The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-10-13
LESSON FOR OCTOBER is
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/, LESSON TEXT-Luke s:1-22
T GOLDEN TExT-Rapent We. for the
kingdom OF heaven is at hand.-Matt. 81
10; Phil 2.6-1l !, q, ss,sz.,,ss ~ gs,ts
PRIMARY ToPIc-what John sud
About Jesus. sAAs.e, ~
JUNIOR ToP1c-John Preaching and
Baptizing.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
IA Fearless Reformcr. II .-... @zqy
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Repentance: What 1t IL and What 1t
Does. T.; &z .--s. ~
!. The Deosneraey~ Of the Times
(vv.i I, y. r.. I'LL
The Jews had sunk to very low
level Of civil, moral and religious LIE.
Luke carefully enumerates the civil
and religious rulers in order to show
the profigacy Of the times, and there
fore the need Of q messenger to call
the people back to God and virtue.
Herod, the son of the Great, was a
murderer. Annas and Caiaphas were
corrupt ecclesiastical rulers.
u. The Nature Of Johns Ministry
wv. 3-6). r. %.s;.s @,,,
In the wilderness. he underwent .
discipline which fitted him for his
task. Out Of the wilderness he flashed
forth preaching the baptism OF re-
pentence for the remission of sins ".
81. This ministry is declared to be
fulfilment Of Isaiah's prophecy. The
message was described as one calling
upon the nation to prepare for the
coming of the Messiah. This prepare
ton was presented under the figure OF
monarch Of the East about to make
4 journey. A servant was sent before
to prepare the highway. Valleys
needed to be filed, mountains and
hills needed to be lowered. crooked
places needed to be made straight and
rough places needed to be made
smooth. To-day before the nations Will
receive Christ the valleys need to
be filed with; righteous! deeds, the ex-
ceeding high mountains Of sin and
iniquity need to be brought low, the
crooked dealings Of the business world
must be Strengthened out, and the
rough ways Of nations and individuals
must he ssmoothed out. Men must re-
pent Of Z their sins before they can
receive, Christ. n ia, 4. x.
III. The Content Of Johns Message
wv. 7-1S). - ;,
II :Denunciation Of Sin (vv.v7. ~.
He called them "a generation of VI
pers." This shows that he charged
them with deceitfulness and wicked
ness. knowing the subtle hypocrisy
of these Jews, he demanded evidence
OF their sincerity-the genuineness OF
their repentance was to be demon
strated by; their; works. - f.
81 Announcement Of Judgment ".
81. He declared that the axe was laid
at the root Of the tree and that the
tree not bringing forth fruit was to be
hewn down and cast into the, ire.
John made it very plain that for their
sins they should be called into judg-
ment. Paul's preaching of judy
ment to come made Felix tremble
(Acts "a :25). - -1e~ > i s-..' i, !,
8. Instructions to the Inquirers
wv. 1919. (1) The people wv. ~,
ny. Each man was to turn from his
besetting sin and show love ana kind
ness to hts fellow men. Clothing and
food were to be given those who had
need. They were to turn from q lie
Of selishness and greed and do unto
others as they would be done by. ~
Publicans wv. II. 13). These tax
gatherers who were guilty OF greed
and oppression were not asked to give
up their occupation, but to exact only
that which was appointed by law. 81
The soldiers (v. 14). These were likely
the, policemen OF that day-at least
men on military duty. He told them
to extort money from no man, to &C.
cuse none falsely, and to be content
with their wages. To all these classes
he made It clear that they should
henceforth perform their duty from
8 motive Of love instead of selfish
ness and greed.
! 4. Testimony to Jesus wv. 15-lS).
.rhe people were musing In their
hearts as to whether John was indeed
the Messiah. When John perceived
this lie with fine humility declared
that his mission was SO lowly In COM
parison with Christ's that he would
be unworthy to perform the mental act
Of a slave in loosing the 1atchet OF
Els shoes John baptized with water,
but Christ. he declared, would baptize
with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
Nv. Johns imprisonment wv. -,
= ID. -- g. Y