THE SABBATH HOUR

Northern Advocate, 19 October 1935, Page 6

THE SABBATH HOUR

TEXT FOR TODAY,

A WARNING. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ 1 Cor. 10:12. “I WAS NOT DISOBEDIENT,” Notes of an address delivered by Mr H. M. McCallum at Whakapara children’s service. Text; “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”—Acts 26:19. A famous general once said: “He cannot command who has not himself first learned to obey,” and it is quite true. Nobody is fit to issue orders who has not first learned to obey orders. A gentleman was once walking over London Bridge, accompanied by his son. He suddenly remembered an important piece of business he had to transact, and told his son to wait for him at the end of the bridge. Having transacted his business, he proceeded homeward, as it was now getting dark, forgetting about his arrangement with his son. On his arrival home, accompanied by a friend, he missed his son, and then remembered his understanding with the boy. The friend said: ■ “Oh, it will be all right. He will have left for home long ago.” The father replied: “No, he won’t! I know that my boy would be obedient, and would wait until I came for hirtn” It turned out as he said. The boy was still standing at the bridge-end awaiting his father’s return, having stood there for several hours. That was surely an outstanding example of obedience! It is related that, after the destruction of Pompeii by an eruption from Mt. Vesuvius, excavators discovered a soldier standing in his sentry-box, dead, having been faithful to his task —obedient unto death. There are two voices that call to us: conscience helps us to know which voice we should obey. As a rule, when there seems to be'two things that we should do, the harder thing to do is usually the right thing. If one voice says: “Chop sticks for mother,” and another “Go and play footie,” you may be sure that what you ought to do is to chop sticks for mother'. Not long ago there was a competition in London to discover the telephone exchange girl with the pleasantest voice, and the one who came first was described as “The girl with the golden voice.” Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice ... and they follow me.” “A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him.” There was never a voice like Jesus’ voice. How wonderful if we could have a gramophone record of His voice. Paul (or Saul) had been listening to another voice, which said; “Destroy this new sect, stamp, it out; they will upset the temple worship,” and he was doing his best, “breathing out

threatenings and slaughter,” fire and brimstone. Then one day, on the Damascus Road, Paul had a vision, and heard Jesus’ voice speaking to him, saying: “Saul! Saul! Why persecute thou Me?” Paul said: “Who art thou, Lord?” and the voice answered: “I am Jesus, Whom thou persecuteth.” Then Paul said: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Jesus then told Paul to go to ’ Damascus and await orders. From that time, Paul never again listened to the first voice. “I was not disobedient,” he told King Agrippa. Paul received his instructions from Jesus Himself, Who told him that he was to go fgr hence to the Gentiles, to be a witness for Him, to open their eyes to the truth, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. His obedience took him through Asia into Europe, and back again to Jerusalem. He was stoned, lashed, imprisoned, and persecuted in many other ways, but he did not shrink from his task. He never forgot that vision—he told about it time and again. He heard only one voice now. Jesus appeared to Paul a number of times. Sometimes He sent an angel to strengthen him. The Jews at Jerusalem mobbed him, and he was rescued by the chief captain with a band of soldiers, who came just in time. From that time Paul was a prisoner. How he was standing before King Agrippa, and was able to say: “I was not disobedient.” He was going to Rome, as Jesus had told him, to be a Witness for Him, and he was afterwards to die for Him, but he was able to say to the end; “I was not disobedient.” , Paul was , obedient. Do you know that Jesus, the Son of God, was obedient, and that His obedience to the Father’s will led Him to the Cross of ‘Calvary? “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered.” The angels of God gladly obey His will, unquestioningly. The devils obey, because they must. When Jesus found demon-possessed people. He said; “Come out of him,” and the demons, (or devils) obeyed. Good men believe the Gospel and obey 'God’s word. Abraham of old obeyed God, left his home; and went out into the unknown. , The ravens obeyed God’s command, and carried food to Elijah the Prophet. The great fish heard God’s command and vomited Jonah. Tire stormy sea became calm at Jesus’ word. God wants'men and women, boys and girls, who will hear his Voice and obey. If everybody obeyed God’s commands the world would be a different place from what it is. “I was ■ not disobedient.” Paul said to King Agrippa. Had Paul disobeyed, I am sure we would have no Sunday School here in Whsikapara. It is very important that we should hear God’s word (listen only to His voice) and obey. May we learn to be obedi-, ent like Paul.