Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-02
The Cripple Of Lystra
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOMI<INS.
Text. Acts xiv.
Texts Acts xiv.

The apostles had the power to work
miracles. This power has been largely
taken away from the church, because
1T lis no longer necessary to prove by
miracle that Christ is our Redeemer
We know by the hundreds of years of
Christian experience, and by the add
vance which has been made wherever
Christianity has gone. that Jesus was
the Son Of God. and that He died for
our salvation. But In the early days.
before people realized the blcssedness
OF Christianity. miracles were wrought.
even as our Lord Himself healed the
sick and raised the dead. 1t is we'll for
us to remember. however. that our
Lords declaration, Greater works
than these shall yc do" has been full
filled; for the wonderful salvation Of
souls. the turning of the heather TO
God. and the manifold blessings Of
grace are all miracles The expert
crces given in Harold Bcgbic's Twice
Born Men" arc not exceptional Any
man who works in rescue missions.
and almost every minister. could give
like testimony. we arc really sur
rounded by miracles, both OF grace and
OF nature.
Paul and Barnahas. in their travels,
came to Lystra. a city OF Lycaonia,
province In the south of Asia Minor.
and there they preached the gospel
and gave testimony concerning the
grace OF God. In the town they found
Paul preached. probably in the street,
and then Paul healed him. The
suit was peculiar The people thought
that their heather gods had come down
TO earth. and they called Barnabas
Jupiter" and Paul "Mcrcurv' and
prepared to sacrifice before them. 1t
was with much difficulty that the
apostles dissuadcd them from this, and
tassured them they were only men
whom God had sent TO preach saliva
Iii.
not allowed, however. to remain long
in peace, for some enemies came from
Antioch. sd the tickle people soon
turned against Paul and stoned him
Whether he was only stunned OF
whether he was really dead does not
appear. but he rose up and went gu,
OF tho city. He came back again. how
ever, and strengthened those who had
been converted by his preaching ana
then sailed for Antioch.
BLESSINGS TO BODY
AS WELL As TO SOUL.
Notice, first. how ST Paul sign;fcd
the blessings Of Christianity as having
10 do with the body, as we'll as tn"
soul when he healed this lame man
Even now people DO not realize tina.
Faith in Jesus Christ means health Of
body as well as health OF mind ON.
cannot but believe that II the fulu.sa
OF Christianity had been preached IN
drcd religions would not have appear
ed. This does not mean that Chris
tianity viii necessarily in all cases
make sick body well, bu; II does
mean nrs,. that sickness is the result
Of slu--not always The sin of the SICK
man. but sin generally in the world +
fd secondly. that many OF our troubles
.-5 ould be relieved through faith and
we would receive strength 10 bear in
pa,icnea much which now breaks Us
down Cure sin and you cure sorrow.
The kingdom OF God, when II comes
in perfection; that *, when AL people
love and believe and obey. viii be a
Kingdom Of happiness. Tears will DO
WIPED away. Sickness Will be unknown.
Life Will! be beautiful. Doubtless Paul
had all this in mind when. tn order
, ,p 81 ow people how God loved them,
, H. hcalcd this lame man in I.ystra.
How Sineularly men explain or try
10 explain that which they cannot I'M
derstand! When the people saw This
, wonderful miracle they began 20 ;,:-
cribe IL 10 the power OF their heather
gods. All nations. except the Jews,
III the carly days were idolutroGS. and
when they fashioned in images. and
whom they worsh!ped with many un-
happy rites. Jupiter and Mercury and
Venus, after whom some of our plan
cts are named. and many other strange
gods. held the people III bondage
they were so loyal 10 these gods not
only proves that they were fearful. and
therefore were afraid OF offending their
idols, but also that they were loyal to
the light so far as they had any light
Herein they set US example. II We
Would be AS loyal TO our God as the
followers OF Baal in the Old Testament.
for instance, were 10 him, or II we
would have our Lares and Penates
household gods, in our homes In the
shape OF family worship. as the Ro-
mans had them as little idols. we
would be far better Christians.
CAN LEARN FROM
WORSHIP OF OTHERS
There is much for us to learn in
the worship of heather nations. never
shall forget Mr.. Sunday describing the
devotion Of a woman in her worship
oil Buddha She presented gift afte<
gift, as the circle of worshipers passed
bcforc tho IDOL and finally she threw
hers iS. lifelcss. q sacrifice before Bud
dha. &Christianity ought to bring us
~ complete surrender. and SO to a
perfect happiness and strength, and n
consciousness that God is always with
US and that He loves us.
|. It was not SO much an act of madness
As Of devotion that led these people to
prepare to offer sacrifices before Paul
and Barnabas. Whenever we sec some
wonderful work of God. II would be
we'll for us II we would lift up our
hearts to Him in alteration and praise
Flowers and birds, the armament and
the sea, blessings innumerablc in our
lives, are all proofs of Gods care, and
they call us to worship and to praise.
These experiences led Paul to preach
beautiful little sermon which i'm
presses one, especially when he speaks
OF God as sending rain and fruit and
sunshine, so filing the hearts of His
ncople with food and Eladness. These
II he said. are witnesses Of God and
wv they have been fulfilled in tho
glorious presence on earth OF God Him
Yclf, who showed us how to 1.-Two and
died that we might be saved, Some
| times short sermons accomplish moro
than long ones. We can find great
many vcTses in the Bible which arc SER
| moas in themselves. The only advan-
tagc of sermon such as ministers