The Four Great Calls
Intro. A high school boy was asked by his principle what he was going to do with his life. He said that after graduation he would go to college. His principle said, "What then?" "Well, I guess I will get a job and get married." "What then?" "I will raise a family." "Then what" "I guess I will retire." "And what then?" The boy paused and answered, "I guess I will die." Then the principle asked once more, "What then?" And the boy had no answer. He had not thought of the most important thing of all.
In this lesson we will explore the four great calls in connection with our life and our death — calls which we must consider carefully.
I. The Call Of The Gospel — II. Thess. 2:14
A. A strong call. In that Jesus died for us and loved us.
B. An authenticated call. "Infallible proofs" Acts 1:3 C. An understandable call.
— Illustrate by simplicity of "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16 D. A universal and repeated call.
"It was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe."
I Cor. 1:21.
This gospel is everywhere about us. There are Bibles in every home. The church is preaching to us. Love ones are pleading.
E. How we answer this call determines the final call.
II. The Call Of Death — Heb. 9:27
A. A call we are familiar with.
B. A call which we nevertheless ignore.
C. A call which the best medical science cannot prevent D. A call whose time we cannot predict.
III. The Call Of The Resurrection — John 5:28-29
A. This call is just as sure as the first two, though since it has not been experienced yet, we put it out of our minds.
B. A universal call to all the dead.
C. Made sure by the resurrection of Christ. I Cor. 15:2O21.
IV. The Call Of The Judgement — Heb. 9:27
A. A call of sorrow and terror to the unprepared — II Thess. 1:7-9.
B. A call of joy and bliss to the faithful believer — Rev. 21:9.
C. A call when the infinite justice of God will be understood. We do not understand many of God's ways. But then, as He rewards the righteous and metes out the just recompense of reward to the impenitent, we will praise Him for His justice and goodness.
Conclusion: Obey the Lord, put your trust in Him, let Him be your comfort and hope in the future calls we must obey.
— 7202 Madison Ave., Indianapolis, Ind. 96227
10 A Worthy Suggestion From Brother Lovell--
(Continued from page four)
Is some "do nothing" brother ready to cry "Missionary Society?" Well, just let him cry! As brother Lovell so ibeautifully says, 'You can throw up tbg , WC:Missionary S&Celtj! screen antV squawk as loud as you like, but I do not believe you can punch an =scriptural hole in it." He feels that this "Unified Promotion" sortinlajj_woilld mean a tremendous saving in that the-re would be only threeor tour "brotherhood appeals" each year; and that much effort (and irritation) would be av-OcaRT-- Why do we approve and endorse Brother Lovell's plea? Our reasoning is very simple. We believe that this would be a long, long step (and one that nearly anybody could see) toward the building of a centralized control:xi' .agency for the churches of Christ -aria- would widen and `makemuchnore clear the distinction between-1W--se tnoffSands Of-Christians who are determined to "wall-c-Thy-15.111" and the even more thousands who-are- generally =concerned se. to the "how" or "way" or 'method" of doing God's work. This would tend to dispel the general coati-Sion and uncertainty now everywhere so evident. Mai____E-sin- cere people are unable to see anything wrong with Herald orEtiCallaare supporting it. But when Brother Lovell's suggestion ls implemented there are great numbers of these people who will have no difficulty at all in seeing what is wrong with it! And once they see that, they will be able to understand what is wrong with Herald of Truth. For the two are on the same basis; if one is right, both are right. If one is wrong, both are wrong. That is why we would like to see Brother Lovell's suggestion put into effect. And we have no doubt that many thoosands of brethren would approve it and endorse it heartily. They have neither understanding or conviction as to the nature of the church. And the quicker they move into a full- fleged, unequivoca p"ViillifiOli as Ili-open and admitted denominational --body," the better for all concerned. As thine' stand now, many good people a-r-e--ffeeeived and deluded. Brother Lovell's suggestion will help to remedy that situation.
So, more power to him! And let us hope that the crafty and cunning leaders of liberalism among us will not be able to stop him in this promotion - as they will certainly try to stop him; and as they did stop Batsell Barrett Baxter in his recent plea for church support of the colleges.
- F. Y. T.
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Is Jehovah Indifferent - - - Continued from page five)
world at large, nor will he be the last. It is ,sad that some "prodigal sons" unlike the boy of our Lord's parable never "come to themselves" and come home to the father's house. However, let Brother Meyers remember also that he is not the only country boy that has taken the path of learning to a degree of doctor of philosophy, nor is he the only country boy who has seen the world of men and places. Yet, such exposure has not so inflated all of them so as to shrink into nothingness and total insignificance their home towns and into ignorance and bigotry the concepts of Divine Truth they were taught in the sanctity of their family circle by parents devoted to the Lord and His word and in the assembly of enlightened people of God in the hallowed precincts of the corner meetng house.
Brother Bob's untimely eruption from his cocoon of rural naivety and narrow, bigoted, religious provincialism, as a result of his learning and travels, now make utterly ridiculous and repugnant to him the thought that the Great God of this wide, cosmopolitan world (which he has now seen and concerning which he was blissfully ignorant in the halcyon days of backwoods youth) would cerri people to torment becallse_thee. play upon ica of music in their worship, utilize human,
nevolent'Man- asS-akincies of_ church cooperation, and e.mkorEtillial-Cnissionary societies irt the evangelizing of the world.-the blatant infidel_ of our day and_ti, adlition Isrier-of-Zephaniah;s time Brother Boti thinks God to be indifferent to digressions from the Divine will Our brother and friend of days past did not, but he could just as logically have applied his philosophy-his new-born, enlightened insight-to morals. If God is too great and the world too large and sophistifteftia of a repdgitition of divine authority and control in the realms of worship, benevolence, and evangelism, why
`should not such also be true of morals? Most infidels pro.
fess total enlightenment to the point of accomodating their aberrations in the realm of morals as 'well as religion. Brother Bob's species of infidelity seems still to be hedged about by narrow, provincial concepts in the realm of morals; at least he did not make any application along this line. But, let us be charitable and patient; let us give him time. It takes a long while to get all of the country out of the boy even when the boy gets out of the country.
We have often wondered about men who profess suddenly to be freed from the chains of provincial bigotry. They at once become so very, very wise! Is it not wonderful what a "little higher learning" and world travel can do for them? Suddenly they can take the word of God and, by their enlightened reason, skillfully carve it into essentials and nonessentials. They can tell us what part of it must be obeyed and what part of it !with safety may be ignored. They suddenly know without question what may be disregarded in the word of God without impairment of "fellowship" and what part mut be regarded to preserve "fellowship." Well did Jeremy Taylor say, "To be proud of learning is the greatest ignorance. . W. A.)
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