Evening star., 1918-08-17
BY REV. HUGH t. STEVENSON.

SuTiSt CdiIS HIGH To De SHIiSlidHS
SO that they may purify their own
character. being made into His like
ness, and help Him win the world.
He established the church. which is
the only human organization that is
of Divine origin, to complete the
work which He began to do while in
the flesh. He is working today with
men through His church, so that
when one is working with and in the
church they are working in and with
their Lord The mission assigned the
holy community. which He founded,
differed from all former religious in
stitutions which preceded it because
it was not limited by the frontiers of
any nation or the limitations of any
race.
The fulflIment of the task as
signed to Christian men and the
church called for theff being imbued
promised to send and which came
upon the praying church in the upper
room in Jerusalem. where they tar
ried, according to His command, until
they had been fitted by the coming
of the Holy Spirit to do Christs work.
service except he Is filled with the
power from above. The advent of the
Holy Spirit transformed the early
church into conquering power, SO
that the sermon of Peter, who had
denied the Lord at Christ's trial. re-
suited in the conversion of fully 3,OOO
souls to His way.
The addition of so many new MEM
bers to the young church who had
been waiting for power to do Christs
work by having a season Of prayer
disciple to prepare for the Masters
The 5000 who had been convicted OF
their sins proved their repentance by
publicly denouncing the action of the
authorities for numbering Jesus and
the reality of their conversion by
being baptized. Having been enrolled
with the church: they entered the
first official training camp to be in
structed by the apostles in the teach
ings and truths that they had learned
of the Lord Jesus. They continued
to attend faithfully the schools OF
instruction until there was deve loped
a spirit Of unity among them due to
their love for Christ. one another and
their views of what was required of
a Christian. The weakness of Chris
tianity has been due in recent years
to the failure OF men to receive COM
plete instruction in the apostles
teachings and practice
The spiritual tie that united their
hearts in mutual sympathy and love
soon separated them into separate
spiritual and social community that
was divided from the rest of their
Jewish brethren by four distinguish
ing marks They were noted for for
apostles teaching, fellowship. break
Ing of bread and prayers. The teach
ing resulted in a unity of faith. Their
love and desire to obey the teachings
of the Lord made them love the COM
panionship of their brethren: They
reconsecrated themselves to the Lord
and His work by their observance of
the Lords supper. which Christ COM
manded them to observe in memory
of His death, SO that His church
would never forget the miracle OF
divine grace provided by His saliva
tion for men. They join in both pub
lie worship and private devotion with
their brethren.
The early church gained in favor
with men and grew rapidly because
they proved to the world the reality
of their faith by their sharing with
one another. The dream of social
readjustment and the reorganization
upon socialistic lines of communities
and commonwealths has always been
based upon the early communistfc
days of the Jerusalem church. The
failure of all communistfc plans has
been due to the lack of regenerated
membership such as marked the early
days Of apostolic Christianity.
The needs of the poor appealed to
the prosperous Jewish members, who
willingly gave, not from compulsion.
but out of love, their possessions for
the benefit of their brethren in Christ.
During the last four years the LIBERAL
ity of Americans of all walks in life
has revealed the spirit of the early
church, that shared their possessions
or pooled them for the common good.
This is the result of centuries of
Christian teachings, for no true Chris
tian regards that aught Of the things
which he possesses as his own
The elasticity of the church, which
was not fettered by any articles of
but allowed to adjust
it's methods OF work in accordance
with the needs Of men, is seen in the
election of the seven deacons. The rapid
growth of the church and its growing
popularity had filled the church with
many diverse elements. although its
was largely made up Of
Jews. There grew up
the Jews Of the Dispersion. or
Greek Jews. feeling that their
were being neglected and
that those OF Palestine were receiving
special consideration from the apos-
ties, all Of whom were Palestinian
Jews. The primitive enthusiasm had
and human nature /. re-
vealed itself in the division which
grew up. uncalled for. between the
two sections.
The apostles did not stand upon their
rights, but automatically called a meet
ing of the church and placed the re-
sponsibility upon the members, advising
that In view Of the growing responsible
ity to teach that they be excused from
the ministering upon the tables. or
to the financial business Of the