Epistle for November 27, 2009
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation November 27, 2009
He Is Out Of His Mind!
(Mark 3:1-35)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus healed a man's withered hand on the Sabbath;
great multitudes followed Him, vv. 1-12.
2. Jesus appointed the Twelve Apostles, vv. 13-19.
3. Jesus taught that His authority to cast out demons was
from the Father, not from Satan; He warned about the
danger of committing the unpardonable sin, vv. 20-30.
4. Jesus' mother and brothers came for Him; He taught that
those who do God's will are His true family, vv. 31-35.
II. Meditation: on why Jesus' family worried about His sanity
1. He claimed to be able to forgive sins, Mark 2:1-12.
2. He called Levi (a traitorous tax collector), and He
associated with sinners, Mark 2:13-17.
3. He broke with the tradition of John's disciples (Mark 2:18-20)
and spoke of a new religious era which He would establish
(wineskins), vv. 21-22.
4. He picked and ate grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-38),
proclaiming that He was above the Jewish law.
5. He healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath,
demonstrating that meeting human needs superseded
tradition, vv. 1-6.
6. He was worshipped by demons who testified that, "You
are the Son of God," vv. 7-12, contradicting the rumor that
He, Himself, was demon-possessed, vv. 22-30.
7. He appointed Twelve Disciples, vv. 13-20 (assuming a leader's role):
· He called those whom He wanted, exercising a sovereign choice.
· They came to Him . . . committing to discipleship and ministry.
· He invited them to be with Him full-time in intimate relationship.
· He empowered and sent them out to preach and to heal.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual truths implied here
1. In each event above, Jesus went against tradition and custom.
2. The Jewish leaders hated Him for these actions (Mark 2:6-7, 16, 24; 3:5-6).
3. Although His family (brothers, John 7:5) did not believe in Him at this
time, they did want to protect Him from embarrassment and persecution.
4. These events revealed the Father's heart and the Son's mission.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Accept Christ's blessings and offer His grace to other sinners.
2. Rejoice in the "new wine" of the Holy Spirit's ministry in me.
3. Prioritize meeting people's needs over customs and traditions.
4. Hear His call to be with Him and to serve other in His name.
People who do these things are Jesus' true spiritual family members, vv. 31-35.
Ears To Hear
(Mark 4:1-41)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus told the parable of the sower, vv. 1-9.
2. Jesus spoke of His purpose in teaching through parables
vv. 10-12, 33-34.
3. Jesus explained the parable of the sower, vv. 13-20.
4. Jesus taught about having "ears to hear" His revealed
truths, vv. 21-25.
5. Jesus told the parable of the growing seed, vv. 26-29.
6. Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed, vv. 30-32.
7. Jesus calmed the wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee
with the words, "Peace, Be Still!" and encouraged the
disciples to have greater faith, vv. 35-41.
II. Meditation: on "ears to hear," vv. 21-25.
1. These verses are bracketed by the parable of the sower and
similar parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed.
2. Twice in this chapter, Jesus urged His followers to have "ears
to hear" vv. 9 and 23.
3. Jesus' parables are like a lamp, lighting the darkness of ignorance
and misunderstanding . . . at the proper time. (His truth was hidden
temporarily from His enemies; later it was proclaimed widely.)
4. "Hearing ears" is the key to Jesus' most important parable (sower
and seed) . . . which unlocked the meaning of all parables, v. 13.
(See the word "hear" in verses 15, 16, 18, and 20.)
III. Revelation: on the spiritual truths seen here
1. Jesus appeals for spiritual perception . . . hearing and heeding His
word, vv. 23-24. (See Matthew 7:24-27)
2. To the degree that a person "hears," he or she will be given more
spiritual understanding, v. 24.
3. Those who receive and assimilate truth will have their capacity for
understanding enlarged and their knowledge increased, v. 25.
4. Those who disbelieve or are indifferent will lose whatever ability for
understanding they had, and therefore will continue in ignorance,
v. 25. (See I Corinthians 2:14)
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Cultivate the art of meditation, of listening to the Holy Spirit . . . of
having "finely-tuned" spiritual ears to hear.
2. Thank the Lord for His "sanctifying" power which helps me to grow
in knowledge, understanding, and perception of God and His ways.
3. "Heed" (obey) the truths revealed to me, in order to produce spiritual
growth and greater opportunities of service for the Lord.
4. Avoid doubt and indifference; rather, practice active faith and zealous
good works.
God grand you the light in Christmas, which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
--Wilda English
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