The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-03-19
Lesson for March %
JESUS TEACHING TRUE VALUES

LESSON TEXT-Luke 12:13-34.
GOLDEN TEXT-Seek We first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added
unto you.-Matthew 6:33.
PRIMARY TOPIC-God's Good Gifts.
JUNIOR TOPIC - When Is a Man
Rich?
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
iToPIC-What Is Most Worth Living
For?
The common tendency of men is to
be engrossed with the gifts of God in
stead of knowing him as the heavenly
Father and enjoying his blessed fellow
ship. Mans supreme need is to know
and enjoy God himself.
I. A Warning Against covetousness
wv. 1920.
I. The occasion wv. 1870. One of
the company requested Jesus to be
umpire in a disputed estate. Two
brothers were in trouble over an in
heritance. Christ refused to enter the
sphere of the civil law and warned
against the spirit of avarice. His mis-
sion was pre-eminently spiritual.
2. The warning enforced wv. 1922.
This was done by the parable of the
rich man. He showed most clearly
that to be concerned with earthly
riches while neglecting God is the
highest folly. Concerning this man,
note:
a. His increased goods ". 16). His
riches were rightly obtained, for the
ground brought forth plentifully. A
man may be rich because the Lords
blessing is upon him.
b. His perplexity ". 10. His
lands were producing more than his
barns would hold. He did not want it
to go to waste. No frugal man wants
to see the fruits of his toll perish. If
he had possessed right views Of life
and sense of stewardship before
God, he would have seen that his barns
had enough for his personal needs, and
would have distributed the surplus to
the needy.
C. His fatal choice wv. Is, 19). He
chose to enlarge his barns, and give
up his life to ease and luxury. 1t
ought to be a delightful task for men
whom God has made rich to devote
their time and energy to the distribu-
ton of their possessions to benevolent
objects.
d. The awful indictment wv. 20,
Ply. God calls him a fool and this Is
no arbitrary judgment Riches furnish
neither contentment in life nor guar
antee of the continuance of life. It is
not only foolishness but madness to for
get God while engaged in heaping up
riches. Soon the man must die and
his riches may get into the hands Of
unworthy men or even curse the lives
of the children who inherit them.
n. The Certain Cure for Anxiety
wv. 22-34).
Having shown the folly Of the rich
man who gained gold and lost God, he
now urged the disciples to trust God
and dismiss all anxious care.
1. The argument wv. %, 23). This
is summed up in one brief sentence :
1.-THE life is more than meat, and the
body is more than raiment."
2. The illustrations wv. 24-2S).
a. Gods care for the fowls (vv.
2426). The ravens do not sow nor
reap, they have neither storehouses
nor barns, yet they live. for God feels
them. If God does not forget the fowl,
certainly he will do more for his chill
.dren who have been created in his
likeness and image and redeemed by
the precious blood of his Son.
b. Gods care for the flowers Of the
field wv. q, 29). If God is so careful
of those flowers which appear but for
a day, how much more will he clothe
his children?
3. The exhortations wv. 29-34).
a. The getting of food and clothes
should not be mans chief concern.
b. Seek the kingdom of God ".
BY. Those who make Gods kingdom
first shall have all of their needs sup
piled (Phil, 4:19).
c. Be not afraid ". 32). Gods
good pleasure is upon his own and all
good things he will give them.
d. Practice self-denial in order to
give gifts to those in need wv. 80, 34).
III. Be Ready for the Coming Of
the Lord wv. 35-40).
Having warned the disciples against
the acquisition of worldly goods, while
forgetting God, and shown them the
needlessness of anxiety for food and
clothes, he shows them the blessed
ness of being in state of readiness
when the Lord shall come. Conviction
MS to the certainty of the Lords com
ing is a sure cure for worldliness and
anxious care.
This attitude of heart he made clear
by two parallels; that of the return OF
the Lord, and that Of the thief. The
Lord will be so pleased with those who
are waiting for him that he will take
delight in sitting at the banquet with
them, and he will even serve them.