The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-25
INTERNATIONAL
NNDMSGOOL
LESSON
Try f.. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
Sunday School Course OF the Moody
Bible Institute, Chicago)
Copyright. 1916. Western Newspaper Union')
LESSON FOR MARCH &c
REVlEw-THE GREAT MULTI.
TUDE.

- AAA'E aAN1A"
more, neither thirst any more; neither
shall the sur strike upon them, NOR any
heat; for the lamb that is in the midst
of the throne shall be their shepherd,
and shall guide them unto fountains OF
waters of life; and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes.-Rev. 7:l6, II.
l.. General information Omitting
lessons 4, Z and II, all of the past
quarters work has to do with the
early, the apostolic church, covering
a period Of time from A. ID. 80 to per-
haps A. d. 81, six or seven years. The
chief events are the resurrection Of
Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit,
the change in the apostles, particular
ly Peter, the conversion and baptism
of 5000 believers, fellowship and Won
ders worked among these believers, the
beginning of persecution, the selection
of seven deacons, Stephens testimony
and death, the dispersion of the Chris
tians, the work of Philip, great growth
in the early church.
Historically these lessons have TO
do with the things that Jesus began
and continued to do after his resur-
rection through the power of the Holy
Spirit. 1t is, therefore, a story of the
power of the risen Christ. The prin-
cipal characters are of two classes. %
The leading workers. OF these are:
Peter and John, apostles; the 120 dis
Ciples, Barnabas, the seven deacons,
particularly Stephen and Philip; the
Ethiopian eunuch and Gamaliel, who
gave some friendly assistance. t2)
The chief enemies: Those who falsely
accused the apostles, the rulers of the
Jews and the temple, Ananias and
Sapphira, Saul and Simon MagnUs.
1t is not difficult to paint a WORD pic
fure of the events of the past quar-
ter. This may be done by assigning
to separate pupils such questions as:
Where, when and why did the event
of this lesson occur? To another pu-
pill assign the task of telling what he
thinks the scene looked like, and to
still another to name the chief per
sons mentioned in each lesson. Let
these assignments omit lessons 4, I
and II, which do not chronologically
fit into the work of this quarter. The
remaining pupils should be primed to
supply any omitted facts and to cor
rect any mistakes.
l. The Coming of Power. Lesson l.
The ascension of Jesus is one that
shows US the risen Christ as the giver
of the Holy Spirit and he is the All
Powerful One who has carried for
ward the things Jesus began to do
Lesson 2. This is very much the same
except that it suggests the man side
of this transaction. AS the early dis
ciples obeyed, they received. In like
manner the Spirit is given today to
those that TASK him" Lesson 3 shows
what effect we may anticipate when
we proclaim the fact of the risen
Christ. Exalted at the Fathers right
hand, he has received from the Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit, and
pouring him forth upon the church we
behold a powerful result.
II. The Use of Power. Lesson .
(omitting No. A. has to do with the
daily walk and work of those who had
80 recently received this newly be
slowed power. Through his servants
jesus, by the power of the Spirit, heals
and makes strong the lame man al
the temple gate-a case of applied
Christianity" the power of practical
social service. As a result of this
service Peter and John (Lesson s. had
opportunity to give their testimony tc
the rulers, the result of which con
founded the enemies who thought they
Dad conquered Christ at Calyary-the
use of power in testimony. The fur
Their evidence of how this new power
was using men is that given in lesson
s, the Christian Brotherhood at Jeru
salem. Into their midst Satan sought
to introduce deception through Ana
MAS and his wife, but the Holy Spiri
was guarding and frustrated his de
signs in order that the work of tn
church might be more efficiently car
ried on and that its connection witt
power through prayer and the minis
try of the Word" might continue III
hindered. We see in lesson 9 how tn
Spirit solves the question.
III. The Test of Power. Stephe
Qesson 10) was n of those who ha
been separated for the care of tn
temporal affairs of the early churcl
yet his testimony and martyrdom ca
lily makes him more famous than mos
of the apostles and forever exalts th
layman in the Christian church.
One other Qesson 12) of those seve
deacons, Philip, was also so signal
used and blessed that his name an
deeds are almost as familiar to us
is the work of Stephen.
In the first case this newly bestowe
power filled the witness with a cali
ness and courage that will always r
main an inspiration, while in the Sc
ond illustration Philip so gave himse
to the direction and leadership of Il
Spirit as to go where he was sen
and when to human judgment h
presence was essential to the carryil
on of a great revival, he obeyed Il
new command and left the multitul
to deal with a single individual. Chr
tianity is not a mass movement"
Jesus makes no reference to L
mass consciousness" and the Hc
Spirits power receives no greater
more ~far-reaching test than that viii
had to do with its dealings with I