E-pistle for November 3, 2016
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e-pistle
FreeWay Foundation November 3, 2016
Nathan tells david: "you are the man!"
(II Samuel 12:1-31)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Nathan the prophet told David a parable of a cruel man killing another
man's pet lamb; David demanded that the guilty man repay it 4-fold;
Nathan then applied the story to condemn David's sins, vv. 1-12.
2. David repented and confessed; he wept, prayed, and fasted for the
life of the unborn child, but it died, vv. 13-23.
3. David and Bathsheba had another son, Solomon ("Peace"), vv. 24-25.
4. Joab called David to take charge of the army against the Ammonites,
as he should have done earlier (II Samuel 11:1); finally the Israelites
took the city of Rabbah and placed its citizens under servitude,
vv. 26-31.
II. Meditation: on the "life and death" lessons David learned in this chapter
1. The wages of sin is death, vv. 13-14; Romans 6:23.
2. Judging others brings the same judgment upon ourselves, vv. 5-6, 10;
Matthew 7:1-2; Luke 6:37-38.
3. It is not always God's will that a person be healed, v. 18; II Timothy 4:20.
4. Fasting, weeping, and praying are to be done in behalf of the living, not
in behalf of the dead, v. 23; II Thessalonians 4:13.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual principles seen here
1. The more prominent the sinner, the more injurious the sin can be to God's
reputation among unbelievers, v. 14; Romans 2:24.
2. Heart-piercing prophetic words of condemnation are given to produce
the responses of sorrow, guilt, and shame, which, in turn, should lead
a sinner to repentance, vv. 5-7; II Corinthians 7:10.
3. Some sins set in motion a 4-fold penalty of tragedy and death within
our own families; David's murder of Uriah cost him the lives of his sons;
the unnamed illegitimate infant born to him and Bathsheba, v. 18; Amnon,
II Samuel 13:28; Absolom, II Samuel 18:14; Adonijah, I Kings 2:14-15.
4. Death is not the end of life; it is the door into eternity, v. 23; John 11:25-26.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Realize that God is watching me and recording my thoughts, words, and
deeds; accordingly, live a life of integrity and holiness before Him.
2. Repent of and confess my sins immediately when the Holy Spirit convicts
my heart; receive God's amazing grace and tender mercy . . . His forgiveness
and cleansing.
3. Endure with patience God's discipline upon my life, knowing that His
chastening reveals His Fatherly love, and that His correction benefits my
spiritual character.
4. Recognize the extreme brevity of life upon this earth, but rejoice that
someday I shall join my loved ones and other believers in the presence of
the Lord in Heaven.
the priority programs of the new testament church
(Acts 2:42-47)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
Immediately following the empowering of the church by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,
these are the priority programs which were established.
I. They majored on the basics (v. 42).
1. By continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine (Bible preaching
and teaching).
2. By fellowship ("Koinonia") – sharing, unity, close association,
partnership, participation, a communion, contributory help, the
brotherhood. Koinonia is a unity of believers brought about
by the Holy Spirit, in which the individual shares in common
and intimate bond of fellowship with the Lord and with the rest
of the Christian society.
3. By breaking of bread – a full meal, which also included participation
in the Lord's Supper within the context of praise and worship.
4. By prayers (including fasting, as seen elsewhere in the Book of Acts).
II. They magnified the miraculous works of the Holy Spirit (v. 43).
1. Wonders and signs were done by the Lord through the spiritual
leaders, including the healing of the sick, etc.
2. Such manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit produced
fear – an atmosphere of reverence and awe within the congregation.
III. They ministered to the hurting and needy "family" of members (vv. 44-45).
1. By developing a sense of community or "family" . . . ("All who believed
were together and had all things in common.") This was spontaneous
and voluntary benevolence as a result of truly understanding God's
love. Forced community is communism.
IV. They modeled practical Christian living (vv. 46-47a.)
1. By meeting regularly (daily) with fellow believers in God's house.
2. By living "in one accord" . . . in spiritual unity, with "gladness (joy) and
simplicity (singleness) of heart."
3. By witnessing daily "from house to house" . . . showing cordial hospitality
to their neighbors.
4. By praising God . . . worshipping Him in personal and family devotions,
and corporately as a body of believers.
5. By exhibiting compassion and integrity, thereby developing a reputation
of godliness within the community of unbelievers.
V. They multiplied greatly through the power of the Lord (v. 47b).
When all these things are done . . . in the right order . . . God will bring
about a tremendous evangelistic outreach and ingathering:
"The Lord will add to the church daily those who are being saved."
"The only place SUCCESS comes before WORK is in the dictionary!"
Vince Lombardi
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