Epistle for February 22, 2002
Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>
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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation February 22, 2002
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In this Issue:
Sermon: Hebrews 11:32
Bible Study: Philippians 4:8-19
Guiding Singles Toward Marriage
Family Enrichment Workshops
"Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion"
(Hebrews 11:32)
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy met three characters who accompained her down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, where lived the Wizard:
1. Scarecrow - who needed a brain (to think)
2. Tin Man - who needed a heart (to love), and
3. Cowardly Lion - who needed courage (to act bravely).
Read Text: Hebrews 11:32. Here are listed three characters from the Old Testament who remind me of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. The exploits of these men are found in the Book of Judges.
Brainless, Heartless, Gutless Heroes
1. Jephthah (Judges 11-12) is like the scarecrow. Brainlessly, he vowed to sacrifice the first thing he saw wheh he returned from battle, if the Lord would make him victorious. Unfortunately, the first thing he saw returning from the battlefield was his beloved daughter. He sacrificed her as a burnt offering.
Moral: Two wrongs don't make a right!
2. Samson (Judges 13-16) is like the Tin Man. Heartlessly, he disregarded the feelings of others while pursuing his own physical desires. In fact, all the problems throughout his life were caused by out-of-control emotions . . . many of them "affairs of the heart." He was a profane, materialistic man, consumed by anger, lust, and pride. His parents had dedicated him to God's service even before his birth, and several times the Scripture speaks of the Spirit of God coming upon him. However, he was so spiritually insensitive that he "did not know that the Lord had departed from him." (Judges 16:20).
Moral: Pride goes before a fall!
3. Barak (Judges 4-5) is like the Cowardly Lion. Gutless, he agreed to lead troops into battle, only if Deborah would accompany him, (Judges 4:8). She agreed; victory was won . . . but not to his glory.
Moral: Behind every succesful man is a good woman . . . with a cattle prod!
Application
Why include these three men in Faith's Hall of Fame? Hebrews 11:32 tells us the reason: "Out of weakness we're made strong." Paul reminds us that "God has chosen the weak," I Corinthians 1:25-31 and that "When I am weak, then I am strong," II Corinthians 12:9, 10.
Sometimes we men are like Jephthah, Samson, and/or Barak:
1. Like "Brainless" Jephthah - putting our work, profession,
"calling" in front of our children. Many of us are "workaholics" -
particularly ministers - who put making a living ahead of making
a life for ourselves and our children. To paraphrase Jesus, "What
does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own
family, or what will a man give in exchange for his family?"
2. Like "Heartless" Samson - being controlled by appetites and physical
desires. Some of us are unable to control anger (temper), lust, or
pride. Our "hearts" are not really into fulfilling God's destiny in our
lives; we'd rather "do our own thing." We may deny our spiritual
calling, and neglect our spiritual gifting. If we do, we'll end up like
Samson . . . a profane man whose life ended in failure and death.
3. Like "Gutless" Barak - refusing to assume our God-ordained role as
spiritual leader of the family. Saying to the "little woman" . . . "You
take the kids to church," or "if you'll go, I'll go . . . but if you don't go,
I'm staying home too." Men who shift over to their wives the responsiblity
for the spiritual well-being of the children are missing their highest
privilege in life.
Conclusion and Final Word
Men, have you seen yourself here? Which are you most like: the scarecrow, the tin man, or the cowardly lion?
In the Wizard of Oz, these characters did four things which can be instructive to us men today:
1. They recognized their own faults and admitted them to
each other. (James 5:16)
2. They banded together for mutual encouragement while
they looked for help with their problems. (Promise Keepers)
3. They followed the right road toward help in spite of dangers,
discouragement, and difficulties. (We're on the "Straight-and-
Narrow" Road that leads to life, Matthew 7:13, 14)
4. They asked a "higher power" to supply what they lacked. We
come to God, who supplies "all our need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus," Philippians 4:19.
A final word: Hebrews 11:32 gives men hope that God is able to use even those of us who are brainless, heartless, and gutless. He is able to enlighten our minds, fill out hearts with His love, and fortify us with courage to live well and, when the time comes, to die well.
God Shall Supply All Your Needs
1. Concentration: meditating on these "things" of God (v. 8)
1. True = genuine, real, authentic 5. Lovely = most beautiful, I Corinthians 13:4-7
2. Noble = honorable, respectable 6. Good report = gracious, a blessing
3. Just = fair, proper, equitable 7. Virtue = moral excellency
4. Pure = holy, clean, unblemished 8. Praiseworthy - commendable
II. Meditation: on how the Philippians responded to Paul's teachings (v. 9)
1. Which you heard from me (listened to; heeded).
2. Which you saw in me (observed).
3. Which you learned from me (gained knowledge of).
4. Which you received from me (accepted, acquired, grasped).
Do these eight things, Paul said, and "the God of peace
will be with you, " plus you'll have the assurance that
you "can do all things through Christ who strengthens
. . . (you) vv. 9, 13.
III. Revelation: on Paul's discussion of how God supplied his personal needs
1. Paul said the Philippian church's care for him and for
his needs had flourished, v. 10.
2. He commended them: "well done" for sharing in his
distress, v. 14.
3. He commended them for being the only church to
support him, v. 15.
4. He recognized that they had sent aid to him again and
again, vv. 10, 16.
"Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that bounds to
your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full,
having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from
you, a sweet- smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice,
well pleasing to God, vv. 17-18.
(THEREFORE)
My God shall supply all your need according to His riches
in glory in Christ Jesus," v. 19.
IV. Applications:
God's promise to supply all our needs is conditional upon our
response to supplying the needs of others:
1. By abundant caring (flourish = generously).
2. By sharing in another's distress (compassion; empathy).
3. By giving, even if no one else gives.
4. By sending aid for necessities repeatedly ("again").
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you," Matthew 6:33.
Guiding Singles Toward Marriage
by: Dr. Bruce Morrison
The church has a great responsibility in regards to the current divorce rate in America! A broad and sweeping statement that may not fit our particular ministry, but true nonetheless. Proper premarital counseling is the responsibility of every minister who performs a wedding. Premarital counseling does not eliminate divorce, however, I have found in my limited research, that most divorced people I talk with tell me that they had little or no premarital counseling. Have you ever been asked by a youth, a single, or divorced person, how to select a marriage partner? I want to focus on some principles that will help singles in the selection of a marriage partner.
A valuable resource in this arena is a book by Neil Clark Warren entitled Finding the Love of Your Life. In his book, he identifies ten principles for choosing the right marriage partner. Obviously, these are not "the" ten principles, but they go a long way in helping an individual to identify the subjects that are important in mate selection. His ten principles are:
1. Eliminate the Seven Most Prevalent Causes of
Faulty Mate Selection
2. Develop a Clear Mental Image of Your Ideal Spouse
3. Find a Person to Love Who is a Lot like You.
4. Get Yourself Healthy Before You Get Yourself Married
5. Find a Love You Can Feel Deep in Your Heart and
Express it Carefully
6. Let Passionate Love Mature Before You Decide to Marry
7. Master the Art of Intimacy
8. Learn How to Clear Conflict From the Road of Love
9. Refuse to Proceed Until You Can Genuinely Pledge Your
Lifelong Commitment, and
10. Celebrate Your Marriage with the Full Support of Family
and Friends.
Let's examine the first principle more closely so you can get a flavor of this author's direction and wisdom. The first principle is Eliminate the Seven Most Prevalent Causes of Faulty Mate Selection. The first cause he identifies is that the decision to get married is made too quickly. He finds that when a couple has known each other only a few short months, they have no concept of what they are committing their life to. He cites research that indicates a strong correlation between longevity in courtship amd marriage. He also addresses the increased danger for second and subsequent marriages to be rushed. Research seems to indicate that a period of four to five years should be the norm for remarriage situations.
The second cause he identifies is that the decision is made at too young an age. The divorce rate for those marrying under the age of twenty is incredibly high. The divorce rate for 21- and 22- year olds is twice as high as it if for 24 - and 25 - year olds. He cites a theory that young people can't select a marriage partner very effectively if they don't know themselves well. I think this cause speaks for itself very well.
The third cause he cites is that a red flag is raised when one or both persons are too eager to be married. Often this cause has its genesis in the fact that one or both of the individuals are "escaping" from a home situation that is strained or dysfunctional. Other reasons might include the thought that one or the other may have a "change of heart" or they may simply be battling loneliness. Whatever the reason, rushing into marriage can cause real problems down the road.
The fourth cause is that one or the other is choosing a mate to please someone else. This one pretty well speaks for itself.
The fifth cause identified is that the individual's experience base is too narrow. The author is saying that a long time together without experiencing a variety of situations may be too narrow to make a valid decision to marry. Several case studies cited in the book expand on this cause.
The sixth cause is that the couple has unrealistic expectations. When one person thinks they can change someone else (especially after marriage), they are headed for disappointment. Other unrealistic expectations can cause real problems that may not show up for several years into the marriage. When a couple enters marriage looking to their "feelings" to carry them above the daily grind, they are not looking at life together with realistic expectations.
The seventh cause of faulty mate selection is that one or both of the individuals have not addressed significant personality or behavior problems. This cause speaks for itself. Needless to say, personality or behavior problems carried into the marriage will cause stress and conflict. The survival of the marriage is certainly in question under these circumstances.
The author sums up this first principle by stating that elimination of these seven most deadly causes of faulty mate selection will significantly increase your changes of building a solid marriage.
If you would like more information regarding effective mate selection, I highly recommend Finding the Love of Your Life by Neil Clark Warren.
Family Enrichment Workshops
For almost 50 years, FreeWay Foundation (formerly Christian Civic Foundation) has served churches
and families with information and practical, hands-on workshops. Most of these seminars have been
targeted at parents, but recently we have expanded the scope of our Family Enrichment Workshops.
The seminars we now offer include:
1. Addictions and Grace (3 hours)
2. Biblical Basis for Alcohol Abstinence (3 hours)
3. Choices and Consequences: Decision-making and Problem-solving (1 hour)
4. Christian 12-steps for Overcoming Co-dependency (3 hours)
5. Communications: Non-violent Conflict Resolution (1 hour)
6. Helping Dysfunctional Families to Function (3 hours)
7. Intervention: Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use (1 hour)
8. Putting the "Grand" in Grandparenting (3 hours)
9. Raising Healthy, Happy, Holy Kids (3 hours)
10. Small Group Leadership (3 hours)
11. Spiritual Values and Christian Self-Esteem (1 hour)
12. Stress Management: Making Wise Use of Leisure Time (1 hour)
We recommend scheduling a 3-hour workshop; 3 of the 1-hour workshops may be combined
into one seminar. The cost is $300 ($100 per hour honorarium for the facilitator) plue round-trip
travel expenses from St. Louis, including mileage (or airfare), meals, and overnight accommodations,
if necessary. For additional information, or to schedule a workshop, phone toll-free 1-888-7FREEWAY.
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Wit and Wisecrack: Mark Twain said "Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you
must have somebody to divide it with.