Arizona republican., 1916-03-04
International Sunday School Lesson
 for March 5
THE DEATH OF STEPHEN Golden Text.-"Be thou faithful UT

(54) When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and the! gnashed on him with their teeth. (55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven, an( saw the glory of God and Jesu. l standing on the right hand of God } t56l And said, Behold. l see the heav- ems opened. and the Son of mar standing on the right hand of God t5D Then they cried out with lOuC voice. and stopped their ears, and raT upon him with one accord, (5S) AnG cast him out of the city, and stoned , him: and the witnesses laid doWr i their clothes at a young mans feet l whose name was Saul. (59) And they stoned stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit l (60) And he kneeled down. and cried with a loud voice, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. And when he Lad said this, he fell asleep. CD And Saul Was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great { i persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all 1 scattered abroad throughout the re- eions of Judea and Samaria, except tine apostles. @ And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. (3) As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house. and haling men and women committed them to prison
 Time.-A. D. 35-37 Place.-Jeru- salem.
 xposition-l.-Steph Sight into Heaven. 54 4-56. The address of Ste phen was strong and unanswerable. IL laid open the heart of Israel i'll all ages and the heart of his hearers. It was wonderful Bible exposition in the power of the Holy Spirit The Word of God preached in the power | of the Holy Spirit is found to pro ducc conviction tcf ch. ,: 30. But | alas conviction is not conversion When men are convicted of sin they do one of two things-they repent or they get mad at the preacher Will Stepher have any less reward than | Peter? But Stephens sermon and 1 prayer were not without fruit. They 1, gave the Apostle Paul to the church. | But Stephen did not live to see it. l They could not deny the truth of Stephens charge so they went about 10 kill him. Stephen did not lose his cOmrosure as the wild mob with enashing teeth surged about him. He Was full of the Holy Ghost" and the Spirit filled man will be a calm man under any circumstances C Tit. 1: .. The expression full of the Holy Spir- it." has a different significance from filled with the Holy Spirit CAc. ,: IA 1: s, 3D. The latter describes the 1 Holy Spirit coming upon one at a definite point of time and filling one for the time being with His glorious l presence and power: the expression, full of the Holy Spirit describes an abi1ing condition. Being full of the l Holy Spirit involved Stephen in in ! eVitahle conflict with men who were full Of Sa It led him to look up ! rather than around. There came to | him in this hour of trial wonderful l ision to sustain him. As he stretched his eager eyes thitherWard, heaven opened to them while he was still in the flesh. and\ he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right land of God Did Stephen really see this? He did. I must accept the i testimony of this wonderful man so soon to seal it with his blood: the testimony of one such man to what he has actually seen outWeighs with me the speculations of a thousanj ] agnostcs as to what they don't know. How many great questions are settled by what Stephen saw that day and testified to. before the stone began to crush in that devoted head There N are doubtless many today who full of the HCiy Ghost get a sight of God S glory tfat fills the soul with rapture and the life with power. This sight was granted Stephen to strengthen him for suffering and witnessing Death no longer had any terrors
 Rehold, see the Son Cf Mar standing on the right hand of God faithful and fearless witness to the last. No bowling mob could stop his testimony. and what valuable tes- timony it is Christ had been seen after His resurrection. He had been seen as He ascended. but now He is seen in heaven itself at the right hand of God. We can no longer doubt His Divinity. nor our Security. What most occupied Stephens thought anC attention in what he saw was Jesus Jesus as the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" Jesu. left heaven as God only, but He be- came man in His incarnation (Jno. l
 IA: Tim. 7: 5) and when He wen
 back to heaven He went back as "tht Son of Man as well as Son of God
 There is now a man in the glory Usually Jesus is represented as sit
 ting at the right hand of God (Eph
 l: 20: Heb 1: i3). but here He i
 standing. He had risen to strength
 cn His faithful witness and to re ! ceive his spirit as it left his crushe,
 form
 II. Stephens Entrance to Heaven
 51-60. When one hardens his hear against the truth and resists the Hol
 Ghost nothing will stay him. He zoe
 on from worse to W orse and will to al i eternity, ani that is hell. They woul
 not listen They "stoped their ears.
 Ho" many are doing that today Oh Ii these men had only listened II
 was pushed along out of the city b
 the angry mob. He was going tn
 same rath that Jesus went to di .'Nil hout the gate, lHeh 12. 1al M