The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-11-09
THE FRUITS OF PUBLIC
WORSHIP

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LESSON TExT-Isaiah e:1-s: Ephesians
B:15-21.
GOLDEN TEXT-Praise We the Lord. l
viii praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly Of the upright, and IN the
congregation.-Psalm 111:1.
The center of every community
should be the church. The house
set aside for the worship Of God
is the gathering place of His people.
There they find fellowship as they
meet their Lord. He is in their
midst exalted and mighty, but ready
to enter every humble and contrite
heart.
Our lesson shows US how the wor-
ship of God brings blessed results
as His people meet.
1. Recognizing Gods Presence
lisa. 6:1-4).
King Uzziah, who had begun well
but had forgotten God, was at the
end of his life leper because OF
his sin and dying in disgrace. Is
rael which had known unprecedent-
ed prosperity under Gods blessing
now hardened its heart nationally
against God and was also about to
20 into eclipse. God needed man
to speak for Him in such an hour.
to bring to His people message Oh
Judgment and also of blessed invita-
ton. To prepare that man, the
great Isaiah, God gave remark
able manifestation Of His glory and
power.
It is essential that the man who
speaks for God should first see the
Lord high and lifted up and to hear
of His holiness and glory. The mega
tive tone of the present-day mes
sage, the lack Of enthusiasm ana
interest in holy things, the low
standards of personal holiness, the
failure to preach boldly the truth re-
earding Gods holy standards are to
be explained by the fact that there
has been no vision of the eternal holt
ness and glory of God.
III. Renewing by Gods Power (vv.
5-8).
To see the holiness Of God is to
be Immediately conscious of ones
own sin and unworthiness. The obvi-
GUS conclusion which one draws
from that fact is that anyone who
is proud, who is not concerned about
his own sins and the sins OF his peo-
pie, is living far from God and has
either never known or has forgotten
about His divine holiness.
Isaiah spoke of the pollution OF
his lips, thereby confessing that his
heart was not right. Whereof the
heart is full, thereof speaketh the
mouth, for we read that tout OF the
abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh" (Matt. 1884. Remem-
Der that even though Isaiah was a
believer he recognized the need OF
cleansing.
"Then'' ". 6)-what an important
word! When Isaiah called out in
humble confession, "then" he was
cleansed. The turning point is right
at that place for any life. Only when
we come to the place of confession
and contrition which Isaiah knew,
can we expect the Lord to send the
cleansing fire and the enabling
power.
Reformation, turning over new
leaf, character development, all
commendable in their place, are not
sufficient. There must be divine
cleansing of the life if there is to
be commission to service.
III. Realizing Gods will (Eph. s.:
1910.
The ministry of the Church of God
can serve no greater purpose than
helping men and women to know
the Will of God. That wisdom ".
~ canes through the teaching of
Gods Word and through the minis
try Of the Holy Spirit, both in the
church. and in the individual.
The Church (and that means ev-
cry nember) is to recognize that
the evil day in which we live is
challenge to holy and effective liv-
ing. Time is not to be wasted, or
casually used. It is to be redeemed
every moment to count for God.
The walk of the believer is to be
circumspect, that is, with "pains-
taking attention to details, under
sense of their importance, not a
foolish walk, but wise one.
Nv. Receiving Gods Spirit (5:18-
2D.
God wishes to fill His children
with the Holy Spirit in such mighty
overwhelming power that they are
entirely under His control. Such
Spirit-filled believers find their joy
and satisfaction in the. fellowship of
those who sing the praises Of God
from the heart.
Being Christian is not a depress-
ing, sorrowful business. It makes
you glad 1t is Gods people who
sing and make melody. Some of us
who have failed to appreciate this
truth should begin now to ''get hap
py" about our religion.
The Holy Spirit leads believers into
a life of humility and self-denial ".
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