The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-01-15
WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BEGINNING A LIFE OF SERVICE
~ By HIGHT {. MOORE
Sunday, Jan. l6.

Sunday, Jan. l6.
Mark l:l4-2S.
Golden Text: The time is full
! filled, and the kingdom OF God is
at hand: repent We, and believe
the gospel. Mark :l5.
Following his early ministry il
Judea, lasting several months
Jesus returned to Galilee and To-
Gated at Capcrnaum, probably IN
the spring Of rs AID. He entered
upon his great Galilean ministry
in its four characteristic phases
Expounding the gospel; cnlisting
assistants; enlightcning the peo-
ple. and expelling demons.
EVANGELISM SERVICE
Mark l:l4-l5
Preaching the Gospel, Jesus
rendered service through evangel-
ism. He had closed his early min
istry in Judea, where success was
limited and opposition great, as
shown in the Imprisonment of the
Baptist, and returned to Galilec
with its reader following and
larger opportunity. Preaching
was his first and fundamental
work. The theme of his preach
ing was the gospel Of God, the
good news of salvation. His mes
sage was timely and urgent be-
cause it proclaimed the fulflIment
of prophecy in the coming Of the
Messiah and the visible Inaugural
ton Of his reign upon earth. The
burden Of his message conferred
upon two great duties. The first
was repentance, which involves 4
sense Of sin, sorrow for sin, and
sevcrcrance from sin by the grace
and help of God. The second was
faith, which involves assent to
gospel truth, acceptance of Christ
as Saviour, and acknowledgment
of him as Lord and Master.
ENLISTMENT SERVICE
Mark l:l6-20
Calling Ministers Jesus render
ed service through enlistment.
After locating at Capernaum one
of his first acts was to call two
pairs of brothers from their regu-
lar occupation TO constant asso-
citation with him in order that he
might train them to carry on his
work. Already on the banks Of
the Jordan they had heard the
cal to discipleship; now by the
lakeside they heard the call to
ministry; later on the mountain
they heard the call to apostle
ship, their names heading all
apostolic lists. They were expert
fishermen, constituting strong
firm and doing a big business in
Capernaum. One morning after
they had fished all night without
making catch, Jesus appeared
on the lake shore, the center OF
q listening throng. Peter and
Andrew had just left their boats
and were washing their nets. As
Luke (5) lid tells us, Jesus en-
tered their boat, taught the peO-
pie little while as he sat in it,
and then directed the fishermen
to put out to deep water and let
down their nets for a draught.
They obeyed and their nests be-
gan breaking with their enormous
haul of fish. To the amazed bro
theirs Jesus said, "Come We after
me, and / will make you to be-
come fishers of men," 1t was a
summons to constant association
with Jesus in his ministry and it
meant change Of occupation, as
they fully recognized; but with
out hesitation they obeyed the
call, leaving nets and giving up
their business in order to follow
Christ in service and sacrifice.
The same call was extended to
James and John who, a few rods
away, were in the boat with THEN
father and the hired servants
mending the nets. And with equal
readiness the call was needed; for
Immediately they left their faith
er, the servants, the boat, and the
business; and they followed Jesus.
Thus Christ caught these foul
men out of the sea of humanity
and they in turn became fishers
of men.
ENRICHMENT SERVICE
Mark 1:21-22
Teaching the People Jesus rem,
dered service through enlighten,
ment. The Great Teacher remem.
bered the sabbath day to keep il
holy. According to his custom
from childhood he attended serv
ice in the synagogue which was
the appointed house of religion.
instruction. Recognized as a rab
bl, and now with u Judcan repu
tatiOn, he was invited to instruct
the people. When he began they
at once recognized the new voice
ringing with the accent of author
| ity and not wavering with doubt
full disputations like the Scribes
But while his hearers were beine
charmed by his words of grace
and matchless bearing, there wa.
rude intrusion. a.
EXPULSION SERVICE ..
Mark 1928 .
Casting Out Evil: Jesus rem
dered service through expulsion
of an unclean spirit. In the syna
gogue that sabbath morning there
was present a man whose body
was indwelt and dominated by ar
evil spirit. The exact nature OF
demoniacal possession, SO fire.
quent and terrible in those days
has has not been determined, but
those possessed were most pitabl,
and were beyond the reach OF
medical skill. In the spell of re,
hgious fervor aroused by the