The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-11
INTERNATIONAL
SUNMSNOOL
LESSON
By E. o. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course. Moody Bible
Institute.)
Copyright. 1915. Western Newspaper union.)
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
HEROES AND MARTYRS OF FAITH.
LESSON TExT-Heb. 11:1; 1918.

looking unto Jesus, the author and per
rector Of our faith.-Heb. 1921. ?.
There are two kinds OF heroism for
which medals are awarded in this
country. Congress confers a medal
of honor" for distinguished services
and extraordinary heroism in war,
The Carnegie hero FUND in peace"
bestows medals and %pecuniary recog.
milton for heroic deeds performed in
preserving and rescuing human life,
and the first medal thus issued was
given to a boy for rescuing another
boy from drowning,
l.. Faith Defined, v. 1. This is per
haps the most quoted and succinct
definition we have of faith. What fol
lows is but the illustration and APP
plication of the fact. Faith is an "as-
%surance" (R. W. The ground of this
assurance and conviction is the word
of God. (See Rom. 10:1O. The only
sure ground for a dynamic and intel
ligent faith is Gods word: put to the
acid test of experience it never fails.
Faith is not fatalism. To believe God
is to rely upon him unhesitatingly with
an unfaltering assurance as to the full
fllment of his promises, Il John $40;
John SPA; Act. 27:22; Rom. 4:19-21.
II. Faith Declared, w. 4, S. Faith
had been declared and manifested by
many illustrations before the death OF
Stephen:
(a) Abel, at the risk of his brothers
anger, obeyed the unseen God and
earned his approval; his heroic, mar
tyred spirit still speaks to men ". A..
Cb) Enoch, the diligent seeker after
God, in a world of lawlessness lived a
life well-pleasing to him through a
faith that made his presence real wv.
8, g..
(c) Noah (v.O, a lonely man of faith
Gen. 6:5), chose the unseen God and
preached righteousness rather than
avoid the ridicule of his n%eighbors.
Noah reckoning the invisible as tan
gible, continued to build his ark and
became a blessing to the ace.
Id Abraham and Sarah (S-12). Not
knowing whittier they went, by faith
these lonely pilgrims unerringly fol.
lowed an invisible God to an unseen
country; but a faith greater still led
them to dwell in the land" and not
possess it ". 100. Their faith re.
deemed them from the mere emigrant
character. They looked for a city
which had foundations, whose builder
and maker is God"
(e) Moses (23-2S) showed his faitt
by a right choice. He weighed value:
and had respect unto the recompenst
of reward" His faith endured, al
seeing him who is invisible" Moses
saw by faith the "reproach of Christ,
that which Christ suffered for the re
demption of the world. as being O
greater riches than the treasures O
Egypt"
These, and others not mentioned
are summarized by their having &C
complished ten different things (32
400. They performed great deeds o
heroism (32-34); they endured grea
suffering and persecution $3.50. AL
of this suffering was to issue in
greater reward with the glory tina
was to come from. S:1S, II Cor. 4:17
1S). All these men of faith obtained
a good report" These saints had wit
ness borne to them through their faith
Truly witnessing, their names ant
deeds are recorded for our good, ye
even they did not receive the promise
i. e., all that had been promised b.
God had not been fulfilled in them
Such promises were only fulfilled
when Christ the Messiah came. Some
thing better than they had receive,
came when he came, and without hi
coming they were not made perfect
They did not receive, but the promis,
of God had not failed. They will We
receive his fulfllment when the rol
of the heroes of faith is perfected. an,
we, together with them, shall bt
made perfect" wv. 80, 400.
III. Faith Demanded, 12: I, g. TIL
Holy Spirit has given us this long lis
of heroes as an exhortation to stir u
those living to the performance o
their duty. The roll call of triumphan
heroes is not yet completed. All thes
mentioned are witnesses, not onlool
ers. These are they who have test
nSQ 10 GOu anu " INC IlulA vi III
word. In the light of this testimon
and on the same ground of their tes
timony, we are to do several things:
/. To LAY aside every weight" N
runner carries any weight beyond tina
which is needful. Some things ar
burdens that are not necessarily sin'
Every such thing hinders our runnin
and should be laid aside.
2. THE sin that doth so easily bese
u.s." Literally, that wrap themselve
about US as an ill-itting garment, an
which trip or impede the runner
progress. These sins mot SIM ar
those little devil habits and practice
which must, for that reason. be lai
aside.
3. Run with patience the race 81
before u.s." There must be steadfas
ness and endurance. II church mer
bers were as faithful in following U
as the average business house is, "
would have less of lapsed church meI
bers and fewer boys and girls wi
drift away from the Sunday school.
4. Looking unto Jesus" This is Il
keynote to this entire epistle and
this category of heroes. He is o.
~"fle-leader" and the %perfector Of Of
faith. Once we get our eyes OF hi