through simple faith in Jesus Christ (John 1 :12; 3:18) ? Vs. 13, 14. What did the accusers mean by the expression, “unlearned and ig norant men” ? What silenced them (v. 14) ? Were the members of the court merely convicted, or were they also con verted? Is it dangerous _to receive the truth, as these men did, and refuse to ac cept it (Prov. 29:1) ? * * * G olden T e x t I l l u st r a t io n In the public schools of Switzerland, each student is taught this rule: “My duty is to obey and work for God and my na tive land.” The daily repetition of these words does much to mold the characters of those who repeat them. They would be a good motto for all nations to adopt as their own. Their value lies in the fact that God is placed first in the matter of obedience. Our duty to our native land will be properly fulfilled only when we render ' obedience first of all to God. Would the World War have been pos sible had God been first obeyed? • * . * * Peter Preaches a Sermon Acts 3 :11-20 Memory Verse. —“They spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Approach. —Do you remember that when Jesus was taken in the garden by the soldiers, it was Peter who followed Him to the priest’s house and stood out Lesson Story. —One day Peter and John went up to the temple to pray. At the door, they met a lame man. He was beg7 ging for money. Peter and John had no money for him, but they did have the power to make him well, and Peter said to the lame man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk,” and he was made well. You can guess how excited all of the people were at see ing this lathe man walk, and how eagerly they listened to Peter as he told them by what power he could do these wonderful things. But once again, Jesus’ old enemies were there, and they were angry at fending the crowd listening and believing what Peter had to say. So they had Peter and John put into prison. But do you think Peter was frightened this time? No, he and John were ready the next morning to speak boldly for Jesus. The priests won dered at this, for they remembered Peter and John as they used to be. They could scarcely believe that these were the same men, now preaching so fearlessly about Jesus. They tried to frighten them and make them promise not to speak any more. But Peter said, “We must listen to God rather than to you, and we can not help but preach of the things which we have seen and heard.” W & m m side? And do you recall how fright ened he was—so frightened that he was too afraid to tell the people who asked him that he was Jesus’ friend? Since that t i me , Peter has been filled with the H o l y Spirit, and he has now become a very d i f f e r e n t man.
II. T h e A d m in is t r a t io n of t h e S ervice (Acts 6:1-4). 1. The necessity for oversight (1). With the increase of believers, there came jealousy among them—an evidence of the presence of the flesh, even at this early stage of the church’s history. Na tional prejudices arose. There was dis crimination against the Grecian Jews, and this gave rise to complaints which the leaders were forced to consider. 2. The character of the oversight (2, 3). After a discussion of the question, it was decided that a committee be appoint ed to take care of the social needs of the saints, especially of those who were poor. The apostles recognized that they them selves could not leave their appointed min istry in order to manage this part of the work, so they recommended the appoint ment of proper helpers. Note carefully the special qualifications of the seven men who were chosen. First, they must be men of good report, against whom there was no suspicion of unjustness or unfair ness. Second, they must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Third, they must have wis dom. These requirements are still essen tial in all those who would take part, even in the temporal affairs of the church. 3. The safeguard of. the oversight (4). This was found in the apostles’ giving themselves solely to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. There is grave dan ger today in attempting to turn over the whole program of the church to the pas tor. We expect him to do not only his divinely appointed work—the ministry of the Word and of prayer—but we often demand that he take full oversight of everything about the church. It is little wonder that the ministry of the pulpit is often weak and lacking in influence, when the man in the1pulpit is not given time to properly perform his assigned tasks. If the pastor were set free from the care of temporal things, doubtless he would give himself to prayer and the giving forth of the Word to such an extent that those who were appointed to care for the tem poralities would find themselves, with all the other members of his flock, greatly sustained and enriched. III. T h e S u ppo r t of t h e S ervice (2 Cor. 9:1-7). 1. The source o f the support (1, 2). The teacher will do well to study care fully the whole question of Christian giv ing as it is set forth in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. In the verses before us, we gather that the apostle had boasted to the Chris tians of Macedonia that the Corinthians were doing well in the matter of giving. Their example had stirred many to emu lation. The apostle, taught by the Spirit, was not averse to asking the Lord’s peo ple for money. There is a certain super spirituality today which hesitates to ask for money, saying that God will supply it without the asking. But here we have a clear indication that this was not Paul’s view. He does not suggest that the un saved be asked to give anything for the carrying on of the Lord’s work. But to Christians he plainly declares that the only source of support of the church’s ministry is that which the Lord is pleased to allow Christians to have; He appoints some to make money, some to administer it, and some to pray about it, and He looks to each one to accept and to meet his particular responsibility.
Usable There are so many splendid articles in your magazine. I often make use o f them in my work as teacher o f a Bible class and as president of a missionary society.—From Toledo, Iowa.
July 19, 1931 Social Service in the Early Church Lesson : Acts 4:32-35 ; 6:1-7; 9:36-39; 2 Cor. 9. {Lesson 'T e x t : Acts 4:32-35; 6:1-4; 2 Cor. 9:1-7.) Golden Text: “He himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). * * * I. T h e C a u s e of t h e S ervice (Acts 4: 32-35). 1. The unity of their faith (32). The early Christians were all of one heart and soul in the Lord. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, they found them selves loving the same things and desir ing the same objects. Hence, there came to be a community of possessions. We should guard against any attempt to adopt the practice of these early believers, but should be governed, rather, by their precepts. The Lord does not mean that we shall do as they did, but that we shall do as they taught. Many attempts have been made to adopt the practice described in this lesson, but each has resulted in failure and has brought discredit to the name of the Lord. An ideal condition can be brought about only when there is an ideal people, and such a people will not be found until, at the Lord’s coming, all that is fleshly in His followers is taken away. 2. The unity, of their confidence (33). The early Christians were assured that the Lord Jesus had risen from among the dead, and that He' was present, by His Spirit, in their midst. This realization gave great power to the preachers as they proclaimed to the multitudes the won drous truth of the resurrection. 3. The unity o f their love (34, 35). Every member of the church, “which is his body,” is united to every other member. In the very beginning of the church’s history, this fact was recognized. If one member suffered, all the members were affected. No one lacked the sup ply of any need, so long as another mem ber could meet that need. It was an ideal condition that was disrupted, all too soon, by the selfishness of the flesh. The opening verses of chapter 5 show how Satan triumphed over the saints, and how the ideal condition soon passed away. Today, however, the individual Christian may enjoy all the blessings of that earlier day, for he may adopt, to thfe unspeakable blessing of his own soul, the principles u n d e rly in g th e conditions which then obtained, and may find him self in that unity of faith and hope and love which characterized the first Chris tians, and which brings him into blessed fellowship with the Lord and with His followers.
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