The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-11-23
TIE WORKS OF THE MESSIAH

TIE WORKS OF THE MESSIAH
LESSON TEXT-Matthew 8:14-27.
GOLDEN TEXT-Jesus of Nazareth {. {.
went about doing good.-Acts 1878.
Does it work." Modern man is
not impressed by a thing simply
because great claims are made for
it or it is intricately organized.
After all, the important thing is,
does 1t really work? Such test
can be carried to an extreme and
the finest and richest things of life
be thrown aside because they have
no unitarian value. But in gen.
eral, the question is a good one, and
especially is that true as it is ap-
piled to religious systems and
PHILOSOPHERS of life. These claim
to have power to deliver man from
his sin and give him peace and rest.
What we want to know is, do they
actually do it, not only in the day
of health and prosperity, but in the
hour of death and devastation? The
answer is that every one of them
has failed and does fail, with the
exception of Christianity, which
comes mot in word but in power"
Il Cor. 400. In Christianity is
found the only real dynamic for
daily living.
I. Personal Needs Satisfied wv.
14-1O.
This entire section of the Gospel
of Matthew is concerned with
miracles. 1t is interesting to note
how many of these events concern
personal needs. There is scant
comfort to the needy one to speak
to him in generalities about great
God who is ready to help people.
When l am in need I want to know
whether there is any help for me.
Jesus healed Peters mother in the
home, and then He went out and
healed multitudes in the throng, but
in each case it was a personal in
terest which He took and a per-
sonal healing that was received.
Observe also that He met the need
of all whether they were sick in
body, mind or spirit. Someone may
say, THAT is all very well, but that
took place when He was here on
earth" Well, He is here now, work.
ing in and through the power of the
Holy Spirit and in and through His
children. The Lord Jesus Christ
daily satisfies every need of His
disciples, and often does so in
ways which are miraculous in their
sight.
II. Sacrificial Service Exempli-
fed wv. 1929.
Following Jesus in discipleship is
more than speaking sweet words of
devotion or of taking part in the
carrying out { some public Wor-
ship ministry. To really follow Him
is to follow one whose vocation is
such that there are incessant de-
mands compelling the remuneration
of home and the comforts of a set
tied life. Only the call of God can
make one equal to the demands of
such a hazardous life" edward E.
Anderson).
Observe that even the demands
which love may present on behalf
of an aged father must not be per-
nitted to stand between the disciple
and his Lord. There is no thought
of unkindness or lack of considera-
ton here, for as our Lord points
out, those who are spiritually dead,
although still physically alive, may
well be called on to care for the
physical needs of an aged parent,
even in the hour of death, if the
Lord Jesus has work for His disciple
to do elsewhere.
There is no thought of neglect of
the duties of life, but rather of
placing of the Lord first, whatever
else may take the second place.
The blight upon many a Christian
experience is that almost anything
else which is of interest is allowed
to take first place and the Lord
must take second place if He is
given any place at all.
III. Divine Power Demonstrated
wv. 1920.
There are those in the world who
are unable to see the workings of
Gods power in the spiritual realm
because they themselves have not
been spiritually born again Il Cor.
2:l4). For these the Lord here pre-
sented the working of His mighty
power in the realm of nature.
Satan, who is "the prince of this
world" (John Q4:30) had evidently
whipped the waves of the sea into
a mighty storm, possibly thus hop
ing to drown Jesus and get rid of
his divine adversary, but the Lord
Himself speaks in the majesty of
His eternal power and we read that
there was great calm" ". 26).
Even His disciples were strangely
astonished that the very winds and
the sea obey Him" Yes, the
forces of nature respond to His
slightest word. The winds and the
sea obey Him. But what is even
more wonderful is that the turmoil
of mans soul becomes a great
and blessed calm when this holy
Lord Jesus speaks the word of
peace.
Confused and troubled man OF
woman who reads these words, will
you not now by faith submit your
% h.