November 1928
T h e K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
681
1. Voyage from Caesarea to Crete. 27: 1 - 8 . 2. Dangerous voyage from Crete to Melita. 27:9-26. 3. The. ship wrecked but crew and pasT sengers. saved. 27:27-44. 4. A cordial reception extended by barr barians. 28:1-6. 5. Paul entertained by Publius. 28:7-10. 6 . The journey to Rome. 28:11-15. 7. Paul’s ministry in Rome. 28:16-21; Phil: 1:!2-14. ' —o— ■ "DAUL had been declared innocent of A crime under Roman law by.Festus; innocent of Jewish law by Agrippa—ap peal had been made to Caesar and could not be recalled. He must be s e n t to Rome as God had purposed, the gov ernment should pay all his traveling ex penses. The voyage recounted in chap ter 27 is of great interest, being typical in many ways of the journey- of life. . The -ship on which Paul was being transported came into the port called Fair Havens, near Lasea (27:8). Fair places of life are not necessarily safe places. The sailors were not satisfied with the slow progress being made. How apt we are to think God’s order of things is too slow! Delays are not lost time when sainc- tified by prayer. It is far safer to let God keep the time-sheet. Paul perceived that in rushing ahead at this season they were jeopardizing the ship and their very lives. He communi cated that which God had revealed. But Paul was no sailor. Why should they lis ten to him? “The centurion believed the Master and'owner of the ship” (v. 1 1 ). Worldly men insist upon being guided by human prudence. They scoffed at Noah and they have scoffed at many a man of God. But sometimes the Christian may know more about some things in which he has never been trained, than a prayerless expert could ever know. It is not always wise to trust experts afid follow the ma jority. “The more part (majority) advised to depart, if by any means they might attain to Phenice’’ (v. 12). They put Paul down for a pessimist. Men .look upon second causes', not knowing- the God who is back of them, and here is where ■ they are caught. - Push Paul back into the stern of the ship if you will! Laugh at his- advice—■ but, gentlemen—he will be the true cap tain of the situation yet. Watch him! They scoffed at Noah, but he manned the big boat and saved himself and his fam ily. They disregarded Paul, the man of prayer, but without him, they would all have been lost. , What Paul. was in that ship; the Christian man should be in the society in which he moves. “When the south wind blew softly, sup posing that they , had obtained their pur pose” (v. 13), they set sail; The soft winds often precede the hurricane. They are the devil’s lullaby. Many have been mis led as to the will of God by listening to the blowing of the soft winds. As we fnight expect to read, “not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind" (v: 14). The ship was caught. They
our story last week about prayer. (Re view, emphasizing the importance of thanksgiving in our prayers?) E v e n though Paul was left in prison a long time, they could not shut him away from his Lord, for Paul Could pray. Thus Paul was strengthened for the many trials and hard things he had to face. He was not in a prison cell at this -time but in a room in the palacé of the Roman governor, Felix, who, with the exception of Nero, was probably the most wicked man with whom Paul ever had to do. Many of the Jews did not like to hear Paul preach Jesus, bécause their lives were full of sin. Péople-are the same to day, whose hearts are wicked and sinful; they do not want to go to church or hear the -.Bible read. They -accused Paul of stirring up trouble among the people, and profaning, the temple. Paul was called before Felix and given a chance to reply to the false accusations. Paul told Felix and his accusers how he had done nothing wrong, and asked that his enemies bring proof of the things of which they had ac cused him. Paul gave the truth of God’s: Word, and Felix was frightened, for his own heart was wicked. Felix told Paul he would hear him again, and placed him in charge of a centurion, but allowed his friends to come and see him. Felix came before Paul again w i t h Drusilla his wife. She was not his law ful wife, for Felix had stolens-fier away from her husband. Drusilla was a Jew ess. Paul told how Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, and how he:'was in reality the Christ;- the long-expected Messiah, the Son of God. Then Paul spoke of right-1 eousness, and judgment to come. No wonder Felix trembled, and sent Paul back to prison, saying he would hear him another time. Now is the day of salva tion, and every delay is dangerous,r Satan always wants us to put off .until tomor row, and Felijÿj stands before us -as a sol emn warning 'that a person may be con vinced of sin,'and yet-not be saved. God is not mocked. “The wages of sin is death,” as Felix found out too late. (Give the defense of Paul before Agrip pa, dwelling especially on his conversion, and how he, too, once thought he ought to do things against Jesus. Its effect upon Agrippa.) Paul was a prisoner in chains, but he was a free man in Christ Jésus. Our memory verse shows us how God was with him, and will be with all who love and trust Him. (Prayer:) D ecember 9, 1928 Paul Goes to Rome Text: Acts 27:1-28:31; Rom. 1:8-15; Phil. 1 :12-14. ..L esson in O utline , I. Paul’s Longing to go to Rome. Rom. 1:8-15. II. Paul’s Journey to Rome. Acts 27:1- 28:15. FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE N OW —God’s time. OT NOW—Satan’s time. If ye wili hear.—Heb. 3:15.
C onscience
A good one*:1:'. . A trembling one
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24:16. 24:25.
An unmoved one (Drusilla) —o— “One Jesus—dead—alive”—(25:19). A Sacrificial death , . Heb. 9 :14, 26. A Sin-bearing death . . 1 Pet. 2 :24. A Sufficient death . . Heb. 9 :23-24. —o— B lessed I nsanity ! (26:24): If Christians are crazy, they have: Unspeakable jo y ' . . . 1 Pet. 1 ; 8 . Unsearchable riches . . . Eph. 3:8. Inexplicable peacé . . . Phil. 4:7. Unlimited hope . . . Rev. 21 :l-5. Heaven is our lunatic asylum. —o— G olden T ext I llustration I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision ■ (Acts 26:19). Many years ago, if is recorded of Henry of Bavaria, that he had become utterly weary of court life and decided to enter a monastery. The Prior Richard gave his majesty the- strict rules of tbe order. The King listened eagerly and ex pressed pleasure at the prospect of such complete separation. The Prior then in sisted that obedience was the first requi site of sainthood. The monarch prom ised tc> obey in every detail, “Then go back to your throne and do yciiir duty in the station to which God has assigned you,” said the Prior. The King took up his scepter again and people soon said, “King Henry has learned to govern by learning to obey.” Surely it must have been trying tó the flesh for Paul to be obedient to the heavenly vision, yet he kept the faith and finished his course with joy. . 24:24.
I— o - Paul On Trial Acts 24:1-26:32
Memory Verse.— “My faithfulness and my loving kindness shall be with him. Psa. 89:24. Approach. —Bring to the class s ome fruit, good and bad. Choosing one of the good, ask the children on which pile ,you should place it—the pile of sound or
that w hj c h is de cayed. Of course, w i t h the pile of good fruit. If left with the bad, it will soon decay. So we should choose early in l i f e the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord; and Saviour, to help us to.always
choose . the right companions; ;.-if we choose bad playmates we shall soon be come' like them. If we would be pure and true, we must shun evil playmates and companions. . We aré on trial each day and people are watching our lives by the people we make our friends, and by the things we do. (Apply Paul’s example to your pupils’ lives.' What are they to do if some comrade should take Christ’s name in vain? What are they to do when tempted to use Christ’s day in a way He would disapprove?) . Lesson Story.— I know we all remem ber the beautiful lesson Paul taught us in
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