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Page 4...The Portland Observer...Seplember 11,1991
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Portland Observer
RELIGION
Preaching Jesus From The Old Testament
Creator of heaven and earth Very lew
BY MICHAEL LINDSEY
of these God fearers actually became
D ean o f
proselytes (converts) to Judaism, per­
N o rth P o rtla n d B ible C ollege
haps because of the required rite of
T he text for the Sunday School
circumcision
and the legal rituals which
lesson (International Senes) for next
had
developed
around Judaism by the
Sunday is Acts 13:26-39. We encour­
time o f Christ.
age you to attend the Church o f your
Recall from Acts 11:19-24 (last
choice this w eekend, and study Cod s
w
eek’s
text) that Barnabas and Saul/
W ord with His people
Paul
w
ere
leaders in the first church to
O ur Bible lesson this week is part
actively
w
itness
and incorporte Greeks
o f a serm on preached by the apostle
and
other
Gentiles
into the church. Paul
Paul on his first missionary journey.
fully
intended
to
present the gospel
B arnabas and Paul had come to Pisidian
message
to
Gentiles
in this Antioeh as
A ntioch (A cts 13:14), so called to dis­
well,
but
he
wisely
looked
for the most
tinguish it from the far larger city A nti­
receptive
people
first-b
o
th
the Jews
och (o f Syria) where they had previ­
and
the
God
fearing
G
entiles
to estab­
ously preached and taught (13:1-3). The
lish
a
base
for
church
growth.
sm aller Antioch, a highland town in the
By way of application, we should
m iddle o f Asia Minor (present-day
ask
ourselves
this question: Am 1 seek­
T urkey), had strategic importance for
ing
out
those
non-Christians
who have
the spread of the gospel of Christ. It was
the
most
interest
in
spiritual
things,
and
the civil and military center of the area,
prayerfully
presenting
Christ
to
them?
and a Rom an Colony, sitting on the
Like Paul, we would not exclude any­
m ain trade routes from Syria to Europe.
one
from our witness, but we would
Right away Paul and Barnabas
recognize
G od’s liming in preparing
sought out the Jewish synagogue and
hearts
for
the
good news ol Christ.
attended the Sabbath meeting. They
W
hen
the
Lord Jesus sent out his
heard the readings of the Law and the
disciples
to
announce
the kingdom of
Prophets (two sections of their Bible),
heaven,
he
instructed
them
that in each
and then were invited to bring a "‘word
town
they
should
seek
out
a worthy
o f encouragem ent” (13:15) to the as­
person
(Matt
10:11),
a
“
man
o
f peace”
sem bly,. It was not unusual for a visit­
(Luke
10:6),
and
build
their
leaching
ing teacher to get this privilege; the
ministry
out
of
that
person’s
house.
When
Jew s generally looked forward to re­
God
directed
Peter
to
preach
to
the
very
ceiving a word from their brothers, and
first
G
entile,
he
did
not
pick
out
a
hard­
Paul gave an address particularly well-
ened p a g a n -h e chose Cornelius, a
suited for this audience. (Compare the
“ devout and G od-fearing” man, who
synagogue scene in Nazareth, Luke 4:16-
prayed
to God and gave generously to
30, and the message the Lord Jesus
the
poor
(Acts 10:1-4). Though God can
brought on that occasion).
miraculously save even the most vile
But there was another group pres­
sinner and blasphemer, he often pre­
ent in the synagogue each Sabbath.
pares the heart of the sinner to receive
Paul addresses them as ‘ ‘ those who fear
the message, and we should not miss the
G o d ” (13:16,26); this does not mean
opportunities he prepares for us.
the Jews d id n ’t fear God, but that there
Let’s resume our look at Paul’s
were many Gentiles (non-Jews) who
sermon in Antioch. Does it surprise you
had rejected the idolatry of the Greeks,
how much Paul appeals to the history of
the Rom ans, and their local pagan re­
Israel: the bondage and deliverance from
ligions, and were attracted to the purity
Egypt, the wilderness experience, the
and simplicity o f faith in one God,
judges and early kings? Il shouldn’t! In
our churches the history o f Israel’s
captivity has long been a point o f con­
tact with distressof our people. And the
mighty hand of the LORD in the plagues
and at the Red Sea has been an indis­
putable sign of his power to save and
preserve his faithful people.
Paul also appealed to the fulfilled
prophecies concerning the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. This ought
also to be a major theme of our witness,
especially to the worldly wise skeptic
today. The prophecies of the O ld Testa­
ment are in many cases precisely and
unarguably fulfilled in the person of
Jesus o f Nazareth. They demonstrate
that God had indeed spoken through
the Psalms and the Prophets, hundreds
of years before Christ, and described
his birth, life, death and resurrection in
detail. This could not be mere chance,
or the plot of a deluded rabbi. It was
given as proof of the reality o f our
salvation.
Many do scoff at the idea o f a
bodily resurrection, and yet buy into
reincarnation or some other theory of
afterlife. To any open-minded person,
who has not yet received the Lord Je­
sus, 1 would encourage you to check
into the strength of the evidence of
fulfilled prophecy in Scripture, and other
evidences that Jesus really did rise from
the dead (for example, see Acts 13:35-
39 in our text, and Psalm 16:10). May I
recommend a guidebook which out­
lines the evidence for you: Evidence
That Demands a Verdict by Josh
McDowell.
Many who heard Paul’s sermon
turned against him in jealousy (13:44-
45), not because they could refute his
teaching. But many others received the
gospel (13:48). I’m convinced that most
people who refuse to follow Jesus Christ
have never seriously considered whether
he was all he claimed to be. D on’t you
think he deserves your careful consid­
eration?
Scripture o f the ‘Weefi
Luke 22:64
Sam Johnson Memorial
Scholarship Banquet
“TWO PATHS”
by Tamika Motion
Tw o paths lay before me.
O nce long ago,
W hen summers were long,
Anil 1 didn’t yet know.
The meaning of heartache,
or recognize pain,
And look it for granted,
That youth would remain.
Two paths lay before me,
And each o f them led.
To what 1 could only.
Imagine, ahead.
Though I wanted to wander,
Down both, for a bit,
Life just shook her head,
And would have none of it.
For one path alone.
Is given each person,
And we m ust journey down it,
The best that we can.
The Highland United Church of
Christ is again sponsoring the Sam
Johnson Memorial Scholarship Ban­
quet on:
Saturday, September 14, 1991
7:00 p.m. - 10 p.m.
H ighland’s Fellowship Hall
This is our 4th banquet and the
10th year anniversary o f the passing of
the Rev. Johnson.
The Sam Johnson Memorial Schol­
arship Fund was established in 1981 in
memory o f our late pastor. In 1983
additional funds were received from
Edith Elliot as a m emorial for W ilmar
Elliot, a faithful member o f Highland.
The Rev. Johnson devoted many years
of unselfish service helping young and
old alike to help build a better future.
We have been able to assist over 1
students in obtaining a higher educa­
tion.
Your assistance will help support
even more.
We take pride in being able to
assist students when they call on us. For
a lot o f our students, the church is the
extended family. We have a wonderful
group o f young people at Highland and
we will continue our strong support
with them.
Our special guest banquet speaker
will be Richard Johnson, son o f the late
Rev. Johnson.
Opal Johnson, Banquet Chairper­
son
Ella Powell
Pauline Doran
Lessie W illiams
The Rev. Cecil Prescod, Pastor
And whether we win,
Or whether we lose,
Largely depends o n ,...
The path that we choose.
Chris tian ‘Women
A gainst Crime
Open Mouse
Sunday
October 20, 1991
2:00 P M to 6:00 P M
120 MM- Iv y Street
Portland, Oregon 97212
282-1316
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