A Theology of Suffering; Why does it hurt so much?

Do you really like to feel pain? 

If you had your choice, would you rather be given a free 10-day vacation in Hawaii would you rather have a nine-inch nail be pounded through your left eye? 

That is a no brainier: the trip, of course!  But wait, maybe on your trip to Hawaii, you’ll fall off the stairs as you board the flight.  You then get your leg cut on some metal piece of something and that causes your leg to get infected. And because it is so bad, you need the leg cut off?  Wait, what happened to the nice vacation part?

For many today, and since the world had situations that could go bad, no sane person really takes pleasure in suffering.  In fact, some would say that suffering is an indication of something abnormal.  Suffering means pain and that means it is bad.  Do you agree?

What we really need as Believers and as people who live in the real world is a better understanding of pain—yes, a theology of suffering that reflects real Biblical reality.  We must go beyond the myths of suffering we get from our cultures and look to the Bible—as our final authority—for a solid Biblical view.  To have God’s view of suffering is essential to being able to handle suffering better than most—like falling off the staircase at the airport.

Suffering is normal, after all.  It is a part of a Believers life. It is part of LIFE!  Especially the suffering we have for the Cause of Christ.  Look to Phil 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him, あなたがたはキリストのために、ただ彼を信じることだけではなく、彼のために苦しむことをも賜わっている。 and 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. あなたがたは、実に、そうするようにと召されたのである。キリストも、あなたがたのために苦しみを受け、御足の跡を踏み従うようにと、模範を残されたのである.

I know that some would say this is not so, but we need to be Biblical and find our answers IN the WORD of GOD.

What we are going to do today is look at some views of suffering that effect us, look at the Word of God—at Jesus’ teaching about suffering and look into seeing the joy of suffering.  I will then hand out some papers for you to do some homework—a study guide, if you will, and we will continue our study next week.  Suffer with me, please.

Does Jesus talk about suffering?  The fast answer is YES.  A great deal.  From the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-11, we read:

 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
 for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
 for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
 for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
 for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
 for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

   11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Mat 5:4  悲しんでいる人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは慰められるであろう。

:5  柔和な人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは地を受けつぐであろう。

:6  義に飢えかわいている人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは飽き足りるようになるであろう。

:7  あわれみ深い人たちは、さいわいである、彼らはあわれみを受けるであろう。

:8  心の清い人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは神を見るであろう。

:9  平和をつくり出す人たちは、さいわいである、彼らは神の子と呼ばれるであろう。

:10  義のために迫害されてきた人たちは、さいわいである、天国は彼らのものである。

:11  わたしのために人々があなたがたをののしり、また迫害し、あなたがたに対し偽って様々の悪口を言う時には、あなたがたは、さいわいである。

 

 

Matthew 10:28 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 16:24-25 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.

Mark 10:29-30 29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Luke 12:49-53 49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
 

Matthew 10:28 また、からだを殺しても、魂を殺すことのできない者どもを恐れるな。むしろ、からだも魂も地獄で滅ぼす力のあるかたを恐れなさい。

Matthew 16:24-25 ²⁴それからイエスは弟子たちに言われた、「だれでもわたしについてきたいと思うなら、自分を捨て、自分の十字架を負うて、わたしに従ってきなさい 自分の命を救おうと思う者はそれを失い、わたしのために自分の命を失う者は、それを見いだすであろう。

Mark 10:29-30 イエスは言われた、「よく聞いておくがよい。だれでもわたしのために、また福音のために、家、兄弟、姉妹、母、父、子、もしくは畑を捨てた者は、:30  必ずその百倍を受ける。すなわち、今この時代では家、兄弟、姉妹、母、子および畑を迫害と共に受け、また、きたるべき世では永遠の生命を受ける。

Luke 12:49-53 わたしは、火を地上に投じるためにきたのだ。火がすでに燃えていたならと、わたしはどんなに願っていることか。

 

On your handout for homework, we will ask you to consider reading Luke 14:26-17, and 33; Luke 21:12-19; and John 12:24-26.

How has our minds and attitudes been challenged in this area of suffering and pain? Our culture has spent a lot of money and time to move us away from the Biblical teaching of suffering and pain. Want to loose weight—don’t take out a gym contract with hard exercise and painful diets-take this pill instead and watch the pounds fall off.   Don’t fight city hall-don’t go against the flow of culture—give in and watch your life get easier…

Cultural Myths About Suffering-all from my point of view.

1.    As Believers in Christ, we should not suffer in this life.

2.    When we are living in God’s Will, living godly lives, we should experience few hardships.

3.    Suffering means something is wrong. It is an abnormal state.

4.    Suffering has no redeeming or positive results.

5.    Suffering means we can have no joy. It robs us of the choice to rejoice.

6.    Spiritual people don’t hurt emotionally when they suffer.

7.    If God really loves us He won’t let us suffer very much. His love means that He will put a hedge around us to keep terrible trials from entering and hurting our lives.

8.    Lastly, when we do suffer, God is punishing us out of anger. He is vindictive and wants us to suffer when He is angry with us.

Do any of these sound like they have made room in your thinking?

Let’s look at How God Views Suffering

1.    We are, in fact, called to suffer for Jesus. Phil 1:29, 1 Peter 2:20-21

2.    We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God; we are destined for trials. Acts 14:22, 1 Thess 3:3

3.    Suffering is normal and expected or inevitable in the Christian life. 2 Tim 3:12

4.    God uses suffering for our good, to conform us to the likeness of His Son. Rom 8:28-29

5.    We have a choice to rejoice in our suffering.

6.    Spiritual people feel many painful emotions when they suffer. Mark 14:33-34, 2 Cor 2:4

7.    God did not prevent His own Son from Suffering. Rom 8:32 And He did not prevent Paul, Peter, John the Baptist, Job, David, …. And others He loves from suffering greatly.

8.    Suffering may be God’s loving discipline, for our good and for His Glory.  Heb 12:7-11

Do any of these sound like they have made room in your thinking?

But it hurts so much!  When we see the pain on people’s faces, we feel badly.  When we hear of suffering, we get uncomfortable, wishing the topic would change.  Yes, life does hurt and it is painful. But, it could be way worse.  Without the Grace of God on Earth—things could be a lot harder affecting the lives of so many.

Some find ways of dealing with suffering, other than a Biblical way.  Their view of godliness is challenged.  “I missed my devotions this morning—He won’t give me what I ask for.”  “I need a favor of God, but I don’t want to bother Him with the request—so I’ll go to a Saint and ask him to intercede on my behalf.”

“I have this lucky charm that has helped me in the past…”

“I have this lucky chant I use to get me through hard times…”

All this is NOT the way of the Cross. It is not found in Biblical teaching or practice. You only need to go to Christ DIRECTLY and you will find His love and help.  If you are doing anything like that in your life practice, you will need to, not only stop that, but also seek forgiveness for taking the wrong way through life.  Seek His Hand and His forgiveness.  You will find the end will go better for you. You will be doing life the Master’s Way.

You will be in good company should you doubt your suffering.  As Jesus anticipated being crucified, He felt deeply distressed and troubled  恐れおののき、また悩みはじめて (Mark 14:33).  He was overwhelmed with sorrow  悲しみのあまり死ぬほどである (Matt 26:38 and Mark 14:34). He was deeply distraught  どんなにか苦しい思いをする (Luke 12:50). Jesus was troubled in heart and in His Spirit (John 12:25, 13:21).

One thing people don’t need when they are going through a hard time is people telling them to hang in there.  Things will get better. A slap on the back.  Smile, why don’t you? Be happy!  Truth is, the suffering may be more real than the other person understands. That person who is going through that hard time needs some compassion. Someone who will cry with them—if needed.  Someone who will get down with them and listen and not talk. Some have a hard time listening because they don’t know when to stop talking.  Listen to the hurting person. Let them be silent. Silence is not a bad thing. And you can’t always fix what is wrong anyway.  Allow the Grace of God to touch them. Pray for them in silence.  What can you really say? With Job, his friends spoke a great deal but really did not understand the situation….as Job didn’t understand either. It was a God Thing.

We are to come along side those who are hurting. See how the Lord does it?  In Isaiah 42:2-4 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; 4 He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth. In His teaching the islands will put their hope.”
 彼は叫ぶことなく、声をあげることなく、その声をちまたに聞えさせず、:3  また傷ついた葦を折ることなく、ほのぐらい灯心を消すことなく、真実をもって道をしめす。:4  彼は衰えず、落胆せず、ついに道を地に確立する。海沿いの国々はその教を待ち望む。 

He is not loud.  He will not force Himself on you.  He is not out in the street yelling at you. You are hurting and He will be by your side. You are a bruised reed…a flute that has been hurt—He will fix to make beautiful music once again.  Don’t be thrown away. Encouraged to press on and to be used once again for His Glory.  If you feel you are more smoke than light, He will work with you. It will take time but He restores the broken hearted. In Isaiah 40:29 “29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”　3０ 弱った者には力を与え、勢いのない者には強さを増し加えられる。31しかし主を待ち望む者は新たなる力を得、わしのように翼をはって、のぼることができる。走っても疲れることなく、歩いても弱ることはない。

Is that you this morning, my Friend?  He cares for you in ways you will only start to understand. 43:4 “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…I will give men in exchange for you.”  あなたはわが目に尊く、重んぜられるもの、わたしはあなたを愛するがゆえに、あなたの代りに人を与え、あなたの命の代りに民を与える。

You are THAT important to Him. He will restore your life…in Christ Jesus the Lord.  THAT is His promise.

Next week, we will look into the saying and strong belief of "There is joy in suffering!"

Purpose and Results of Suffering. 

On May 8th, Lord willing, God is our MAIN Resource in Suffering

Resurrection Sunday: He Is Alive!

He is Risen!  He is Risen, indeed!

   A most interesting statement that the Early Believers would say was “Christ is Risen!  Alleluia!”  Another would be: “Even so come Lord Jesus!” Both reflect the Resurrection of Jesus.

   That theme was central to the teaching of the early church and all through Church History.  When it became second or third level in the teaching and of interest and when it almost disappeared, then the Church suffered a decline in Her impact in the society. The Miracle of all miracles.  When the Power of God’s resurrection was missing in the teaching and preaching of the Message of Christ, the Church lost the foothold in people’s hearts and minds.  He is Risen!

Point One:  It affects my life.

   How had this Resurrection affected me? I now have Hope in the Risen Lord.  If He is raised from the Dead, than I have my sins covered.

It works like this.  God restores a dead and dying mankind through the willing sacrifice of God’s Son on the Cross. 

 At the cross, all the sin of the ages was placed on the heart of the sinless Son of God, as He came the racial representative of all humanity. From the cross, salvation flows to every believing soul. This is the Gospel, the greatest good news the world has ever heard. The Person of Christ: Death, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension. Basic Christian Doctrines, Carl F.H. Henry, ed. p. 139.

   So what does it do for us?  In short, that is the wrong question. So many times, people today want something. What is in it for me? What can I get of it? Do I get something back? How can this benefit me?

Being selfish, that kinda works for me.  I am sure it might be that way for you as well.  However, when it comes to THIS point, we need to step back and give room for Him to work.  Give room for Him to take center stage.  Life is not all about me: not all about what I could get out of life.  Life is ALL about HIM.  Who He is!  His Character.  His Holiness.  His God-ness. True, there are verses that say that IF you do this and that, you will GET that and this. But the whole meaning of the Gospel is that This Good News starts and finishes with Him.  His good news to Mankind—to you and me—is that He is Lord.  IS that He has power over life and death.  Is that He offers Forgiveness to all who call on Him.

   In 1 Cor 15:19-26, Paul describes what Resurrection meant to him:

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 

   As a Believer, I must give my attention to this teaching!  Again, it is not a Viking Style selection.  I will only choose what is pleasing to me.  When I put my trust in this One who died for me, I took the whole package.  The blessings along with the hardships.  The growth along with the pain of living.  The promises along with the results of my disobedience.  All for His Glory!

   We look at the story of this resurrection and we will see the result of God’s plan for all us humans.  He loves us.  His wish and His plan for our lives is for us to LET this resurrection really work into our day to day lives.  For us to live like His is alive. He is at work in Tohoku. He is at work here in Enoki-Cho.  last night, we heard of a 78 year old who wants to be identified with Christ in Baptism!

Point Two:  He is Faithful.

1 Cor 1:9 God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

   Have you ever had a pet, esp a dog?  They are the most faithful of all friends.  Even after a long absence of being away from our dog, he remembers me and wants to please my every wish.  Faithfulness is a sought after quality in humans as well.  In a marriage, faithful is not only expected, it is a command of God on the couple.  When  one partner fails in this, the relationship is deeply tested. In friendships, there MUST be Faithfulness, otherwise, no trust will grow and the friendship will not survive. 

   Is it any different with you and God?  We know from the Bible that God is called the Faithful God.  We read about His Greatness.  About His Faithfulness.

   And He has a plan to show us His faithfulness.  He has, as this verse strongly says, CALLS us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Because of His faithfulness, the Father did not let Jesus decay in the grave.  Because of His faithfulness, He called Him out of Death’s grip and set Him free.  God is Faithful.  Do you find that to be true?  Tell us why you believe that to be true?

   In closing, two verse that point to His Great Faithfulness.  One is Luke 1:27  “Nothing is impossible with God.”

The other is Romans 10:17.  The Source of ALL Faith.  Comes by hearing the spoken Word of God.  Like right here, right now, you are all called to believe this message of God’s Faithfulness. Do you hear me?  Can you believe?

This whole teaching is true as it is based on the fact of the resurrection of Christ!

The dying Jesus is evidence of God’s anger toward sin, but the LIVING Jesus is proof of God’s Love and forgiveness!

Palm Sunday-April 17th

Come to ICCS for our Palm Sunday Service.

Worship in English and in Japanese.

Come and join the Fellowship--starting at 10:30 AM on Sunday!

Be there!  You owe it to your heart.  
Come and be refreshed!

The Resurrection of Jesus: The Key of Belief/ イエスの復活：信仰の要（かなめ）

The Resurrection of Jesus is a matter of Death and of Life   

イエスの復活：信仰の要（かなめ）これこそ命と死のことです

日本のために祈る。Praying for Japan.

   Soon, we will be in the Easter Season.  Palm Sunday is next week, followed by Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday), Good Friday, Easter or Resurrection Sunday. 

     The whole week is one of great interest to the Believer as it covers so much of the events of why Jesus came to earth.

One, He came to die.

   And once He was dead, He came to be alive once again.  The Work of Christ on the Cross IS the most important event in Human History. Sure His Birth was grand. Never before happened in the history of mankind that God would become flesh and live among us. Incarnation, it is called. God became Man, in the flesh: All God and ALL Man. Immanuel: God is with us!

Certainly not going to take away any of the Glory of Christmas BUT, the reason He came born as a Man, was so that He could die on the Cross for the sins of ALL of us here in this room. All who will read this sermon on line. All who have never heard of this message, Christ’ Death was to pay the price for our sins. All of them! The very sins that keep us away from God to begin with are the very ones He took upon Himself and He felt the wrath of His Father on our behalf. 

The importance of the Resurrection. He came to Rise from the Dead.

   Some would say today that they are Believers in the Lord Jesus, but… they do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. I would counter that with this comment: You can’t be a follower of Jesus Christ and NOT believe in the Resurrection of Jesus. The Resurrection is central to the Christian faith. It is One of the Biggies of Christianity. It is The Main Thing.

   This is the very question and problem that faced the Church in Corinth. Turn with me to 1 Cor 15: 12-32

   Let us look at the passage and move through it and see what Paul is teaching us. Evidently, in that city, there were some who were teaching that there was no resurrection. How important IS the resurrection? VERY! It is the foundation—no, even deeper that that!  Paul states that IF there were no Resurrection, then Christ Himself is still dead and that blows a hole in the Gospel.  Our preaching would be useless—and so would our Faith.

   If the 11 Apostles MADE up the story of the resurrection, they would not have had such a change in their personalities.  Think with me: They never thought that Jesus would be brought back from the dead to begin with.  Where were they after the death of Jesus?  Locked in their room—afraid of the Jewish leaders!  Their whole life seemed empty to them.  One decided to go fishing ‘cause that was what he use to do BEFORE Jesus came into his life.  And that is the point: Jesus had not really come into their lives yet!  They were doubting along with Thomas. 

   When the women returned from the empty tomb, they were saying “He’s Alive!” Never entered their minds that He would do this.  He told them a number of times before that He would but they were slow in understanding…just like us.

   When two of the men ran to the tomb, they were shocked!  What did they do with His Body?  One woman asked a man she thought was the gardener, “Where have you placed Him?  I want to care for the body.”  She was shocked when she heard Jesus talking to her.  No, the followers of Jesus DID NOT expect Him to return from the dead.  No way.

   The two on the road to Emmaus did not know about it either! Once the Resurrected Jesus asked them what was going on, they stood still and asked, “Where have you been? Are you a visitor to this city?  Jesus died!”  But when He broke bread in front of them as He did in the upper room and gave thanks –POW, they could see that it was Jesus.

   The teaching of the resurrection was not made up inside the locked doors of the followers of Jesus.  Thomas did not believe unless he could put his fingers into the holes in His Hands and in His side.

   It also could not be hysteria.  Maybe for one, but not for the 11 and then later well over 500!  No, mass-hysteria does not work that way.  And they would not die for a made-up vision.  They would not die for a self-proclaimed lie.  These timid and uneducated men-for the most part-really changed after they saw and walked with the resurrected Jesus.  Peter was no longer the fool.  The other disciples went to their death defending this teaching—not so if they had made it up.

   Even the empty tomb did not convince them. It was only going to be the appearance of Jesus that brought the conviction of hearts. 

   It wasn’t their Faith that created the appearances; it was the appearances that created Faith.  It wasn’t a ‘Wish-I-could-see-Him-one-more-time’ sort of thing.  They were not too keen on He being alive again.  Jesus told them that this was His intent. He was going to be raised from the dead, but they did not believe it!

   Even at the Crucifying of Jesus, they thought their whole world was falling apart around them. All was lost!  “Our Jesus is dead.”  Sorrow and pain.  His Followers experienced the feeling of being left outside life.  Peter had denied Jesus THREE times.  He felt rejected.  Alone.  Judas already killed himself; he felt that defeated!  Yet, the promise of Jesus was that He’d be with them—until the end of the world—but that promise was not given to them until He had already been raised!

   What sort of promise did they have?  He had told them so many times during the last three years, but they could not understand resurrection.  In their Hebrew teaching, there was a resurrection but it was something that would happen way in the years to come. 

   Remember Mary and Martha, when their brother died?  “Yes, of course, Jesus, I believe in the resurrection of the dead…” Then Jesus said: “I am The Resurrection!”  She still did not understand!  How could she?  It was way outside her realm of understanding! Way outside our way of understanding, too!

   Have you ever lost a loved one?  You look at the body and you SEE them breathing because that is what the loved one used to do.  They were alive!  But then, they are placed in the coffin and reality begins to set in.  They are dead.  Sad as it is, you’d still wish them next to you!

   Is that what happened back then?  A mass illusion of the 11 and some women, WISHING Jesus alive?  No, they believed He was dead!  The two walking on the road to Emmaus, were convinced that their leader had died.  All was lost. What do we do now?  Jesus is dead! 

   But He did not stay dead.  He was not almost dead!  He did not swoon because of loss of blood and was revived in the coolness of the tomb. The guards-who witnessed death on the Cross so many times, believed Him dead because they did not break His legs as they did to the other two hanging both sides of Jesus.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Him down from the Cross and PACKED Him with over 75 pounds of spices and wrapped Him in a death cloth.  If the crucifixion would not kill you, all that spices and being tired up would kill you!

No, this teaching of the resurrection became central to the Christian Message because it is the core of the Message. You are dead in your sins and only through Jesus’ death on the Cross—which paid the cost for our sins—and His coming BACK from the Dead, could mankind be set free from the penalty of death.  Verse 26 says: The last enemy to be destroyed is death.   And at the Resurrection of Jesus, death lost out.  Death could no longer hold mankind in fear.  Jesus went into Death and came out of Death as Victor.  Going back up to verse 21-22: 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

   Yes, the mere evidence of the changed lives of the Followers of Jesus speaks volumes to us.  Changed men who now have the Holy Spirit in them as promised by the Resurrected Christ. 

Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

   And Jesus’ response to Thomas’ witness, verse 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Like you!

   Then John ends it all with verse 31 But these are written that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.

   The Resurrection is the Key that unlocks the doors of Faith and sets us free.  If Christ was raised, then I, when I put my trust in Him as my Savior, am sure to be raised as well…unto eternal life in His Name.

Deacon: Reliable Believers

Please read 1 Timothy 3:1-13 

A DEACON is a servant of somebody.  A Deacon is a helper, or agent of the governing authorities.

In Acts 6, this office was established to supervise food distribution to needy widows.

These men were of high spiritual qualifications-yet subordinate so as to free the apostles for teaching and prayer…not that the deacons did not prayer or do teaching.

They also maintained sound doctrine and the holy lifestyle in the Church.  Not just a social network of loosely collection of nuts, these people were to be Reliable Men:

Verse 13 concludes the list of requirements for office with an encouragement to those who serve well. It parallels the "faithful saying" that follows in this passage (see on 3:1) and is probably similar in purpose. The apostasy of some elders and deacons in Ephesus almost certainly lowered opinions about leaders and leadership in the church and in the minds of outsiders. Confidence in the office and in the people filling that office needed to be restored. Today this same confidence needs to be maintained. So Paul reminds us that deacons who serve well will receive a twofold reward. Among the people, faithful deacons will 

1.) gain an excellent standing, 

2.)a good reputation. They will also grow closer to Christ in faith and assurance.

Four facts stand out from the NT scriptures:
1. Elders and Deacons are the offices in the church. The offices are distinct. Elders are not deacons. Deacons are not elders.
2. The terms, Elder, Pastor (shepherd), and Overseer (bishop) are used synonymously in the New Testament.
3. In the New Testament, elders had the role of the general oversight of the church.

4. In the original language, deacon means Servant or “to serve” or “to wait on.”

The title itself, is as descriptive as any job description could be. In the Bible, words have meanings and the word "deacon" means servant. Here is how the word has been defined in its three different forms:

"Diakoneo and its derivatives, as their origin suggests, are used mainly for personal help to others."

"Diakonia is found 34 times in the NT. It means service at the table as in Lk. 10:40; Acts 6:1, etc."

"Diakanos is found 29 times in the NT. Its primary meaning is one who serves at tables."

("Serve, Deacon, Worship" in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Colin Brown, ed., volume 3, pages 544, 546)

"In Philippians 1:1 and in numerous references in early Christian literature outside the New Testament, bishops and/or elders and deacons are mentioned together, with deacons mentioned last. Because of this order, and because of the natural connotations of the word diakonos, most interpreters believe that deacons, from the beginning, served as assistants of church leaders."

(Deacon, Deaconess, Fred A. Grissom, Holman Bible Dictionary, Holman, 1991)

The key word here is Reliable.  We could look at this and feel that if I am not in this office of Deacon, I am let off the hook: it does not apply to me.  Not true—not at all!  ALL believers are to be Reliable people.  And all Reliable people are given tasks or responsibilities in the Body of Christ. 

It does not matter what age or sex the person is, they are to be Reliable.  Well, what does Reliable or trustworthy mean? 

See 1 Sam 29:6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you.”  

 And 2Tim 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 

Only one word is used in the NT meaning FAITHFUL.  As in the following verses, this word is used in reference to the Lord’s mercy which is trustworthy.

1 Tim 1:15 and 3:1 and 4:9 are all in reference to a saying that is faithfully being true.

1 Tim 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.

4:9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.

 In the Book of Rev, the two verses there that use this word deals with the truthful words of God, as they are to be believed as being true. 

That is the kind of a person the Word of Truth was given to.  We all have heard this Word of Truth.  Now, we are to live it out in real life.  Here is a trustworthy saying:  Run to follow Jesus; Bend to serve His people. Be fast to serve…

THAT person is to be found to be Reliable and true.  He is trustworthy.  Worthy of all trust.  As in the case of the deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.  Look at this list with me.

8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

 11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.   

 12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. 

 (1 Timothy 3:11 Or … in the same way, deaconesses are…)

I don’t know for a fact what the Greek says but the different translations do reflect the understanding that women can and do have a roll in the Body in this area of ministry. 

Vs 11 In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

We Need to be FAT!

         F-Faithful people - becoming obedient

         A-Available - God doesn’t care about ability, but He cares about our availability.

         T-Teachable - Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

If He has called you to lead, He will open doors for you to do that very thing.  The local Fellowship will see it or not and act accordingly. 

The big concern of the Church today is for us to develop or mature into such people.  Not everyone can lead but everyone can be lead and have influence in other’s lives.  “Even a child will lead them” suggest that when there are obedient Children of God, there is ministry.  We need to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Either you are a missionary or you are a mission field.  Either you are fit and growing or you need the help to get you there.  Let’s be FAT for the Lord.  Let is be Faithful, Available and Teachable. In short: let’s be Reliable Believers.

Growth In Every Way

 Two weeks ago, we didn’t get to finish the sermon, so we’d want to do that today—if possible.  In review:

We can see six words that some out as a summery of these verses of a leadership character:   

1. Integrity-the Overseer’s word is true.  His life is one of high quality.  He is a man of integrity.   

2. High Morality-he is a man of one wife (or a one-woman-man). 

3. Hospitable-he reaches out.  Same root word for hospital.  He is a hospital. Gives care and healing. 

4. Humility-not a resent convert.  Time to grow up in his Faith. 

5. Honest-dealing with ¥, $.  

6. Harmony-he is a peace-maker.  No rough edges. His walk is one of harmony and at ease even in hard times.

Here is the framework.  1 Peter 5:2 gives the overseer the motivation—not because he MUST serve but because he is willing to serve.  Not greedy for monetary gain or for power, he is willing to serve.  He is willing to be an example for the Flock.  Not perfect, but blameless-as he copies the standard set by the Good Shepherd of the sheep.  Mark 10:42-45 He came to serve. Part of the Gospel story…once lost/found!

Think with me for a moment.  What kind of people should the ‘regular’ believer be?  What sort of character traits should he or she have?  Would they not also have the same standard as the leaders?  Because where do the leaders come from but from the fellowship?  If a leader is to be blameless, he had to have started somewhere.  The ‘office’ does not make the man.  The man fills the office.  If a man is a violent man now, in the morning the next day, he will not be leadership material. It will take time! Please turn to 2 Peter 1:3-10.  Look with me at what Peter is saying.  He was the one who denied Jesus three times and had an awful time with his mouth. He was changed!

1. God has given us everything we need through the knowledge of Him who called us. Knowing the Gospel

2. He has given us great and precious promises …

3. So that we can participate in His Divine Nature and escape the corruption of this world.

4. SO add to these things that are growing IN you.  Don’t waste away. Be active in your growth.  Press on! Give Him your attention. Make EVERY EFFORT to add to them.   

• 1. Faith, 
• 2. goodness, 
• 3. knowledge, 
• 4. self-control, 
• 5. perseverance, 
• 6.  godliness, 
• 7. brotherly kindness, 
• 8. love.

5. In increasing measure!  Don’t sit still!  Get moving!

6. If you don’t have them, you are blind and short sighted

7. Make your calling sure! (eager) so that you will not fall! And receive a rich welcome in Heaven with Christ!

But wait!  Here we have two list: one of what we ARE in Christ and the second, what we USED to be without Him! What kind of people the church USED to be like.  Let’s look at it again and see what made the difference. Turn to 1 Cor 6:9-11 again.   Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The Followers of Christ in Corinth were warned against many evils, of which they had been practicing.  These people were puffed up and felt that they were much better than other Believers.  Paul brought them to reality with the Word of God.  He reminded them that ALL sin was unrighteousness.  And if left un-repented, shuts them out of Heaven.  They and we are not to be deceived.  Mankind is inclined to flatter ourselves into believing a lie: “live with sin and grow in Christ.”  That will not do.  We can’t sow in the flesh and expect to win the prize in the end. 

The Message of the Cross is not like that. Why did Jesus go there? A good gesture? Follow form? NO!  He went to the Cross to pay the price of my sin. Our sin was laid on HIM! His Perfect sacrifice was the only good enough sacrifice that God could accept. We are not good enough to take care of that offence. We all have fallen short of the Glory of God so God prepared the only way to bring Man and Himself together. Through the Blood of His Only Son.  And then He raised Him from the Dead to PROVE God forgave.  That is the Grand Message of Easter! He is alive and He had dealt with Sin for all time!  No more any condemnation for those who are in Christ!

Paul reminded them—church leaders—and all of us—of what the Power of the Blood of Jesus did for them.  His Blood washed away all sin.  The regeneration of their spirits caused a change in them.  A transformed life that would not walk in the old ways anymore.  One commentary put it this way: “Our justification is owing to the suffering and merit of Christ; our sanctification (to be set apart) to the working of the Holy Spirit; but both go together.  All who are made righteous in the sight of God, are made holy by the Grace of God!” ~The Teacher’s Commentary

  I am sure these leaders had an interesting time sorting through their past to get to the present.  Remember: Healed, forgiven, set apart—that is what we are in Christ Jesus.  Our sins are covered.

The long and short of the issue is this: the lifestyle of an elder looks like the lifestyle of any maturing believer.  It becomes a question of role or calling.  That sets them apart.  And where does this calling come from and how do we know it is real?  Good questions.  The simple answer is: It is a calling from God. 

The longer answer is as follows:

Spiritual gifts come into play here as well as a spiritual heart and attitude.  Just because a man is wealthy, does not make him a candidate for being a financial officer.  A heart for the work is important.  A willingness to take the time to grow into the task of an overseer is needed.  Prayer. Devotion. Active ministry.  See Heb 13:17.  They keep watch over you as a Dad watches over his son when he is learning how to ride a bike … not “I’m watching you! Don’t mess up!”  The rest of the fellowship will be under such a person. Would you not want someone who is spiritually held up by the Lord to guide you?  He is one who serves not because he can’t get out of it.  He is in joyful submission—as God would want him to be.  Not what you can get out of it, but what you can give. 

Take a look at the instructions given to Titus as he was to find and establish leaders in the Church on the island of Crete.  Open your Bibles to Titus 1:1~ff.  It is a call to be ever so changed: transformed—just like it is with all of us who believe. 

Let’s look at the first chapter of Titus 1 again:

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at His appointed season He has brought to light …

 5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint or ordain elders in every town, as I directed you.

 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. {Transformed to be different-to reflect our Maker} In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.{need for a renewal of the mind}  They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. [not church leadership material at all!]

To close this morning, a believer is to be a Godly Member of Christ Body.  A Believing Leader is to be that example and a little bit more: he is to lead in a Godly way.  Others are to follow—in a Godly way.  He is to be able to make the Word of God fully known & to teach the people to be fully mature in Christ.  Isa 40:11.  Only the qualified may be engaged in that task.  All are answerable to the Lord Jesus who IS THE final authority over the Church. 

Next week, we will look at another leadership office of Deacon.  Much more to go over.  Hang in there with us.  Pray for me as I study the Scriptures to find from them what the Lord would have us learn and follow.  Thank you for your prayers.

How Can You Help?

CRASH    
Christian, Relief, Assistance, Support, & Hope
 

Company Overview   
CRASH Japan is a non-profit disaster relief organization created to provide assistance during crisis situations. In the last few years, CRASH leaders have coordinated relief efforts in China, Haiti, Indonesia and other major disaster areas.

CRASH Japan, working closely with JEMA (the Japanese Evangelical Missionary Association), has a large network of experienced volunteers in Japan who know the culture and language, and are already on the ground in local communities.
 

Description   
Love on Japan is your source for CRASH relief information, current events in Tokyo, and stories from the field. For our website and volunteer information, please visit: >; For interactive news, coordination efforts, and contact with our representatives, please visit: <http://crashjapan.licquia.org/>;

IF you are in the Tokyo Area and ready to volunteer and move out THIS WEEK, please contact Mark Hoshi by email, at markhoshi@gmail.com

Gifts are not tax deductible. (If you need a tax deduction receipt, see below in GREEN for a group that is.)

Volunteers   ボランティアスタッフ

• When fielding inquiries about

 volunteering, please direct them to the website amp;e=5c4713bacacrashjapan.com, not to the relief volunteer e-mail; prefer no phone calls.

• ボランティアについての質問にうまく回答する際は、どうか救援ボランティア部に直接メールや電話をさせたりせず、ウェブサイト；http://crashjapan.us2.listmanage1.com/track/click?u=88a4d7cd6ed50eb67557c0514&id=4289f24009&e=5c4713bacacrashjapan.comを案内して下さい、

Physical Donations   物資の寄付

In-kind donations are being accepted in CAJ cafeteria (only CAJ, 10:00 a.m. - 17:00 p.m.), but there are some guidelines to keep in mind.
品物での寄付はCAJのカフェテリアで受付けています。（午前１０時〜午後５時まで、 CAJでのみ）CAJ is an international Missionary school in Higashi Kurume, Tokyo, Japan.
YES (NEW, not used or “recycle” goods)
受付可（新品のみ、中古品やリサイクル品は不可）

• New clothes, especially underwear (including momohiki)
  新品の衣類、特に下着（ももひきを含む）
• Packaged food, especially no-wash rice (musenmai, 無洗米)
• 容器に入った食品、特に無洗米
• Diapers (infant, adult); tissue paper
• おむつ（幼児用、大人用）、ティッシュペーパー
• Personal hygiene items, including denture (artificial teeth) care products
• 個人用衛生用品、入れ歯（人口歯）ケア製品
• Electrical items, especially hot pots, rice cookers
• 電化製品、特にポット、炊飯器
• Kitchen and bath items (for people setting up new households)
• 台所、お風呂用品（新しい家を建てる人々のために）
• Games, toys, playing cards (for now, think “small”), shogi, chess etc. - for all ages
• ゲーム、おもちゃ、トランプ（今のところ小さいものを考えて下さい）、将棋、チェス等、全ての年齢層のために。
• For physical donations from overseas, consider contributions for future shipments from https://www.samaritanspurse.org/
• 海外からの物資の寄付については、今後の郵送は https://www.samaritanspurse.org/ からの寄付を考えてみて下さい。

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