E-pistle for April 25, 2008
Posted by: info <info@...>
E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation April 25, 2008
Baptisms And Laying On Of Hands
(Hebrews 6:1-20)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on verses 1-2
1. There are six "first principles" . . . "elementary teachings" . . . "foundational
doctrines" . . . mentioned in these verses, 5:12; 6:1.
2. Four of these basic teachings usually are emphasized by churches today:
(1) Repentance (2) Resurrection
(3) Faith (4) Judgment
3. Two of these basic doctrines often are overlooked today:
(1) Baptisms (2) Laying on of hands
4. Believers must comprehend these six principles before they can hope to be able
to understand deeper things of God.
II. Meditation: on the doctrine of baptisms
1. The baptism into Christ (new birth) –
I Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27
2. The baptism in water –
Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3-4; Acts 8:36-38
3. The baptism in (being filled with) the Holy Spirit -
Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16; Ephesians 5:18
4. The baptism of fulfilling God's destiny, including suffering persecution -
Matthew 20:22-23; 5:10-12; Luke 12:50; I Peter 4:12-19; II Timothy 3:12
III. Meditation: on the doctrine of laying on of hands
1. To bestow blessing (in Jesus' name) upon someone -
Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16
2. To heal (by God's power) those who are sick -
Matthew 6:5; Mark 16:18; Luke 4:40; 13:13; Acts 28:8
3. To be a conduit for God to fill someone with the Holy Spirit -
Acts 8:17-19; 9:17; 19:6
4. To ordain someone whom God has called for Christian service -
Acts 6:6; 13:3; I Timothy 5:22
5. To impart (through God's grace) spiritual gifts to another believer -
Romans 1:11-12; I Timothy 4:14; 1:18; II Timothy 1:6
IV. Revelation and Application: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Be well grounded in the basic teachings of the Christian faith: repentance,
faith, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection, and judgment.
2. Experience all four kinds of "baptisms" in my life: new birth, baptism in water,
baptism with the Holy Spirit, and being totally immersed in fulfilling
God's mission, purpose, and destiny for me . . . even though it means
suffering and persecution.
3. Understand and practice the "hands-on" ministries taught in the New Testament
and exercised in the early church.
4. Continue growing spiritually toward maturity . . . "let us go on to perfection," v. 1.
The Voice From The Majestic Glory
(II Peter 1:1-21)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Peter greeted the believers, pronouncing grace and peace on them, vv. 1-4.
2. Peter detailed the process of spiritual growth in the faith, vv. 5-11.
3. Peter prophesied about his approaching death, vv. 12-15.
4. Peter testified of the voice he heard from the majestic glory, vv. 16-21.
II. Meditation: on God the Father's speaking from heaven
1. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," v. 17
2. This incident occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration:
(1) "This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.
Listen to Him," Matthew 17:5.
(2) "This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him. Mark 9:7.
(3) "This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him," Luke 9:35.
3. The voice of the Father also gave a similar word at Jesus' baptism:
"This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased,"
Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22.
4. Five basic truths about Jesus Christ are seen in these quotations:
(1) He is the Son of God (5 times)
(2) The Father loves the Son (3 times)
(3) The Father has chosen the Son (1 time)
(4) The Father is well pleased with the Son (3 times)
(5) The Father commands us to listen (and obey) the Son (3 times)
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here
1. As Jesus is God's unique Son, so also we who believe are born into
God's family . . . making us His children.
2. As Jesus is loved by the Father, so also are we loved by Him.
3. As Jesus was chosen to fulfill His destiny according to the Father's will,
so also we are chosen to accomplish God's purpose for our lives.
4. As Jesus always pleased the Father, so also our service to God is to be
"well done" . . . as a good and faithful servant.
5. As Jesus spoke for the Father ("Listen to Him!"), so also we are to function
as His witnesses.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to know that . . .
1. I am God's son or daughter.
2. I am deeply loved by God.
3. I am chosen to serve God.
4. I can please God by obedient, faithful service.
5. I am God's spokesperson to bring His word to others.
According to Peter, however, even this voice of God the Father
coming from heaven is surpassed in validity by the Scriptures,
II Peter 1:18-21.
Funny Baseball Quotes:
· "Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." Yogi Berra
· "I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to chase it."
Rogers Hornsby
· "When a pitcher's throwing a spitball, don't worry and don't complain, just hit
the dry side like I do." Stan Musial
· "After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down.
I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up
rounding the bases." Mickey Mantle
· "I led the league in 'Go get 'em next time.'" Bob Uecker
· "In 1962, I was named Minor League Player of the year. It was my second
year in the bigs." Bob Uecker
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