Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

(He
consist"
offers."
sacrifice"
Lesson Helps for the Week of April 3, 1955
CYPU TOPIC
For AprU 3, 1955
Comments by Rev. Robert W. McMillan
"DOLLARS TO DOUGHNUTS"
(Stewardship Topic)
Col. 1:16, 17; Deut. 10:14; I John 3:16;
Rom. 12:1
PLACE: First Reformed Presbyterian
church, Sleepytown, U.S.A.
TIME: 6:42 o'clock, Sabbath evening
(C.Y.P.U. should have begun at 6:30
sharp. )
CHARACTERS : A STRANGER is seat
ed in the room. The others are the fair
ly-regular ten that come to young peo
ple's meeting
Marybelle, Polly, Martha,
Esther, John, Bill, Bob, Jerry, Paul and
his wife Kate. (All names used are fic
titious; any resemblance to persons liv
ing or dead is entirely coincidental.)
All have come drifting in, one or two
at a time except Jerry, who is supposed
to lead. A few comments are made about
the dent in Bill's fender, the weather
(unusual for this time of year), then
they lapse into silence. They all notice
the stranger, but only to stare at him
and wonder who he is.
Finally, Jerry comes in, a little breath
less as though he had run up the church
steps.
JERRY: Let us open the meeting by
singing Psalm ... pauses to look
in the Witness to see what Psalm they
are going to sing.) . . . Psalm nine,
verses one, four and five, on page fif
teen. Let us rise to sing and remain
standing for prayer. (They sing, but
without enthusiasm, each one looking
down into his book, as though he had
never seen the Psalm before. Then Jerry
recites his stock prayer.)
Dear God, we thank thee for those
present tonight. Bless the absent ones
wherever they
are. Bless the mission
aries in foreign lands. Lead us ever on
ward and upward,
Amen.
for Christ's sake.
(Apologetically) Our Witness was lost
and I didn't find it until just before I
came. The topic tonight is Stewardship,
and now, please take the references as
I read them. Oh, there aren't any given
in the Witness! Well, then, let's have
some discussion. Marybelle, what is
Stewardship
MARYBELLE : Isn't it something about
how much money you give to the
church
JERRY : Yes, I guess it is and we should
all give to support the church, shouldn't
we Is there any further discussion of
the topic (Silence. The unprepared
leader is scanning the comments hoping
March 16, 1955
to find something to promote a discus
sion.)
STRANGER: May I say something
JERRY: (Surprised, but relieved that
someone has broken the silence) Oh yes!
Go right ahead!
STRANGER: I happen to be visiting
relatives in your communifty. Your
church was pointed out to me, and I've
dropped in. A few years ago I would
have been as hard pressed to know what
to say on the subject of Stewardship as
your leader seems to be. (Stranger nods
at Jerry who seems to have lost his
usual poise) It's a long story, but I have
discovered that it pays to "give all that
God asks, and take all that God
My trouble was not a lack of knowledge
so much as a lack of the willingness to
obey. And O! what I was missing in
fellowship with the Lord!
The important thing to remember
about Stewardship is that God wants
us more than anything that we have.
Paul praised the Macedonian Christians,
you remember, because they "first gave
their own selves to the Lord" (2 Cor.
8:5). Also, remember that Stewardship
relates to every area of our lives, not
just to our pocket-books (although that
may be the acid-test). The Bible teaches
that Jesus Christ is the creator and sustainer
of everything! "By Him all things
(Col. 1:17; John 1:3). When you
consider how Jesus showed His love for
us (I John 3:16) can you be contented
with the kind of service you're giving
to Him In the Old Testament the Is
raelites were required to bring a perfect
lamb, one without spot or blemish. The
times have changed but God doesn't
change. He still requires our best. But
are you young men and women giving
your best to God I doubt if your em
ployer would put up
with the kind of
service you offer to God. You get to
work on time, or else. But, if you'll par
don my saying so, I observed that you
come to church late, and think nothing
of it. You are asked to lead a youth
meeting, and you accept the task feeling
that if it is inconvenient to prepare for
the job that you can bluff your way
through. You see You offer to God
what no earthly employer would accept.
If you're going to claim the name of
Christian then you ought to accept the
challenge of Romans 12:1
"I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service."
I'm sorry if you've been offended by my
remarks, but I feel that it is the truth.
I have to leave now, and since I don't
live here it isn't likely that I'll have the
opportunity to be back. God bless you
all.
(Stranger leaves. His presence, remarks
and departure are such a change from
the usual routine that the fairly-regulars
are astonished
and convicted.)
JERRY: (Dazed) I wonder who he is
There's no use pretending. What the
man said hit me pretty hard. I spent all
afternoon sleeping. I knew that I was
supposed to lead the meeting, but, like
he said, I thought I could bluff my way
through. I'm really sorry. And I must
also confess that my life hasn't been any
"living at all.
(Space has run out, but the writer
thinks that the meeting ended with a
more sincere prayer than the one with
which it began.)
JUNIOR TOPIC
AprU 3, 1955
Mrs. Luther McFarland
Montclair, N. J.
A BABY'S TEARS
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-10, 33-25
Memory Verse: "Children, obey your
parents in all things :
for this is well
pleasing unto the Lord." Colossians 3 :20
Psalms
Sing from memory Psalm 103 :6-9,
page 244
Psalm 91:1-5, page 224
Psalm 119:1-4, page 288
Psalm 112:1, 4, page 277
Not much to see, you say
a crying
baby, something one can see anywhere.
But after all is anything so pathetic as
a baby's tears. The birth of a baby in
the home is always a joyous event, but
in the case of Moses, his coming created
a problem.
The question would immediately arise,
in the minds of Moses' father and moth
er, what would happen to him Should
they try to save him in spite of the
edict of the wicked king Their faith in
God was so strong that they
were not
afraid of Pharaoh. These Hebrew par
ents were pious; they sought only to do
right and so they looked to God for His
blessing and protection. Through prayer
they were able to trust the care of their
child to God and to receive the assur
ance that no harm would come to him.
No doubt as the parents bent over their
child, in that peasant's hut, and saw his
exceeding goodliness, the assurance grew
in their hearts that God had a special
work for him to do. The Bible does not
tell us, but some writers say that Moses'
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