Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR JAN. IS
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY ny THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, Acts III, 22-41.
Memory Verses, 38, 39-Golden
Text, Acts III, 21-COmmentary
Prepared by Rev. ID. Nj. Stearns.

AGAI hStS
Prepared by Rev. ID. M. Stearns.
This Is the first recorded sermon OF
mere man filed with the Spirit. and IL
all sermons were nodded on the same
pattern the Holy Spirit could accom-
plish much more than He is by an or
binary sermon permitted to do. for In
this sermon by Peter tue Word Of God
Is the substance OF the discourse. He
quoted at least four portions OF Scrip
turc. tue prophecy Of Joel; ii Sam.
vii: Psalms XVI and tx. Ii was what
would be called now n Bible study.
and | have learned Ia forty years OF
experience that the souls OF men every
where are hungering for the Word of
God. and IL IL written OF that alone
that 1t shall not return To Him void
and that by il lie will accomplish His
pleasure lisa. ". III.
Peter quoted from Joel II. 2S-32, 10
show thai this manifestation of the
Spirit WAS u fulflllment OF that predic-
ton. aud not amy Wild rawlings of
drunken men. The complete fulfllment
OF Joels words will be at the second
coming OF Christ To judge the nations
and open the eyes OF Israel ,Joel iii.
l. y. Peter then told them that Je-
sus or Nazareth. whom God had so
manifestly approved among them. but
whom they had by wicked hands cruel
fed. God had raised from the dead. ac-
cording To His assurance TO David I'm
Ps. xvi and III Sam. vii. and had given
Him a place at His own right hand
until the time should come for Him TO
overthrow His enemies according TO
Ps. OK.
God had told David that He would
establish his throne and his kingdom
forever In one OF his descendants. and
our lesson says that David knew that
God meant not Solomon, but the Mes
siah, the Christ Oh Sam. VII. 1910;
Acts II, 30), risen from the dead and
immortal. The sufferings of Christ are
most wildly portrayed in lisa. iii. but
His resurrection is seen there also In
verse 10, for one who dies can prolong
his days only by rising from the dead.
Notice I'm this discourse Peters refer
ences TO the resurrection OF Christ III
verses "a 80. 30. 3G-that by the res
direction God made that same Jesus
whom they had crucified both Lord
and Christ and that He had raised up
Christ TO sit on the throne OF David.
In Pet. 4. 81. we read that God raised
Him from the dead and gave Him
glory. We seem TO come nearest 10
the Fathers heart when we. too. give
Him glory or seek in all things 10
glorify Him Il Pet Nv. ~. When the
prophet Micah predicted His birth in
Bethlehem he spoke of Him as ruler
I'm Israel mic. V. p. and In the full
ness OF time He will surely be King of
the Jews on the throne OF David but
He will also be the King OF kings and
Lord OF lords. King over all the earth
duke 1. 81. 80: Rev. xvii. a.: xix. 10:
Xech. xiv, o.
Being rejected (the Jews Insisted on
crucifying Him. saying we have no
king but Caesar" John XIX. II. l5l. He
assembled. and the heaven must re-
ceive Him until the times OF restOra-
ton OF all things which God hath spo-
ken by the mouth OF all Ills holy proph-
cts since the world hegan tActs ill 2n.
The congregation 10 whom Peter de
livered this discourse were all Jews,
devout men><out or every nation
under heaven verse -. and when they
saw from their own Scripture. as un-
folded TO them by the Spirit through
Peter, that their Messiah was 10 die
and rise from the dead and thus be-
come an immortal man. and that what
had been done by their rulers IN their
blindness Yves also foreseen and record
ed. the Spirit convinced them Of their
sin. and they said TO Peter and the rest.
'Men and brethren. what shall we
dor Verse 81
Peter urged them to repent and be
baptized and receive remission OF sins
and the gift OF the Holy Spirit. This
they gladly did. and that day about
1900 Jews were added TO the number
of the saved I'm Christ verses 3S-41).
This Is one fulfillment OF the words of
the Lord Jesus. Greater works than
these shall he do because l go unto the
Father John xiv. 12). We must not
think that II we are Spirit filed we
shall always see souls saved. for Ste
phen was filed with the Spirit and so
spoke that he received stones enough
to kill him wi 8. 10: VII, $500, but
probably Saul never forgot 1t. and It
may have been one Of the links I'm the
chain leading to his conversion. One
who is Spirit filed will say as Paul did.
Christ shall be magnified In my body,