JULY 24, 1921 SAUL PROCLAIMS JESUS AS THE CHRIST Golden Text: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Mat. 16:16. UESSON TEXT Ac. 9:19b-30. (Read Ac. 18:24-28.)
let him down by the wall, in a basket. (26) And when Saul was come to Jeru salem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples ; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. (27) But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared, unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to .him, and how he had preached boldly at Dam-", ascus .in the name of Jesus. (28) And. he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. (29) And he>spake boldly in thè name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians : but they went about to slay (kill) him. Which when She brethren knew they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. life, but his heart was full. You could not" silence him. The new life was bub bling up and running over. He wanted everybody to know the good news. He was a straightforward saint and of course he straightway preached. He preached Christ as the Son of God, not a son of God, or one of the sons of God, but the Son of God. He had the same vision as did Nathanael when he first saw Jesus (John 1:49) “ Nathaniel answered and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King Of Israel.” This is also the testimony of John in 1 John 4:14,15: “ And we have seen and do testify th at the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess th at Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he jn God.” - This -is the need ofr^fiV-world,—wit nesses who can t e s t i f y t h i s great, sav ing truth; witnesses who have seen Him, have accepted Him, and who joyfully confess Him. It was hard to believe that the man who had started out to apprehend them and put them in prison was nowone with them, Faith in the crucified, , risen Christ works a miracle in the life of a sinner. When the veil is removed from
*(19-b) Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at ^Damascus. (20) And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. (2lJ But all that heard him were amazed, and said: Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came (he had come) hither for that, intent, .'that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? (22) But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which, dwelt at Damascus," proving that this is the very Christ. (23) And after. that many., days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him : (24) but their laying aWait was known of Saul. And. they watched the gates day and night to kill him. .(25) Then the disciples took him by night, and
OUTLINE 1. Saul Preaching Christ, vs. 19-22. 2. Saul’s Peril in Damascus, vs. 23-25. 3. v Saul’s Persecution in Jerusalem, vs. 26-30. 1. SAUL PREACHING CHRIST, vs. 19- 22. “Straightway he preached Christ.” The story of Saul’s ministry is per fectly natural. The account of his pur pose in visiting Dam- LESSON ascus—the stifling of EXPOSITION the testimony of the T. C. Horton converts to Christ— gives the character and characteristics of the man. Saul had red blood as a persecutor and as a preacher. God always has His man. The young church needed this man and God .picked him up and took him out from the most unlikely environment,— a Pharisee, a trained ecclesiast. He went right to business for his new Master. “What wilt thou have me to do?” is the key of his life. Saul is no tender foot. He looked not for a soft snap. He believed, his heart was won, the Spirit of God controlled him, and straightway he preached. He became a herald of the Gospel. He was young in the Christian
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