The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-04-25

OF one soul.-Acts <:32
Machinery without power is use
less-that is why in the lesson Of
last Sunday the power OF the Holy
Spirit was recognized rs being in
dispensable in the church. One
sometimes wonders whether we do
not now have more machinery than
power, and thus fail in our high
calling
Power, on the other hand. reaches
its greatest usefulness through the
organization of wcll-planncd ma
chinery. The church soon found
that its activities. simple at the be
ginning. had become more com
pick, calling for suitable organi2a-
ton, il il was to best serve the
needs OF its own people and of those
round about il. In so organizing
they did not forget this fundamental
purpose OF the church, nor did they
forSake tho true source of power.
1. Sharing With Tic 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 Gas some would
have us bcllcvc) type Of Commu-
nlSm. IL was purely voluntary (sce
Acts SD, temporary. and local 1t
was practiccd only in Jerusalem
and only for n short time. 1t was
an expression of Christian brother
hood and libcrality which is worthy
OF our consideration.
The duty and privilege of sharing
| material as well as spiritual bless
inGs is n 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
today that none of their members is
on relief. Not every church can do
that, but much more could be done
If we had the ConSidcratc spirit of
the early Christian church, which
was indeed the spirit of Christ
ii. Caring for the Unfortunate
(6:l. 3, S, 81.
The church had come through it's
first real persecution (Acts 5:l2-42)
with real victory and assurance Is:
AZ, only to face an internal difficult
ty. Wherever the Lord blesses, the
enemy comes to destroy Whenever
a door Of service opens, there are
many adversaries Cor l6:9).
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 we're
many widows. Suddenly the Gre
clan group began to note Cor think
they noted, which was just as dis
turbing) that their widows we're be-
ing neglected.
Notice that men Of good character
and spirituality we're 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 we're appointed to
serve were their own people. We
might have been tempted to appoint
q committee made up Of half from
each side land 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 well-ordered plan to care
for the weak and unfortunate. No
Christian church should fail in that
important ministry.
III. Preaching the Word wv. q,
4, y.
Social service is neccssary-the
church should make intelligent pro-
vision for its poor and its widows
but ii makes a fatal mistake when
such service becomes more impor-
tant than the preaching and teach
ing OF Gods Word Let those ap-
pointed TO that blessed ministry
find JOY in sanctified social service,
but never let it prc-cnpt 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 q
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 Gas Joseph Parker put IT'D
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 III 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