The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-10-20

Amos 7:10-l5; lisa. 6:l-S.
GOLDEN TEXT heard the voice of
the Lord saying. Whom shall I send.
and who will go for US? Then I said.
Here am I, send me.
PRIMARY TOPIC-God Chooses His
Helpers.
JUNIOR ToPIc-God's Call to serv-
Ice.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-Spirit of the Volunteer.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
FC-The Need for Modern Prophets.
A prophet is one who speaks forth
the message of another. A prophet
may foretell events, but his primary
business is to speak forth Gods mes
sage.
|. The Call of Elisha Il Kings
1910, 20).
1. His occupation. He seems to
have been a well-to-do farmer, as
there were twelve yoke of oxen in
service when God called him. 1t was
while engaged in his common duty
that he received the divine call.
2. How he was called. Elijah cast
his mantle upon him as he passed by.
II. The Call of Amos (Amos 7:10-
15).
1. His occupation ". 14). He was
a herdsman and gatherer of sycamore
fruit.
2. He was a prophet, not by sue
eession nor trained in the prophetic
schools.
8. God called him from his humble
life to stand before the king. God is
not straitened for helpers. He raises
up workers from unexpected quarters,
fills them with His Spirit and sends
them forth.
III. The Call of Isaiah lisa. 6:1-S).
1. Isaiah's vision Of the Lord wv.
40. No ones ministry will ever be
fruitful until he has had a vision of
the Lord.
(1) He saw the Lord on His throne
". y. The supreme need of serv-
ant Of God is to have vision of Him,
even to see Him on His throne. Just
now, perhaps as never before, we
need a vision of the enthroned Lord
as the awful darkness is settling down
upon the world.
(2) He saw the Seraphim above
wv. 2, -. Their standing indicated
that they were in readiness to do His
bidding. Their equipment with six
wings showed their ability to execute
the divine will. In the divine pres
ence, one pair was needed to veil the
head from the divine glory, one pair
yelled the feet which had been soiled
In contact with the world, while the
third pair was suspended in midair
waiting to depart on the divine err
rand. AS they waited in His pres
.ence their continued cry was "Holy,
holy, holy"
(3) Ee saw manifestations of
majesty ". ~. AS the holy ones
cried the very doorposts moved and
the temple was filled with smoke.
Smoke indicates the divine presence
in anger (Ex. 1913; 20:1S).
2. Isaiah's conviction of sin ". g..
When he got a vision of the holy God
he was smitten with a sense Of sin.
The reason that men think well OF
themselves is that they have never
seen God. Face to face with the
Lord, Isaiah saw himself as wholly
vile. He realized that he had sinned
in speech, and if in speech, then in
heart, therefore the cry of despair.
8. Isaiah cleansed from sin wv. 6,
y. Having been convicted of and
confessed his sin, burning coal was
sent from the altar which purged
away his sin. His penitential guilt
was forgiven and removed.
4. Isaiah's call ". 81. His call
from God did not come until after
his cleansing. The purged soul Is the
soul ready for the Lords service.
8. Isaiah's dedication ". 81. As
soon as he was cleansed he quickly
responded for service. The one who
has been sanctifed and made meet for
the Masters service readily responds
to the call Of God. He did not wait to
see the end from the beginning, but
freely gave himself up to that service.
q. Isaiahs commission wv. 9-13)
Because Of the unpromising outlook.
Isaiah shrank from his responsibility.
he saw the people stepped In selfish
ness, but in spite Of that the Lord
assured him that their blindness and
SIN would not continue forever. The
people would 60 on in sin, be taken
into captivity. and the land left DESC
late; but as the oak, after shedding
It's leaves is for time apparently
nfeless, yet It retains its substance
and so can manifest its life, the
prophet is given to see under this
figure that despite the deafness Of
the nation remnant shall be saved.
The holy sesd Of the kingdom shall
come to fruitage in the last days.