Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-01-21
LESSON FOR JANUARY %
PROMOTION IN THE KINGDOM
LESSON TEXT-Matt oO17-os

0:l6; Mark l0:32-45; Luke 22A-3O.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Wanting More Than
Our Share.
JUNIOR ToPIC-How to Win FRS,
Place
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
hight and Wrong Ambitions.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Greatness Through Service.
!. Jesus Foretells His Death and
Resurrection.
l. The King on His way to Jerusa.
len wv. 17-19). This is His last jour
ney to the beloved city. lie took the
twelve disciples aside from the group
of travelling pilgrims to make known
unto them what was before them. On
the journey He went ahead of the dis
ciples. The courage thus shown by
The Lord amazed the disciples who
were following in fear mark 10 :32).
Christ, the conscious and certain suf-
ferer, Is courageous. His followers
who had nothing to fear were afraid"
2. Betrayal and death foretold
wv. IS, 10). He went forward fully
conscious Of the awful tragedy of the
cross. He for the third time since the
TRANSPORTATION tells the disciples OF
His suffering and death, but they are
so filled with their ambitious schemes
that they do not understand Him. The
treachery of Judas Iscariot; the
fierce prosecutions Of the chief priests
and scribes; the unjust judgment; the
delivery to PUntius Plate; the mock
Ing; the scourging; the crown Of
thorns; the cross; the hanging be-
tween two malefactors; the nails;
the spear; all were spread before His
mind like n picture. Though He knew
all this He deliberately pressed on.
The joyous outlook upon the victory
which would be accomplished by the
shedding of His blood led Him for
ward. He went courageously, for He
knew the time had come for the &C.
of HIS Fathers will.
3. The resurrection foretold ". 19).
Truly this would have been dark
picture had the resurrection not been
made known. The resurrection life
beyond is always seen as the issue of
the cross. The blessedness of the life
beyond this vale Of tears" should
urge us on. In this we have Christ
as the great example (Heb. 12:2).
u. The Ambitious Request Of James
and John wv. 20-23).
l. The request wv. 20, 2I. This re-
luest was made by their mother. The
request is for place of prominence
n the kingdom. 1t Is right for moth.
Frs to be ambitious for their boys,
,ut they should know that earth's pin
lacles are exceedingly dangerous. It
s very desirable that we get places
or our children near Jesus, but we
should keep out of our minds the van
ty of the world.
2. Jesus answer. wv. %. 23).
lie spoke directly to the men, not to
heir mother, declaring that they
inew not what they were asking. He
howed them that the way to this
position of glory was through suffer
ng. The cup of which they were to
rink was that Of great suffering and
gony. The positions which they
raved were attalnable, but In very
ifferent way from what they appre-
ended The way to the places of
Tory in the kingdom of Christ Is
through the path Of lowly and self
orgetful service, even great suffer-
ng.
8. How to Be Truly Exalted wv.
4-2S).
l. The angry disciples ". 24). When
he ten heard of the request Of James
nd John they We're filed with indig-
alton against them. Their dlspleas-
re did not arise from the fact that
hey were free from the same selfish
pirit, but that these two had thrust
to the front; 1t was an
dmixture of indignation and jealousy.
2. Greatness among the heather ".
81. The rule OF the world has al
'ays been by the strong hand. The
tandards have been not moral excel
nee, but wealth, station and power.
wen today the reason one nation
lies the other is that the one pos
esses sharper swords and heavier
ubs than the other.
3. Greatness among Chrlst's dis
Piles wv. &C. "a. Here the stand
I'd is in sharp contrast. The way
} the places of prominence In Christ's
ngdom is the way Of ESTABLISHMENT.
is not wrong to be ambitious to
} great, but the basis OF true great
sss is that which human selfshness
eks to avoid. There will be de-
'ees Of rank In Christ's kingdom, but
is rank will be character, not posi-
On or authority. The spirit Of
hrist substitutes -the greatness of
We for the love of greatness" This
eatness is not won at the expense
others.
A. Christ is the supreme example
greatness ". 2S). All who would
great should study and initiate
,rist. Let them forget self and
rye Others, even to give their lives.
his will eliminate all scrambllng for
ace and power. The one grand test
which to know whether Chrlst's
'irlt controls one is whether he is
rving or seeking to be served.