The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-02-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vi, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. z.

Text of the the Lesson, Acts iv, 81, to V,
1l-aIemory Verses, 81, 33-Goiden Text,
Sam. xvi Commentary by the Rev.
d. NJ. Stearns.
So "And the multitude of them that
believed were of one heart and of one soul. .
1t was a whole hearted surrender to Christ
of all they We're and all they had; full
recognition that they were not their own,
but bought with price to be special
people unto the Lord Il Cor. Vi, 10, 20;
Titus ii, AZ This was as truly the work
of the Holy Spirit as was the boldness OF
Peter and John before the council, or their
boldness in verse 81. Imagine the finan-
cial condition of the churches and mission
airy societies if all Christians would say.
"Whatever the Lord wants of me or mine
He is welcome to, for ali am and have Is
surely His. :"
80. "And with great power gave the
apostles witness Of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them
all. - The grace was the grace of God, and
the power was the Spirit OF God. Not by
might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,
saith the Lord of Hosts Czech. ~, g..
"a, So. Neither was there any among
them that lacked. Distribution was made
to every man according as he had need. >
1t is the Lords plan that those who are
His and serve Him should lack no good
thing FPS. lxxxiv, II; AIath- vi, 33; Phil.
iv, 10; Luke xii, 35).
Make thou His service thy delight;
He'll make thy wants His care.
In this case the supply came from the
willing contributions of those who, having
property, sold it and brought the proceeds
to the apostles When the tabernacle was
built, the superabundaut supply came
from the willing offerings of the people
lex xxxvi, SD; but whether in these
ways, or by ravens, or by increase of oil or
meal, God will supply His peoples need.
S. 81 And JOses, having land, sold
it and brought the money and laid it at
the apostles feet Here is one example
of the many who did thus. His other
name, Barnabas (son of cOnsolation), was
certainly true of him when he stood by
Saul at the time the other disciples were
afraid of him (Acts tx, 26, 20.
Chapter V, 1, 2. But a certain man
named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife,
sold a possession and kept back part of the
price - These were professedly followers
of Christ and perhaps really so; but, like
SO many today, they We're not whole heart
ed in service. They saw others selling
property and giving the proceeds to the
apostles for the general good, and they
seemed to do like the others, not thinking
that God saw their hearts and their dis
honesty. They did not act upon the pre-
cept, Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to
the Lord, and not unto men" Nor did
they think of the eyes of the Lord behold
ing the evil and the good (CoL iii, 49,
Prov. XIV, 81.
8. "But Peter said Ananfas, why hath
satan filed thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost?'' When any one receives Christ,
the Holy Spirit is given to instruct, guide
and control in all things that life, and
when there is complete submission to the
Spirit there will be a life greatly to the
glory of God, but when the old life-the
flesh, the carnaI nind-which still remains
in the believer is allowed to have its evil
way-for it is only evil-then the Spirit is
grieved (Eph. iv, 29-32).
T. ''Thou hast not lied unto men, but
unto God Here is proof of the oneness
of the Father and tie Spirit to lie to the
one is to lie to the other. The property
was Ananias' and the proceeds of the prop
erty when sold were his also, and he was
at liberty to give 20 God all or part or none
without committing sin, but to profess tc
give all and yet give only part was "a lie.
We are saved freely through Christ with
out money or price. We are then to re
member that we are bought with a price
the precious blood of Christ, and yield fully
to Him for His service (ROm. xii, u, but
it must be honestly and cheerfully done t
be accepted
5, 6. And Ananias, hearing these
words fell down and gave up the ghost.
Instant death for lie. This seems very
severe, but it was evidently, in the sigh
of God, a necessary discipline for the be
levers / cannot conclude that this maj
and his wife were out and out hypocrite
and lost souls without concluding that al
who today keep back part of the price arr
also lost souls and if that be SO what
host of professors are lostl If all sucl
should be cut off as these two were, Their
would not be undertakers enough to see t.
the burying
2. "And it was about the space of tire
hours after, when his wife, not knowing
what was done, came in " She did no
know that she was a widow, she did no
know that her guilt had been found out
she probably came looking for her nus
band She came knowing in her hear
that she was acting lie as to the price o
the property, but not knowing Gods dis
pleasure with such conduct. What con
trast there is in this mot knowing" to tn
"not knowing" of Abraham in Heb. XII, s
g. "And Peter answered unto her, Tel
me whether We sold the land for SO much
And she said, Yea, for SO much. :" An
other lie, the Spirit grieved, loss incurred
The devil is the father of lies, and thu
early In the history of the church he got i
some of his devilish work. He did som
of the same kind mean lying-throug
Abraham ana SSAran, Isaac duu IleDehsiL
Jacob and Rachel, and if he never accom-
plished any through you, my friend, 20
have great reason to praise God for HI
grace which has kept you.
g. "Then Peter said unto her, How
it that ye have agreed together to temp
the Spirit of the Lord?" What consterns
ton must have seized her as she heard tn
exposition of her guilt. and in Peters nez
words the tidings that her husband wa
dead and buried, and that she must d
tool What an awful illustration of I'll
words in Mum. xxi, 23-''B Be sure you
sin will find you out. 3" May we keep
mind that God desires truth in the inwar
parts and let our hearts be saying, So
Lord. thou hast searched me and know
me- ops Ii, 6; cxxxix, u.
10. "Then fell she down straightway
his feet and yielded up the ghost. Al
other example of Gods hatred of dece
and lying Those who make practice
lying have reason to fear lest they final
find themselves in Rev. xxi, 8. The:
two may have been given to this sin e.
they became numbered with the followe
of Christ and this may have been the fir
outbreak since conversion
II. stAnd great fear came upon all Il
church, and upon as many as heard the
things" We are to serve the Lord vii
fear and rejoice with trembling, and al
to work out our own salvation with fe
and trembling phil. ii, 12), not fear
being lost, but a fear OF grieVing the Ho
Spirit
STAGE GLINTS.
e. s. Willard thinks America
good enough for him" He will retur
to this country next season.