E-pistle for April 24, 2015
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E-Pistle
FreeWay Foundation Dr. Curt Scarborough April 24, 2015
he is out of his mind!
(Mark 3:1-35)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus healed a man's withered hand on the Sabbath; great multitudes
followed Him, vv. 1-12.
2. Jesus appointed the Twelve Apostles, vv. 13-19.
3. Jesus taught that His authority to cast out demons was from the
Father, not from Satan; He warned about the danger of committing
the upardonable sin, vv. 20-30.
4. Jesus' mother and brothers came from Him; He taught that those
who do God's will are His true family, vv. 31-35.
II. Meditation: on why Jesus' family worried about His sanity
1. He forgave sins, Mark 2:1-12.
2. He called Levi (a traitorous tax collector); and fellowshipped with
sinners, Mark 2:13-17.
3. He broke with the tradition of John's disciples (Mark 2:18-20) and
spoke of a new religious era which He would establish (wineskins),
vv. 21-22.
4. He picked and ate grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28), proclaiming
that He was above the Jewish law.
5. He healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, demonstrating
that meeting human needs supersedes tradition, vv. 1-6.
6. He was worshipped by demons who testified that, You area the Son
of God," vv. 7-12, contradicting the rumor that He was demo-possessed,
vv. 22-30.
7. He appointed Twelve Disciples, vv. 13-20 (assuming a leader's role);
* He called to Him those He Himself wanted; sovereign choice
* They came to Him . . . committing to discipleship and ministry
* He invited them to be with Him full time in intimate relationship
* He empowered and sent them out to preach and to heal
III. Revelation: on the spiritual truths implied here
1. In each event above, Jesus went against tradition and custom.
2. The Jewish leaders hated Him for these actions (Mark 2:6-7, 16, 24; 3:5-6.
3. Although His family (brothers, John 7:5) did not believe in Him at this time,
they did want to protect Him from embarrassment and persecution.
4. These events revealed the Father's heart and the Son's mission.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Accept Christ's blessings and offer His grace to other sinners.
2. Rejoice in the "New Wine" of the Holy Spirit's ministry in me.
3. Prioritize meeting people's needs over customs and traditions.
4. Hear His call to be with Him and to serve others in His name.
Persons who do these things are Jesus' true spiritual family members, vv. 31-35
two kinds of wisdom
(James 3:13-18)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Meditation: on the wisdom from below . . . and their opposites (vv. 14-16)
1. Bitterness (sweetness) 6. Earthly (heavenly)
2. Envy (not covetous) 7. Sensual (spiritual)
3. Self-seeking (unselfish) 8. Demonic (Godly)
4. Boasting (modest; humble) 9. Confusion (orderly)
5. Lying (truthful) 10. Every evil thing (every good thing)
II. Meditation: on the wisdom from above . . . with their opposites (v. 17)
1. Pure (unclean) 5. Merciful (vengeful)
2. Peaceable (belligerent) 6. Fruitful (non-productive)
3. Gentle (harsh) 7. Unbiased (prejudiced)
4. Submissive (unteachable) 8. Sincere (fake)
III. Revelation: on wisdom from God's perspective
1. A wise and understanding person shows by his conduct that his works are
done in the proper spirit and with a Godly attitude (meekness, v. 13).
2. The wisdom from below is produced by Satan; the wisdom from above
comes from the Holy Spirit and produces His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).
3. These two types of wisdom (heavenly and earthly; divine and human) are
direct opposites; they cannot be reconciled by finding a compromise
between them.
4. God's wisdom is peaceable (v. 17); it is sown in peace (v. 18); it is sown
by those who make peace (v. 18).
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Exhibit the meek, gentle spirit of Christ in all that I do.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in my life.
3. Not tolerate in my life characteristics from both lists of "wisdom"
(Satanic and Godly) . . . they are mutually exclusive.
4. Be a peacemaker, sowing peace . . . introducing persons to the
"Prince of Peace," Isaiah 9:6.
"Behold the fool saith, "Put not all thine eggs in the one basket" –
which is but a manner of saying, "Scatter your money and
your attention"; but the wise man saith, "Put all your
eggs in the one basket and – watch that basket."
Wit and Wisecrack from Mark Twain
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