Middletown transcript., 1916-01-29
INTERNATIONAL
SUlNESQIOOL
LESSON
By E. o. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago)
Copyright 1915, Western Newspaper UniOn-)
LESSON FOR JANUARY 80
THE LAME MAN LEAPINe.
.EssON TExT-Acts 8.

soon C0SL6Q OUTSIDE OI IU0 ClTCl0 VI
believers. 1t is put to public test, is
tried as to it's efficacy physically, i. e.,
has the Holy Spirit power physically
as well as over the spirits of men?
!. The Appeal to Peter and John, W..
1-1o. Following Pentecost the disciples
seem to have continued their accus-
toned mode of life. (1) The apostles
and worship ". u. AS yet, and in
deed for many years to come, there
was no particular separation of Jews
and Christians.
Praying men like these two leaders,
Peter and John, continued to fulfill
their temple duties The ninth hour
was the prayer hour, the hour of sac
riflce (Ex 29:39, Kings 1886.
All true approach to God must be on
the grounds of sacrifice John 1876,
Heb. 9:22) and we must remember
that this hour was the one at which
Jesus died for US, our sacrifice (Heb.
1919, 29).
Emphasize the need and Importance
of worship and prayer.
(2) The afflicted one ". p. This
man had been there often and made
his usual appeal; his expectation was
limited to material aid ". 81; he may
or he may not have been familiar with
Christ and his teachings, but some
thing unusual was about to happen be-
cause the two to whom he appealed
really knew God and on them now
rested this new power in the world.
90 The apostles response (vv. 40.
Peter took a good look at the man
". A.. Peter was changed by a look
Matt. 16:O. What he saw was the
mans fundamental spiritual need.
(a) Demanding the mans undivided
attention, Peter gave the man what he
had not-not what the man wanted or
| expected.
Peters words, Look on us" and
Paul's "be ye followers of me" q Cor.
4:16) are in no wise egotistical, but
in each case the fearless appeal of
man wholly Gods, men conscious OF
the endowment of power, trying to
seize the wavering wills Of men that
they might point them to Christ.
(b) Peter aroused the mans expect
ancy.
It is usually men lacking in silver
and gold who give to the world Its
greatest blessings and highest good
q Cor. AID.
The appeal to curiosity is perfect
" legitimate one. (c) Peter gave
personal testimony. What he was
about to do for the man was not in
or of himself
Every effective Christian worker
must base his appeal upon the facts
of personal experience q. Pet. 4:1O,
~. (d) Peter bade the man to do
the very thing he humanity could not
do, but the thing which, "in the name
of Jesus Christ he would be able to
do.
The power of that mighty name
came into the lame feet the moment
he believed ". z; CT. v. 16).
Notice how full the account given
by Luke, who was a physician.
(e) Peter followed the word of testi-
mony and of command by a personal
touch ". Z; see also Mark 1:3D.
The personal testimony plus the per-
sonal touch, and both "in the name Of
Jesus" are sure to produce results.
"a The result. ~ Upon the man.
There is no doubt as to the complete
I I ness Of off the the eGre 44~ 81, 81 He had
| o-A-a-.-1I.. ,v,o. GI{ftod NM from hia
former position of weakness; he
Ieaped" QiteraIly, ecstatic joy); he
walked" continuous activity; and he
"worsh ped" thanksgiving and renew
ing of strength. (2) Upon the people.
(a) "All the people saw" They may
not have heard or comprehended the
words of Peter, but they did witness
the transformation. (b) They took
knowledge" ". 10), they began to OBJ
serve, even as the world always does,
the one who processes his faith
in Christ? (c) They were filled
with wonder and amazement" ".
1O), they could not understand.
No more can the world of today
(see l Cor. 1:1S, 2S) really compre-
bend the Christian. There was no
guesswork, however, about this mir
acle, and, of the people who witnessed
It and were so filed with wonder and
amazement, many were converted
{ch. 4:D.
The miracle served to get for the
gospel a good hearing and it accom-
plished it's purpose (Rom. 1:16).
II. Peters Appeal to the People
w. 1925. Notice it was the man who
attracted the crowd, not Peter or John
for he eagerly held the disciples while
the crowd gathered John $40, III
This may suggest the weakness of the
mans faith in that he depended upon
Peter and John rather than upon Je
sus. ID Peter seized this opportunity
". 12) and began his salutation by
taking advantage of their curiosity.
Peter eagerly turned their thoughts
from himself unto Jesus. He wished
to divert attention from himself anc
used the miracle for the double pur
pose of glorifying Jesus Christ and tt
convict these men Of their sin.
Verses 13. 14,-15 contain the charges
whereof Peter and John were wit
nesses." They were not to look upoI
"us" as though they had done any
thing, nor was it some new God o
whom they witnessed ". 13). The &C
of the crucifxion, he grants, may hav'
been consummated in ignorance "
~, but since God had raised Jesu
from the dead, and this doctrine o
the resurrection was new, therefor
they ought to repent even thougl
their acts were in accord with proph
! ncv