Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1918-08-18
LESSON MOTIFS.


We have IN this brief description /
q noble picture Of the first Christian
! church One Of the main features in
| the picture n that OF constant
growth We notice that there was a
great message from Peter. and that
this was accompanied hy the power I
Of the Holy Spirit Following this
message three great results are Civ
On IN verse Al. CJ a number re-
ceiyed Peters word that is. they
| believed his message and accepted n
as the way OF salvation. az he had
preached n In that wonderful adj
dress on the day % Pentecosf The
| personal and vital Christian expert
ence ~ repentance and faith b. In
| rluded and Understood In the state
ment t2J These converts were hap
tzed The outward ceremony indI-
Gated their obedience TO the terms Of
the gospel and their public ack.
uowledgement aud confession OF
Christ as Saviour ia the way that he
himself appointed - These con
v'Vted and baptized persons we're
added This means that they we're
brought into the fellowship 90 Chris
tians ln our modern phrase they
loiRed the church There were ln that
day about three thousand converts
The saving power OF the Lord IL
mentioned as adding 10 this number
day by day those who were being
saved Here we are 10 understand
that the activities of hhe church rr-
suited IN keeping the stream of addi. |
tious flowing. but b was the work at l
God using and blessing these means
and making them offoctual In the /
salvation Of those who repented aud |
believed
Worship.
Another vivid detail IN this picture |
is the maintenance OF worship These /
new converts entered into the church |
with all us life aud its activities The |
leaders wisely took care OF that |
Worship is fundamental In religion |
The business OF church In this /
world is IN all proper ways 10 main
tain the reyerent and active worship /
~ God The element sol such wor- |
ship are given In verse ~ Here We |
are told that the new members con
tinued steadfastly In the doctrinal !
social. ceremonial. and devotional /
elements OF worship. They gave heed /
10 the teachings OF their leaders. |
They enjoyed each Others fellowship |
and gave such assistance as was |
needed They maintained the obsei.
vance Of the Lords supper They |
kept up the practice ~ prayer
Again. this worship WIS public !
n took place In the temple, whore Il /
was still permissible for these early /
Christians. for they had not ceased |
20 be- Jews They also had worship !
In their homes. and the special point |
Is that they observed the Lords Sup |
per In their own homes This. We |
infer. was because they had no build |
ing of their own where they could |
be private.
Fellowship.
Here a wonderful expression ~ |
Christian fellowship II found. There /
was a reverentitl awe that came upon I
them. aud the miraculous element OF |
the gospel was present tn increase +.
that In consequence of all these
things there was remarkable unity |
Of feeling ami OF iis expression
among them They came together
and had all things common. To en-
| phasize this aul make II further pos
sible they sold their property and
divided the proceeds among them
| selves II doe not follow that this
is law 20 b, observed In Christian
churches. for We know II did not pre-
vail even In tho earliest times Il was
simply a desirable thing under the
circumstance IN which these first
disciples were placed
Grace aud Generosity.
tActs 4: $3.50
Here We have the second picture
OF the life of he first Christian
church. II emphasizes the conditions
which the rrevious passage has
brought before us. In verse 33 We are
told that the apOstles rendered a
powerful testimony 10 the essential
truth Of the resurrection OF Jesus
This must be he main business OF
leaders aud preachers. II Is theirs
20 render testimony to the essential
| facts and truths OF the Christian re-
! ligion. compare Cor 3. g. Eph
(. li-i6D Wherever leaders and
ministers render strong witness 90
the realities COL religion Il NAV be- OK
! pectcd thar 'ha same result will f0l.
low w lr. told that great grace
was upon them all This comprehen
siye EXPIRE. .1n means that they en-
| lowed the favor and blessing of God
in furthcrue heir efforts and pro
noting their .wn Christian character
and life
This showed Itself also In N
keeping up ui hat notable generosity
which already has been described In
a. As before stated this was not
the establishment Of Christian com
munism. of which there Is no trace
slseWherr hGi Il was meeting an eN-
tuOriinary condition OF need. and
showed fhe unity OF the Spirit tEph
l-il which existed among the
early converts They thoroughly sym
pathiEed with each other and gener-
ously gave f1r each others help.
They did uo. permit any among
them to lark the necessaries Of life.
or even Co., comforts. for those who
had property old Il and turned into
"a common fund the price received.
Organization and Instruction.
Acts g. 2-il.
Here We have the third Of our ser
les ~ pic'ures OF the Jerusalem
church. some % the Grecian Jews
that b.. those who did not live IN
Jerusalem. but in other regions. and