and villages, teaching in their syna gogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sick ness and every disease among the people.” Sometimes today the Lord Jesus Christ is limited in His work for us because of our unbelief in Him. God does not force us to receive His bless ings. He will not do anything that we refuse to let Him do in our lives. Pray that your faith might allow Him to mightily work in your life and in your home and in your church, that others might see His power and de sire to serve Him too. June 17, 1951 SPREADING THE GOSPEL BY WITNESSING Acts 1:8; 4:5-12; 28:15, 16, 30, 31 Pointers on the Lesson The lesson passages for this week’s lesson are taken from the book of Acts. This book is primarily the book of witnessing. It records the manner in which the early church carried out the Great Commission of our Lord in Matthew 28:18-20. Furthermore, it demonstrates what ought to be the character of the church’s ministry throughout all this dispensation until Jesus comes. Someone has said “ this is the only unfinished book in the Bible” meaning that the type of wit nessing seen in it should continue until the body of Christ, the church, has been completed. The abruptness with which the book closes is sugges tive of this fact. Witnessing to the power of the gospel was not to close with Acts, chapter 28. It ought to be going on now in the life of every believer. The Biblical Plan of Witnessing Acts 1:8 is the keynote of the entire book and also gives its plan and out line. The first two chapters tell of the coming of the Holy Spirit who pro vides the power for witnessing. In 3:1 through 6:7 the witness in Jeru salem is recorded. From 6:8 to 8:3 we have the witness in Judaea. Then from 8:4 to 8:40 there is the witness to Samaria. And from 9:1 to the end of the book there is the witness to the uttermost part of the earth. The two chief witnesses for Christ in this book are Peter and Paul but there are many others. And as God looks at the whole matter, He sees a definite place where each of us should witness. How are we fitting into the picture ? The Message in Witnessing 4:5-12 What message is to be borne by
those who are commissioned to wit ness? This is clearly set forth by Peter and John who testified in con nection with the first definite persecu tion in the early church. These two men were apprehended because of the work of healing wrought upon an im potent man (chap. 3). The Jewish Sanhedrin questioned them as to the power by which the healing had been accomplished. It was then that the spokesman, Peter, who was filled with the Spirit of God (v. 8) declared it was all done “ by the name of Jesus Christ” (v. 10). He went on further to say that only by this name is salvation to be found by any one (v. 12). It is only by a power outside of man himself that he can be saved and that power is the Son of God. This is contrary to the ideas of the natural man who thinks that somehow he can save him self. The witness-bearer, therefore, must go forth to make it clear that no man can save himself. His life or works are altogether deficient. “We must be saved” by the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithfulness in Witnessing 28:15, 16; 30, 31 Surely in these verses we see both the providence of God and the faith fulness of Paul at work. As to the latter, we see Paul at work witness ing for the Lord even though his life was restricted as a prisoner. During this time he preached and taught and wrote for the glory of God. He re fused to quit. He maintained an active interest in the things of the gospel in spite of outward circumstances. He would not allow discouragement to defeat him. Then, too, God saw to it that by the “ hired house” arrange ment, Paul could minister to the many who were led to contact him. Onesi- mus was one who became a convert through this ministry (Philemon 10). So, like Paul, let us not become weary in witnessing. Memory Verse: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world” (Matt. 24:14). Few of us know the price that has been paid that we might have heard the story of the Lord Jesus Christ! Paul, the first great missionary, was only one of many of God’s heroes who paid a great price that we might know the Saviour. Before the Lord Jesus returned to Heaven, He said to His disciples, “ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Helps for the Children Paul the Missionary Acts 1:8; 28:1-16
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