The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-07-14
The
Sunday IS CllOOl
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
MENTS FOR JULY IL.
Subject: Peters Confession, Matt.
0:23-2S--Commit TO Menu
ory Verse 20.

christ, the son OIL the living God.'
Matt. 1916.
TIME.-Summer A. d. 29.
PLACE.-Caesarea Phillppl.
EXPOSITION.--I. Peter Confess.
ing Christ, 1910. Jesus had been
praying in seclusion (Luke 9:1S).
The time had come to tell the disci-
piles of His approaching death, but as
Ia preparation for this sad information
they must first be brought to a dis.
tinct apprehension of His deity. So
He put to them the question of v. 13.
What men think of Christ is an all
important matter. Jesus followed up
Ills first question with one more per-
sonal. "but ye, whom say We that 1
hm?" It is more important for each
of us, whom we think and say Jesus
is, than whom men think and say that
He is. Jesus wished them to put
their conviction about Him into
confession with the mouth (Ro. 10:
10). Peter answered for the COM
pany as usual. He was no quicker to
Bee the truth than the rest, but quick
er to put IL into words or action (cf.
pno. 21:D. Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the Living God" cried Pc
her. This confession had been made
before (Jno. 1:49;. Matt. 14:33; CT.
Uno. 6:69, A. V. and r. W, but the
confession as now made was with
clearer conception of its import. The
confession here made is of the utmost
practical Importance Il Jno. AIS; !,
81. 50. 1t contains the fundamental
truth of the gospel (Acts 9:20).
ii. Christ Confessing Peter, 1920.
Jesus was pleased with Peters con-
fession of Him. and He is similarly
pleased when we confess Him in
like manner to-day Matt. 1892,
33). This confession made weak ST.
mon, son of Jonah, Petros Ga piece of
rock). Jesus said Peter had had this
great truth revealed to him by the
heavenly Father. No one can really
know Jesus as the Son of God unless
God does reveal it to him Il Cor. 2 .
IA; 12:3). But God reveals it to any
one who wishes to know and wills to
do the truth (Jno. 7:17; 16:13-15).
The practical proof that we believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, is found in l Jno. 5:5. Jesus
said upon this rock (Petra), faith in
which made Simon a Petros (piece of
rock), He would build His church.
Jesus Christ is Himself the chief cor
nerstone of the church (Eph. 2:20;
Il Cor. 3:11; lisa. 2S:16), and all
built upon Him become themselves
living stones Il Pet. 2:5, 6, r. W.
The gates of hades shall not prevailI
against the church built upon Christ
and faith in Him as the Son of God.
Members of that church will fall
asleep. but hades will have no power
over them, they will depart to be with
Christ (Phil. 1:53), and others will
arise to carry on their work till Christ
come.
III. The Cost of True Discipieship,
2f-2S. The time was now ripe for
Jesus to declare to His disciples His
rejection, suffering and
death. He tells them He must" go
to Jerusalem; must" suffer, must"
be killed, must be raised again. There
was an imperative necessity for these
things. Why must" He die? (Jno.
3:14; Heb. 9:22; lisa. SO: 4-6; 2 Cor.
5:21; Gal. 3:13; l Pet. 2:2D. But,
there is another glorious must,
must be raised again (Ro. IA; 4:25;
5:9; Jno. 14:19). Peter again
rushes to the front, but not this time
with God-given confession of faith,
but ilesh-given protest against the
cross. And now Jesus pronounces
him no longer Peter (rock-man), but
Satan Ian Adversary, and "a stumb-
All this downfall and
came from his minding
not the things of God but the things
OF men. To face the cross is the
mind Of Col, to shun 1t is the mind
of men. Which mind have you? Then
follow the wondrous words that set
In tna p1 oct ND Nuf- af.pl,
ing way the conditions and cost Of
real discipleshIp % Let him deny
Real self-ienial Is the de-
deny" means ito affirm that one has
one" Just as Peter denied his Lord
Matt. 26:72; Luke 22:34). To deny
self then is to say to self-when 1t
comes forward with its claims, its de-
mands, it's interests, its desires, its
opinions, its strength, its anything
az don't know you" 1t Is to renounce
self with all that belongs to it, its
ideas, hopes, plans, purposes, ambi-
tions, strength, all. CD Let him
take up his cross" The cross is that
suffering and shame that lie in the
path of loyalty to God, literal execu-
tlon on a cross for Jesus and persecu-
tion for all who, etc. e TT. 3:12).
TO take up our cross Is t. go right on
in the path of duty and meet the suf-
fering and shame and crucifixion that
lie there. To compromise with the
world TO avoid these. is to refuse the
cross and cease to be a disciple. go
"And follow Me-" 1. e., to have the
mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5-8; Pet. q:
.l9-2D. This looked hard to the dis
ciples, but Jesus went on to show how
well It paid, that man made bad
bargain II he gained the whole world
aud in doing 1t lost his soul or life.
Jesus is coming again In the glory OF
His Father with His angels. In that
day every one shall receive according
to his deeds. Verse 28 does not refer
TO the second coming of Christ, but,
as is evident from the context, TO that
anticipation of His second coming
that Immediately followed, His trans
fguration. AS Peter and James and
Jchn saw Him on that occasion. they
saw Him coming in His kingdom.