Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-12-07

ye tnat LABOR ana are heavy laden, and
I Will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you. and learn of me: for l am meek
and lowly in heart; and We shall And
easy. and my burden is ight.-Matthew
IL :28-30.
The response which men and
women make to the preaching Of
the gospel today determines their
destiny for time and eternity, Just
as it did when Jesus was first send
ing out His disciples to preach,
How do you react to the gospel
message? Indifference will keep a
man from Christ just as effectively
as open rejection. A childlike faith,
on the other hand, will bring man
into delightful fellowship with Him
in both life and service. The Lord
gives rest for the soul and compan-
ionship in the yokefellowship of
Christian service.
lg. =
Jesus. who was skilled in the art
Of teaching. took familiar scene
from the daily Life Of the people to
show how utterly childish was the
criticism of His enemies. Children
at play, trying to interest their COM
panions, present a wedding scene Of
great Joy with no response. They
then try the opposite with no better
result.
The enemies of Christ were just
like such children, and His enemies
are the same today. Opposition to
the gospel likes to clothe itself in
learned phraseology and express it.
self in the terms Of dignified logic.
but in fact it is but an expression
Of personal feelings encouraged by
the devil and altogether like those of
disgruntled children. Not often does
it show its true nature in forth
right expression of unbelief and in
fidelity, for it prefers to hide be-
hind some seh-righteous criticism
which it can level against Christian
people or against their faith.
Why not be honest. unbehever who
reads these lines, and tell the truth
about your reasons for failing to
accept Christ. When you do that
you will find that they are not rea-
sons at all but only excuses. and
there will then be hope for your re-
pentance and conversion.
ii. Deadly Indifference wv. 20-2D.
Rejection of Christ may be and
all too often is simply indifference
to His holy person and work. Je-
sus pronounced an awful judgment
on the cities which had been hon.
ored by His presence and His great
works, and which should have been
awed by His message and power
but which had passed Him by in
bored Indifference.
These again are typical Of count
less thousands who today comfort
themselves by saying. Il do not op-
pose the Church; I'm not against
Christianity. I just don't take any
position either for or against" BY
so doing they have declared them
selves to be against Christ. Jesus
said, HE that is not with me Is
against me: and he that gathereth
not with me scattereth abroad"
(Matt. 1880. Let not such think
for a moment that their judgment
shall be less severe than that Of
the cities of Chorazin and Beth
saida!
III. Childlike Faith (vv. rs, 26).
God the Father and our Lord Je-
sus Christ have a great and loving
interest in the touching beauty OF
the faith of a child. The unques-
tioning dependence. the absolute as
surance of the child heart, these are
the things that receive an answer
from the Almighty.
This Is not intended to reflect In
any way on those who may have
learning, wisdom and power but who
with all have maintained childlike
humility. God knows them and hon.
ors and uses them. The point we
do want to make Is that all too
often learning and standing In this
world are a barrier between men
and God simply because men put
their trust in these things and not
in Him. It is always a serious mat
ter when a man permits his God
given ability to think. to come be-
tween him and God. What folly 1t
is to expect the infinite and eternal
God who made all things. including
the brain Of man, to in turn pass
through the narrow compass Of finite
thinking.
~. Restful CompaniOnship wv.
27-30).
A study of the theories and philos-
ophies Of this world leads only to
unrest. Bewildered and unhappy Is
the man who puts his trust in them.
But in Christ the weary and be-
labored human soul will find per-
feet and eternal rest. Why then
does the mass Of men reject Him
to 60 on to wander in despair?
The rest which we find in Christ
is not a useless and inactive repose.
Far from it. It is a blessed yoke
fellowship with Christ in carrying
forward His work. Here man finds
-. ...l ...oA..Inonn a.. nr,lu hare IL