Middletown transcript., 1916-03-11
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNIYSnON
LESSON
tBy E. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
Sunday School Course. Moody Bible
Institute.)
Copyright. 1915. Western Newspaper Union.l
LESSON FOR MARCH IL
HERoEs AND MARTYRS OF FAITH.
LES LESSON son TrESxTaHeb. rS III; 1913.

Lector or our faith.-Heb. 12:1. ..
There are two kinds of heroism 70
which medals are awarded in thi
country. Congress confers a media
OF honor" for distinguished service
and extraordinary heroism in war
The Carnegie hero fund in peace,
bestows medals and pecuniary recog
milton for heroic deeds performed IL
preserving and rescuing human life
and the first medal thus issued wa.
given to a boy for rescuing another
| boy from drowning.
|. Faith Defined, v. I. This is per
haps the most quoted and succinct
definition We have of faith. What fol
lows is but the illustration and ap
plication of the fact. Faith is an las
surance" (R. W. The ground of this
assurance and conviction is the word
of God. (See Rom. 1O:17). The only
sure ground for a dynamic and intel
ligent faith is Gods word: put to tho
acid test of experience it never fails.
Faith is not fatalism. To believe God
is to rely upon him unhesitatingly with
an hnfaltering assurance as to the full
fllment Of his promises, Il John $40;
John 5:24; Act. 1922; Rom. 4:19-21.
II. Faith Declared, w. 4, 5. 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..
(b) Enoch, the diligent seeker after
God, in world of lawlessness lived a
life well-pIeasing to him through a
faith that made his presence real wv.
5. g..
(c) Noah (v.O, lonely man of faith
(Gen. 6:5), chose the unseen God and
preached righteousness rather than
avoid the ridicule of his neighbors
Noah reckoning the invisible as tan
gible, continued to build his ark and
became blessing to the race
(d) 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 faith greater still led
them to dwell in the land" and not
possess it ". 100. Their faith re-
deemed them from the mere emigrant
They looked for a city.
which had foundations, whose builder |
and maker is God"
(e) Moses (23-28) showed his faith |
by right choice. He weighed values |
and had respect unto the recompense |
Of reward" His faith endured, as !
seeing him who is invisible" Moses
saw by faith the "reproach Of Christ"
hat which Christ suffered for the re-
1emption of the world, as being OF
greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt"
These. and others not mentioned.
Ire summarized by their having &C
;omplished ten different things (32-
t0). They performed great deeds OF
leroism (32-34); they endured great
and persecution (35,36). ALI
# this suffering was to issue in a
;reater reward with the glory that
vas to come from. 8:18, II Cor. All,
81. All these men of faith obtained
good report" These saints had wit
ess borne to them through their faith.
truly witnessing, their names and
eeds are recorded for our good, yet
ven they did not receive the promise,
e., all that had been promised by
iod had not been fulfilled in them.
uch promises were only fulfilled
1hen Christ the Messiah came. Some
anne when he came, and without his
oming they were not made perfect
hey did not receive, but the promise
God had not failed. They will yet
sceive his fuIf1lment when the roll
the heroes of faith is perfected, and
re, together with them, shall be
'ade perfect" (vv 80, 40).
III. Faith Demanded, 12: I, 2. The
oily Spirit has given US this long list
heroes as an exhortation to stir ur
lose living to the performance of
leir duty. The roll call of triumphant
eroes is not yet completed. ALI these
entioned are witnesses, not Onlook
s. These are they who have testi-
ed to God and to the truth of his
ord. In the light of this testimony
Id on the same ground Of their tes-
mony, we are to do several things:
1. To LAY aside every weight" No
inner carries any weight beyond that
hich is needful. Some things are
lrdens that are not necessarily sins.
very such thing binders our running
i'd should be laid aside.
2 THE sin that doth so easily beset
J." Literally. that wrap themselves
,out US as an ill-ftting garment, and q
hich trip or impede the runners '
ogress. These sins (not SIM are 7
ose little devil habits and practices S
hich must, for that reason, be laid I
ide.
3. Run with patience the race set {
fore u.s." There must be steadfast- D
ISIS and endurance. If church mem a
RS were as faithful in following up t
the average business house is, we a
1uld have less of lapsed church mem C
RS and fewer boys and girls who II
lift away from the Sunday school.
4. Looking unto Jesus" This is the (,
ynote to this entire epistle and to "
is category of heroes. He is our o
le-leader" and the perfector of our o
lth Once we get our eyes off him N
! will stumble and fall in the race c
or the joy (literally lqual fellow h
ip with Cod set beforI him. he en-. T
red the cross" (Phil. 1863. If we c
,uld win the race, we must despise