Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 16, Number 22, DeMotte, Jasper County, 12 April 1946 — Improved International SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON [ARTICLE]

Improved International SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

By HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.

D, D

Of The Moody Blhie Institute of Chicago. Released by Western Newspaper Union.

Lesson for April 14 Lesson subject* snd Scripture text* selected and copyrighted by International Council of Religious Education; u»ed by permission. HOW JESUS’ FRIENDS RESPONDED LESSON TEXT—Mark 1:16-10; 8:18 JO; 10*46 , 82; Luke 5 27 . 28 MEMORY SELECTION—He left all, rose 113, and followed him. —Luke 8;28. Friendship calls for an exchange —not of gifts or possessions necessarily, but of service, love and fellowship. The friends of Jesus responded to the warmth of His affection and the appeal of His call, and they gave themselves In life and service to Him. Many In the church have forgotten that part of the friendship of Jesus Christ. They want to count Him as their friend, they expect much of Him; but they give little or nothing In return. Their love Is cold, their service Indifferent, their witness powerless. Not every one of Jesus' friends Is called to be a preacher or a teacher. He needs those who will be His faithful followers. Just a living testimony without special ofAce or message. To effectively present the contrasts of our lesson, we have arranged the verses In slightly different sequence. Among the friends of Jesus I. Some Became Preachers (Mark 1:16-20) These men had met Jesus before (John 1:35-51), but now He was ready to call them away from their daily occupation as Ashermen and make them “Ashers of men.” Such a change was not an easy one to make. It meant the giving up of an established earthly calling, a place In the community, home life and family, for the service of the Lord. That was to bring persecution, ridicule, poverty and loneliness. But "straightway they forsook their nets.” Let the members of the church and pastors be on the alert to sense the call of God to young men and women to the ministry and to the mission Aeld. and then let them do everything possible to encourage them on their way. 11. Others Became Followers | (Mark 10:46, 52). When Jesus came by, blind Barti- ; maeus began to cry, "Jesus, son of David have mercy on me” (v. 47). Many around him tried to hush his voice (v. 48), but he cried the more. Through that babel of voices Jesus heard him, stopped and sent for him, and healed him. The ear of our Lord is always attuned to hear the cry of the one in need, and His heart is quick to respond to his call. He can hear the cry of the repentant sinner through all the confusing sounds of our day. Bartimaeus became a “follower" of Jesus. He probably had no position in the church, no call to preach, but what a testimony he had. (cf. John 9:25). Jesus needs simple, steady followers. Men and women with a plain, effective testimony of salvation. The army of the Lord is not made up of generals and officers only. Perhaps we have more of them than we need. 111. Some Stayed at Home (Mark 5:18-20). This striking story of the deliverance of the mad man shows the importance of testimony at home. The people had asked Jesus to leave (v. 17) because In delivering the maniac He had caused some swine to go mad and run into the sea. These men needed a witness, and the most effective possible word to them would come from the delivered demoniac. He wanted to go with Jesus, but at the Master's word he stayed at home. It is hard to leave home and loved | ones to go afar to witness for Jesus Christ, but sometimes it is easier to speak for Him in a strange land than at home. Even Jesus found no honor in His own city.

If you are called to witness for the Lord in the small circle of your own family or community, trust God to make that word for Jesus tremendously effective. He can do It! IV. Others Left Home and Business (Luke 5:27. 28). Levi —better known to us as Matthew _ was “a member of that hated group of renegade Jews, who served the Roman invader and helped him in his cruel work of wringing extortionate taxes from the people” (Earl L. Douglass). As a result, he was rich and undoubtedly had a fine home and every desirable material possession. He had come to know Jesus and when the call came suddenly to follow Jesus, he did not hesitate; he did not stop to gather up Hi money; he did not sell his house; but he stood up and left all, and followed Jesus. If Jesus really means everything to a man or a woman there la nothing in this world that can hold him back when Jesus calls. He la ready to go to the ends of the earth, and let whosoever will care for the business, his possessions, everything (cl Matt. 19-29).