Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-19
Sunday School Lesson

| Ice, revealing the spiritual life of both
the faithful Christian and loyal church.
come to glorify God. There is no bet
ter way to send the light than by a
practical demonstration of the gospeI.
A Working Church.
Our second reference, chosen from
Acts. gives us picture of the mother
church I'm Jerusalem Immediately fol-
lowing the Outpouring of the holy
spirit at Pentecost. The advent of the
promised ParaClete transformed the
disciples of the risen Lord into cour-
ageOuS witnessing church, that wei
coined into it's fellowship that same
! day, after Peters sermon and the per
| sonal work of the other members,
about three thousand souls Although
| their conversion was sudden they
were steadfast lin the instruction of
the apostles and the common life, the
| breaking of the bread and the stated
| prayers" The new community ac-
cepted the leadership of the apostles,
observed the ordinances of baptism
and the breaking of bread" just as
Christ had commanded them to do Gin
remembrance" of Him. sharing with
one another their property.
The apostles unfolded to the new
members the reasons why they be
lieved that Jesus fulfilled the Old Tes-
lament teachings concerning the Mes
siah, for they were Jews, who con
| tinued faithful to the worship of the
temple and the observance of the
regular Jewish feasts. In their teach.
ings they explained the Masters in.
terpretations of the kingdom OF God
that He had taught them before and
after His resurrection, especially His
Interpretation of the prophets. The
writings of the apostles would indi
cate that they emphasized the i'm
portance of the way" that the fol
lowers of Christ should live. United
by the spiritual tie that made them
one in Christ Jesus. they were taught
that they had to live not only a
spiritual life, but an ethical one
marked by loving service for others
and clean morals.
The presence of so many members
who had spent their all in Jerusalem
and who had tarried there to be in
structed in the way" developed d
problem that was met by the estab
lishment of a relief fund to meet the
needs of the destitute and widowed
members. They recognized theil
stewardship of their goods and moi
one said that aught of the things
which he possessed was his own" fol-
they sold their possessions and divided
the proceeds from the community
fund among those that had need
Their socialism differed from the radi
cal socialistic teachings of our day
that is, "communistic; 1t annihilates
property, it compels men to labor fol-
a common, not for a private, gain: II
equaliZes incomes and, of course
abolishes both wealth and poverty" by
the force of law. The church al
Jerusalem did no such thing. 1t die
not abolish property, it produced M
artificial equality. it imposed no con
straint. 1t developed a spirit of fra
ternity that moved men by the reali
cation that they loved one another
to share with one another.
The result was inevitable. People
respected them and wonders ant
signs" of Gods presence with then
caused multitudeS to accept the gospe
and walk in the way" Of the riser
Christ. All who really know the Lore
Jesus find in Him that which compel:
them to surrender all for Him anC
His cause. Just as men in the early
church risked. dared. lived, lost anC
died in an effort to obey the Savior
so we ought to do likewise. Christian
service calls for our serving the Lore
Jesus in and through His church il
an effort to save the world by scatter
ing the message of His love, life ant
light among all men. If we are unitet
through faith and love with Him w,
will prove 1t by living a life of Low,
and labor with the church He estab
lished and cooperate with the othel
church members by the gift of oul
time, talent and money in the develop
ment of the kingdom of God amone
men.