The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1953-04-18

81
aome. In his D.
aorne town Tar '''''1A
Sus 10 doubt he DIR. Foreman
tried too eve can't imagine Paul
siTt!'h9 around doing nothing), but
L. Wer had grain of success
mere we never heard of it, and
Paul was not one to be silent about
MS successful efforts.
Home Base
If 1T had not been for Barnabas
mere is no telling what might
aave happened. He was a sort of
s;.'%er-at-large for the growing
shuroh in the important city of
A~tloch, then one of the finest
ah-a3 of the Empire. Barnabas
'EHw MS own limitations. He took
rip to Tarsus, located Paul.
TouSht him back as co-pastor at
hhnch. Between them they made
great team. The church grew.
EieaiYbody seemed to be happy:
Tor whole year Barnabas and
Paul must have been the talk of
me- church. Then one day in a
Tayer-meeting it came to the
hearts of those present that the
zFo associate ministers of that big
ehurch should resign; It was God S
riil that they should. T..c.e va
something else for them to do.
Now that was the beginning {
shat we now call foreign mis-,
sonS-" But suppose people in the
Antioch church had taken the -.
MAT some church members Ia
zDwv when foreign missions ar,
BEING discussed? They could hav,
'ssidf, What? Send Barnabas and
RAGiG as foreign missionaries?
Why they have all they can do
here.. Why bury their talents in
xame' out-of-the-way place? Peo-
s1ieT in Eystra and Iconium have
aheir own religions, why not leave
Fem alone? Let's wait till we get
be heather in Antioch converted
before we start on the heather in
Gyprus!" But the church in Anti
och (bless themD did not talk
that way, though there may have
been a few members who did. AS
= church they gave their tried
and-tfue' pastors God-speed and
saw them off on the boat for the
vide west. 1T always takes more
han missionary to make for
sign missions successful. There
1as to be praying, obedient, mis-
Sion-minded home church.
ExpeditiOnary Force
Barnabas and Paul, on the 9TH
or hand, were not like young chaps
Iust out of seminary. They were
seasoned mature men, tested
workers, known and successful
teaders. The church in sending
hem sent its best 1t is a thun-
dering mistake to fancy that you
tan send to the foreign mission
field the poor fellows who couldn't
hold down church in America.
70 takes lot more character and
ability to make Christ known in a
totally indifferent or hostile at.
mosphere than where there is al.
ready a. partly Christian atmos.
phere and where the church is q
going and often powerful institu
lion. Whether it's home missions
Or foreign missions it is the same
story. The firing line, the from
line, calls for the best. BY anc
large, too. the church has seer
This Cwhen it has seen" mission!
1t alb.
If Not Missions, then?
Suppose the church never sen
missionaries, never did any evan
gelistic work, quit pioneering ev
erywhere. Then what? Well, wha
would happen to a firm that peve
went after new business? VIVA
-ooild happen to newspaper tina
sever wanted new subscribers
plhat happens to herd of cattl
.hat never admits new blood? Al
iabred church is like any inbre
'amily. But the most importar
question is: What will Christ sa
of a church that pays no al
tention to his order: go into a
the world?
BASED on outlines copyrighted by IN
Division Of Christian Education. M
UonaI Council Of the Chur ches Of Cbri
In the U.S.A. Released by Com m ami;
Ercss SeFgice.)