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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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a stamp. It would not be delivered. It would not do any good to put an imitation stamp on this letter. Similarly, those who carry God’s message to the lost must be real Christians. We have a message to carry to the lost, for the Lord Jesus Christ said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). Are you willing to be used as God’s stamp to carry His message? I trust we have learned today that even very young children, if they are real Chris tians, can be used to carry God’s mes sage. ; G alatians 3 :23-29 blasphemed the One of whom he spoke. We must not think that all the Jews joined in this, but it was tl\e attitude of the Jews as a whole. Then Paul told them that their ac tions were already prophesied in their own Scriptures, and that, in their op position to the gospel, they were merely fulfilling their own prophets. Moreover, in turning to the Gentiles, Paul- would be fulfilling the predictions of t h e prophet Isaiah, who had said that Christ would be preached to all the world, that He would be a light to the Gentiles, and that in Him the ends of the earth would be blessed. The opposition against Paul at Antioch was not so much against him as it was against the One whom he preached, that is, Jesus Christ. H. A cceptance by the G entiles (Acts 13:48-52) Hearing the good news, the Gentiles “were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord” (y. 48). It was a revelation to them to learn that God had had them in mind from of old. They now learned that they were the objects of God’s love and care, and that He was ready to receive them into a fellowship which was closer than mere national relation ship. He was ready to bestow upon them eternal life in Christ, through sim ple faith. In teaching this lesson, we must exercise care that we do not think that all the Gentiles that heard were saved, but “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (v. 48). BLACKBOARD LESSON
we have the story of a man who wanted to interfere with God. But just wait until you hear what God did with him! LESSON STORY: One day the Holy Spirit told some of the people at An tioch that He wanted Paul and Barnabas to start on a missionary journey.,These, two men sailed to the island of Cyprus. There they found a sorcerer whose name was Elymas. Do you know what a sorcerer was in those days? He was a false prophet. This man was with Sergius Paulus, the Roman officer in charge of that part of the country. Sergius Paulus wanted to learn about the Lord Jesus, but the sorcerer tried to turn him away from the faith. Paul, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, looked at Elymas and told him he was the child of the devil and that the hand of the Lord was upon him for punish ment. Paul said that the man would go blind, and he did. When the deputy saw the miracle, he believed in Christ. But the sorcerer went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand. Do you think there was any one willing to do this ? If he had come to the Lord Jesus, do you think Jesus would have led him? iesus is always willing to ac cept those who will come, but the choice lies with men. Object Lesson M ailing M essages OBJECTS: Three envelopes of vary ing sizes; a small 3-cent stamp; a large 3-cent stamp, an imitation 3-cent stamp, crudely colored, anjl three messages de scribed below. (Put the small stamp on the largest envelope, addressed to a person in a large city. The largest stamp should be put on an envelope ad dressed to a person in a small town. Address another envelope to a person in a foreign country. Leave this en velope without a stamp.) LESSON: How many of you have stamp collections? Do you know that stamps are like Christians? Stamps are intended to carry a message from one person to another. I have a letter here with a very important-sounding ‘mes sage. It reads, “Dear Sir: You are the heir to a great fortune.” This let ter is addressed to a person in a large city. Will the little 3-cent stamp carry such an important message? Of course it will. Here is another message, addressed to a small town. It reads, “You are in vited to attend a party at my house.” Is the large 3-cent stamp too big to carry this message? A stamp will do its work faithfully, no matter what kind of message it bears. This envelope has a very important message. “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17),
This message comes from God’s own Word. The envelope is addressed to a foreign country, but it does not have
JUJÏE 15, 1941 PROGRESS IN WORLD MISSIONS A cts 13:13 to 14:28
Acts 18:44 And the next sabhath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when rhe Jews saw the mnltl- tndes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Fanl, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Fanl and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first hare been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it , from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salva tion unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and. glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 48 And the word of the Lord was pub lished throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconlum. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew non Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there Is neither male norfemale: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. LESSON TEXT: Acts 18:44-52;'Gal. 8:26- 29. GOLDEN TEXT: “For ye are all the children of God by faith iu Christ Jesus” (Gal. 9:26). DEVOTIONAL BEADING: Psa. 67. Outline and Exposition I. O pposition from the J ews (A cts 13:44-47) Paul preached a memorable sermon in the synagogue. While the preaching was to the Jews, and was drawn from their Scriptures, nevertheless some Gen tiles who were present were greatly stirred with a desire to hear mote. The next Sabbath day, nearly all the city came “to hear the word of God.” The crowds awakened the envy of the Jews. They contradicted Paul and AUL and his company continued their missionary journey until they came to Arttioch in Pisidia, where
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