Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-01-20
LESSON FOR JANUARY 20
PROMOTION IN THE KINGDOM.
.EssON TEXT-Matt. IL.

LESSON TEXT-Matt. 2OI7-2S.
GOLDEN TEXT-The Son Of Man came
not TO be ministered unto. but to minis
ter. and TO give His life ransom for
REFERENCE MATERIAL,-Matt Is:27-
I al6 Mark lO.32-45: Luke 22.2i-30.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Wanting More Than
| Our Share.
JUNIOR ToPIC-How to Win First
| Place.
! INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
/ Right and Wrong Ambitions.
/ YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
! Greatness Through Service.
!. Jesus ForetelIs His Death and
Resurrection.
l. The King on His way to Jerusa-
| lem wv. 17-19). This is His last jour-
ney to the beloved city. He 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 we're afraid"
=. Betrayal and death foretOld
wv. IS, 19). 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 Pontius 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 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 ac-
of His Fathers will.
3. The resurrection foretold ". 19).
Truly this would have been a dark
picture had the resurrection not been
made known. ..
II. The Ambitious Request of James
and John wv. 20-23).
/. The request wv 20, 21), This re-
quest was made by their mother. The
request is for a place of prominence
n the. kingdom. 1t is right for moth
RS to be ambitious for their boys,
)ut they should know that earth's pin
1acles are exceedingly dangerous.
2. Jesus answer. wv. %, 23).
lie spoke directly to the men, not to
heir mother, declaring that they
new 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 attainable, but in a 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 low1y and self
Orgetful service, even great suffer-
~.
8. How to Be Truly Exalted wv.
1929.
l. The angry disciples ". 24). When
ne ten heard of the request of James
nd John they were filled with indig-
alton against them. Their displeas-
re did not arise from the fact that
ley were free from the same selfish
Dirit but that these two had thrust
lemselves to the front; it was an
1mixture of indignation and jealousy.
2. Greatness among the heather ".
y. The rule of the world has al
avs been by the strong hand. The
andards have been not moral excel
nee, but wealth, station and power.
ven today the reason one nation
lies the other is that the one pos
sses sharper swords and heavier
lbs than the other.
3. Greatness among Christs dis
pies wv. 20, 27). Here the stand
d is in sharp contrast. The way
the places of prominence in Christ's
1gdom is the way of reimbursement,
Is not wrong to be ambitious to
great, but the basis of true great
SIS is that which human selfshness
ks to avoid. There will be de-
,es of rank in Christ's kingdom, but
s rank will be character, not posi-
n or authority.
!. Christ Is the supreme example
greatness ". 2S). All who would
great should study and initiate
rist. Let them forget self and
We others, even to give their lives.
Is will eliminate all scramblng for
&c and power. The one grand test
which to know whether Chr'st's
rit controls one is whether he Is
,,tp0 mr. caaking RI no caryad