THIS is a lesson on seeing things as God sees them. Man looks on the
outside, God looks on the inside. We look at the clothes and manners
of other people. God looks at the heart. God's way is the best. The
only way to see things as they really are, and all wise boys and girls
will try to see as God sees. In giving this lesson select the
brightest cups possible. Place them on a table by themselves and say
"Here are two cups." They look alike; they appear to be alike. Judging
from outward appearance, they are alike. That is the way man sees cups
and people, but God looks on the inside as well. This we should do
also if we wish to see as God sees. Here is a bright and beautiful
cup. Let us together see what it contains. The first cup contains
nothing but soiled, dirty, greasy rags. They are worthless. Mother
would burn them as they are good for nothing. Have the cup painted
black on the inside and as you hold up the cup so they can see the
inside you say "It is filled with night as black as evil deeds." Down
on the bottom of the cup place a small toy serpent which you produce
last and say the reason the inside of the cup of life is bad is
because down deep in the heart you will find sin and that makes the
whole heart bad. To illustrate the nature of sin write on a cardboard
the word sin like this S I N--say the first letter of sin resembles a
serpent. You cannot speak the letter S without hissing like a serpent.
The curves of the letter also resemble the serpent in the act of
striking. The serpent before it strikes must curl up and lift its head
high before it can give its fatal bite. So this teaches us the fact
that sin is active and ready to assault at all times. Note the second
letter I. That means sin is in you. I find sin is inside. Increase the
letter I like this S =I= N which means sin is growing in us all the
time as we grow older and older, it gets larger and larger. The only
way to get it out of our heart is to come to Jesus and ask Him by the
power of His cross to cleanse the inside of the cup and He will do it.
Pin strips of _red paper over_ the =I=, and you make the Cross. This
is the only power which will kill the serpent of sin and make clean
the inside of the cup of life. Then when God looks in He does not see
the evil of sin. That makes the cup all right. Now show the second cup
and say "Here is a cup, right outside, also right inside. Let us look
in as God does, and see what we find." First produce a small New
Testament. If you cannot secure one small enough for the cup, write on
small strips of paper short texts of scripture, and bring them out,
one by one, and read them. David says "Thy word have I hid in my
heart, that I might not sin against thee." That is the first big
reason why the cup is clean inside. Now produce from the cup a large
piece of white silk, or other thin fabric, and declare as you draw
this silk out, that "what comes forth from the heart is pure, and
white, and right." "Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it
are the issues of life." Prov. 4:23. The issues are streams of good
works. If you so desire you can use white ribbon instead of silk. In
that case, cut the silk in small pieces and name each of them after
some good quality such as Help, Kindness, Love, Truth, etc. After this
produce a number of short blue ribbons which you can name Faithful,
Friendship. Blue standing for "true blue" meaning true friendship.
Have the ribbons tied together, meaning the pure heart and true heart
makes friends who are friends indeed. At last produce a small streamer
of red which stands for the cross. God looks inside of such a cup and
smiles and blesses it. Let us all try to see things as God sees them
and we will wear the smile that does not come off. To simplify this
lesson for use of very little eyes, you can use the following objects.
Secure a plain tin cup, and larger and more ornamented one, and place
them side by side. Say to the children "Which is the better cup? If I
should offer you one of the cups which would you choose?" They would
all declare the silver cup as their choice. Now show them that is not
the way God looks on things. We decide our choice by looking at the
outside. God looks on the inside also. Now show them the beautiful cup
is full of dirty water and the tin cup full of pure water. Which of
the cups is worth more to you when you are thirsty? They will all tell
you the tin cup is worth the most. Always look in before you decide.
That is the way God does. He sees the heart first. In arranging this
lesson, prepare the cups first. As you think it over, you will find it
easy to think up other things to make up the contents, but have them
all prepared before lesson time. Do not permit the children to look
into the cups before the lesson or the real point of the truth you
wish to teach them will be lost.
=CHAPTER XV
JOHN 3:16 IN COLORS=
_Objects: A Number of Colors Arranged in Their Proper Order_