The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-04-24

OIL one S0ul.-ActS 49,.
Machinery without power is use
less-that is why in the lesson of
last Sunday the power of the Holy
Spirit was recognized as being in
spensable in the church. One
,meGmes wonders whether we do
1t now nave more machinery than
over, and thus fail in our high
calling.
Power, on the other hand, reaches
its greatest usefulness through the
organization of well-planned ma
chinery. The church soon found
that its activities, simple at the be-
ginning, had become more COM
pick, calling for suitable organiza-
ton, if it was to best serve the
needs of its own people and of those
round about it. In so organizing
they did not forget this fundamental
purpose Of the church, nor did they
forsake the true source of power.
l. Sharing With the Brethren "a:
32-35).
Love for one another prompted
the Christian brethren to meet each
others need by sharing, by holding
all they owned for the common
good This was not (as some would
have us believe) a type of commu-
nism. It was purely voluntary (see
Acts SD, temporary, and local. 1t
was practiced only in Jerusalem
and only for a short time. 1t was
an expression of Christian brother
hood and liberality which is worthy
of our consideration.
The duty and privilege of sharing
material as we'll as spiritual bless
ings is a part Of Christian fellow
ship. Those in the church who have
should willingly share with those
who have not. Some churches have
so effectively carried out this plan
)day that none of their members is
l relief. Not every church can do
lat, but much more could be done
we had the considerable spirit of
early Christian church, which
rs indeed the spirit of Christ.
Il. Caring for the Unfortunate
L, 3, 5, 81.
The church had come through it's
st real persecution (Acts 5:12-42)
ith real victory and assurance Is:
}, only to face an internal difficult
T. Wherever the Lord blesses, the
nemy comes to destroy. Whenever
door of service opens, there are
many adversaries l Cor. 1879.
There were two groups in the
church-the Hebrew Christians, and
those with a Greek background.
Among the poor to whom daily dis
tribution Of help must be made were
many widows. Suddenly the Gre
clan group began to note Tor think
they noted, which was just as dis
turbing) that their widows were be-
ing neglected.
Notice thatmen of good character
and spirituality were chosen to
serve, and that all Of them bore
Greek names. The Greeks, who
were doubtless in the minority in the
Jerusalem church, had complaint,
So those who were appointed to
serve were their own people. We
might have been tempted to appoint
a committee made up Of half from
each side (and thus to continue the
dissension), but not so here where
grace and wisdom from above con-
trolled.
Do not fail to observe that there
was here "a well-ordered plan to care
for the weak and unfortunate. No
Christian church should fail in that
important ministry.
III. Preaching the Word wv. 2,
4, y.
Social service is necessary-the
church should make intelligent pro-
vision for its poor and its widows
but it makes fatal mistake when
such service becomes more impor-
tant than the preaching and teach
ing Of Gods Word. Let those APP
pointed to that blessed ministry
find joy in sanctifed social service,
but never let it pre-empt the place
of evangelism.
Certainly such service must not
become the all-absorbing task of the
one who has been set by God as the
messenger to the church-the spir-
itual shepherd of the flock Many a
preacher has lost himself in such
work, and failed to study and pray
so that he might be prepared to
preach the Word in power and with
conviction. Too many preachers
are attempting to shake a sermon
out of their coat sleeves on Satur-
day night las Joseph Parker put it)
only to find that their ministry grows
leaner and leaner until, reaching
the years when there should be a
matured richness and sweetness in
their ministry of the Word, they
find their message dead, dull and
dry.
Such folly i'll BELTS the Christian
church of its ministers. Perhaps
some minister who reads these lines
should change his ways, and per-
chance many a church officer who
reads them should realize that he
has been driving his preacher into
work which, while important, should
be (for him, at leasO secondary
First things first, in Gods own or
der-that is the road Of power and
blessing.