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YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
M., Nov. 0. Joining the church. Acts 4:1-4.
T., Nov. 7. Belonging to Christ. 1 Cor. 3:18-23.
W.t Nov. 8. Changed l'ves. Tit. 3:1-7.
T., Nov. 9. Following Jesus. Col. 3:1-4.
F., Nov. 10. Serving one another. liph. 4:1-16.
S., Nov. 11. Serving tho world. Luke 24:46-53.
S. Nov. 12. Topic ? Tho Meaning of Church -
Membership. Matt. 10:32, 33.
WAo/ ore the advantage of church-membership?
What responsibilities go with church-mcmberthip ?
How can we get more out of our church-membership ?
Joining the Church, Acts 4:1-4.
Head also Acts 2:41. Those who ac
cepted Jesus as their Saviour camo
out boldly and joined themselves to
the disciples, notwithstanding the dan
ger of persecution from the rulers of
the Jews. There are some people who
say they can be just as good Chris
tians out of the church as they cr,n
in it. A man may be a Christian
and remain out of tho church, but
he will be a very poor kind of one.
Speaking of Christians and the world,
God says, "Come out from among them
and be ye separate."
Belonging to Christ, 1 Cor. 3:18-23.
Belonging to the churcn may not bo
essential to salvation, but belonging
to Christ is essential. See what a
wonderful connection Paul shows iu
the case of Christians: "All things
are yours . . and ye are Christ's
and Christ is God's." Through Christ
we belong to God. We are Hia not
only by creation, but by the redemp
tion of Christ. He purchased us by
shedding His own blood.
Changed Uvea, Titus 3:1-7. Paul
first describes the character of ono
who is out of Christ, and then shows
how he is changed, when "the kind
ness and love of God our Saviour"
appears toward him, and he is saved
through Christ. There ought to be
evidence of a greatly changed life,
when we realize that we have been
6aved. If there is no real change in
our lives, we may well ask ourselves
whether or not we are saved.
Following Jesus, Col. 3:1-4. In or
der to follow Jesus, we must set our
affections upon Him. We must try
to become like Him in our lives. We
must love what He loves. We must
make His alms our aimq. His great
aim is to save sinners, and it should
be our great aim to lead sinners to
salvation.
Serving Ono Another, Eph. 4:1-16.
If we are all members of one great
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family, of which Christ is the head,
we ought to be as eager to serve one
another as members of an eartbiy
family should be. The trouble with
so many is that they want to ba
served by others instead of serving
others. Our Saviour said. "I came
not to be ministered unto mot to be
served), but to minister (tc serve).-'
Serving the World, LuVo 24:4 6-53.
Every Christian should Fevve the
world, not in the sense of beins a
slave to the world over which Satan
rules in contradistinctioi? to the
Church over which Christ rules. But
we should serve the people of thf.
world by doing whatever \vc can for
their benefit, especially in spiritual
things. In order to do this, we must
be endued with power from on high
That is, we must have the iudwelMng
of the Holy Spirit. This we can have
lor the asking.
The Meaning of Church Member
ship, Matt. 10:32, 33. The Church is
the greatest organization on earth. It
is greatest in numbers, greatest in
influence, greatest in its aims and
purposes, greatest in its principles,
greatest in its work, greatest in its
head and ruler. No greater honor can
be conferred upon a man than to be
made a member of the Church of the
living God. The conditfons of mem
bership are as simple as can be imag
ined. All that is required is faith in the
Lord Jesus as Saviour and a desire
to become a member of the Church.
Our Saviour expects all His people to
be members of His Church, for that
is the easiest and most -successful way
of confessing Him before men. In
the Church we have fellowship one
with another and with Ood. In the
Church we can best serve God and
do most for the world. He who is a
true member of the Church on earth
will be a member of the Church in
heaven.
SUGGESTED PROGRAM.
Hymn: "Love Divine, All Love Ex
celling."
Prayer for God's blessing on our
Church.
Hymn: "Glorious Things of Thee Are
Spoken."
Daily topics assigned to seven mem
bers.
Hymn: "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord."
Subjects for consideration:
"What kind of a church would our
church be,
If all of its members were Just like
me?"
How can we become better members
of the Church?
How can we bring others into th?i
Church?
Sentence Prayers.
Hymn: "I Am Thine, O Lord."
Closing prayer that all may be better
members of the Church.
SENTENCE PRAYERS.
Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast
organized Thy Church on earth, and
that Thou hast called us to be mem
bers of that Church.
O Saviour, help us to realize ,Just
what it means to be a member of Thy
Church, and help us to be faithful to
Thee.
O Holy Spirit, we pray that Thou
wilt cleanse our hearts and flt them
for service in Thy Church.
Father, give us grace to do whatso
ever Than wouldst have us to do.
O Saviour, help us to live so that
we shall show to others by our lives
that we are true members of Thy
Church.
O Holy Spirit, be our Teacher, our
Guide, our Helper in winning others
for Christ, that they, too, may he
come members of His Church.
Father, we pray for Thy Church
everywhere that all of its members
may be faithful, and that through
their efforts it may soon spread all
over the earth.
Father, when Thou hast brought us
to the end of our lives, we pray that
Thou wilt take us all to bo members
of Thy Church in heaven.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVORERS EX
CHANGE VISITS.
Weal is one of the country churches
in Roanoke Presbytery that has a
flourishing Christian Endeavor So
ciety. This society and the Chatham
society recently exchanged visits. The
Chatham young people came out ono
Sunday evening and gave their pro
gram, and the next Sunday the Weal
society rendered a program at Chat
ham. Both these services were most
interesting and helpful, and served to
promote good fellowship between tho
churches.
"Cor."
FIRST CHURCH, FLORENCE, 8. C.
The Senior, Intermediate and Ju
nior Christian Endeavor Societies aro
meeting every Sabbath, with large and
enthusiastic attendance, and one spe
cial service given by the group of Se
nior Endeavorers is a splendid reli
gious service at the city jail, which
is also a Federal prison, conducted
by them one Sunday afternoon each
month." A.
Rally Day was observed in our Sun
day school on October 1st, with a fine
attendance, and the program suggest
ed by the committee was followed.
Each class that was promoted took
part in recitation or song, and one
class of wee lads recited in unison a
large part of the Child's Catechism.
Twenty-six children had recited the
catechisms of the church during the
year, and about eighty were entitled
to pins for attendance of six mcuths
and one year, while five received gold
pins for attendance for two years. It
has been a most fruitful and happy
year for the whole Sunday school,
which has doubled in numbers dur
ing the past two years, and is no\V
overflowing both Sunday school rooms
and church auditorium.
GADDO, OKLA.
The Christian Endeavor Society of
the Caddo church received the bronz*
shield given by Coal District for the
largest number of registrations at the
Dietrict Convention held at Durant,
October 6th-8th.
WATER JAR ATTENDANCE CON
TEST.
The Christian Endeavor Societies of
St. Louis are in the midst of a church
attendance contest of active members.
This will continue throughout the win
ter, closing March 28th. The socie
ties are divided into two groups, ac
cording to membership. The two win
ning societies will each be awarded q
water jar contributed by Miss Jan?5
Thompson, a missionary in Punjab,
India, under the Presbyterian Board.
She is being supported by the En
deavor Societies of Presbyterian
Churches of Greater St. Louis.
The award is for the largest per
centage in church and prayer meeting
attendance. The prize, when twice
won by any given society, may be re
tained permanently. ? Church at Work.
A large part of tire good work of
both Church and State la trying to
undo the bad work of the saloon.
JESUS THE GREAT TEACHER.
Nov. 12, 1922. Luke 6:1-49.
This is a great chapter, full of some
of the Saviour's greatest teachings. It
will be impossible to go minutely into
all of the details of all these verses.
It will be better just to get the great
truths set forth here and present their
main features.
The Sabbat li.
In verses 1-12 Jesus teaches a great
lesson as to Sabbath observance. In
teaching what a law requires, it is
often well to show what it does not
require. The scribes and Pharisees
had cluttered the Sabbath law with
so many of their own traditions and
interpretations that it was hard to
find the law itself. Jesus gives two
proofs that the spirit is not to be killed
in order that the letter may be pre
served.
Contrary to their ideas, He showed
that there was no harm in the dis
ciples' gathering a little grain tc sat
isfy their hunger, when they had noth
ing elso to eat. There are works of
necessity that may be done on the
Sabbath, but one ought to be very
sure that they are necessary.
Works of mercy may also be done
on the Sabbath. Jesus showed this
by healing the man with the with
ered hand. If one is injured or taken
sick or is in pain, it is right to use
every means possible to relieve him,
whether it be on the Sabbath or not.
Choosing the Apostles.
Before choosing the twelve apostles
Jesus spent the whole night in prayer.
Whenever we have any important mat
ter to attend to we ought to spend
much time in prayer for <?od'a help
and guidance.
Although Jesus had just appointed
His apostles, and one would suppose
that He would be specially Interested
in beginning His work of training
them, when He came down from the
mountain, He was ready to receive
the multitudes and supply their need
of healing.
Teaching the Disciples.
In verses 20-23 Jesus gives some
teaching that is very much like that
of the Sermon on the Mount, as re
corded in the fifth chapter of Mat
thew. He sets forth the way in *hlch
His disciples are to act In showing
their Christian character. And in
verses 24-26 He warns them of the
danger of doing otnerwise. He who
lives according to the teaching* of
Jesus will be blessed. He who does
not ma.' expect to be cursed.
The liiiw of Love.
Jesus goes directly contrary to the
teachings of the scribes. He tells us
that His disciples must love. This
love is not to be selfish, making love
only to our friends. We are to love
all who need our love, even though
they he our enemies. We shouFd re
member that God loves them. Our
love may turn them from enemies to
friends, and we may thus be able to
win them for God. We are not to
insist too much upon our rights. We
may in that way trespass upon tho
rights of others. We had better suf
fer injury ourselves rather than in
flict an injury upon another. If the
Golden Rule is put in practice in our
business and in our pleasures we will
find that there will be great blessings
coming to us. By doing this we will
show forth the principles of the reli
gion of Jesus Christ, and this will
aid us in winning others to become
followers of Him.
In' applying the Golden Rule, Jesus
says that we are to love unselfishly
(vs. 32-3$)^ to be merciful (v. 36),