Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-27
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For Dec. 2.--Acts 2:1-SI ras
BY DR.. MARION MICH. HULL &sSSF

button to the power of the early
church.
At that time the gospel was being
preached to none but Jews; but
there were in Jerusalem Jews who
had been born in foreign countries
and Jews who had become such not
by birth, proselytes of the gate.
Stephen had a larger view of the
gospel than could be contained in
Jewish frame, and his powerful
arguments could not be met by even
such mental giants as Saul of Tar
sus, who was one of the most bigoted
of the bigots, so intensely Jewish
was he. These arguments finally
ended in a bitter persecution which
scattered the disciples of Jesus, the
Christ, everywhere. And everywhere
they went-just ordinary folks, mind
you-they preached the Word. The
word preached" is interesting In
Greek; it is 'laleo," which describes
what a young child does when he
begins to talk. la-la-la-la. Do you
catch the truth? These disciples
went everywhere just telling what
they knew in as simple language as
that a child uses in beginning to
talk. You can preach that way, too,
do. You see Christ was fulfilling
His promise to His people: I'VE shall
receive power-ye shall be witnesses
unto me-" That promise is still
yours.
Stephen thus unconsciously In
augurated new movement, the next
step in worldwide missions-going
out of Jerusalem. What about
IT, l. l.
far as Samaria. Now, no Jew would
have gone into Samaria deliberately
But Philip was more than a Jew
now; he was a Christian Jew or an
Hebrew Christian; and the power of
the love of Christ drove him beyond
radical lines. With great power he
preached in Samaria until the Spirit
Of God caught him up AMI placed him
where he could spread the gospel
through another convert in another
continent
Thus the early church in from
two to five years did what no other
has done since-evangelized com
pletely two races. Note these evil
dences of its power everybody
preached, everybody gave lavishly,
everybody loved, and everybody
heard, multitudes accepted.
Can We discover the reason for
this power of the early church?
Well, it was the presence of the Holy
Ghost. Those disciples were with
out strength until He descended
upon them; and all that they ac-
complished afterward was because
of His abiding presence and indwell-
ing. He it was who brought to their
ROY loy-oK ~, l.
He 1t was who made plain to them
the things that Christ had said; He
1T was who gave them holiness to
speak; He it was who gave them
power to convict and to convince;
He it was who made Christ so real
to them that they could make Him
real to others; He it was who kept
alive in their hearts the memory of
those nail-prints and the hope gen
dered by the promise of His return
at any moment. All, there is the
secret-His death, His resurrection,
His ascension, His return. Let these
things grip any man or woman by
the indwelling Spirit-and it is only
by His indWelling that they will grip
hin-and power follows.
The Spirit of God has never left.
He is just as truly in the world to-
day as He was in the day of Pente-
cost, and just as fully. You may
have His abiding presence and in
filling if you will. He is the gift
of Jesus to every believer, but the
fullness of the Spirit is possible only
to those who yield their all to Him.
You shall receive power after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you.
And He will come if you yield your.
self to Him rather than seek Him
for the power He will bring. Won't
you yield yourself wholly to Him?