The Elbert County tribune., 1919-08-16

] PRIMARY TOPIC-Helping everybod,
to know Jesus.
| JUNIOR TOPIC-The whole world needs
Jesus.
| INTERMEDIATE ToPIC-TakinE the
gospel to the whole world.
| SENIOR AND ADULT TOPIC-Chris
tian missions: aims and results.
7. The Obligation Of Missions (Afark
1915.
God saves men for purpose. That
purpose is to be laborers together with
him In the salvation of others. Christ's
parting message. yea, his final COM
mission to the di,ciples was, go.
preach the Gospel TO every creature"
This obligation still rests upon the
church. Since the command is to
preach the Gospel to every creature,
this obligation will obtain as long al
there Is one unredched soul.
II. Tho Power Of Missions (Acts
1:S).
This power is the supernatural In
ducement of the Holy Spirit. Mission
ary endeavor without the Holy Spirit
is doomed to failure. Power to witness
for Christ is the purpose of the gift
of the Spirit Success will crown the
efforts of those who go forth under the
leadership and power of the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit was not given pri-
marily to make Christians happy, but
to make them strong to carry the
Gospel to the heather. However,
those who go forth in this blessed serv-
ice In the Spirits power are truly
happy.
III. The Scope Of Missionary En-
deavor (Acts / :S).
The disciples were to begin their
witnessing where they were when the
Holy Spirit fell upon them-Jerusa-
lem. But they were to go out from
there to the "uttermost parts of the
earth" This is the program for ev-
cry disciple of Christ. Begin witness
Ing where Christ saves you, and then
go to your neighbors next. to you, and
on to the remotest bounds of the earth.
There is no such thing as "home mis-
sions," except that you begin at home.
~. The First Foreign Missionaries
(13 :1-14; 2S).
/. Who they were Q3:2). Bar
nabas and Saul were selected-the
very best two men in the church. The
| evangelizatlon Of the world is task
of such tremendous Importance that 1t
challenges the church to offer her best
men and women. Since an institution
is judged by Its representatives. 1t be-
comes the church to put her most capa-
BILE men to the front.
q BY whom sent (13:2. ~. The
Holy Spirit chose these men and sent
them forth to their work. The church
at Antioch seemed to have deliberate
| ly planned this missionary enterprise.
1t was after prayer and fasting that
the Spirit ordered the church to send
forth these missionaries. 1t should be
the business of the church to constant
ly seek the mind of God relative to
sending forth laborers into the Lords
vineyard. The Spirit calls and sends
men forth, but he does this through
the church.
8. Some experiences of the first for
eign missionaries:
(D Withstood by Elymas the sor-
cerer 13 :8-12). Elymas moved by the
devil, sought to turn the mind of Sergi-
us Paulus from the faith. thus barring
the Gospel as 1t enters upon its widest
mission of salvation. The most VII
lainous act which one can commit Is
to turn a soul from the Gospel. (2).
Worshiped MS gods 14:S-1S). (a) The
occasion wv. s-1o). God accompanied
the testimony of these missionaries by
his mighty power. He wrought a mir
acle through Paul. At his call the
inveterate cripple--one who had never
walkec-leaped up and walked. The
cure was instant. (b) The method wv.
l1-19). They called Barnabas, Jupi-
ter, and Paul, Mercury, because he was
the chief speaker. They declared that
the gods had come down in the like
ness of men. and they brought oxen and
garlands to offer sacrifice. (c) Their
efforts foiled wv. 14-1S). 1. The mis-
sionaries rent their clothes and ran
in among the people. saying they were
cot divine but beings of like passions
with themselves. 2. They urged the
people to turn to God. 3. Paul
stoned wv. 1929. Stirred up by
wicked Jews from Antioch and Iconi-
um, the rabble who moment ago were
worshiping are filled with satanic hate.
Doubtless Paul remembered Stephens
experience. God raised him up and he
went forth to discharge his duties as
missionary. Such men of courage
are needed today.