The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-07-01
The Sunday School Lesson
Lesson July O. Aos 2.37-42, Eph.

Lesson July G, Acts 2.37-42, Eph.
I:1-I3
Many people are puzzled to know
what is really meant by the
church Specifically We speak OF
" as one individual organization to
which We belong In the abstract we
speak Of Il as the whole Christian
body ~ the world. Christ spelkH
of Il as the spiritual unity OF he
levers The world looks AT the
church usually us' AN oppressor, an
agency that seeks To suppress It's
unholy lnstmcta, sometimes wisely
and sometimes not. but at any rate
as an enemy To unrcstrained indulg
cncc. The child ~ God looks to IT
as the tie that binds Christian peo
Pile one 20 another The church
Christ speaks uf is creature OF
God. a holy thing the bridcfof the
Lamb. the agency through which
the gospel shall become the prop
crty OF every living creature Spect
ically the human ORGANIZATION Whlch
We call the church, divided INT"
numhcr'rsz factions each clinglnG
zcalousy O. part VI the truth. u
subject To- human frallty and oilcn
goes wrong. because human beings
presume 90 control Il and use ll7
power 10 the urthcrnnce ot Their
own pleasure BchInd all ms.
however, fl the hcayeAy commission
that makes IL DIVINE agency ana
the Lord viii oycrrule all It, faults
Go produce I'm tho aggregate the
power OF his gospel among men 10
bring them 90 repentance
II We do not have pcntcCoSls TO-
dly IS IL not due 10 the fact ih'i
wc do not have pcntccns'Al SCR
muns7 Tho men who preach In
Gods name too often are seeking
for popularity or schcming to h"ld
together tho discnrdaut elements IN
their congregation, or maybe con
duN themselves with "a reverence
toward those members who furnl'h
the mnior part OF the necessary w.
nanccs " the church. The aver
age business man who thinks he is
a Christian. or rather church
member. is apt 10 look chiefly upon
the business side ~ running
church The business aide of rehE'
ion will not stand neglect hut
should always be an accessory ana
not n dictator of the course OF the
church As long AZ our preachers
are hampcrcd by these incidental
considerations, they cannot preach
peutccostal sermons when they
would be- zcalous and courageous
discretion uycrrules the sense OF
duty and the soul searching sermon
is left unprCachcd. or is couchcd IN
such cvasivc language that II talls
to strike home. The apostles had
n specific message and direct In
dlctmcut TO present on the day Or
pcntrcust Their shafts struck
home and the people cried out
"What shall We do7' when We
get down 90 the point of making
peoplc realize that their pretenscs Of
piety and mostly a. sham and that
the condemnation ~ sin hangs over
their heads. thcy too will cry for
redemption and forgiveness. This
va. no guess work matter. Tor
Peter said. Repent and be hap-
iiznd. and We shall receive the
gir' ~ the Holy Ghost"
The church from the human
standpoint. is the associailnR to-
gcthcr of human beings with Ike
ambition 20 be tho children OF God
and to carry ont his will. But n ~
more than simply religious society.
The church Is ihe most shct'u VIM
fact IN the world OF men. II is the
hv which the living
Christ expresses himself, educates
leads and devclops the race Of men.
II f. not an artificial thing hut an
expression OF the same thg In hu-
man nature produces families ana
nations Men were made to live In
rroups socially This makes pos
slhlc. wealth. production, rroEress
I'm n word. civilization. Every sort
OF human grouping Is caused bv a
lcsscr 'hlrF than tho motive iN'i
hrInrs men % unite In a church Tho
accidents OF occupation and conVen-
irucr create most cities Insurance
most fraternal orders, while
tfe7aurc creates many others Pro- /
t,r,ion. commercial advance. inhrrlt-
norc ard q mass of other motives
,,use tho formation and pcrpetun /
lion ~ national parties. Common IN
forest unitcs men in the groupings ot
society nut In tho cohcsivoncHS ot
Tho church the motive Is far deeper
and more lasting than all those. III
a. 9t,IrpIy oppointCd Nins'itution, /