, • ...................................... Page 6...The Portland Observer...October 2,1991 • Portland Observer Scripture o f the ‘l/Ceef^ RELIGION Luke 22:64 Mission to Philippi, Part I Pastor W endell W allace BY MICHAEL LINDSEY Dean of North Portland Bible College personally invite s you to be his special guest at MARANATHA CHURCH The text fo r the Sunday School lesson (International Series) fo r next Sunday is A cts 16:9-12, 16-23. We encourge you to read all the Bible ref­ erences as you follow through this ar­ ticle, and also encourage you to attend the Sunday School class at your church New W o rs h ip S e rv ic e this week. In the history of Paul’s missionary journeys, Luke (the author o f Acts) usually does not fill in a lot o f details about events related to a specific city. But in Acts 16 we can read a lengthy account o f the foundation o f a great church, one which was very special in the heart o f the great Apostle. The Sunday School lessons for this week and next will examine the success of Paul’s ministry in Philippi, the firstcity in Europe in which he preached the Come expecting worship services, with contemporary music, practical preaching from the Bible, and sharing from personal experiences Service times are: % Early Sunday Morning Worship at 8:00 AM (New) Sunday School at 9:30 AM Regular Sunday Morning Service at 10:45 AM Sunday Evening Service at 6:00 PM Wednesday Evening Service at 7:00 PM Sunday, "Maranatha Live": KPDQ 93.7 FM at 11:00 PM Sunday, September 8, 1991 at 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM "HOW TO HANDLE LIFE'S DEEPEST HURTS & TOUGHEST PROBLEMS" gospel. Philippi was a fa- cry from the cities of Phrygian G alatia and Barna­ bas had preached and established churches on P aul’s “ first missionary journey” (A cts 13-14). Those cities were mountain tow ns or cities, less cosmopolitan and sophisticated than the cities of the Aegean sea. The “ boundary” between Europe and Asia was invented later by Euro­ pean geographers, and it is really artifi­ cially determ ined. N evertheless, the establishm ent of a church in Philippi was important to Paul’s missionary stratey. It was the first o f a long series of important churches in the heartland of Greek culture and Greek idolatry; it was the beachhead from which the gospel penetrated larger cities, like Thessa- lonica, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. These cities surround the Aegean Sea, and many sm aller cities were also reached and evangelized from these Sunday, September 8, 1991 at 6:00 PM "RESTORING PURPOSE IN OUR GENERATION' R X ^ l A^ o B*.vo Mt KHAHUXMQgTH Wednesday, September 11,1991 at 7:00 PM "MARANATHA'S VISION' ^4, -PiöCOTT«! 1-5 planned to go to the province of M acedonia first. He and his mission team apparently wanted to go to the province of Asia (16:6), which included the great city Ephesus, but they were “ forbidden o f the Holy G host” to go into that area. N ext they looked at the province o f Bithynia (16:7), “ but the Spirit suffered them not.” By human standards, either o f these w ould have been a wise choice. Both these prov­ inces were located in the area we now call Turkey, both had significant cities, and both were virtually unreached by the gospel. Thankfully, Paul’s team were very sensitive to the prom ptings o f the Holy Spirit, and so they bypassed these ar­ eas, and w ent on to Troas, on the sea­ coast. We aren ’t told how they re­ ceived the Spirit’s instructions, but it was clear enough for the tim e being. As Dowson Trotm an once said, “ When you can’t see where the L ord is leading you, go as far as you can see.” In Troas, Paul him self received a vision leading him to cross the edge of the Aegean into Macedonia (16:9-10). After this, there were no more visions direct­ ing each step, until the Lord told him to stay in Corinth for a longer period (18:9-11). We also need to be ready to move as the Spirit o f God directs us. But in the absence of extraordinary means, the Lord has given us sound minds to use-in d eed , “ we have the mind of C hirsl” (1 Cor 2:16). We can make the right decisions, as we arc humbly sub­ ject to “ mid- course corrections” by the S pirit Our lesson includes the amazing story of the slave girl in Philippi. “ A certain damsel possessed with a spirit o f divination” (Acts 16:16) began fol­ lowing the Christian missionaries around the streets of Philippi. In the original language, this spirit is simply called a python, an inspired representative of the Greek god Apollo, w ho was popu- bases. Paul may have had some of this plan already figured out, but he had not § 5 § § § § § § § s ‘c<:CKK{;scssss s § § S § S S S S § § § § § 5 Prayer for healing every Service 4222 N.E. 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97211 (503) 288-7241 larly thought to be em bodied in a snake at the famous oracle of Delphi. Plu­ tarch referred to the people who were possessed by such spirits as ventrilo­ quists,” that is, the people spoke and acted as “ dum m ys” for the unseen spirit within. Christians realized the awful reality o f such possession (Luke 8:29; 9:38-40); and Paul taught plainly that idol worship was closely connected to the demonic powers (1 C or 10:20- 21). This girl was enslaved and expo- litcd by a group o f men, her “ masters or “ lords,” w ho saw her possession as a business opportunity. These unscru­ pulous men would sell lime with her to people in the city who were impressed with her affliction, and thought that the pow er within her could help them tell the future, or give them advantages over other people. She cried out that Paul and his team were “ servants ol the Most High G od,” and seemed to be testifying to the truth of their message (Acts 16:17). But G od’s people, like the Lord Jesus before, did not want any kind of en« dorsem ent from the forces of darkness (Luke 4:34,41). On the other hand, Paul was grieved not so much by the girl’s persistent cries, as by the pitiful state the child was in. And so he turned and ordered the spirit out o f her, “ in the name of Jesus C hrist.” The deliver­ ance was vitrually immediate. G od’s people today can learn valu­ able lessons from this incident. (1) The more actively we preach the good news o f Christ, and witness in our daily lives, the more Santanic opposition we will see. W e shouldn’t fear it, but we can expect it. (2) W e must relize that many people involved in sinful lifestyles are actually victims them selves-victim s of the greed o f other, stronger people, as well as the demonic realm. We need to dem onstrate G od’s mercry, love, and p o w e r(a s He directs) to free them from slavery. JUBILEE CHOIR T H E O L I V E T B A P T I S T CHURCH STONETOW ER CHURCH N . E 3 0 T H & S A N D Y B L V D See Page 4 MT . J>í u a je c w r « O«T - ‘.*-v Jesus 4: ? <*• . r '.**• »' Loves You! All en T e m p le V* -. (comer of 8th & Skidmore) (503) 287-0261 Phillip S. Nelson Pastor ** i4 VrÜ <’l *»1 ■I M allory C hurch 3908 of NE M A L L O R Y Bible Study 9:30 am. Morning Worship 10:45 am. Men’s Training Leadership Women’s Bible Class 5:00 pm. Evening Worship M inister Gregory Fobbs 6:00 pm. Attended nursery for all services Wednesday prayer meeting and bible study 7:30 pm. 288-1092 TV.,.- RESTORING NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY ‘ * * •' / ÿ a u l ¿ M ts s tn n a ru Mallory Avenue Christian Church s c p i e s o f C h r s t M a tth e w / / . 2 8 "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest" Sunday School Morning Worship Tuesday Bible Study and Prayer Inter-racial Congregation 8101 N. Fiske Avenue Portland, Oregon 97203 C hurch Phone: 2 8 9 - 0 1 47 Sunday Service 10:45 Sunday School 9:30 Bible Study 6:00 Evening Service 7:00 P.M. God's Presence promises Power through Jesus Christ in Good Times and Bad Times 9:45am 11:00om 7:30pm ^ B a p tis t (fllju r c lj D e n is e P. B ell. P a s to r Study P hone: 2 8 9 -1 9 1 1 Pastor. Rev James C E Them e: W h a te v e r you're going fo r th e Lord, do it n o w I P eter lv .1 1 '97211 t (503) 288-5173 Ï93 V* 5 '■ y - - '- 5211 N. W illia m s P o rtla n d , Or. 97217 Church Office 116 N.E. Schuy cr, 126 N.6. Alberta ■I 503/281-2836 A Teaching Church W ith A Reaching M in istry Dr. James E. M a rtin, Senior Pastor AVENUE SUNDAY SCHEDULE M W *« : Cleodus Vann Radio M in is try each Sunday. 8:00 A.M.-KBMS C hrist D IR E C T O R S F a m ily O w n e d a n d O perated Since 1954 S e rvin g the C ity o f P o rtla n d f o r o ve r 37 years In y o u r h o u r o f need Vann & V ann are there to serve Stone Tower Church, N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 30th W orship Services 8:00 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. C hurch School 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Bible Study. Wednesdays. 116 N.E.Schuyler 10:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M. Portland, Oregon 97211 *! r •>> i ' ; è FU N ERA L WE ARE MOVING SUNDAY SERVICES TO 4236 NE Eighth Avenue “ t+J. • • V ••• / '; • < ■'«*». - i '/ . - . £• VANN & VANN MT O LIVET BAPTIST CHURCH C M E C h urch Psalm 34:3 ï-C ;.?• •■/.<• <