New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-08-05

LESSON TEXT-Acts l3:l-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 lis.
. REFERENCE MATERIAL Matt. IS:
sl-ss: ~2s:ls-O; Mark 1918: Luke 24:46. Al.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Adventures of Paul
and Barnabas.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Saul Silences a Sor-
cerer.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
Paul Begins His Missionary Travels.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Paul Becomes a Missionary.
This marks the beginning of foreign
missions as the deliberately planned
enterprise of the church.
I. The Gifts Of the Church at Anti
och ". -.
Young as Antioch. the new religious
center, was, she had prophets and
teachers. Such are essential to church
life. indeed, they are never absent
from the true church. In Ephesians
Asp Paul says that when Christ as
cended he gave gifts unto men for the
purpose of perfecting the saints unto
the work of the ministry.
%. Barnabas and Saul Sent Forth
wv. z, -.
While the five ministers were pray
ing and fasting, the Spirit of God com
manded them to send forth Barnabas
and Saul. The work OF evangelizing
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
fasting that meets Gods approval.
From the fact that they were directed
to send forth those whom the Spirit
called, we learn that the real call to
Christ's service ONE from the Spirit.
The Spirit calls and the church sec
Onds the motion by sending those who
are called. They sen the very best
men from the church at Antioch. There
was a second season Of fasting and
prayer, accompanied by the imposition
of hands before they went forth, show
ing that ordination has Its place In the
sending forth of missionaries.
~. Preaching the Word Of God In
Cyprus wv. 4, %.
We are not told as to why they first
went to Cyprus, but We infer that K
was because IL was the home OF Bar
nabas. II is most natural that those
who have heard good news should 90
with II first To their kindred and
friends. As they went forth they
preached the Word of God; not civic
righteousness, current history, philoso-
ply, etc. The great need today Is
Spirit-called and Spitit-filled men
preaching Gods Word. In fact. Spirit
tlled men will preach nothing else.
~. Withstood by Elymas the Sor.
cerer wv. GID.
when Barnabas and Saul by invita-
ton were telling Sergius paulus of the
Word of God, Elymas maliclOusly
sought To turn his mind from the faith.
This Is the first obstacle they encoun-
who came To Adam In Eden and Ia
Jesus In the wilderness. lie is the
enemy of Goo and man. lie now seeks
to bar the gospel ms II enters upon its
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 %perverting
the right ways of the Lord. Surely a
man Is never more of n villain than In
trying I o turn n soul from the gospel.
uan,ll.. tbA .lanpty hAn.laI SupIsp
teaching and believed the gospel. II
was In this connection that Saul's
name was changed to Paul.
v. In the Synagogue at Antioch In
Pisidia wv. IL. 16).
From Pnphos Paul and Barnabas
went %northward TO Perga. From
Perga they went into Antioch In Pr
sidia. where they entered the syna-
gogue on the Sabbath day. Though
he was sent 10 the Gentiles he does
not depart from the order Of begin
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
l7-41. This sermon Is worthy Of care
full study. II consists of four parts:
I'd Historical wv. l1-23) ; apologet-
lcal wv. 24-3D: t3) doctrinal. wv.
IS. 39) ca practical wv. 40. AID. II
sets forth the missionary message for
all times and lands. Its essence
should eycr he the same. In tins ser
mon he presented the glorihed AMI
risen Christ as the Savior from sin.
basing his proof upon the testimony Of
living witnesses and the inspired
Word.
VI. The Effect Of the Sermon wv.
t2-52).
Many Of the Jews and p~roselytes
requested them to speak to them
again. Almost the whole city came
20 hear the Word of God the next
Sabbath. This great crowd melted
the Jealousy Of the Jews. This jeal-
ousy could moi long be restrained; II
broke out in open opposition. This
opposition was in urn answered by
PauI's rejection Of them and turning
to the Gentiles.