Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-08-02

GOLDEN TEXT-Ye shah be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem. and in all
Judea, and in Samara, and unto the ut
termost part of the earth.-Acts is
REFERENCE MATERIAL Matt. 10:
1873; 2S:lS-20; Mark 1915; Luke 24:4G a.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Advehtures of Paul
and Barnabas
JUNIOR TOPIC-Saul silences a Sor-
eerer.
INTERMEDIATE 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.
1.-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 Ephesans
ASH 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.
IT, Barnabas and Saul Sent Forth
lz8yy. z, 81.
3Nhile the five ministers were pray
S5Fssg and fasting the Spirit of God COM
kaanded them to send forth Barnabas
aud Saul. The work of eVnngelizing
the world was laid so heavily upon
these men thar 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 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.
IA, Preaching the Word of God In
Cyprus VIVA, 81.
We are not told as to why they first
went to Cyprus, but we infer that K
was because it was the home of Bar
nabas. 1t is most natural that those
who have heard good news should go
with it first to their kindred and
friends. AS they went forth they
preached the Word of God; not civic
- |
ply, etc The great need today Is
Spirit-called and Spirit-tilled men =
preaching Gods Word.
~. Withstood by EIymas the Sor-
cerer (yv. 6-12).
When Barnabas and Saul by invita-
tion.Were telling Sergius Paulus of the !
Word of God, Elymas maliciously Ii
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 is the
enemy of God and man. He now seeks
TO bar the gospel as it enters upon its
career of the conversion of the hea- {
then. Saul denounced him in the most
scatfAng terms, calling him the child of
the devl, full of guile and yillainy, and
pronounced him the enemy of all right
eousAess, accusing him of peryerting
the hight ways of the Lard.
Happily, the deputy needed Sauls
teaching and believed the gospel. 1t
was in this connection that Saul's
name was changed to Paul
v In the Synagogue at Antioch in
Pisidia wv 15 16).
From Paphos Paul and Barnabas
vents northward to Perga From
Perga they went into Antioch in Pr
sidiae where they entered the syna-
gogue on the Sabbath day Thcagh
he was sept to the Gentles 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 E the discourse recorded in verses !
17-41s This sermon is worthy of care |
full study. 1t consists of four parts: |
~ Historical wv. 1929; apologet-
tcal wv. 24-37); (3) docuinal, wv. |
50, 3d. (4) practical wv. 40, Az. 1t |
sets Forth the missionary message for |
all fines and lands. 3Its essence |
should ever be the same. In this ser
mon she presented the glorihed and |
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.
1851.
Many of the Jews and proselytes
requested them to speak to them
again. Almost the whole city came
to near 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 in open opposition. This
opposition was in turn answered by
Pauls rejection of them and turning
to the Gentiles