The Carlisle independent., 1918-02-07
APPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL SIJNlNYSCIOOL.
 LESSON (By E. O. SELLERS, Acting Director oi the Sunday School Course of the MoudJ Bible Institute, Chicago) tCopyrighs, 1917 Western Newspaper ynion1
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 10
JESUS CHOOSES THE TWELVE
LESSON TEXT-Mark S:7-25.

] LESSON IEAI-MaTk 3.I-SD
 l GOLDEN TEXT-And he ordained l twelve, that they should be with him, and i that he might send them forth to preach 1 Mark 3:14
 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR i TEACHERS-Ma 10:1-4: Luke 6:12-16 | John 15:15-27; Matt. 5:13-16: 16:24-25; John l 17;6-26: II Tim. 4:7-S.
 PRIMARY ToPIC-Jesus chooses twelve | he'p@fs.
 INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-The twelve 1 ana wlat we know about them.
 l SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIC-what 1t means to be disciple of Jesus.
 No man can alone accomplish any great task. Every great leader has been blessed by one or more equally great helpers. Luther had his Melanc thon; Wesley. his brother Charles, Whitfield and others; Moody had Whittle, Bliss, Sankey, Towner and more. These leaders but followed the | example of our Lord Jesus ministry made him much observed and greatly multiplied his duties and burdens. When, therefore, he chose these dis ciples, he desired not only to obtain help and to begin to teach those who were to take his place, but. like every other act, he desired to teach a lesson to those who were so carefully Observ- ing him. In verse 14 we are told that he chose twelve, which was a signifi- cant number, corresponding to the twelve tribes, and at once confirmed his assumption to the Messiahship and meant that the wondrous prophecies were being fulfilled. It also served to stimulate those upon whom the choice fell. Jesus, as we know from other passages, retired to the mountains to pray. The call came from on high (v. 13), and those called went up" to him for preparation and for quail fcation. The call is purpose tul one, for it is not enough to go up; we must also go down and out, hence these are sent (yv. 14, 15). Only those who are authorized, however, are sent. Those whom Jesus sent out were to found a new kingdom and to do greater work than merely to judge the people because they were not only to judge results, but they were to change results by altering causes hence they had power over demons, even as the Master, for evil has no rights. The source of their power is to be Jesus, for he is to be with them, our own pro- lection as well (Matt. 2S POD and their power is to grow with it's usage, for we learn by doing. These men were originally united. not by a creed but by an ideal; not by a doctrine or teach ing but by actions; not by 6 subscrip tion to a confession. At once they met with conflict. First of all by a blas- phemcus unbelief. The Holy Ghost is no more holy than Jesus; but, if we Slander him in his yelled condition and before his unfinished work great shall be the penalty. Those who hate God shut out the light. Secondly. by a con- tlict with misdirected zeal. There were those about Jesus who watched over him, whereas rather they should have had him watching over them (v. 2D. On the other hand, the seribes accused him of being possessed of devils. They attributed to the devil the work that the Holy Spirit and Son were doing. What a strange picture Friends seek ing to restrain, enemies accusing and relatives interposing. yet nothing can stop the onward march of the kingdom of Cod Luke tells us that these twelve were selected from among the rest of the disciples. They were to have a greater nearness and more extended authority and, Of course, greater test ings than the others who were disci ples or "learners.n These disciples are to be the light of the world. The Chris tian. "who is the salt of the earth" :" loses his identity and will lose his salt ness and become Ike the world, if he keeps not near unto Christ. As light is q good thing to preserve, purify and to cleanse. so are the Christians, yet there is q greater thing, when we ener- gize, direct and believe. This is what the apostles were to do. The aggres- sive Peter and the other "Son of Thunder" the reflective, cautious Thomas, these were the men who were sent forth as public heralds (John 1 :360 Some they are to win by per sonal solicitation (James 1 AID. 9th CTS by public proclamation (Acts 2 :3941.) Men are saved through men, and those whom he sends forth are those who have first learned to follow Their work is made permanent only as they abide in him. God wants the hearing ear, the believing heart and the confessing mouth (Rom. 10:14 The one who would preach Jesus and have power in his name must first of all "be with him." that is, he must en. joy a deep, abiding victorious life of fellowship with Jesus. Jesus gave di. rections to those he sent out, first to preach; second, to heal illness; third to cast out demons.
 Our mission is to both body and soul, but Christ puts the spiritual needs first (vv. 14, 15; see Matt 1O:7, 8) The difficulty with many healers of today is that they lnvert this order. Those whom Jesus sends out are to offer his kingdom to men