Epistle for November 16, 2001
Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>
Weekly ministry letter (successor to "The Whetstone") from Christian Civic Foundation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President November 16, 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this Issue:
Sermon: Psalm 100
Bible Study: Luke 10:25-37
Gambling Addictions
MERE Bible Study (continued)
Gates and Courts: Thanks and Praise
Psalm 100
In human experience, which comes first: thanks or praise? Usually, when our children have gotten past the first stages of baby-talk, we begin teaching them polite phrases such as the magic words "thank you."
So it is in the spiritual realm. The beginning place for most of us was thanksgiving. Probably it worked like this: God took the initiative and blessed us; we recognized Him as the source (James 1:17) and thanked Him; we reflected on His blessing and received the revelation that the gift showed something of God's character . . . who He is; then we began to praise and worship Him (I John 4:19).
What God does, reveals who he is. Who he is, produces (creates) what He does.
Thanksgiving is more than a warm feeling or sentimental emotion. It's an act . . . an expression of appreciation and gratitude to someone, for something. Merely mumbling "I'm thankful" on the last Thursday of November is meaningless unless we include the "what" and the "to Whom."
Praise, on the other hand, is an expression of admiration and approval which glorifies someone. To the Christian, it tells the goodness and worthiness of God, and is the chief element of true worship.
Thanksgiving is man's response to a worthy gift. Praise is man's response to a worthy God.
With this background in mind, consider Psalm 100:4.
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name."
(It would be profitable here for the serious Bible student to cross-reference the words "gate" and "court.")
A gate, obviously, is an entrance way, but it also is the structure that opens and closes to admit or bar persons. Further, in ancient times, the gate was a place of authority and power where business and commerce were transacted, where civil disputes were settled, and where criminal cases were judged. (See Ruth 4:1; II Samuel 15:2; I Kings 22:10; Amos 5:10.)
Jesus is the "Gate" where spiritual business is transacted, where reconciliation between God and man is accomplished, and where Christ's death provides man a "not guilty" verdict.
A court, among other definitions, is the residence of a sovereign. In spiritual terms, the court is the dwelling place of God's presence. Hebrews 4:14-16 encourages believers to come boldly into the court (God's throne) through the gate (Jesus our High Priest).
Now notice this outline study of Psalm 100.
I. God's People Should "Be Thankful to Him" (4,5) . . . Gates
His character produces blessings:
1. He is good; He does good. (Matthew 5:45; Romans 2:4)
2. He is merciful; He extends everlasting mercy, grace, forgiveness.
3. He is faithful; His word (truth) endures forever . . . He keeps His covenant promises.
II. God's People Should "Bless His Name" (3,4) . . . Courts
His blessings reveal His character, we come to . . .
1. Know (experience) that He is God (Covenant name).
2. Know that He is the Creator.
3. Know that He is the Shepherd (provider; caretaker).
III. God's People Should Worship: Thank and Praise (1,2)
1. Shout (make a joyful noise).
2. Serve with gladness.
3. Sing, as they come before His presence.
Summary:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving: through Christ the Gate.
Thank Him, who is our source of every good gift, of everlasting
mercy, of enduring truth.
Enter through the Gate of Thanksgiving into His courts with praise.
He is our God, our Creator, our Shepherd.
Therefore, we worship with joy . . . shouting, serving, and singing!
The Gratitude Attitude
(Luke 10: 25-37)
I. The Robber: "What's yours is mine; I'll take it."
Examples:
1. Jacob and Esau (Birthright and blessing) . . . Genesis 25.
2. David and Uriah (Bathsheba) . . . II Samuel 11.
3. Ahab and Naboth (Vineyard; Jezebel) . . . I Kings 21.
II. The Priest and Levite: "What's mine is mine; I'll keep it."
Examples:
1. Rich young ruler . . . . . . . . . Mark 10:17-22 Going . . .
2. Rich fool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luke 12:15-21 Going . . .
3. Rich man (and Lazarus) . . . .Luke 16:19-31 Gone!
"Love of money is the root of all evil," I Timothy 6:10
"Whoever saves his life shall lose it," Matthew 16:25
III. The Samaritan: "What's mine is God's; I'll share it."
"The earth is the Lord's," Psalm 24:1.
"Every good gift is from above," James 1:17.
"God gives ability to produce wealth," Deuteronomy 8: 17-18
"Happy in work . . . gift of God," Ecclesiastes 5:19
"Everything comes from You," I Chronicles 29:14.
Examples:
1. Widow of Zerephath (Elijah; flour and oil) . . . I Kings 17:7-16.
2. Boy with five loaves and two fish (fed 5,000) . . . John 6:8.
3. Widow's two coins (all she had) . . . Luke 21:1-4.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive," Acts 20:35.
"Lay up treasures in heaven," Matthew 6:21.
"Come, blessed . . . take inheritance," Matthew 25:34ff
IV. Applications: As a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Always have the attitude of compassion toward
hurting people (Luke 10:33).
2. This attitude of compassion produces the action
of sharing (Luke 10:34-35).
Gambling Addictions
by Dr. Bruce Morrison
When the state of Missouri legalized gambling, they opened the door for individuals to become so enmeshed in the addiction of gambling that they literally lose everything they have. I was talking to a friend in a local Christian counseling agency recently and he told me that his case load directly linked to gambling issues has doubled. He anticipates more increases as society desensitizes itself to the evils of gambling. Today, Americans are spending multiplied billions of dollars on gambling, both legal and illegal, each year. Legitimized or not, the results are still the same. Ninety-eight percent of all gamblers win little or nothing, and many lose everything!
We must ask ourselves why people turn to gambling? Some gamble to supplement their incomes, but few are successful. Some just gamble for "fun." They set a limit for losses and then quit. This is a very small number of today's gamblers. Still others are what you might refer to as "social gamblers"; they buy one or two lottery tickets each week and hope for the big win. It rarely comes. The last group are the ones we will see in counseling. These are the ones who gamble complusively and cannot stop on their own. They will lie, cheat, and steal to keep their addiction alive. There are many reasons why gambling is wrong. Let's look at a few of them. It accentuates one's lack of contentment (I Timothy 6:6-8). It causes a person to yield to temptation and human desire (I Timothy 6:9). Materialism is at an epidemic level in America. Another reason is that gambling promotes trust in wealth, not God (I Timothy 6:10; Proverbs 11:28). The prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites concerning placing their trust in things other than God (Jeremiah 17:5-8). Gambling is a sin because it promotes idolatry (Exodus 20:3).
What are the steps to freedom? In his book entitled Counsel Yourself and Others From the Bible, Bob Moorehead outlines nine steps to be taken to break the bondage of gambling addiction. First, stop gambling immediately and pay off all existing gambling debts as quickly as you can (Proverbs 28:13). Second, confess to God that what you've done is sin and claim His forgiveness (I John 1:9). Third, admit that in and of yourself you cannot break your addiction to gambling and must rely on God's power (Romans 7:14). The fourth step is to set aside one hour a day, early in the morning, to have a meaningful, quiet time of prayer and Bible study (Psalm 5:1-3). The fifth step is to find a friend who will be tough with you, to whom you can be accountable (James 5:16). The author's sixth step requires the acquisition of a new set of friends that in no way includes any of your old gambling cronies (I Corinthians 15:33). The seventh step is to apologize and ask the forgiveness of those you've hurt by your gambling (Matthew 5:23-24). The eighth step is to begin to tithe your income to your local Church (Malachi 3:10-11). The ninth step is a very logical step, but certainly a very important one; avoid gambling of any kind. If you examine these steps closely, you will discover that they will, with very little modification, basically work with any kind of addiction.
You may not have encountered this problem yet in your pastoral counseling, but you will. When you do, consider what has been said here. The resource cited above is published by Multnomah Books (1994). It also deals with 29 other common (and not so common) problems people face. Each is addressed from a Biblical persepctive. This is a resource worth having on your shelf.
MERE BIBLE STUDY
MERE Bible study is intensely, in fact, exclusivley, personal and practical. This is the reason Dr. Scarborough has entitled the five basic textbooks, which are used as examples of the MERE Bible study system, Personal & Practical.
The books in the series are:
* Personal & Practical: The 27 Books of the New Testament
Preaching and teaching outlines and notes on all 260
chapters of the New Testament
* Personal & Practical: The 5 Books of Moses
Preaching and teaching outlines and notes on all 187
chapters of Genesis through Deuteronomy
* Personal & Practical: The 12 Books of History
Preaching and teaching outlines and notes on all 249
chapters of Joshua through Esther
* Personal & Practical: The 5 Books of Poetry
Preaching and teaching outlines and notes on all 243
chapters of Job through Song of Solomon
* Personal & Practical: The 17 Books of Prophecy
Preaching and teaching outlines and notes on all 250
chapters of Isaiah through Malachi
What the MERE Spiritual Mentoring Bible Study program DOES NOT do:
1. It does not teach Biblical languages or expository interpretation.
2. It does not involve denominational doctrine or systematic theology.
3. It does not substitute for a minister's necessary on-going preparations to
preach or teach.
4. It does not evaluate the written work on the basis of "content" as much as
on the basis of "process."
What the MERE Spiritual Mentoring Bible study program DOES:
1. It establishes a strict routine of daily devotional exercises.
2. It disciplines committed Bible students to meditate and to listen
for the voice of God.
3. It trains serious students of the Bible to seek, find, and record
(Journal) "revelations" from the Holy Spirit as He applies God's
Word in a practical way to their lives and ministries.
4. It maintains accountability with a mentor, who also is engaged in
doing the same daily spiritual exercises . . . sharing insights with
each other at the monthly private tutoring sessions.
For more information contact CCF at ccf@netzero.net or phone us at (314) 739-1121.
Pastor: As you lead your church in planning the annual budget for 2002, please remember to include an amount in your "missions" allocations for CCF. Just a small amount per month to this work would be a tremendous help to our mission of "Christian character building and lifeskill development for successful living" . . . in the public sector (schools and communities) as well as in the Christian community (churches and homes). If "e-pistle2equippers" has been a blessing to you, perhaps you, in turn, could be a channel of blessing to us . . . just as Paul encouraged the church in Rome toward giving and receiving mutual support and encouragement, Romans 1:11-12.
Blessings! Curt