Cleveland County herald., 1921-08-04
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL Sll11ldaySclool ! 7 Lesson 7 tBy REV P. B. FITZWATER D. D., Teacher of English Bible in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago,)
 O. 1921, Western Newspaper union.l
LESSON FOR AUGUST '
PAUL IN CYPRUS AND IN ANTI
 OCH OF PISlDlA.
LESSON TEXT-Acts 1s:1-52

GOLDEN TEXT-Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea. and in Samaria, and unto the ut termost part of the earth.-Acts l:S
 REFERENCE MATERIAL ~ Matt 13: S1-33; 2S:1S-20; Mark 16:15 Luke 34:46. fl PRIMARY TOPlC-Adventures sf Paul and Barnabas
 JUNIOR ToPIC-saul siIeaces sor- cerer
 INTERMEDIATG AND SENIOR TOPIC Paul Begins His Missionary Travels
 YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC Paul Becomes Missionary.
 This marks the beginning of foreign missions as the deliberately planned enterprise of the church.
 |. The Gifts of the Church at Anti och (v. D.
 Young as Antioch, the new religious center, was, she had prophets and teachers. Such are essential to church life Indeed, they are never aDsenS from the true church. In Ephesians :S-I2 Paul says that when Christ as- cended He gave gifts unto Aen for the purpose of perfecting the saints unto the work of the ministry.
 II. Barnabas and Saul Sent Forth (vy. 7, 3.
 While the five ministers were pray 1 ing and fasting, the Spirit of God com manded them to send forth Barnabas and Saul The work of eVangelzing the world was laid so heavily upon these men that they refrained from eat ing in order to seek the will of the Lord in prayer. This is the kind of
 
 From the fact that they were directed to send forth those whom the Spirit called, we learn that the real call to ChriSts service comes from the spirit. The Spirit calls and the church sec ondS the motion by sending those who are called. They sent the very best men from the church at Antioch.
 III. Preaching the Word of God in Cyprus tvv. I, D.
 We are not told as to why they first went to Cyprus, but we infer that It was becaase it was the home of Bar nabas. It is most natural that those who have heasd good news should go with it first to their kindred and Friends AS they went forth they preached the Word of God; not civic righteousness, current history, philoso- phy, etc. Tie great need today is Spirit-called and Spilit-blled men preaching Gods Word.
 w. Witsstood by EIymas the Sor- cerer (yv. 6-l2).
 When Barnabas and Saul by invita- ton were telling Sergius Paulus of the Word of God, EIymas maiiciously sought to turn his mind from the faith. This is the first obstacle they encoun- tered. This opposer is the same one who came to Adam iu Eden and to Jesus in the wilderness. He is the euemy of God and man. He now seeks , to bar the gospel as it enters upon It's career of the conversion of the hea- then. Saul denounced him in the most scathing terms calling him the child of the devil, full of guile and villainy, and pronounced him the enemy of all right eousness, accusing him of pervefting the right ways of the Lard.
 Happily, the deputy needed SarPs teaching and believed the gospel. It was in this connection that Saul's name was changed to Paul.
 V. In the Synagogue at Antioch in Psidia (yv. F, 16).
 From Paphos Paul and Barnabas went northward to Perga. From Perga they went into Antioch in Pr sida, where they entered the syna- gogue on the Sabbath day. Though he was sent to the Gentiles he does not depart from the order of be2in- ming with the Jews. After the usual reading of the Scriptures, upon the invitation of the rulers, Paul dellV- cred the discourse recorded in verses TAI. This sermon is worthy of care ful study. It consists of four parts: CD Historical (vv. 17-23); apologet- ical (vv. 24-3D; (3) doctrinaL (Vv. 3S, 39); (4) practical (vV. 40, N). It sets forth the missionary message for all times and lands. its essence should ever be the same. h this ser mon he presented the gloriiied ana risen Christ as the Savior from sin, passing his proof upon the testimony ot living witnesses and the inspired Word.
 VI. Tire Effect of the Sermon tvv. 8 42-52).
 \ Many of the Jews and proselytes I requested them to speak to them f again. Almost the whole city came f to hear the Word ef God the next s Sabbath. This great crowd melted :. the jealousy of the Jews This Jeal- ousy could not long be restrained; 1t broke out in open opposition. Ihis - l opposition was in turn answered py l Pauls rejection of them and turning l tO the GpntileS.