The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-03-01

5:1-u
MEMORY VERsEs-l6 H.
| GOLDEN TEXT-The harvest truly Is
plenteous, but the laborers are few Pray
| We therefore, the Lord of the harvest,
| that he will send forth laborers into his
harvest.-Matt 9:S7-SS.
(This exposition Of the lesson is
based on the narrative in Luke 5;1-119
Already in our previous lessons we
have seen Christ as the founder or
the Kingdom of Heaven upon the earth.
He was born king; his baptism was
In sense the Inauguration of the
king; the temptation. the testing or
the king. Being himself thus pre-
pared, we see him starting out to re-
cruit the first members of his king
dom, who, in addition to being MEM
bers of the kingdom themselves,
should also be instrumental in enlist
Ing others under its banner,
In the call of these first disciples,
we recognize the essential conditions
which were 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-
tons underlying entrance into the
Kingdom of God, are forever the same
with each succeeding generation, THE
gifts and calling Of God are without
change
We are told that the Crowds press
ed upon Jesus to hear the Word Of
God" The 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 OF
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 the
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 was
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. Let some ministers who, dur
Ing the hot months of the year, preach
to but corporaPs guard go out into
the open air and preach to the crowds
The best way to reach the masses is to
go after them.
Jesus requested of these men the
loan of their boats, and they at once
compiled with the Masters request. In
other words, he asked these men to
surrender their business for little
while to him. And they did. How
magnificently he repaid them Is seen
In the miraculous draught Of fishes.
No man can surrender his business to
Jesus Christ without eventually be-
ing a gamer 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 evil
dent by the answer of Peter: Lord
we have toiled all night and caught
nothing, nevertheless" etc. The word
Lord" meaning "shipmaster."
Christ required from these men the
surrender of their whole lives. They
forsook their nets, and their business,
and followed him. This was 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. $50 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-
sionaries. 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-
troll. This is the crucial test of Chris
tlanity. And It is just at this po,nt OF
unconditional surrender that many geo
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 conservation of these
fishermen to the task of catching men.
In some Sunday schools, there is kept
what is called "Fishermen's Roll" on
which there is recorded each Sunday
rho nanaa NJ fhoaa who hava hroupht