The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-11-15
Sunday. Nov. Is, 1884. -,

Golden Text-We are members
of his body.-Ephesians $50.
In the Sermon on the Mount
delivered just after the choosing
of the twelve. Jesus in two strlK'
ling metaphors described the CHAR
aeter and influence of his follow
ers, Ten days after the ascension
of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descend
ed upon the disciples at Jerusa-
lem and Peter preached the great
sermon followed by the imme-
date conviction, conversion, hap
tism and church membership OF
"about three thousand souls
CHARACTER OF THE
CHRISTIAN
Matthew 50
The twelve in Galilee just after
their call to apOStleshIp were
given in the Sermon on the
Mount q description of the char
,cter they should exhibit and the
Influence they should exert in
the world. Jesus said to them 4:
Eye are the salt Of the earth,
interpenetrating and preserving
mankind from moral putrefaction
I've are the light of the world,
manifesting and making attrac-
tive the things of God. As salt
antiseptic and purifying, it is the
duty of the Christian to arrest
decay. If savorless through iso-
lation or hypocrisy, he becomes
like the spoiled salt which was
thrown into the street and trod-
den under foot. As light ne is
to afford illumination, revealing
the true life and how to live 1t.
Let such a light like a city on a
hilton be visible afar. Nor let it
be circumscribed, for a candle
was not made to flicker under a
bushel measure but to flame on a
candlestick. And as the candle
honors the sun, let the disciple
through manifest but unconceit-
ed good works glorify God.
CONDUCT OF THE CHRIS.
TlAN (Acts p
The church at Jerusalem, num-
boring about 12O including the
eleven apostles, exhibited just
after Peters sermon on the day
of Pentecost the service which
believers are to render in and
through the church. 1t was a
waiting, united, praying, Bible
reading, and now spiritfilled, wit
Messing, drawing church. Notice
four things about membership IN
it: Cn Regeneration before mem
bership, for it was necessary first
to receive and heed the word as
o repentance and faith; (2l ban
tism into membership, for the ten
principal pools of the city were
more than ample for the baptism
of the 5000 converts by the II
apostles in less than a day: 81
duies of membership, which in
clude unwarvering loyalty to New
Testament teaching, steadfast fell
lowship in service. strict observ-
ance of the Lords Supper, and
faithful maintenance of worship;
and ca growth in membership
as shown in the holy awe they
shared and spread, in the power
that was sought and wrought, in
their community of goods for the
sake of the needy, in their unity
of spirit and activity, in their
frequent and regular worship. in
their open-hearte6 and abound
ing hospitality, in their exuberant
gratitude to God. in their widen
ing popularity and influence, and
in their rapid increase in num-
berS.
HOW TO SERVE AS CHURCH
MEMBER
~ Serve by Being. eye" It
is better to be than to have or to
do Or to give. To do our. best
we must be our best. To give
the most we must give ourselves.
The Christian is a believer, trust
ing Christ for salvation. He is
a disciple, learning ever and apt
ly at the feet of the Lord. He is
a servant willing to obey the d.
vine command. But first of all,
his soul is white by divine grace.
I'd Serve by Preserving. "The
salt of the earth" There is moth
ing but the gospel as transmitted
unto Christian living that can
save the world from putrefaction.
But how cleansing, purifying,
preserving in the salt of the
earth, esq,
81 Serve by Shining. "The
light of the world" The world