SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10972, 28 January 1899, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

••YE ARE MY WITNESSES." far nEV. 0. CAMPBELL MORGAN.] ri, £ ° i rl S o , t he 0 m i> tobeyHim."_Acts v. 32. . TUB speaker is the Apostle Peter; the occa !i i a memorable and interesting one an "l think we shall be helped to understand „ luhe force of the words if we remind ourselves of the conditions under which the, were spoken. . , , , The little band of apostles had been teaching in the name of Jesus at Jerusalem, until they had filled the whole city with that tenoning They had boon miraculously delivered from prison by" the angel, and when on the morning of the following day the whole council of tho people of Israel and the senate was assembled together, in order that tnese men might be arraigned before them, the officers who were, sent to bring them from the prison came hack with tho message that the prison doors were shut, but that the apostles were not found within. As they were discussing the question and wondering what had beci me of the men, the message was brought to them that they were in the Temple teaching the people the words of life. They are then brought before the council. Let us try to realise the picture. Tho priests, the rulers, tho most august men in the whole Hebrew nation, are gathered together strangely perplexed arraigned before these are Peter and other of the apostles—the representatives of all that is old and effete, and passing away, face to face with the representatives of that which is now and full of power. The rulers said to the apostles, " Why are you teaching in the name of Jesus? Did we not straitly command you that you should not teach in this name!" And Peter answers, " Wo ought to obey God rather than man." Then he gives the rulers, the council, and the senate the Jour great articles of his (iospel, in brief senlonces. Ho said, "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Immediately following that declaration of the Gospel, tho Apostle makes use of tho words of our text. I want to suggest to you that this statement of the Apostle declares, first of all, tho function of discipleship, the definite mission of all believers in the world. In the second place, it contains a statement of the method by which believers aro to fulfil the function of discipleship; and in tho last place, it declares the power in which this function is to bo realised.

THE WORK OF THE DISCIPLE. I would like to suggest to you at once thai a great deal of the lack of power in our services for God to-day comos from the fact that wo have lost the true conception of what wo are really in the world for. I submit to you that the only reason why those of us who are God's children sire loft in the world to-day is for the fulfilment of this one thing. " Witnessing to thosa things." Those of you who are familiar with Paul's letter to the Ephesians will remember that in that letter he explains what is the vocation of the Church of Christ, the vocation, not of a local church, but of the whole catholic Church of Jesus. The supremo vocation of the Church of Christ lies not in the present age, not under present circumstances. We arc to manifest the wisdom, and the grace, and tho lovo of God, to principalities and pavers in the hoavenlies. St.me of us have been taunted by being called other-worldly. Tho moment the Church of God ceases to be other-worldly she loses all hor power to teach and influence tho present world. Why is it that we are left here at all? It is that in the little while that intervenes between the present moment and tho coming of the Master "we aro witnesses to these things," not for tho making of money, not for the making of a name are we here. Wo are hero that we may be " witnesses to these things." What things? Thero is the preceding declaration of them: "Tho God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath ("iod exalted with His right hand to he a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." These are the things that you and I are to witness to the world— wo have no other business in the world.

TIIE METHOD OF DISCIPLESHII'. Lot mo remind you that the word here " witnesses" means " martyrs." "Wo are his martyrs of these things." We have come to tispoeiato the word "martyr" with persons who suffer persecution for the truth. There is one senso in which that is wrong. A martyr is ono who is convinced of the truth and who manifests tho truth in his life, 'Not merely did the Apostle announce the truths of God he stood in the presence of that senal3 and council and said, in offect, "You would know of tho meaning of tho Gospel wo declare. Examine us. Wo are witnesses of the things wo declare. We make tho announcement, and lay ourselves opon for examination as the supreme evidonco of the truth. Tins is the method in which the Church has always to witness to the fact of ho resurrection, tho crucifixion, the exaltation, and the power of Jesus. With that force Peter might have said to these people Christ is nam, as is proved by my life and character, you will but understand it and lead it uieht -the man who prior to Pen-, tecost loved his Master passionately, and vet was always trying to get out of his love for his Lord something for his own aggrandisemen and benefit. There is nothing^ * in he last days of our Lord on earth than the" the disciples did not go into loving commu mo., with Him in His suffering. VcXl them into fellowship with Him, and 11 J never came. He began to tell them of XL cross, nearly the moment after Peter had saW Thou art the Messiah." When Ho K"„ ,' tell them of the time Ho must tffer'They drew back from Him, and were am,™! h °s afraid to ask Him any que U on p! ° d and he rest of them If you trace carefully the Inst days of our Lord, you will finrl f hit every occasion when A apTk ?£ ™ His coming cross, they broke in by askinl which among then, was the greatest man * When Jesus instituted that last «,,„„ rr ..Mt; I h,m,"o».f,.„'a' ]] Mi and there arose among them tho n... *• ' to which of them should"be\£dV greatest. They were always seek Tg g*" sonal aggrandisement. b per But now in their changed lives tho™ !. a. most wonderful proof that Jesus nnlY i ho that He has risen, and is at XL Wl proof of Christianity is not dSL? th evidence of the Scriptures-I am nn^ y 'i he valuing them, I value £,3*A the final proof is in the 30 TZ„~ bU i women regenerated, transformed trZL i men and women of whomTt ma ?£ % M d as truly as of the Apostle of old%d tZ £ have passed away, behold all things have h! come new." There is no power To, » i • these miracle, and transCL i. orklng save the power of tho rZ/ ? g i char **<*. Christ. " P Wo are Hi, wit„S 8 a . nd T r is waiting to know ft world not. That is the one suoroT U "? en or Christianity. If He be no?X »" ° preaching vain, and your fa?th\„i n " ° ur IsHeriseny'TheLweri^ o ™ l '' when the Church can say y *2& martyrs," His witnesses; and the £* ,", His resurrection is to be seen « \°? 1 of formed lives, in character «,a \T X™ 1 ' changed by the touch of Hi lovh lt T*>!i ; indwelling Spirit. mg hand mi

WHAT ARE WE TO fiO J '? JIMeS feel mv own weakness. It is , iiMk'S%?f K nulling view of my responsibility as t CM'- • L man, and for every man. In my.cond«(M with men and women everywhere and in B '--i i' church I am only a witness of the trnmlm Hon and the cross ,in proportion » myiljf,-';.:'" tells the story of the transforming WtfilK the Gospel. How can I realise ffii% t ||f leal of service? "We are His »ita£* ;,, Jnd so is the Holy Spirit. ~%v 1 can <>"•':>' ?ii3S<" l 'V? that the funclioa ■ of discipleship is fulfilled when we d*o V er - .1,.. law by which wo pass into partnerey» with, and have definite awl positive '„' ion with, the Holy Spirit. ;^M Let me give you two sentences which .»■■ ,eal the main facts concerning the ministrr ■ • of the Spirit. .. . '■'•:»•;* jstXFirst The Holy Spirit witnesses to J llo i'; onlv. The Holy Ghost hasnothing | p „ # to you about Himself, iha whole messSfS Ho has given is a message concerning Christ ■•'•" Tho whole mission of the spirit to-day utj reveal Jesus. People »""»«»« forth,/ Holy Spirit. They expect He will mo ...... manifestation to them of Himself. Hffiins . '" comes. When tho Spirit takes full p* E ession of any man or woman He deei jwj - : mil ke Himself a real nersonahty-flo <& Christ a real personality. He *«« come to reveal tho face of the Son of God,: aM I to make Jesus a "living bright reality.!' / That is His work. ■ : .y.Sow for my second sentence—Only % g Holv Spirit witness to Jean. Everything you'know about the Saviour you know a , «,,-.-; result of the illumination oi thei Holy;8«# No man ran call Lord, b„ by thaW Spirit. He is the Revcalei of the Rovealer. Jesus came to reveal toe bather In ws|g portion as you and I know the Master, m thai proportion the Holy Spirit has been bus, 0$ I our lives revealing Christ to us. We are Rjijl I witnesses onlv as we come into co-operation ... g with-the Spirit. We cannot speak ,„,],. § Jesus until the Holy Spirit reveals Him tor , 1 our hearts consciences, and understanding- i We are absolutely dependent upon the Holj " | 1 Spirit of God, and in that way wo are to (uU&j b fil tho function, of discipleship. lam only -•; 4 a disciple of Jesus. 1 am only human ■£& 1 can onlv carry out the work of my dijapk; I ship as" the Holy Spirit that gave me new 1 birth shall energise me and reveal to ma j|S I 13 glory of the men Christ. How does the. i\ Spirit do this work ? . ' ;' : He reveals Christ to my consciousness, 1?;;' i have then a new sense of Jesus, and I respond & : | to tho revelation and am transformed then;- $ by into increased likeness to Christ. Tkijt.j g new development of character is also jrj.s.' 1 creased capacity for 1 evelalinn. To that in. i i creased capacity the Spirit makes some'stiM 3 more glorious revelation, which again in- 7'i | creases' capacity, and so on. and ever oa/>£ \ Thus in a perpetually increasing ratio my' ' | lif.. is manifesting the glorv of the Master," ! and so lam witnessing for Him. :M g What the world waits for to-day is the ';; witnessing of transformed and transfigure! |J '■ lives. I believe that what humanity needs. :; 1 to-day ir this fnl>!>i"(t. Milling, and weaij'lf | ' world is the manifest a 1 ion of the sons andaj? ' daughters of thi King; ami if you are lirjng j I a life which is being transformed into thsv | 1 likeness of Jesus Christ, by so mnc'n are you ; ." i , His witnesses. Every testimony must .bisk | hacked by transformed lives. We can onV.'.- \ 1 bear this testimony as we are in direct and® :<. actual co-operation with the Holy Spirit, and. ;■'' g; , God gives the Holy Spirit to them that obsj 'Ms i , Him. _ ,:•• I a !$ ... '