Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-09
SCHOOL LESSON
WINNING OTHERS TO CHRIST.
Act. 1915, James. $500.
Golden text-Ye shall be my
witnesses, both in Jerusalem.
and in all JudeA and Samaria.
and unto the uttermost parts
of tho earth. Acts, 1:8.
BY REV. HUGH II. STEVENSON.

Christ appointed the few chosen
men, who had responded to the mes
sage of His gospel, to be His wit
nesses and messengers. He trained
them to do personal work in winning
men and women for Him. He de-
pended for the success Of His life
among men upon the spreading OK
faith by the words, works and worm
of His disciples. Christianity In win
ming men depends upon the propa-
Eanda of vitalized persons whose
lives have been touched by the re-
newing grace of regeneration nileo
With the passion for souls and anoint-
ed with the power Of the Holy Spirit.
Mass movements in religion IN TINS
q GO With its social ideals, have failed
to reach the masses. Christ Jesus ola
not plan to win the world tnrouSn
and enieayor. Hand picked. fruit Is
always the best. Jesus selected men
and women by personal enort. Tne
REVEALS that have had a tremenoous
success in the past have been those
where personal .pn n. wo1kef call for reap
ers and sough. under the guidance OF
the Holy Spirit, to win others, one by
one. for. the Lord Jesus.
Christianity started by the personal
testimony of John to Jesus. The trib-
ute of the Baptist inspired two to
follow the Master. who won them
through q personal conference. They
went forth and each brought another
person to the Master. In last weeks
lesson on worship there was an Illus
tration of how Jesus won the sinful
Samaritan woman at Jacobs well by
his tactfuIness to believe In Him as
the Messiah. He then found an open
door for personal work with the Sa-
maritans, whose invitation ! he &C.
cepted to, tarry and preach unto
them, although they were separat ted
by. centuries Of racial and religious
preiudices. The city was won be-
cause Of Christs personal work with
the woman. When the first of perse-
cutions broke out in Jerusalem. the
disciples, being scattered abroad. went
everywhere preaching the word. The
responsibility to preach every crea-
ture with the gospel rests upon every
follower Of the Lord. Reaching one
person at q time is the best way to
reach all the world in time. It was
the appeal OF one man, seeking nelp.
that caused Paul to turn from his
program to win Asia Minor and CROSS
the Aegean sea with the gospel that
would meet the needs of the Mace
DOMAIN and change the character Of
the civilization of the world.
Christ by precept and example had
taught his disciples the infinite worth
Of the human soul Before He COM
menced to preach no one had dreamed,
much less taught the world. that the
soul of every man. and still less the
soul of every woman and child. was or
worth to God, and that even a slave
might become the son Of the eternal
and everything God. Jesus taught
it. He lived It. He impressed His
disciples with the fact SO that Paul,
moved by the vision of the Macedo-
mans cry for help. responded. Guizot
claims that Paul carried civilization
into Europe when he crossed the
waters that divided Asia from Greece.
The great difference between ancient
and modern civilization. according to
an eminent historian, IL found In the
fact that the ancient civilization
cared for the welfare of favored
few, while modern civilization cares
for all. Tracing the cause Of this
change back, one finds its source In
the gospel of Jesus, who taught the
value of the individual soul
.Paurs decision to respond to the
call Of the man who appeare dto him
in vision was due to his belief in
the worth of the personality of the
stranger and to his view Of the call
being not only human but divine.
Mans needs, when revealed to any
followers Of Christ, calls for q min
istry of compassion. Paul did not de-
lay his response, for stratGhtway he