The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-10-17
Lesson for October 20
USEFUL WORK A CHRISTIAN
DUTY

LESSON TEXT-Gen. 2:15, Elk. zoe,
John 5:17, John ga, Acts 20:33-S5. II
Thess. $40.
GOLDEN TEXT-This we command
ed you. that II any would not work.
neither should he eat.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Doing Our Work
Well.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Doing Our Work
Well.
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOP.
1C-Honest Work Essential to Succeeds.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP,
IC-The Gambling Spirit Hurtful to
Business and Morals.
!. rhe First Man Set to Work
(Gen. 2:15).
Work was Gods primal thought for
man. Even in the state Of innocence
man was to have useful employment.
With the coming of sin, new burdens
were added.
II. The Time to Work (Ex. 2O:9).
"SiX days shalt thou labor and do
all thy work" Six out of seven days
should be devoted 20 work. Idleness
on any Of the six days IS as great a
sin before God as working on the
seventh day. Let it never be forgot
ten that the fourth commandment Is
an ordinance of labor as we'll as rest:
in fact, there can be no rest unless
there has been work. The idler and
the Sabbath breaker are equally
guilty before God.
Ill. The Working of the Father
and the Son (John 5:1O.
The God of the Bible is a working
God. 1t is true that God, when His
creative work was done, rested; that
is, dessted from creative work. but
there is other work besides that Of
creation. There is no such thing as
inactivity in the divine kingdom.
God is in His ceaseless activity every
where. To be godike is to be active.
Jesus had healed an impotent man
on the Sabbath day The Jews sought
to kill Him for this good deed, and
when He linked Himself with God in
this, they more earnestly sought to
kill him, because He made Himself
equal with God The special points
of equality with God were:
l. Giving life to the dead.
Only God had shown Himself able
to raise one from the dead.
2. Judging mankind (John 1929.
His claim to being the judge of all
mankind was His supreme claim to
Deity.
~. Urgency Of the Work John
90.
~ must work the works of God
while it is day; the night cometh
when no man can work."
These words were uttered in con-
p nection with the appalling need of the
man who was born blind. Delivering
lost men and women from their sins
is the work of God which must be
done. The night is coming when no
work can be done. The night there
fore for the world is when Jesus Is
withdrawn from it.
V. Paul an Example of Working
(Acts 20 $3.50.
Paul did not work to hoard up
money, but to support himself while
preaching the gospel. A truly great
preacher is the one who breaches
vi. The Man Who Will Not Work
Should Not Eat QI Thess. 8 10y.
Growing out of Paurs teaching con-
corning the coming of the Lord, a
tendency to idleness developed at
Thessalonica. They reasoned that
If the Lords coming was 50 near,
work was useless. The true teaching
concerning the coming of the Lord
is, Occupy till l come" Earnest at
tention to present duty is the scrip
tural attitude toward the second COM
ing Of Christ. Those who will not
work should not eat. This is the
right principle upon which to base
all works Of charity. 1t is the eff
Gent cure for pauperism. 1t exhibits
the right economic order and should
apply to all classes.
VII. The Object Of Work (Eph.
4:2S).
This text sets forth the only three
ways by which to get money or pos
sessions of any kind.
l. To steal.
Theft was common among the
heather. 1t is common today, even
in civilized countries. Many ways Of
obtaining money can be designated by
theft.
.. To receive as gifts
8. TO work for.
To have possessions which have
been stolen is, of course, wrong. To
have that which benefactors have
given is right, even though it may
not bring a blessing To have that
which we have earned is not only
honorable, but gives personal salts
faction in that it has come through
toll.
e.