The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-06-28
JESUS FRIENDS CARRY ON
HIS WORK


LESSON TExT-Mark 1918, Is. 10, 20:
Luke 24:45-A9: Acts 2:46 AZ: 5:42.
MEMORY SELECITON-Go We into all
the world. and preach the gospel to every
creature-bIark 1918.
Friendship brings results. We re-
spond to it with our own interest,
and by our desire to bring others
into its helpful circle of influence.
Obviously, the man who knows the
friendship of Jesus wants others to
meet his Friend and know his love
and power.
The disciples had seen the risen
Lord, a privilege which carried with
it the responsibility of declaring the
good news of completed redemp-
ton to all the nations of the earth.
We find them engaged in
I. Blessed Preaching MARK Is:
IS, 16, 10, 20).
The call and commission of the
Lord before he was caught up into
heaven was clear and definite.
How glad we are that the disciples
obeyed, went and preached, and had
such blessed results.
The response of these early Chris
tians was immediate and enthusi-
astic. Would that such spirit had
characterized the church through
all the generations since then, and
! if it had, the commission would long
since have been carried out. 1t has
been estimated that if everyone in
church of two thousand were to
win one soul year, and each con-
vert win one soul each year, the
world would be evangelical in less
than thirty-five years. Why not?
But while on the whole the church
has failed, there have been valiant
souls all down through its history
who have given themselves to the
business of preaching the gospel.
| With them, as with these of the first
century, Ehe secret is ever, "The
Lord working with them"
ii. Powerful Witnessing duke "a:
45-49).
The death and resurrection of
Christ made possible the preaching
of repentance and remission of sins,
the message Of redemption which
was to go out to all nations through
the disciples.
They were witnesses of these
things, they spoke that which they
knew and had experienced, and so
their word carried weight and con-
viction. That, however, was not the
secret of the success of their eff
forts; there was something more.
It is never enough for man to
speak of the things of God, no mat
ter how brilliant and eloquent he
may be, nor how certain he may be
of his facts. He must have the
power of God.
The early believers were to tarry
until they received the Holy Spirit.
We need only yield to him for he is
present with every believer-the in
dwelling One-ready to empower
and use us.
We need a real revival of the Holy
Spirit power in the church, and we
need it now. If the church as a
whole will not yield to God, let us
do so as individuals that we may
be witnesses with power.
God is looking for men. He has
always honored those who in faith
have obeyed his command. The
whole history of church and mis-
sionary endeavor bears eloquent
testimony to that fact.
iii. Glad WINNING (Acts 2:46,
At; 5:42).
There are number of things in
this passage. There is the fine fell
lowship Of the believers in the ear
ly church. We also note that they
were regular in their attendance at
the temple. They preached and
taught both in the temple and at
home. But the significant thing
which we wish to note now is that
it all resulted in the salvation of
souls.
The Lord added to the church
"day by day those that were
saved" for such is the proper read
ing Of verse At. Day by day souls
were won for Christ and added to
the church. Why do we not have
more churches of that kind today?
The church, which is so much the
center of life for Christians, is not
as well understood as it should be.
We have come to regard it as just
one organization among many COM
peting for the attention and interest
of men, when it is really a divine,
living organism established by
Christ as his body and representing
him in this world.
The church is made up of those
who are saved ". Az, those who
have received the word by faith
and Witnessed good confession of
their faith in Christ ". 41). This is
a fact to be remembered in time
when there is so much laxness in
receiving members into the church.
It is not religious or social club.
It is not a rallying place for those
who wish to work for some eco
nomic, political, or social project.
It is not gathering of good people
n 81 - IL