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E-pistle

                                                 Dr. Dan Hite, President            FreeWay Foundation                     June 13, 2008

Exhortations to Elders

(I Peter 5:1-14)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on Peter as a fellow elder (v. 1)

        1.    He was a witness of the sufferings of Christ.

        2.    He was a partaker of the glory to be revealed.

II.  Meditation:  on being a "witness" and a "partaker"

1.      The God of all grace has called us, and part of the "CALLING" is to

suffer persecution, I Peter 2:21.

2.      Suffering is not necessarily a result of my own sin, John 9:23.
3.      God's grace is sufficient to carry us through suffering, II Corinthians 12:7.
4.      The ultimate calling is to enter into His eternal glory; suffering is not forever,

but only for a little while, II Corinthians 4:17.

III.  Revelation:  on what elders should do

1.      Shepherd (lead, feed, protect) the flock, v. 2.
2.      Oversee the church with a servant's heart:  willingly and eagerly, v. 2.
3.      Be an example of the spirit of servanthood, v. 3.
4.      Submit to one another in humility, vv. 5-6.
5.      Live in vital faith, casting all doubt and worry upon God, vv. 7, 9.
6.      Be sober and self-controlled, v. 8.
7.      Be vigilant, watchful, and alert, v. 8.
8.      Courageously and confidently resist the devil, vv. 8-9.
9.      Suffers with spiritual perception of God's purposes, vv. 9-10.
10.     Glorify God in everything, vv. 10-11.

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

        According to verse 10, after the "called" have suffered for awhile, God will:

1.      PERFECT = finish, complete, make excellent.  Suffering makes me more like

Christ, Ephesians 4:13.  This is the PROCESS of spiritual growth.

2.      ESTABLISH = to make stable or firm, to permanently fix.  Suffering brings me

to the bedrock foundation, Job 19:25; Matthew 16:16.  This speaks of the

PERMANENCE of our foundation, who is God, Himself.

3.      STRENGTHEN = to make more powerful or vigorous; to reinforce.  Suffering reveals

my weakness, making opportunity for God's strength to be manifested, II Corinthians

12:10; Philippians 4:13.  This focuses on the POWER of endurance available from God.

4.      SETTLE = to make secure, quiet, calm.  Suffering, when correctly perceived, brings

assurance and peace, Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:7.  This magnifies the PEACE

available through faith and confidence in God.

"To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen."  I Peter 5:11

Filled With All The Fullness Of God

(Ephesians 3:19)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  PLEROO (verb) = to make full, to fill, to be full, to be filled, to be made full

        1.  Illustrations:

                (1)  Matthew 13:48 – dragnet full of fish

                (2)  John 12:3 – house filled with fragrance of oil

                (3)  Acts 2:2 – whole house filled with the sound of wind

                (4)  Acts 5:28 – Jerusalem filled with the doctrine of Christ

                (5)  Acts 13:52 – Disciples filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit

        2.  Paul's writings:

                (1)  Ephesians 1:23 – "His body, the fullness (PLEROMA) of Him who

                                                 fills (PLEROO) all in you."

(2)     Ephesians 3:19 – "That you may be filled (PLEROO) with all the

         fullness (PLEROMA) of God."

(3)     Ephesians 4:10 – "The One who ascended far above all the heavens,

                     that He might fill (PLEROO) all things."

(4)     Ephesians 5:18 – "Be filled (PLEROO) with the Spirit."
(5)     Colossians 2:9-10 – "For in Him dwells all the fullness (PLEROMA) of

                        the God head bodily; and you are complete

                (made full) (PLEROO) in Him."

II.  PLEROMA (noun) = fullness

1.      John 1:16 – "Of His fullness (PLEROMA) we have all received, and grace for

grace."

2.      Romans 15:29 – "But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the

       fullness (PLEROMA) of the blessing of the gospel of Christ."

3.      Ephesians 1:23 – "His body, the fullness (PLEROMA) of Him who fills (PLEROO)

         all in all."

4.      Ephesians 3:19 – "That you may be filled (PLEROO) with all fullness (PLEROMA)

                     of God."

5.      Ephesians 4:13 – "To the measure of the stature of the fullness (PLEROMA) of

         Christ."

6.      Colossians 1:19 – "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness (PLEROMA)

          should dwell."

7.      Colossians 2:9-10 – "For in Him dwells all the fullness (PLEROMA) of the Godhead

bodily; and you are complete (made full) (PLEROO) in Him."

III.  PLERES (adjective) = fullness

1.      Luke 4:1 – "Then Jesus, being filled (PLERES) with the Holy Spirit returned from the

           Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness."

2.      Acts 6:2 – "Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good

reputation, full (PLERES) of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may

appoint over this business."

3.      Acts 7:55 – "But he (Stephen), being full (PLERES) of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven

and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."

4.      Acts 11:24 – "For he (Barnabus) was a good man, full (PLERES) of the Holy Spirit and

  of faith."

IV.  PIMPLEMI and PLETHO (verbs) = to fill

1.      Illustrations:
(1)     Luke 5:7 – boat filled with fish
(2)     Matthew 22:10 – wedding hall filled with guests
(3)     Matthew 27:48 – sponge filled with vinegar
(4)     Acts 19:29 – city of Ephesus filled with confusion
2.      Persons filled with the Holy Spirit (in Luke's writings):
(1)     Luke 1:15 – John the Baptist (prophecy)
(2)     Luke 1:41 – Elizabeth
(3)     Luke 1:67 – Zacharias
(4)     Acts 2:4 – all the believers at Pentecost
(5)     Acts 4:8 – Peter
(6)     Acts 4:31 – All the assembled believers in Jerusalem
(7)     Acts 9:17 – Paul (by Ananias laying on his hands)
(8)     Acts 13:9 – Paul in Cyprus

V.  MESTOO (verb) = to fill full

        Acts 2:13 – "They are full (MESTOO) of new wine."

Here is some baseball Trivia for you:

1.  Ted Williams had at least one hit in every Opening Day game he appeared in.  He also hit

     .449 in openers (he played in 14 opening day games)

2.  In 1940, Opening day in Cleveland was the site of a famous pitching battle between the

    Cleveland Indian's Bob Feller and the White Sox's Lefty Grove.  Both pitchers were

     pitching a no-hitter until Grove gave up a single to Cecil Travis.  Feller held on and pitched

     the only Opening Day no-hitter in history. 

3.  Hank Aaron opened the 1974 season with his 714^th career home run, tying Babe Ruth on

     the all-time list.

Baseball Jokes:

1.  Coming home from his Little League game, Billy swung open the front door very excitedly.

     Unable to attend the game, his father wanted to know what happened.  "So, how did you do,

     son?" he asked.  "I was responsible for the winning run!"  Billy said.  "Really?  How did you do

     that?"  the father asked.  The son replied, "I dropped the ball."

2.  Harry was always reminding people that he once played semi-pro baseball.  "I was a James

     Bond type of player,"  he told his friends.  "I had all sorts of tricks to confuse the opposition."

     "He batted .007," his wife added.

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