Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-08-22
LESSON FOR AUGUST rs.
COMPRISING CHRIST.

(May be used with missionary appllca.
tions)
LESSON TExTS-Luke 12;S-12; Acts IL
IL
GOLDEN TEXT-Whosove shall con.
TESS me before men, him shall the son OF
man also confess before the angels OF
God.-Luke 1878.
DEVOTIONAL READING-James 81.
Is.
ADDITIONAL Observation-Disclosures 145
1-21; Mark 5:19-2O; John 1:4O-46; Acts Alb
20; Peter 3:15.
|. Importance of confessing Christ
Uuke IL :S-12).
To confess Christ is not easy; it has
never been easy. To do so means ex-
posure to ridicule, contempt and per-
secution. Regardless of its issue, the
true disciple will confess his Lord.
1. Christ will confess before the an
gels of God those who confess him
before men (v. 81. The true disciple
will not be ashamed to let all men
know that he knows, loves, and serves
Christ.
2. Christ will deny before the an
gels of God those who deny him be-
fore men ". 81. To deny Christ before
men may get one a little of human ap-
plause, but will surely bring one to
loss of heaven and to the sufferings of
he'll forever.
8. A pernicious testimony is unpar-
donable ". 10). This testimony is
the expression of a heart utterly per-
verse, attributing the mighty works of
the Holy Spirit as wrought by Christ
to the devil (Matt. 1882; Mark 1920.
The objectionable sin will only be COM
mitted by one whose heart is incurably
bad, one whose moral nature is so vile
that he fails to discern between God
and the deyil-a reprobate.
4. Divine aid given in testimony
wv. II, 12). In the most trying hour
the Holy Spirit will teach the disciples
what to say, and how to say it,
Ii.-Cualifications for Confessing
Christ (Acts / :1-1D.
Christ remained with the disciples
forty days after his resurrection to
prepare them for the important bust
ness of witnessing for him. He had a
five-fold object:
/. To convince the disciples of the
absolute certainty of his resurrection
wv. 2, 81. Before the disciples could
undertake the great work for which
they had been preparing, the question
of Christ's resurrection must be set
tied beyond doubt. No one can preach
the gospel who does not have certainty
of conviction touching the resurrec-
ton.
2. To instruct the disciples in
things pertaining to the kingdom of
God wv. 3, 6, y. Their unwillingness
to hear Christ's instruction {John 16:
IL, 13) before his passion shut out
much valuable information, so the Lord
tarries to supply this need. They had
wrong idea as to the kingdom being
restored, not as to fact, but as to time.
Christ had again and again predicted
coming kingdom in harmony with
the united testimony of the prophets
of Israel. They understood him Alright
as to the fact of the kingdom, but the
time of its manifestation they failed to
grasp The disciples should be de-
Tended against the reproach for having
a materialistic conception. The king
dom is still to come; the time of it's
coming is known only to God.
3. To show the disciples that their
business was to witness for Christ to
4, 5, 81 This witnessing was to be done
in the power of the spirit, the result of
which would be the formation of a
new body, the church, called out from
the world in the time of the postpone
ment of the kingdom.
4. To show the disciples the scope
of their missionary activity ". 81. This
is shown to be as wide as the world it
self. They were to begin at home and
carry the good news concerning Christ
to the uttermost parts of the earth.
Mission work begins at home and ends
with the bounds of the earth.
5. To show the disciples that Christ
will henceforth operate from heaven.
They were to work on the earth, but
the source of their power was In heav
en- Though he is separated from the
disciples it will not be forever, for he
will come again. Re will come again
as the Goldman. or mediator. The
words of the men, in white apparel
have double significance.
~ To show that Jesus will come
again.
(2) To show that in the meantime
they should set to work in the dis
charge Of their commission, and not be
gazing up into heaven. The Lords in
struction to the disciples was. occupy
till come" U.uke 1919. Those who
have an intelligent hope touching the
coming of Christ are not sky-gazers,
but are deadly In earnest witnessing
for Christ --.-s.-.- .--t