The Green Forest tribune., 1912-07-19
INTERNATIONAL SUNLNS0tOOL
 LESSON
LESSON FOR JULY 21
THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM.
By E. O. SELLERS, Director of Eve ming Department, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)

EE ESSUN run JUL q
 THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM. LESSON TEXT-Mark 4:26-32, Matt. 1a:
 GOLDEN TEXT-'"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as in heaven so on earth. Matt. 6:10
 Last week we observed the fact that the genesis of this new kingdom Jesus came to establish was to be the life, his life, when was as seed. The reception of the seed in various sorts of soil, however, made vast diff ference as to the ultimate outcome. Today we may observe from these words of the Master what are to be the processes of the establishing of the kingdom, for we do not read into this parable record of the final con- sumation, but rather that these para bles reveal different aspects of the same general process.
 While it is true that this first para ble is only recorded by St. Mark it is in reality a complement of these para.
 
 thirteenth of Matthew and elsewhere. We have already noted that the seed is the word. Luke S-11, and that the soil is the hearts of men, but here Jesus tells us that in the spiritual as in the material universe man -knoweth not how" the life principle propogates itself It is helpful thought to every Christian worker that he is not to be held accountable for that part of the process; his part is to be that of the man who shall cast the seed into the ground Not upon, but into" (v. 26) Having thus planted the seed let him sleep and rise again" e. g., let him trust a wise God to see to it that the seed germinate and bring forth. All of your worrying and mine cannot hasten the process nor change the result once the seed is sown, so let us be care ful to SOW them right and as far as possible be sure we plant it in proper ly prepared soil rather than waste it among the thorns or where the birds of the air (Satan) msS soon snatch 1t away
 Process is Gradual.
 Again let us beware of presumptu- ousness "he knoweth not how" Can you, my reader, define life? Can you explain the transmission, the develop ment, the propagation of life? We &C., cept the results of these things in na- ture without questioning, why stagger at similar things in the spiritual realm? Why question the reality of the Christian life when We see all about us it's results? In verses 22 and 23 of this same chapter we are ad- monished that if we hare ears let him hear" Ca positive injunction) and almost the very next wordf tells us to take heed what we hear" Going on down to verse 2S of the lesson we see clearly the reason for these words, for our lives will grow and will reproduce each after it's own kind. If we SOW wheat we reap wheat. If we allow tares to be sown in our lives We shall reap tares.
 The process is a gradual one, but sure one. First the blade, then the
 
 ear" The harvest will not take place until the process be completed It is not till the fruit is ripe that the hus- bandman puts forth his sickle. We are not to bother ourselves so much with the process as we are to guard the source. Sow good seed and God will see to it that it shall bring forth. Let us not expect the full corn" of ripe experience from the tender blade" of early Christian life Let us have patience till these young Chris tians have time to reach the full ma, turity of their powers. Jesus the har- vester of this parable knew when to put in the sickle, viz, when the fruit Is ripe" (v. 29, R. V.)
 Whatever be the nature or charac- ter of this harvest we are left to in- fer, for Jesus gives another picture of this same mysterious yet irresistible process whereby this kingdom is to grow He compares 1t with mus. tard seed. The first was the internal hidden part of the process. This is to draw our attention to the outward visible growth of the kingdom. Je- sus was humble and lowly in his com { ing and iE his conduct here upon earth.
 The Main Truth.
 Looking back over history his was indeed Hess than all the seeds in the earth" yet he set into motion those principles and powers that have caused his kingdom to become great in the earth Qsa. 9:7) Under the branches of this kingdom have lodged the weary and the stricken ones. The birds of the air symbolize the gather ing together of the nations of the earth that they may take refuge un- der the shelter and shadow of the kingdom of God, see Ezek. IT, Daniel 4, etc. We must beware of fanciful interpretations Or applications. The main truth is that almost without ex- ception the beginnings of all great movements in the kingdom of God have bean like mustard seed, small but exceeding great in their growth, Witness such moral developments n the slavery question. Compare fkoa present day temperance agitation W1fh what it amounted to one hundred, YGf twenty-five years ago. The same eo4 be said of countless other "uaoy4