The Omaha guide., 1946-10-19

MEMORY SELECTON-And straight
way he preached Christ in the syna
Bogues. that he Is the Son Of God
Acts 900.
The regenerating grace of Coo
aad made Paul into a new man, one
Who now had no greater delight thar
cling others Of the redeemins
trace Of God.
In preparation for that fuller min.
stry which a to follow. Paul frs
gave witness in the place where he
lad been prosecuting the Christians,
n fact, in the city to which he wa.
bound when the Lord met him. BuI
now instead Of breathing out threats
and violence he met these former
associates and friends with the new
message Of the gospel.
He had to meet them sooner OF
later, and it was well that he me
them now. A clean break with bis
past makes a man ready for future
service.
I. Paul Faces His Past (Act.
9:leb-22).
What a surprise it must have beer
for those prosecutors Of the Chris
tians at Damascus to find that the
one to whom they had looked fol
leadership was now a Christian
What a testimony that was-right tc
the pointl
"Straightway"-what a good wore
to apply to tie servant Of the Lord
Paul did not hesitate to declare hi.
faith in Christ, to proclaim that the
One who had redeemed him was
able to save others.
1t is the normal and proper ex.
preston of Christian faith to give
testimony to others. That shoulc
be true of every believer. With Pau.
there was the added element Of his
call to preach, for God had ordained
that he should be his chosen vesse.
for that purpose (Acts 9:15).
Paul's message was Christ. He
proved to the Jews that Jesus was
the Christ ". 22), the One of whom
their Old Testament Scriptures
spake and for whom they protested
to be looking. He declared him t.
be the Son of God ". 2U.
They were unwilling to accept
the message. They were amazed
at Paul and COMPOUNDED" by the
ruth he proclaimed. but they re.
acted both it and him, and he hac
. escape for his life.
Although our lesson only Indirect
II refers to it (see Gal. 1:17, 18).
i should also be noted that Pau.
went up to Jerusalem before be
went to Antioch, as indicated in our
next portion Of Scripture.
There he faced suspicion on the
part Of the believers, who knew
him as their enemy.
Having faced his past we now
see that
III. Paul Faces His Future (Acts
lips, 26).
He was Gods chosen instrument
10 bear his name to the Gentiles
fsee Acts 9:15), and at the invita-.
ton Of, Barnabas he came up from
his home city Of Tarsus to minister
Mt Antioch, the place which now be-
came his real spiritual home, and
the center from which his great
missionary enterprise was carried
out.
1t is interesting to note how this
came about in the providence Of
God. Persecution spread the be.
levers abroad (Acts HID, and like
the scattered brands Of a beaten
fire they carried the fame of Chris.
tianity far and wide. Thus the COS.
pei came to Antioch, the third great
est city in the world of that day. A
revival broke out and Barnabas was
sent from Jerusalem to be Of help
Good and spiritual man that ne
was (Acts 1928, 24), Barnabas die
nothing to hinder this work of God
but admonished the people te
".cleave unto the Lord; that is, t
follow him closely. Would that al,
spiritual advisers had such a spirit
and such sound judgment.
He vas also wise in sensing his
seed of help. So he went after
Paul, the very man to teach these
young Christians and to lead them
out into a radiant and abundant
life for the Lord. Here it was that
the beautiful name of Christian
was first used.
All this was possible because
iii. Paul Faces His Lord (Gal
1:17-24.
Many years after he had beer
called to Antioch, Paul wrote this
letter to the Galatians to warn them
against Judaizing teachers and tc
urge them to hold fast to salvation
by faith. He declared this TO be q
message which he received from
God and not from men.
Before Paul went out to preach and
teach he went up into Arabia to be
alone with the Lord, as he took what
we might call his postgraduate
course in theology. He learned
alone with God.
His life had been transformed. Hi
attitudes had been completely
hanged. His thinking about Christ
i"as dramatically opposite to his
'ormer beliefs. He needed time
alone with God to prepare himself
:or the stormy but triumphaDt years
ahead.