Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-18
LESSON FOR JANUARY 70
PROMOTION IN THE KINGDOM.

LESSON TExT-Matt. 3ol7-23.
GOLDEN TEXT-The Son of Man came
not TO be. ministered unto. but to minis
ter. and 10 give His life a ransom for
usny.-Matt POS.
REFERENCE AfATERIAL,-Matt. 1927
a,i6: Mark LOST. Luke = 24-51.
PRIMARY TOP1C-Wanting More Than
Or Share.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How to Win First
Place.
2 INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Right and Wrong Ambitions.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
GREATNESS Through Service.
Z. Jesus Ferete'ts His oeath and
Resurrection.
/. The King on His way to JeruSa-
lem (vT. 1910. This is His Les, isIr-
Rey 10 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
cipIeS. The courage thus shown by
the Lord amazed the disciples who
were following In fear mark 1922.
Christ, the conscious and certain suf-
ferer, is courageous. His followers
who had nothing to fear were afraid"
2. Betrayal and death fTetold
wv. IS, 1917. He went forward fully
conscious Of the awful tragedy of the
cross. He for the third time since the
CHARACTERIZATION tells the disciples of
His suffering and death, but they are
10 filled with their ambitious schemes
that they do not understand Him, The
treachery of Judas IScariot; the
fierce prosecutions of the chief priests
and scribcs; the unjust judgment; the
delivery to Pontius PLATE; the mock
ing; the scourging; the crown of
thorns; the cross; the hanging be
tween two Indicators; the nails;
tEs spear; all we're 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 c0urageously, for He
knew the time had come for the &C.
complishment of His Fathers will.
+ s. The resurrection foretold ". 19)
Truly this would have been dark
picture had the resurrection not been
made known.
II. Ths Ambitious Request Of James
and John wv 1929.
1. The request wv. 20, 2D. This re-
quest was made by their mother. The
request is for a place of prominence
In the kingdom. 1t is right for moth
efs to be ambitious for their boys.
but they should know that earth's pin
nacles are exceedingly dangerous.
"a. Jesus answer. wv. %, 23).
BE spoke directly to the men, not to
their mother, declaring that they
knew not what they were asking. He
showed them that the way to this
position of glory was through suffer
ing. The cup OF which they were to
drink was that OF great suffering and
agony. The positions which they
crayed were attainable, but in very
different way from what they appre-
hehded. The way to the places of
glory In the kingdom of Christ is
through the path of lowly and self
forgetful service, even great suffer
ing.
8. How TO Be Truly Exalted wv.
2A2sI.
4 The angry disciples ". 24). When
The ten heard OF the request Of James
and John they were filled with lndig-
nattea against them. Their displeas-
ure did not arise from the fact that
they were free from the same selfish
spirit, but that these two had thrust
themselves TO the front; 1t was an
aemixture OF indignation and Jealousy.
2. Greatness among the heather ".
z51. The rule Of the world has al
wgys been by the strong hand. The
standards have been not moral excel
lence, but wealth, station and power
Ever today the reason one nation
rules the other is that the one pos
sesses sharper swords and heavier
clubs than the other.
q. Greatness among Christs dis
ciptes ivy. %, 27). Here the stand
ard IS Ia sharp contrast. The way
tor the places Of prominence in Christ's
kingdom is the way of reimbursement.
1t is not wrong to be ambitious TO
be great. but the basis Of true great
ness Is that which human selfshness
seeks to avoid. There will be de-
gFees OF rank In Christ's kingdom, hut
this rank viii be character, not posi-
ton or. authority.
24.z Christ is the supreme example
ofYgreatness " 2S). All who would
bsla grea1e should study and initiate
Christ. Let them forget self and
serve others, even to give their lives
This will, eliminate all scrambline for
place and power The one grand test
By which to know whether Christ5s
Spirit controls one is whether he il
serving or seeking to be served.
Christianity ia Still Alive.