The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-11-08
INTERNATIONAL,
S[JN[lIYSCN)OL
LESSON
(By Z. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of
Sunday School Course, Moody Bible In
Stitute, Chicago.)
Copyright, 1916. Western Newspaper Union)
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER IL
WORLDS TEMPERANCE SUNDAY.

LESSON TEXT-Romans 14:13-15:3
GOLDEN TEXT-It is not good to eat
heSh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any
thing whereby thy brother stumbIeth.-
Rom. 14:21.
The early Christian church had two
outstanding problems, the question OF
the Sabbath days 1.-TWO Of them) and
the question of eating meat offered to
idols. This lesson suggests the solu-
ton of the latter. Our modern prob
lem of intoxicating liquors is very
much the same as this ancient one Of
the early Gentle Christians.
I. "Let ussnot therefore JUDGE one
another" wv. 1870. There are GER
tain acts which are universally cOnced-
ed to be right and within the Christian
law Of liberty. There are also other
acts which are as plainly prohibited
There are large number OF acts which
lie in the region between these two,
and men ought to be careful how they
condemn one another for these latter
things. Where good and true men diff
Sabbath (See Col. 2 :16), or on temper
ance, must be determined as being
unto the Lord, sincerely, Conscientious
ly. 1t is not for US TO judge ". 49,,
literally, to pronounce judgment They
have right to their opinion and to
their liberty of thought and action, but
wv. IA, %, 23) as for Paul or the
Christian, he must have clear con-
science. He must have faith, and be
assured that he is right; otherwise he
is condemned by Ged and by his own
conscience, and is not a sincere Chris
tan disciple. The word Therefore, in
verse l3 points back to verse l., which
ought to be carefully pondered. As we
have each to render our accounts to
Ged, we should stop judging one an
other. Food is a very proper thing,
and laws are also proper, yet love is
the ruling principle of the Christian
life.
We ought to have our liberty cur
tailed rather than have our souls lost.
1t we magnify our liberty to the sacri-
fee of our brothers soul we walk no
longer in love-" The demands of
Christian love are more to the true
followers Of Christ than the permits
sions of Christian liberty. The privi-
lege Of eating and drinking while it
Injuries others, however harmless to
yourself, is not to be tolerated.
The word 'stun. bleth" here used
". 2I implies movable trap or snare,
literally any impeachment placed in the
way so as to cause another to fall. We
must never forget that even a weak
brother is "a brother for whom Christ
died"
II. LET not your good be evil spoken
of" Wv. 1929. The kingdom of God
is not meat and drink, but it is a life
OF righteousness, peace and joy in the
Holy Ghost. Our liberty is to be so
used that it shall not be evil spoken
of. The real proof that we are in the
kingdom of God and that the kingdom
Of God is in us is not found in our
ScrupulOusneSs or lack of it, in our eat
ing and drinking, but in the manifesto
lions of righteousness in our lives, and
OF having peace in our hearts rs :13),
This peace must be manifested toward
our fellow men ". 10; Oh. Is :18) and
being filled with "joy in the Holy
Ghost" The object of our pursuit Is
to be the things which make for peace,
the things whereby we may fill one
another up, not the exploitation Of
some pet hobby, for the kingdom of
God does not consist of riding hobbies.
In this matter of temperance reform
we all recognize that alcohol has many
uses besides that for drinking pur-
poses, and that there are various opin-
ions about drinking certain forms Of
it, and various ways OF advancing the
temperance cause, all of which are
honestly held by many good men, but
Christian patriotism demands that ev-
cry true-hearted man or woman, every
one who is loyal to his country, to hui
mainly and to his God, should take
PauFs position, % That he will not
be stumbling block in the way of the
weak and of the young. (2) That he
will not do anything to destroy his
brother for whom Christ died. 60 That
he will deny himself anything for their
sake. (4) That his attitude will be
that of love and not of selfishness,
This places temperance on high moral
plane, but the world is also beginning
to recognize that the temperance ques-
ton is also an economic one.
1t is well to have faith, but it is
also well to have the love that does
not injure others by the exercise of
that faith. The question is, care you
perfectly sure this thing is right?"
When in doubt as to whether any ac-
ton Will please God, doubt your doubts,
and avoid that act
III. 1--WE then that are strong" Us:
49,. This section is in reality cou-
tinuation of Chapter a. Paul is con-
tinuing his thought that we are not
to please ourselves, but rather to live
such lives as will edify or build up our
neighbor. Our strength is not given
to us that we may glory or lord it
over our weaker brethren, but rather
that we may serve them.
To please my neighbor does not mean
that when in Rome do as the Romans
do" but rather to live such a life that
my action will be for the good and edi-
fcation Of my brother, thereby pleas
ing God (Gal. 10y.