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Page «....The Portland Observer ...May 6, 1992 Port/and Observer Scripture o f the "Week RELIGION Matthew, Chapter 7 Insight on the Word: The Meaning of Suffering for the Christian BY MICHAEL LINDSEY, Dean o f North Portland Bible College The Bible text for next w eek’s Sunday School lesson is 1 Peter 3:13- 1 8 ;4 :l- 2 ,7 - ll, W e encourage you to read and study each o f these scriptures carefully this week, and then to join with other Bible-believing Christians this M others Day to worship the Lord. This week the Sunday School text is three separate passages in 1 Peter 3 and 4, and it deals with several im por tant them es of the Epistle. Our com m entary will narrow the focus to just one o f those themes, the C hristian’s response to suffering, for this is the m ost im portant single issue Peter deals with. If we understand suffering the way G od does, we will have much less anxiety in life, and more confidence to share our faith with others. I stand am azed sometimes to read or hear Christian people teaching that suffering is not G od’s will for his chil dren— that poverty or sickness or ad versity result from a lack o f faith. I ’m am azed because I know all too well the suffering o f many great men and women o f faith throughout church history, people who suffered loss o f everything because o f their faith, and many even died because they would not renounce theirfaith. In Hebrews 11, the record o f heroes o f the faith, we read: . . . others were tortured, not ac cepting deliverance,. . . And others had trial o f cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and im prison ment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being desti tute, afflicted, torm ented__ And these a l l . . . obtained a good report through faith. (Heb 11:35-39) If you have come to Christ, expect ing a life of happiness and prosperity and spiritual blessing, then you have been misled. The Christian can expect to be ridiculed, dispised, misunderstood, ostrasized, and discriminated against. In many parts o f the world today, the Christian can still expect to suffer im prisonment, torture and even death. So why should anyone become a Christian? Because the Christian faith is true, and those who follow Jesus C hrist will have a joy, and peace o f heart, and confidence that will over whelm the watching world. Jesus gave this word to his disciples: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcom e the w orld” (John 16:33). Peter instruc ts believers in the prac- tical issues o f suffering as part o f the Christian life. So as we center our attention on 1 Peter, we learn that we must distinguish between suffering for doing evil and suffering for doing good. Peter knew that some Christians were suffering disgrace or rejection, or even governmental judgm ent, because they were doing illegal or immoral things: “let none o f you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other m en’s m atters” (1 Pet 4:15). Others found themselves in disfa vor because they were preaching an unpopular message about righteous ness, about Jesus Christ as the one and only way to know God and receive eternal life (John 14:6; A cts4:12; 1 Pel 3:15). In the first century many people accepted many different religious ideas, drawn from the eastern religions o f Persia and India, as well as the classi cal religions o f Egypt, Greece and Rome. The Christians stood out be cause they taught and believed in the uniquenessofJesusofN azareth. Chris tians are still labeled intolerant and closeminded today. Wc are also ridi culed because we don’t live the im moral life of people around us (4:3-4). We need to be careful, as C hris tians, not to do things in the name o f a Christian cause, which contradict the Christian faith. For example, if we are convinced that abortion is the destruc tion o f a human life (and that is the clear teaching o f the B ible), we need to speak out clearly and consistently against it. We may even protest this abominable practice by public dem on stration. No doubt, we will be ridi culed and rejected; our ideas and words will be twisted and then denounced. But this is suffering for speaking the truth in love. But if a Christian thinks he is serving the Lord by destroying the property of a medical (abortion) clinic, or harrassing or physically restaining women from entering a clinic for an abortion, that Christian is sadly m is taken. S uchactsw ill be punished by the state, as they should be. Let no-one think such a believer is suffering as a Christian. On the other hand, many C hris tians are working together, through or ganizations like Crisis Pregnancy C en ters, to help women and teenage girls through a crisis situation. They are showing C hrist’s love to those in need, and often giving these women in crisis situations access to options they didn’t hear about from abortion clinics or Planned Parenthood centers. The C ri sis Pregnancy Centers have also been attacked in the press, and by pro-choice groups. But their compassion for both the mother and the unborn child, and their consistent witness within the laws o f our society, give a powerful refuta tion to their opponents. So in summary, followers o f Jesus should live lives o f love and com pas sion and upright behavior, as God di rects them— even though people in the world around them may not agree with that. Notice how often in this epistle on suffering, that Peter tells us to walk in love (1:22; 3:8-9; 4:7-8). T hat’s the right response for trying times. Sometimes trials can’t be avoided, even when w e’re living upright, moral, love-filled lives. People will often ac cuse Christians o f various immoral or unpopular behaviors; sometimes our accusers are malicious, but often they are misinformed or misled, and their questions show a real desire for under standing. T h at’s why we need to be prepared with a wise answ er for those who come asking for one. L et’s never fall back on an old gospel cliche, like “ I don’t need a reason, I just know it’s true”, or “It works for me, and it’ll work for you.” If w e’re bluntly honest, w e’ll have to adm it that other religions seem to “work” for their adherents; such prag matic evidence does not prove that any religion has the complete truth about God, man and salvation. W hat we need is to use our minds, to be aw are o f the argum ents given against faith in Christ, think through the Bible’s teachings for a response, and prepare to share our answ er (1 Pet 3:15). Throughout church history, people have challenged the Christians to defend their hope in Christ. And throughout history, God has raised up “apologists” to respond with thought ful, logical argum ents to the attacks o f intellectuals. And G od’s people have used these brothers and sisters’ writ ings to arm them selves with an answer for whatever attacks come against them. I would encourage you to read the works of men who stand up for the faith in a well-reasoned response— men like C S Lew is, Tony Evans, Tom Skinner, or A nthony C am polo. They will strengthen your own faith, and prepare you to deal with the often painful attacks on your beliefs. The m ost encouraging aspect of our suffering for the faith, is the One Dorsey & Spears Honored over 40 countries sharing the Gospel of our Lord and Savior through song. She sings in seven different languages. Rev. M ondaine’ presented her with the 88- Keys Gospel Globetrotter Award for 1992. In 1991, last year, Terry Davis, song writer, keyboardist and vocalist, became the first award recipient of the 88-Keys Gospel Award. This year’s award recipient was M attie Ann Callier-Spears. She shared that she has been singing since the tender age o f six. “I can remember mimicking the singers on the radio. I wanted my voice to soar like the an gels,” she said with tears in her eyes. “ It is not easy being out here carry G od’s I , ‘ f.-- > -1- I,-;’ •„ 7 • iV'.*'. BY TEAL N. THOMPSON The Celebration Tabernacle held its second annual “Eighty-eight Keys Evening o f G ospel.” The church was filled to capacity. People cam e to praise and lift up the name of the most wonderful Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor Rev. Elbert M ondaine’, served as the M.C. over the evening’s festivities. The Celebration Singers, a young and up-coming group o f eight voices and six instrumentalist sang their hearts happy. They started the evening off with the comforting works “ His Eye is on the Sparrow and I know that He W atches M e.” The program featured the sounds of -- Grace & Truth, In His Name, sounds o f victory, New Song and com munity A.M.E. Zion, from Vancouver, W ashington. “Evening o f Eighty-Eight Keys M usical” is presented each year with the hopes o f raising enough money to assist in the musical education of some up and coming gospel artist in the Port- land/Vancouver area who has dem on strated the desire to lift up the name of Jesus through G ospel M usic. Rev. M ondaine’ shared his vision with the audience. He stated that as a child he always knew that he would play the piano. He can remember pretending to play the keyboard on the window sill. It w asn’t until he was twenty-one was he able to pursue his dream. He now plays the keyboards - but, he says that there is so much more to be learned. It is his hopes to provide an avenue that will assist others as they reach for their dream s in gospel music and to recog nize those who have been laboring in the field for a long time. Ms. W illa Dorsey, who is a world renowned Gospel singer, for the past thirty years, was recognized for her many contributions to Gospel music. She said, “This is the first time that a local pastor has taken the time to recog nize my ministry in such a manner. I am so full.” A fter receiving her award she sang her arrangem ent o f “ Yes! Jesus Loves M e” and she was acknowledged overwhelmingly. Ms. Dorsey shared that she has been to six continents and W ord in song,” Callier-Spears rem em bers. “ Many, many times you will not receive any pay or gratitude but go anyway," were her words to the young audience of musicians. She has trav elled the United States presenting con certs, revivals, retreats, and prison min istries. S he carries the W ord and song to the downs and outs. She said, “ Many times I did not know how I was going to get there or how I was going to gel the money to go but god would open doors, that I could not see, and He provided a way to get me there and back and even put money in my pocket that I was not expecting.” Ms. Callier-Spears waschosen from a group of three nominees, who in C hurch 3908 •7*0 I. i. -► .«• ir » Radio Ministry each Sunday, 8:00 a.m. on KBMS •’ • „ t i '- . « V •• A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry Dr. James E. Martin, Senior Pastor Church Office 116 N.E. Schuyler St. (503) 284-1954 • • •*> ‘ * Albina Ministerial Alliance Head Start May 16, 1992 Portland Community College - Cascade Campus 705 N. Killingsworth Cascade Hall Auditorium 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Suggested donations: $1.50 in advance; $2.00 at door; children under 12 free. of Allen Temp le CMECk urch Psalm 34:3 4236 NE Eighth Avenue (corner of 8th £ Skidmore) Portland, Oregon 97211 (503) 287-0261 S. Nelson Pastor mmwwwwmwwmm M a llo ry Avenue Christian Church D te ? ’f * l e s o f C h r s t God's Presence promises Power through Jesus Christ In Good Times and Bad Times Afcttfiecu //:&$ "Come to me all you who ore weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” 9:45am 11:00am 7:30pm Sunday School Morning Worship Tuesday Bible Study and Prayer Inter-racial Congregation Denise FI. Bell, Pastor 126 N.€. Riberta t Portland, OR 97211 t (503) 288-5173 6:00 pm. Attended nursery for all services W ednesday prayer meeting and bible study 7:30 pm. Radio Ministry Each Sunday, 11:00 AM - KBMS 288-1092 jBL Jfetul iHfttsstanaru ÿ a p tts t (íttfurcíf 8101 N. Fiske Avenue Portland, Oregon 97203 Church Pho.te: 2 8 9 -0 1 4 7 Study Phone: 2 89 -1 9 11 Sunday Service 10:45 Sunday School 9 :3 0 Bible Study 6:00 Evening Service 7 :0 0 Pastor. Rev James C E Faulkner Themes Whatever you're going to do for the Lord, do it now R E S TO R IN G N E W TESTAMENT C H R ISTIAN ITY I P eter lv .1 1 V J P * i s c i p AVENUE Evening Worship Minister Gregory Fobbs Jesus Loves You! C hrist Bible Study 9:30 am . Morning Worship 10:45 am . M en’s Training Leadership Women's Bible Class 5:00 pm. Stone Tower Church, N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 30th r. . ' '. Ä ? “Woodlawn's Children in Motion” SUNDAY SCHEDULE H a s m oved Sunday services to Worship Services 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Church School 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Bible Study, Wednesdays, 116 N.E. Schuyler 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Fashion/Talent Show NE M A L L O R Y BAPTIST CHURCH if. Announcement M allory M t O livet ‘ *. V;. cluded: Tammie Drayton, Expressions of Praise Dance Ministry and spiritually impressive Signer and Carey Simms, and extraordinary Gospel instrumental ist on woodwind (saxophone). Every o n e sa t in w o n d e rm e n t as R ev. M ondaine” opened the sealed enve lope. He announced, “And the winner of this year’s award is ... Ms. Mattie Ann C allier-S pears.” The audience stood to its feet as the recipient made her way to the front. Special congratulations to Ms. Dorsey and Ms. Callier-Spears for their work in the field of Gospel music. C on tinue the good work! Ms. Callier-Spears is presently en gaged in the recording of a long awaited album of gospel songs. who suffered for us first. Jesus C hrist’s sufferings are the basis o f our salvation (1:11,18-19; 3:18); in his own suffer ing, he also left us “an exam ple, that ye should follow his steps” (2:21). Peter tells us that we need to recognize and follow Jesus’ exam ple o f suffering. How did Jesus handle false accu sations, and rejection, and physical torture, and death? Peter sums up the whole gospel record when he writes, "H e com m itted no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they i hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted him self to him [God the Father] who judges ' justly” (2:22-23, NIV). It’s hard not to return insult for insult, to use love to cover other’s sins (3:9; 4:8). But Jesus showed us how powerfully love could conquer evil, as he gave his life on the cross. Dr. King showed us how to channel G od’s love in non-violent ac tion, which crossed all racial and social barriers of our society. Such love doesn’t prevent us from suffering, but it does make our suffering worthwhile, and indeed powerful. The frustration of youth in our cities, raised to the boiling point by the court decision in the Rodney King case, may make Jesus’ example seem irrelevantoroutofdate. Unfortunately, the suffering o f so many in these riots will only create more hurt, broken people, unless they turn to Christ and follow his steps. That is our sorrow today, but it is also our hope. • •
