Consider your state. You are a pardoned sinner, not under the law but under grace, freely, fully saved from the guilt of all your sins. There is none to condemn, God having justified you. He sees you in His Son, washed you in His blood, clothed you in His righteousness, and He embraces Him and you, the head and the members, with the same affection.
William Romaine

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E-pistle for June 11, 2010

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#1 · June 18, 2010, 9:24 am

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

                                             Dr. Dan Hite, President           FreeWay Foundation             June 12, 2010

Jesus Is The Stone

(Luke 20:1-47)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

        1.   Jesus answered the Jewish religious leaders who questioned

              His authority, vv. 1-8.

2.      Jesus told the parable of the wicked vinedressers, vv. 9-16.
3.      Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22 to identify Himself as the stone which

        the builders rejected, vv. 17-19.

4.      Jesus taught about paying taxes to Caesar, while also giving to

        God what is due Him. vv. 20-26.

5.      Jesus taught the Sadducees about the resurrections, vv. 27-40.
6.      Jesus taught how that David's son would be David's Lord, vv. 41-44.
7.      Jesus taught the disciples to beware of the pretentious scribes, vv. 45-47.

II.  Meditation:  on Jesus' focus on His coming death

        1.   Jesus predicted that the Jews would kill Him, vv. 9-15.

        2.   He also foretold that God's vineyard (fruit-producing mission) would be

              taken away from the Jews and given to others (Gentiles), v. 16.

3.      Jesus proved these statements by quoting Psalm 118:22, v. 17.
4.      The religious leaders began plotting Jesus' death, vv. 19-20.

III.  Observations:  on the kind of stone Jesus is

1.      Rejected stone (by the builders . . . Jews), v. 17.
2.      Chief cornerstone, v. 17.
3.      Stumbling stone, v. 18 (See I Corinthians 1:23.)
4.      Grindstone, v. 18.

IV.  Revelation:  on the spiritual truths seen here

1.      Jesus was rejected by His own people, but accepted by others.

        (See John 1:11-13).

2.      Jesus is the foundation and the keystone of the Christian faith.

        (See Matthew 16:16-17; I Corinthians 3:11.)

3.      The gospel of Christ is a stumbling block to those Jews who are

        looking for an earthly, victorious Messiah . . . not a suffering servant,

        crucified and risen.

4.      Persons who reject Christ are going to be punished, just as grain is

        crushed by a grindstone in a mill.

V.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

        1.   Accept Christ's offer to become a child of God.

        2.   Build my life and ministry upon the example and teachings of Jesus

              . . . my "cornerstone."  (See Matthew 7:24-27)

3.      Help others to see Jesus as the "stepping stone" to the Father . . . not

        as a "stumbling stone."

4.      Warn people of the coming judgment of Almighty God.

You Are Under Arrest!

(Luke 21:1-38)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

        1.   Jesus observed a widow giving two mites, vv. 1-4.

        2.   Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, vv. 5-6.

        3.   Jesus taught about the signs of the times and the end

      of the age, vv. 7-19.

4.   Jesus taught about the destruction of Jerusalem, vv. 20-24.

        5.   Jesus taught about the coming of the Son of Man, vv. 25-28.

        6.   Jesus told the parable of the fig tree, vv. 29-33.

        7.   Jesus taught the importance of watching and praying, vv. 34-38.

II.  Meditation:  on believers undergoing persecution

        1.   Believers will be arrested, imprisoned, and persecuted . . . even by

              friends and relatives, vv. 16-17.

2.      Peace of heart (v. 14) and patience of soul (v. 19) should characterize

        Christians who are under arrest.

3.      Don't plan your defense; God will give you "a mouth and wisdom,"

        v. 15 . . . and believers will be protected/preserved, v. 18.

        4.   No enemy will be able to contradict or resist the wise words which

              God will give believers under attack, v. 15.

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual implications seen here

        1.   Persecution is not an "if," but a sure thing; "Yes, and all who desire to

              live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecutions," See II Timothy 3:12.

2.      Jesus gives us "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,"

        Philippians 4:7.

3.      Jesus, our Advocate (defense attorney) will supply the words for

        persecuted believers to speak . . . but this does not mean that He puts

        His words "in the mouths" of preachers who have neglected their daily

        study, meditation, and prayer time.

4.      Even though a believer may suffer martyrdom, his words ultimately will

        make a never-to-be-forgotten impression upon his persecutors. 

        (Consider Stephen and Saul in Acts 7:59-8:1)

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

        1.   Expect that the majority of people (including even family and friends)

              will feel threatened by a genuine, totally committed believer.

2.      Allow Jesus to be the "guard" of my heart and mind, Philippians 4:7.
3.      Call upon my heavenly lawyer (Advocate) for help, I John 2:1.
4.      Recognize that God can and will bring good out of bad, life out of death

        . . . for "all things work together for good," Romans 8:28.

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are

and then wait to hear the answer."

- Ed Cunningham

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