The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-07-03
THE GOSPEL is TAKEN INTO
EUROPE

EUROPE
LESSON TEXT-Acts 1G:C-15.
GOLDEN TEXT-Come over into Ecacedo
MIA and help us.-Acts 1913.
America is coming to the fore in
the thinking Of a confused world as
the final hope Of democracy and
religious freedom. Europe, or al
least most Of Europe, represents in
our thinking dictatorship, a totali-
tartan disregard for the personal
rights Of man, including his freedom
to worship God according to the die
tates of his own conscience.
1t is therefore very appropriate
that on this Fourth of July Sun
day, when patriotism has been much
in our thoughts, that we remind our
selves in the study of our Sunday
school lesson that the roots Of Amer
lean life, both cultural and religious,
reach back into the European soil
on which our foTefathers dwelt
Much of that which we as Chris
tians count precious has come to us
because Paul, the missionary, was
responsive to the leading of the Holy
Spirit and carried the gospel into
the heathendom of Europe, from
whence, in due time, it came to our
own land.
1t was a crucial point in the his
tory Of Christianity; yes, and Of the
world, when the gospel came tC
Europe.
1. BY Providential Hindrance wv
6-8).
Not only are 'the steps of a good
man ordered by the Lord" Cps. 81
23), but his stops as well. That is
not an easy lesson to learn. Let us
remember that we may be as much
in the will Of the Lord when all our
efforts are thwarted as when they
prosper,
Paul had set out on a second jour,
ney to carry out a folloW-up cam.
paign in the cities where he hao
already preached. This was a good
plan and had Gods blessing (see
v. 81. But soon we find that WORD
forbidden" ". g. and then "suf
fered not" ". y. The Holy Spirit
began to close doors to the gospe-
preacher. Now what? Shall he &C
on in determined sef-wil? Or shall
he become discouraged and embit-
tered in his soul? No, let him wait
for God is. guiding him by providen-
tial hindrance, which is soon to be
followed
II. BY Divine Guidance wv. g.
10y.
The Spirit spoke to Paul in g
vision, revealing the divine purpose
that the gospel should go over into
Macedonia. The Spirit leads in oul
day, possibly not by visions, but by
impelling inward prompting com.
plemented and checked by the teach
ing of Scripture and by providentia.
circumstances, and thus a man may
know what is the will of God fol-
him.
A word of caution is needed at this
point. Some earnest Christian peo-
pie go astray by projecting their owr
desires and purposes into the place
where they seem to be the will ct
God, and thus do themselves anc
others, and Christianity itself, much
harm. The three things Should
agree-U the inner prompting Of
the Spirit, (2) the teaching of Gods
Word, and (3) Gods hand in oul
outward circumstances.
If these three do not agree, the
Christian does well to wait, prayer.
fully, eXpectantly, for the Lord s
further guidance.
III. Through a Faithful Witness
wv. 11-14a).
The gospel came to Europe be.
cause Paul and his fellow workers
were faithful to their calling. Wher
God led, they went to Macedonia
wv. II, 12), where they sought out
those who were in the place Of
prayer ". 13). Paul spoke to them
about Christ ". 14), There he met
the man of Macedonia who turned
out to be woman. For some reason
the men we're absent from the place
of prayer on that all-lmportant Sab.
bath morning. They were undoubt,
edly the ancient counterpart of our
present day men who are brothers,
in-law'' to the church, these foolish
men who seem to assume that a BIZ
of religion" second hand through
the wife or children will suffice.
~. Through a Receptive Heart
wv. 14b-15).
God sent an obedient messenger
to the place where He had a pre-.
pared heart. Lydia was a woman
of distinction, business ability, anc
high moral character. But she
knew, and Paul knew, that ever
good people need to be saved. We
do well to keep that fact before us.
Paul spoke the truth of God, who
opened Lydia's heart. Observe that
she not only received the Word Of
God into her own heart, but at once
gave herself to the task of passing
it on. The first thing she could dc
was to give aid and comfort to the
messenger of the truth, and she die
that at once. Be assured that from
that day on she did all she could tc
prosper the gospel on its way