Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-14
PETER CAME BACK
AND MADE GOOD
Cut Himself Off From His
Best Friend, but Was
Forgiven
PREACHED AT PENTECOST
International Sunday School
Lesson For Jan. 16 Is Peters
Sermon at Pentecost"

sermon at PentecoSt
man who came back" as the
! phrase of athletics has 1t, is the first
| figure in the present lesson concerning
| the most famous sermon preached
since the ascent OF Christ. Two months
| before Peter, the preacher, scared by a
woman's question, had stood in Jeru-
| salem cursing and swearing and de-
claring that he had never known his
Jesus. A clustering renegade was he.
| N cowardly fashion he had cut him
I self off from his nest Friend i'm the
hour when that Friend needed him
most.
Now We behold him, forgiven and
I restored, back in his old fellowship
and displaying his characteristic quail
ties of initiative and leadership. Like
| the words of redeemed men in the res
cue missions, his utteranCe was direct
personal, vital and assured. AS we
look upon Peter. the preacher at
Pentecost. and the spokesman of the
| infant Church, we may not forget that
he eXemplifies the great truth that
Gods grace enables many men to
come back restored to peace and
| power.
There is one church known 10 me
which still follows the practice of
Pentecost in that the other officers of
the church surround the preacher on
the pulpit. When Peter stood up, the
other eleven apostles stood with him
The authority and endorsement of the
whole body were behind the preachers
words. Many a clergyman nowadays
has TO speak in spite of his officers. in
stead of by their cooperation. They
are among the critics down in the
pews. II is great thing when a con-
gregatton speaks unitedly to the COM
munity.
Just Plain Preaching
That was a great day in the history
of the world when Peters message.
following the sensation of gift OF
tongues, made three thousand converts
| for the little company of Christs
friends. 1t has always been a high
water mark and a standard for the
Church.
There is an up-to-date message in
the story. For it was not a news
paper editorial, nor learned essay,
nor an enactment of the legislature,
nor scheme of the chamber of COM
merce that wrought this wonder, but
just plain preaching. Whenever I read
the occasional editorials and maya zine
articles about the passing of the ser
NUN SillIie 10 lIlNSelIt lOE great SER
mons of the Peter-at- -Pentecost type
still have their old-time power. True.
our day is hard upon commo onplace
preaching and upon sermons got up"
but 1t responds as of old to a man OF
God declaring with power the truth of
Gods redemption for man. The man
OF parts who goes into the pulpit goes
into the place of greatest power on
earth.
Some things that should mark every
sermon characterized Peters message
that day. First, he told the story of
Christ, and in plain words. No amount
of intellectual brilliancy can take the
place of the telling of the facts. Most
modern sermons are long on exhorta-
tion and short on facts. 1t is the Story
that is winning the world. Peter
quoted Scripture appositely. 1t is pass
ing strange how little Bible gets into
the pulpit discourses of our day, es-
pecially in the light of the fact that
the people who know most about the
Bible best understand the war news
from the East
Into the teeth OF his hearers Peter
hurled the brave truth that they had
crucitied the Messiah. No ear-tickler
or trimmer was the fiery apostle. He
dared rebuke sin. Then he preached
walton provided by Christ. Soon a
multitude of three thousand were cry
ing out, What shall we do?"
The Sermon Itself
Better than any comment upon it is
DR.. Luke's report of Peters sermon
itself:
But Peter, standing up with the
eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake
forth unto them. saying, Ye men of
Judea, and all We that dwell at Jeru-
salem. be this known unto you, and
give ear unto my words. For these
are not drunken. as We suppose; seeing
it is but the third hour of the day;
but this is that which hath been
spoken through the prophet Joel:
And it shall be in the last days, saith
God.
/ will pour forth OF my Spirit upon
all flesh:
And your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy.
And your young men shall see visions.
And your old men shall dream
dreams:
Yea and on my servants and on my
handmaidens in those days
Will ! pour forth of my spirit; and
they shall prophesy.
And l will show wonders in the
heaven above.
And signs on the earth beneath:
Blood, and fire, and Vapor of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into dark
ness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the day of the Lord come,
That great and notable day:
And it shall be, that whosoeNer shall
call on the name OF the Lord
shall be saved.
"Ye men of Israel, hear these words
Jesus OF Nazareth. a man approved of
God unto you by mighty works and
wonders and signs which God did by
Him in The midst of Won even
yourselves know; Him. being delivered
up by the deterninate counsel and
foreknowledge OF God, ye by the hand
of lawless men did cruelty and slay
whom God raised up, having loosed
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