SUNDAY HEADING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13193, 2 June 1906, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY HEADING.

APOSTOLIC CHRISTIANITY. IST th>: ISKV. a. b. smrso.v.

But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: ami ye shall he witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Jutieii and in Samaria, and to the uttermort parts of the earth.—Acts i. 8.

And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of tlie Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." —Acts lv. 33.

The "Holy Spirit is a distinct Person in every sense of the word: not an influence or an atmosphere, not a radiation of divine love and life, but a living, concrete Person, as real as you and I, as any angel in heaven.' He has come to take the place of Christ in tile world, and has been residing here for nearly twenty centuries—not residing in heaven now (for the Holy Ghost is not. in heaven as His home), but residing on earth ever since the day of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit of God as a living Person is the, beginning and the middle and the consummation of all the apostolic life. They cannot do a thing apart from Him. They have to wait ten days in silence until Ho comes, doing nothing but praying and waiting for His descent. We see the Holy Spirit the Spring of everything in their lives. They become absolutely transformed. Men that shrink before the tread of a girl stand undaunted before the throne of the Ciesnrs, and all the authority of Herod or the Jews. Why? Because they had rececived into them another Mind, another Na-ture,-another Person— Holy Spirit of the eternal and almighty God. And so their preaching' became mighty and effectual. fliey never attributed it to their own eloquence, but His endnement. They could not become even useful deacons without. Him. They called men full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom to administer the finances of the church. Tiie> Apostolic Church never thought of appointing a man to any sacred office without the Holy Ghost. The greatest amount of common sense was no qualification; the very largest bank balance that lie could have to make up deficiencies would not answer; he must be a man full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, or he could not even be a deacon in the Church of God.

Then again, in all their work it was the Holy ■ Ghost who guided their movements. He said: "Separate unto Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." The Holy Ghost sent them both to their mission field, and as they went forth through their fields they would have preached here and there, but the Holy Ghost suffered them not. "They were forbidden by the Spirit to preach in Asia." Thus they went, ever dependent on the Holy Ghost. When they are filled with sorrow and suffering it is the Holy Ghost thai: comforts them. "Then were the disciples filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost." Paul finds certain people at Ephesus and he says: "Have you received the' Holy Ghost since you believed?" And they say, "We have not as much as hoard whether there be any Holy Ghost." And then ho told them that they must make a new start and receive the Spirit of God and be baptised for their work.

Up to this time Peter, and John and James were saved, but they did not have the power (of the Holy Ghost; •. and what wero they worth when Ihe trial of the Cross came, when even the threat of the servant maid frightened the boldest of them away? And what- dees your religion amount to until you have the Holy Ghost? Until you have this controlling, residing power, carrying on all your work? This alone can sanctify your soul; can comfort you under all circumstances,, that can bo a spring of joy that is not dependent, on outward success and prosperity. This alone.can make your words go to the consciences and •heart: of men; make your prayers cleave thrpugl these, spaces ajid reach the throne of God and set in motion the machinery of Provi ienee and 'power. ,:■ ••• _ <

"Ye shall receive power after the Holy .4host has • come upon you." ' Better than :hafc:. "Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you.'" ■ That is the true version and really it is immensely different from the other. You shall recuiye the power yourself, so that people shall say, "How much power lie lias." You .shall not have any power whatever, but you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost, coming upon you. He is the Comforter, the Advocate, the Paraclete. This is the first feature of the Apostolic Christianity. The Scriptural picture of a useful man is a man full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.

11. Again, Apostolic Christianity was marked by a - second feature, namely: Power.

First the Holy Ghost; secondly, power. "Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you." This was the age of power. This, more than any other, was the age when the natural power had reached its climax. It was no child's play to stand before the Jews and before the philosophers of Athens, and before tho rone of Ccssar, and. say: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation." And Paul was not ashamed of it. And before that sword and that arm and that Gospel Grecian philosophy melted away and. Roman power was shattered in the dust; and before long the. greatest of the later emperors of Rome placed (lie signal of the Gross 011 his banner and said: In this sign I conquer." And in this age of. power, the Gospel was given to the world. It was a real force; and Peter standing before the. Sanhedrim,-with his few simple words, was able to wield a mightier force; Paul, standing before Felix and Agrippa, had • a power behind him greater than Pome. Stephen, standing first before the council and then on that field of martyrdom, was the real master. They themselves were conscious of a strange power. 111. The third feature of primitive Christianity is witnessing for Christ. "Ye shall be witnesses unto Me." They, were witnesses to a Christ, that was crucified, to a Chist that was Divine, to * Christ that was risen, to a Christ that was reigning,* to a Christ that was coming again. Have you noticed the sermon of Peter on the day of Pentecost, the sermon of Peter to the council, the sermon of Paul before Agrippa? Everywhere it is the story of Jesus Christ.

iy. Again, another feature of Apostolic Christianity was aggressive work. And ye shall be witnesses unto Me both ■in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." Having gotten the Spirit and the power, and having Jesus Christ as the theme of their testimony, they went out to spread it over the world. They did it wisely. They began in the natural centre — Jerusalem—and then they went to the nearest circumference—Judea —and then went over to their cousins, and then they went abroad to all nations and all tribes.

V. Again, another feature of Apostolic Christianity was prayer. They were born upon their knees; they were baptised upon their knees. They were re-baptised in their second Pentecost in a prayer meeting. They went out to their mission work from their knees. Peter was delivered ' from prison and from Herod through the praying Church. VI. Again, another feature was faith and hope and love. These three sweet jewels were the crown of the Apostolic Church. Faith in _ their testimony, faith in their salvation, faith in their work, sublime faith that attempted great things for God, and expected great tilings from God. Stephen was full of faith, the great and good Barnabas was a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost. Again, hope is the second of this trinity of graces. We find hone in the Apostolic churches more than we do in aiiy church to-day. Hope, I mean, of the Lord's coming. That, was the very first message that God gave them. "Ye men of Galilee, why stand yo gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus that was taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have teen Him go into heaven;" and they never forget that message. They saw Him go tin and they were looking for Him to come back again, the same way, and that encouraged them in their work as they waited for His Son from heaven.

Then tin- third feature of the Church was love. Faith, hope, and love. What wondrous love they had! They were all of one heart. Barnabas brought his wealth and laid it down at the feet of Christ. Mary of Jerusalem gave her house for prayer meetings and the church met there, and Stephen gave his blood as freely as Paul gave his tongue. They- gave themselves wholly to God. There was perfect Christian fellowship and'they upheld with loving unison each other's hearts.

VII. Finally the last feature was suffering.

It came soon. As soon a«. they got the power it had to be burned in. There had to be trial; there must be much misunderstanding if we are to obey the Holy Ghost and preach apostolic testimony— apostolic life. These early sonants of God were not only blamed for their goodness, they were blamed for much that was false and much that was evil. They were put to death—glorious women "and glorious men—under charges of the most horrible crimes, which everybody believed: but they went on with their faces towards God and their hearts full of love, and God understood them, and the world understands them to-day, and in the great day they will shine like the* sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Oh, beloved, we must not mind tile pressure" that comes from an unfriendly world. The pressure from oven our fellow-Chris-tians cannot hurt the work of f«od. If you are sfoimr to wait until men bolster you up there will be very little done. Let us go forth to meet the pressure of th« world* and we shall find that God is mightier than every difficulty, and that th* very things that seem to he difficulties shall prove only a furtherance of tho Gospel oE Christ.