The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-07-08
O" IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
CUNDAy
OCHOOL lesson
BY REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
g Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for July II

Lesson for July IL
LESSON TEXT-Exodus 3:1.12.
GOLDEN TEXT-Come now therefore,
and will send thee.-Exodus $40.
PRIMARY TOPIC-How God Answered
His Peoples Prayer.
JUNIOR TOPIC-A Leader In the Making.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
How to Get Ready to Work for God.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
How God Provides Leaders Today.
God calls men, commissions and
uses them to carry out his plans
and purposes in the earth. What a
great truth that is and how it glori-
fies the destiny of man to know that
it is divinely appointed. AS Joseph
Parker beautifully points out, the
experience of Moses in indian was
a direct dealing with God, whereas
we who may not be able to "see the
fountain must ''be content to drink
at the stream" but should always
remember that the stream flows
from that same fountain.
Every man should put to himself
the questions-What is my destiny?
What does God mean me to be and
to do in the world? 1t is a
most pitifu1 thing that man should
read of Moses being divinely called
to a special work. and fail
to realize "that God has a special
work for every man to do" Let
us have a care that we do not $50
pervert and misinterpret circum-
stances as to press them into justi-
fcation of self-will," rather than
recognize them as destiny which
is reckoning us to duty"
For our instruction and guidance
we consider then the story of the
call of this outstanding leader of
Israel. It presents him as a true
servant of God-one who was
1. Personally Equipped.
While it is a blessed truth that
God will use any man who sur
renders himself to his control and
guidance no matter how limited that
mans ability and training may be,
it is also true that, other things be-
ing equal, the man with the best
equipment will be the most useful
servant.
God gave Moses unique prepara-
ton. He was first of all a Hebrew,
born among the people that he was
to lead. He knew the luxury and
all the cultural advantages of the
Egyptian court (Acts 1920, with
the safeguard of training by his own
mother as his nurse. He observed
at first hand the oppression of his
people and made self-willed and
impulsive effort to deal with the
problem. The result was that he
had postgraduate course of in
struction and discipline in the will
derness where he spent forty years
in the school of experience.
The leaders of God in our day
need training. Some best receive
it in schools, in Christian colleges,
seminaries, and Bible schools true
to the faith. Others prepare in the
home, the church, and in the "uni-
versity of hard knocks"-as some
one has called the school of ex-
perience. Perhaps the best prepara-
ton is a balanced combination of
the two, school and experience. But
the important thing is to be prepared
for Gods call.
II. Spiritually Qualified.
Moses was a man who knew God.
Had he been worldly man he would
have been but curious of the phe-
nomenon of the burning bush. But
note how alert and reverent he was
and how Immediately responsive to
the instructions and the call of God.
All the training and preparation
in the world is worse than useless in
Gods service apart from that spirit
ual qualification that comes from
true regeneration and dedication to
him. There is no more pathetic
sight than spiritually powerless
church worker "going through the
motions" of service for Christ. If
we are in that condition we may
be sure that we deceive no one
but ourselves. Let us seek God in
confession and in glad acceptance
of his provision for both our redemp-
ton and our sanctifcation.
III. Divinely Called.
Moses was called ". A., commits
stoned (vv.6-10), and clad with d.
vine authority wv. 11-12) for his
great task.
God calls his servants to different
responsibilities and in different
ways, but the important thing is
that we should know that we are
in his will and that we are answer
ing his call.
No man or woman has any right
to choose full-time Christian service
simply as desirable vocation, for
it is divine calling. Quite unscrip-
tural was the attitude of the man
who said that in a quiet woodland
nook he had faced LIES realities
and had decided ito bet his life''
on the preaching of the gospel.
On Giving of Aims