Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-07-19
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Su11daySchoel
: Lesson '
(By REV. p 3. FITZwATER. d. D..
Teacher OF English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago.)
&C. 1898. Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR JULY %
JOHN THE APOSTLE

LESSON TExT--Luke s;4s-5s; John
1s:25-27: l John Al. 8.
I GOLDEN TExT-"God is love; and
he that dwelleth in love dwelleth In
| God, and God in him"-I John 4:1s.
REFERENCE MATERIAL - Mark
1:16-2o: John 13:2I25. Acts 1880;
| Rev. 1:s.
PRIMARY ToPIc-The Disciple
Whom Jesus Loved.
| JUNIOR ToPIc-John. the Beloved
| Disciple.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-John, the Bosom Friend of Jesus.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
| "A Character Study Of John.
I. His intolerance Of Irregular serv-
Ice duke 9:49, SOY.
John was conscientious in his intol-
erance of this disciple. There seems
to have been no question but what the
man was really casting out devils
even though he did not possess the
same credentials as the twelve apos-
| ties. There seems to have been no
| question as to the reality Of the truth
which this disciple taught or the work
he did. The same spirit has been man
hCclCd tniOuSA iHC 1nllstidH NCA-
| turtles. Whoever witnesses truly of
Christ and does His work has Gods
recognition. Christ rebuked Johns in
| tolerance and declared that che that
| is not against us is for u.s." May we
| everywhere show the same considera-
| ton to those who are doing the Lords
work even though they are not mem
ne YInr nh,
| II. Johns Righteous indignation
(Luke 9:51-56).
/ i. Jesus Face Set Toward Jerusa-
| lem wv. 51-53). He knew what was
! before Him. He knew the awful fate
awaiting Him at Jerusalem. Even
though the dark shadow OF the cross
hung across his path He resolutely
nerved Himself for the ordeal The
cross was no accident. The supreme
| purpose Of His coming was to save
| the world through His sacrificial
death. This was in the plan of God
| from all eternity. The cross Is the
! grand center of the Christian religion.
Everyone who follows Jesus must take
up his cross.
|
| 53). The Lord was to pass through
that city on His way to Jerusalem.
When the people discerned that His
face was set for Jerusalem they re-
fused hospitality to Him. This insult
to the Lord so aroused the anger OF
John and James that they desired to
| call down fire from heaven to destroy
the Samaritans. 1t was Johns love for
his Lord that prompted this sugges-
ton Christ rebuked him and cor
rected his spirit, but He knew that 1t
i proceeded from a heart of love. Love
| will brook no insult to its object.
Mistaken love has done much harm In
the church. The pages of history are
| red with the blood of heretics, to the
| everlasting shame of the prosecutors.
| Persecution is not the way to deal
with those who differ with US. The
spirit Is not only wrong, but it IL fu-
| tile. for the blood of the martyrs has
always become the seed Of the church.
May Christ's rebuke to John take from
our hearts the spirit Of intolerance
and revenge. Jesus came not to de-
stroy men, but to save them.
| ILL., Johns Care Of christ's Mother.
(John 19:25-2D.
/. Jesus Saw His Mother ". 26).
Perhaps His physical suffering had SO
| dimmed His vision that He had not
seen her before. But even His death
| agonies did not cause Him to forget
her. While engaged in the redemption
of the world, He displayed His tender
| human interest in this beautiful act.
| The cross is the center from which
love flows.
2. John Took Mary to His Own
Home ". 20. The. same John who
| wished to call down fire upon the in
| hospitable Samaritans now was en-
gagged in the tenderest act of human
affection. He was caring for the
mother Of his Lord The reason Jesus
entrusted her to John was that He
knew his real heart of love. He knew
| he could enter into full sympathy with
her in her great sorrow.
~. Test of Divine Birth Il John
4:7,S).
Johns experiences in life were such
that now near the close of his life he
declared that the supreme test Of fel.
lowship In the divine life Is love. Love
is the bond of perfection-the cord
that binds all virtues into one harmon
/ ious bundle. All the fruits Of the
Christian life spring out Of this root.
| God is love. All that Is good and
| beautiful in our lives is but the very
life of Gcd flowing through US.
So With All Men,