Is not to invent a gospel but to proclaim one already provided. The Bible is the final critic of the message.
 Johns ministry was preparatory; it looked forward to the coming of some thing better. Just as John himself gave way to Christ, so his message Of repentance made room for faith in Christ John baptized with water un- to repentance. The Baptists's ministry went no farther than that, Jesus Christ turned the water of Johns bap- tism into steam by the fire of the Holy Ghost. John prepared; Jesus re- generated.
 The necessity for repentance cannot be overlooked in this lesson. In a sense, 1t is the first step into the King dom. Both John and Jesus began their ministry with a call 10 repentance.
 Repentance is clearly defined in this lesson as a turning from a life of sin to life of righteousness. There are three elements in repentance: First, the intellect is involved-it is a change of mind or viewpoint; second, the emotions are involyed-it means to have care regarding the thing in question, so we find the words "sigh," "grief" substituted for repentance; third, the will plays prominent part in repentance, for there is included in the word the idea of an after-thought, resulting in change in ones course of action. Repentance is not only a heart broken for sin, but also from sin.
 That this Is Johns meaning of re- pentance is clear from his exhortatiol to those who asked him tiv leaning of his call to repentance-exact no more than that which is appointed you; do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; bring forth, there fore, fruits worthy of repentance A little boy was once asked the meaning of repentance He replied: Tt means being sorry enough for thing so as not to do it again"
 John preached the wrath to come. Evidently he believed in future pun ishment. He did not believe that the desire to escape future punishment was sufficient or the best reason why men should receive Jesus Christ. And it may be that no man really becomes Christian who seeks to be one only that he may escape the results of his sin. We are saved that we may glori- fy God in the life that now is as well as to be delivered from the wrath to come. He who does not serve Christ here will not dwell with him in heaven.
 The fact of wrath and future punish lnent is not an invention of modern theology Christ believed in it and taught if when he referred to the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched," and pictured the ungodly being cast into "everlast- ing fire We should have to blot out large part of the Bible if We were to bot out all the Scriptures which teach future retribution for sin. When we consider the fearful atroci- ties perpetrated upon the sons of men, the frightful iniquities practiced upon helpless women and children, and then see the ease and luxury and spiendor in which the perpetrators of these crimes live. we would be very sorry to be assured that there Is no future retribution for the perpetrators of such deeds. Give the justice of heaven the same degree of common sense consideration that you give to the jus tice of earth, and somewhere in the other world you must place a peni- tentiary.
 Johns preaching drew the crowds, and so will the preaching and teach ing of the Gospel today, when pro- claimed by men as consecrated to their mission as John the Baptizer was to his. The crowd have not tired of the Gospel, but only of the average preach CT Of the Gospel The messenger, and not the message, is at fault. The hearts of men with all their needs as well as the Gospel of Christ with all It's power, is the same today as when ( ihrsr.