Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1921-04-14

LESSON TEXT-Mark s:l-2; John SIT:
| II Thess. s:6-l3
GOLDEN TExT-Not sIothfuI in BUSH
ness; fervent in spirit: serving the Lord
| Rom. l2:11.
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Ex. O:s-n:
Prov. 22:2s; 2s:1s; sl:lO-sl: Eph. ABB.
PRIMARY TOPIC - A Child Who
Helped.
JUNIOR ToPIC-The Ant and the Slug
| gard.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
| Workers and Strikers.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
| Labor Problems.
Work in relation to God has a diff
ferent meaning than in relation to
Inan. In relation to God 1t means
continued activity directed to some
purpose or end. In relation to man 1t
means mannal labor
l. ~.ohty Works Wrought by yyesus
Mar& GLIB,
A. Gods obedient servant, Jesus
cl.rrgetically gave himself up to His
! work.
|. Teaching in the synagogue ". p.
This He did on the Sabbath day. He
could let no opportunity to do good
pass.
2. The result of His teaching wv.
2, -. % The people were astonished.
In their establishment they asked
questions: (a) From whence hath this
man these things? (b) What wisdom
| is given unto Him? (c) Is not this
the carpenter? (d) Are not His sis
ters with us? That His wisdom and
power were superhuman, they could
not doubt. The only answer to their
questions is Christ's absolute Deity.
(2) The people were offended ". 81.
Not being able to answer their own
| questions and to believe their own
! eyes and ears, they rejected Him.
This rejection was not because they
knew Him too well, but because they
knew Him not at all. His country
men judged Him by His brothers, sis
tiers, and father, and therefore failed
to know Him.
u. my Father Worketh Hitherto,
and ! Work" John SID.
Jesus had on the Sabbath day
healed an irpOtent man. They sought
to kill Him for this good deed, and
when He linked himself with God I'M
kill Him. They tried to kill Him be-
cause He made himself equal with
God. The special points of equality
with God were:
7 !. Giving life to the dead. No hu-
man being has ever been able to raise
another from the dead. The Jews
rightly interpreted His claim to being
able to raise the dead as a claim to-
Deity. -
=. Judging mankind. No human be-
Ing is wise enough to judge his fellow
being. Christ's claim to be the judge
of gianknd they interpreted to be His
claim TO Deity, and they were correct.
~. The Man Who Will Not Work
Should Not Eat QI Thess. 3:6-13).
There had developed among the
Christians at Thessalonica tendency
to idleness. Some were neglecting
their lawful earthly callings-even to
the extent that they were becoming a
charge to the church. From the con-
text of the Thessalonian epistles 1t
would seem that this serious cOndi-
tion was the result of wrong views
concerning the second coming Of
Christ. Such as this Is wholly wrong
and absolutely contrary to the signifi-
canoe of 1.-THE blessed hope" The at
| ~ I'M al
ligent view of the Lords coming as
taught by Christ and the apostles, Is
earnest attention to the present duty.
OCCUPY till | come" is Christ's
charge. Speculative star-gaZers have
brought this precious doctrine into
disrepute Uneeasing fidelity to all
the responsibilities of the present is
the correct attitude Of those who are
waiting for the Son from heaven. To
correct this wrong, Paul
l. Asserts his authority to COM
mand ". 81. This authority was
given him by Christ.
9. Commands them to withdraw
from those who thus walk disorderly
". 81.
8. Paul's example wv. 10Y. Paul
pressed with great earnestness the
4 doctrine of the Lords return, and yet
consistently continued in his lawful
calling. In, order to not be chargeable
unto them he labored with great
earnestness night and day.
/ 4. Those who will not work should
NOT eat ". 10). This is the right
principle upon which to base all works
j Of charity. 1t Is the efficient cure for
pauperism. The right economic order
has as its foundation principle: Work
in order to eat This should apply
i to all classes, rich and poor.
5. Busybodies exh6rted (vv. II. 12),
Idle men and women always become
busyb0dies. Paurs exhortation Is that
. they with quierness work and eat their
own bread.