The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-14
International
Sunday School Lesson
nv w TT L,TTJS


For January 16 is Peters Sermon at
| Pentecost Acts 2:2:14-47
n Courageous Preachers CONQUEST
A man who came back" as the
| phrase of athletics has it, is the first
figure in the present lesson concern
| ing 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
Jerusalem curSing and swearing. and
/ declaring that he had never known
/ this Jesus. A clustering renegade was
! he In cowardIy fashion he had cut
himself off from his best Friend, in
the hour when that Friend needed
him most.
Now we behold him, forgiven and
restored, back in his old fellowship.
and displaying his chara cte~istic
qualities of initiative and leadership.
: Like the words of redeemed men in
! the rescue 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 to me
which still follows the practice of Pen
tecost 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 clergyman
| nowadays has to speak in spite of his
officers, instead.of by their co-opera-
ton. They are among the critics down
in the pews. 1t is a great thing when
a congregation speaks unitedly to the
community
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 con
verts for the little company of Christ s
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 d news
paper editorial, nor a learned essay,
( nor an enactment of the legislature,
nor a scheme of the chamber of com
merce that wrought this wonder, but
just plain preaching. Whenever L read
the occasional editorials and maya
| zine articles about the passing of the
| Sermon 1 smile to myself; for great
sermons of the Peter-at-Pentecost
| type, still have their Old-tOme power.
True, our day is hard upon common
place preaching and upon sermons
got up" but it responds as of old to
man of God declaring with power
the truth of Gods redemption for
man. The man of parts who goes in
to the pulpit goes into the place of
greatest power on earth.
Some things that should make 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 More
modern sermons are long on exhorta-
ton, and short on facts. 1t is the
Story that is winning the world. Peter
quoted Scripture appositely. 1t is
passing strange how little Bible gets
into the pulpit discourses of our day,
especially in the light of the fact that
the people who know most about the
Bible best understand the war news
f:CEl the East
Into the teeth of his hearers Peter
hurled the brave truth that they had
crucified the Messiah. No ear-ticlx ell
or trimmer was the fiery apostle. He
dared rebuko sin. Then he preached
repentance and baptism and the sal
walton provided by Christ. Soon
multitude of three thousand were
crying out, What shall we do?"
The Sermon Itself.
Better than any comment upon it is
DIR. Luke's report of Peters sermon
itself:
But Peter. standing up with tht
Ch-NOIls lA4ltu up NOlCts anu spans
forth unto them, saying, Ye men o1
Judea, and all ye that dwell a
Jerusalem, be this known unto you
and give ear unto my words. Fol
these are not drunken, as We suppose
seeing it is but the third hour of the
day; but this is that which hath beer
spoken through the Prophet Joel:
And it shall be in the last days, saitl
God.
will pour forth of my Spirit upon al
= 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 hand
l maidens i'll those days
: VIII pour forth of my spirit; and the!
shall prophesy.
And l will show wonders in the heavel
above,
And signs on the earth beneath;
Blood. aud fire, and vapor of smoke:
The shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood.
Before the day of the Lord came,
That great and notable day:
And it shall be, that whatsoever shall cal
on the name of the Lord shall b
aye men of Israel, hear these
proved of God unto you by might
, works and wonders and signs whicl
2 God did by Him in the midst of you
even as We yourselves know; Him
being delivered up by the determinat
2 counsel and foreknowledge of God, y
4 by the hand of lawless men did crucif
: and slay whom God raised up, havin
q loosed the pangs of death: because
: was not possible that He should b
holden of it. For David saith concern
n ing him.
n Il beheld the Lord always before my face
e For he is my right hand, that 1 shout
= not be moved:
Therefore my heart. was glad. and m
o .1T.fAa