E-pistle for February 12, 2010
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation February 12, 2010
Prepare The Way Of The Lord
(Luke 3:1-38)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. John the Baptist came preparing the way of the Messiah, vv. 1-6.
2. John preached the necessity of repentance; he prophesied that
the Messiah would come to baptize people with the Holy Spirit
and fire, vv. 7-20.
3. John baptized Jesus; heaven was opened, the Spirit descended in
the form of a dove, and God's voice spoke affirmation of His Son,
vv. 21-28.
4. Luke detailed the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam,
vv. 23-28.
II. Observations: on the life and work of John the Baptist
1. John the Baptist preached within a real, historical setting, vv. 1-2.
2. He was a Spirit-filled Nazarite, the son of Zacharias, v. 2.
3. He preached baptism of repentance for remission of sins, v. 3.
4. He fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy (52:10), v. 4 . . . as "Elijah," Matthew 11:14.
III. Meditation: on the repairs needed on the Messiah's road?
1. Every valley filled, v. 5.
2. Every mountain and hill brought low, v. 5.
3. All crooked places made straight, v. 5.
4. All rough places made smooth, v. 5.
IV. Revelation: on what needs to be done personally
1. Persons who trust in "religion" tied to family relationships need to repent
and receive an inward, heart change, vv. 7-9.
2. Persons need to demonstrate their genuine repentance by giving clothing
and food to the poor and needy, vv. 10-11.
3. Public officials need to demonstrate true repentance by being fair and
honest, vv. 12-13.
4. Soldiers (law enforcement officers) need to demonstrate real repentance
through humane treatment, by truthful administration of the law and justice,
and by contentment with their wages, v. 14.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. "Fill the valley" (low, hollow, empty place) by experiencing an inward change
of heart and mind.
2. "Bring mountains low" (pride) by humbly caring for the poor and needy.
3. "Straighten crooked places" (dishonest) by always dealing fairly with others
in the workplace.
4. "Smooth rough places" (bumpy relationships) by treating others with kindness
and truthfulness, and by fulfilling my obligations and responsibilities faithfully.
Recovery Of Sight To The Blind
(Luke 4:1-44)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus, led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit, overcame
Satan's temptations, vv. 1-13.
2. Jesus began His ministry in the region of Galilee, but He was
rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, vv. 14-30.
3. Jesus cast out an unclean spirit, who identified Him as "the
Holy One of God," vv. 31-37.
4. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law and many others; He preached
the kingdom of God in other Galilean cities, vv. 38-44.
II. Meditation: on Jesus first sermon, outlining His mission (Isaiah 49:8-9; 61:1-2)
1. Preach the gospel to the poor.
2. Heal the brokenhearted.
3. Proclaim liberty to the captives.
4. Recover the sight of the blind.
5. Set at liberty the oppressed.
6. Proclaim the acceptable year (Jubilee) of the Lord.
Jesus' ministry . . . and ours . . . is "recovery of sight to the blind."
III. Revelation: on why persons can't see clearly
1. Because they have been blinded by injury or disease, or because they
were born with a birth defect. (See II Corinthians 4:4)
2. Because (like cave fish) they have lived in the darkness too long.
(See I John 2:11)
3. Because they have closed their eyes, have chosen to wear a blindfold,
have neglected their eye-care, or have deliberately self-inflicted blindness.
(See John 3:19; Matthew 23:16-26)
4. Because they have been blinded by the brightness of an overwhelming
light-source, such as the sun. (See Matthew 17:2; 5:16)
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Realize that spiritual blindness has many causes, but it can be cured.
(See John 9:1-3)
2. Understand that years in darkness kills eyesight capability, both physically
and spiritually.
3. Recognize that blindness (or sight) sometimes is an act of the will. "What
do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 11:51)
4. Gently! Let my candle-light shine so others may see the way to God,
Matthew 5:16. Don't blind them with my "gospel floodlight"!
"If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens,
you can never regain their respect and esteem. You
may fool all of the people some of the time; you can
even fool some of the people all the time; but you
can fool all of the people all of the time."
- Abraham Lincoln
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