The Arvada enterprise., 1921-08-04
LESSON FOR AUGUST 7
PAUL IN CYPRUS AND IN ANTI.
OCH OF PiSipiA.

OCH OF PisioiA.
LESSON TExT-Acts l3:l-52
GOLDEN TEXT-Ye shall be witnesses
unto me both In Jerusalem. and in all
Judea, and in Sam2ra. and unto the ut.
termost part Of the earth.-Acts Is.
REFERENCE MATERIAL - Matt. Is
a1-s3: 2s:ls-2o: Mark l6:l5: Luke N:4s. q.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Adventures Of Paul
and Barnabas.
JUNIOR TOPIc-saul silences sor-
esrer.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Paul Begins His Missionary Travels.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Paul Becomes q Missionary.
This marks the beginning Of foreign
missions as the deliberately planned
enterprise OF the church.
I. Tho Gifts Of the Church at Anti.
seh ". ~.
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 Ephesiana
4 1912 Paul says that when Christ as
eended He gave gifts unto men for the
purpose Of perfectinE the saints unto
the work Of the ministry.
u. 0arnabas and Saul Sent Forth
wv. z ~.
While the I'VE 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
Christs service comes from the Spirit.
The Spirit calls and the church Sec
ouds the motion by sending those who
Ire called. They sent the very best
men from the church at Antioch.
III. Preaching the Word Of 0od In
cyprus tvv. 4. 81.
We are not told a. to why they first
went to Cyprus. but we infer that 1t
was because IL was the home OF Bar
nabas. It u most natural that those
who have heard good news should 90
with It nrst to their kindred and
friends. As they went forth they
preached the Word Of God; not civic
cighteousness. current history. philosO-
ply. etc. The great need today is
Spirit-calied and Spirit-tilied men
preaching Gods Word.
". Withstood BY Elymas the ser.
esrer tvv. t-l:).
When Barnabas and Saul by invita-.
ton were telling SergIus Pauius Of the
Word Of God. Elymas maliciOusly
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 in Eden and to
Jesus In the wilderness. He IL the
enemy Of God and man. He now seeks
TO bar the gospel as 1t 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 pervertins
the right ways Of the Lard.
Happily. the deputy needed snul's
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. 10. 1877.
From Paphos Paul and Barnabas
went northward to PerEa. From
Perga they went into Antioch In ri.
sidia. 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 begin.
ming with the Jews. After the usual
reading Of the Scriptures, upon the
Invitation Of the rulers. Paul deliv-
cred the discourse recorded In verses
17-4l. This sermon Ii worthy Of care
full study. 1t consists Of four parts
~ Historical (vv. 1929; apologet-
zeal wv. 24-37): (3S doctrinal. wv.
IS. S9); ~ practical wv. 20. ~. 1t
sets forth the missionary message for
oil umes and lands. Its essence
should ever be the same. In this ser.
mon he presented the Ei0rihed and
risen Christ a. the Savior from SIN.
basing his proof upon the testimony OF
living Witnesses and the inspired
Word.
VI. The Effect Of the Sermon wv.
1887.
Many Of tho Jews and proselytes
requested them to speak to them
again. Almost the whole city came
to hear the Word Of God the next
Sabbath. This great crowd melted
the Jealousy Of the Jews. This jeal.
ouSy could not long be restrained: It
broke out 10 open opposition. This
Opposition was In turn answered by
|vaul's rejection Of them and turning
20 the Gentiles.