The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1909-01-15

steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and
fellowship and i'm breaking Of bread and
In prayers. Acts 2:i2
TIME.-Probably on Sunday. May 2s.
A. u. 80 The same day as our last les
son. and the days following.
PLACE.-Jerusalem Peter preached In
the vicinity of the upper room or in the
temple court Then i'm the temple court,
and In the homes of the people.
PLACE IN HISrORY.-The birth of
the Christian church.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
with this sermon we must com
pare St Peters other sermons--to the
Jewish people (Acts 3:12-26) and to
the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-43."-
Rackam.
Jesus of Nazareth was their prom
ised Messiah, whom they were expect
ing. The reasoning of Peter was con
elusive ana unanswerable. Stated i'm
brief modern form it was as fol-
lows
1. What has taken place in your
presence Is exactly what your proph.
cts foretold would characterize the
Messianic times for which you are
hoping. Turn to the prophet Joel,
and you will see that both what
has been done to the disciples and
the things you are suffering under the
Roman yoke are the fufillment of
Joels picture Of the times.
2. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the
prophecies concerning the expected
Messiah deliverer, as many of you
have seen and experienced. God in
dorsed and approved him "by mira
cles and wonders and signs"
3. Moreover, God reversed your
wicked work by raising him from the
dead. according to your Scriptures. He
is not dead but living.
4. We are witnesses of the fact of
his resurrection.
B. Another proc. that he is living
IL the gift of the Holy Spirit He
hath shed forth this which ye now
sce and hear"
Peters hearers were convicted of
sin and its danger. V. 81. "They were
pricked in their hearts" The Greek
for pricked means "pricked with
sharp point intensely, deeply" For
the word of God is living, and active,
and sharper than any two-edged
sword, and piercing even TO the divid.
ing OF soul and spirit e.. and quick
to discern the thoughts and intents of
the heart" for "all things are naked
and lad open before the eyes OF him
with whom we have to do."-Heb.
4:12-13.
The sense of sin is the plowshare
that opens the soil of the heart for
The reception OF every true grace OF
character"
The Second Duty.--Believing In
Jesus as Master, Messiah, King, Saw
our, and Guide-a faith which trusts
the whole life to his guidance and
control. This is implied in the re-
luhement TO be baptized.
The third duty was to confess Christ
publicly, openly, by baptism; that they
hencefor,h are his disciples for life
and death. 1t was like taking an oath
Of allegiance when one becomes cit
izen Of country.
This picture of the early church Is
so attractive, so beautiful, SO ideal,
that some commentators have felt
that 1t was idealized by late writer's,
and was not literally true But as a
matter Of fact, it has been repeated
over and over again for short spaces
OF time. Our own eyes have seen it.
V. A. "All that believed fl. had all
things common" They were mem.
bers OF one family and held things in
common, just as members of family
do. Everything was for the good of
all. No one, said that anything was
his own," but all was for the use of
friends and of whatever Christian had
need.
Oriental light t.-R. Talbot Kelly