What moves God is not our supposed goodness or trophies of righteousness, but rather our desperation and cry to Him for grace. If we could earn it, grace would no longer be grace. Grace by its very definition is giving us what we do not deserve. If we were entitled to God’s favor, it would be a wage that we are due. But since we have merited nothing from God and God being God owes us nothing, we see His favor both in salvation and the blessings that follow all as a token of His undeserved grace to the praise of His glory.
Randy Smith

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Epistle for November 8, 2002

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#1 · November 7, 2002, 5:44 pm

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 8, 2002

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In This Issue:
Previews from Dr. Curt
Sermon: Zephaniah 2:1-15
Bible Study: "Words Used in Acts . . ."
"Occasions of Experiencing . . ."

Previews of Coming Attractions
by: Dr. Curt Scarborough

During November, 2002, "E-pistle" will present two of my complete expository sermon series from neighboring
minor prophetic books in the Old Testament:

A 3-part series on Zephaniah
November 1 "Settled in Complacency" (1:1-18)
November 8 "Hidden in the Day of the Lord's Anger" (2:1-15)
November 15 "God's Faithful Remnant" (3:1-29)

A 2-part series on Haggai
November 22 "Consider Your Ways" (1:1-15)
November 29 "Like a Signet Ring" (2:1-23)

Also during November, the "Iron Sharpens Iron" group of men will meet for Bible study and prayer. This
month's session will continue October's topic of "The Extra Blessings of Baptism." The next meeting of the
"Iron Men" will beThursday, December 12, from 9:30 - 11:30. Visitors are welcome to sit in on these sessions.

This month's "E-pistle" will continue some of the notes used in the November 7th "Iron Sharpens Iron" study:

November 1 Meditations of Being Spirit-filled
November 8 Words Used in Acts to Describe Experiencing the Holy Spirit
November 15 Stir Up the Gift of God
November 22 The Promise . . . The Gift; "Baptism" in the Epistles
November 29 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Acts 19:2

Next "Iron" meeting: Thursday, December 12, 2002 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Heads up . . . pastors and counselors:

Earn your master's or doctoral degrees in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring through distance
education at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity. Check our web-site: http://www.freewayfoundation.org

The Christian version of our highly effective K-12 violence prevention curriculum "Peacemakers" is now
available for churches and Christian schools. Check our web-site, or contact me for more information:
drcurt@freewayfoundation.org

Hidden in the Day of the Lord's Anger

(Zephaniah 2:1-15)

I. concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. The prophet, Zephaniah, called the nation of Judah to repentance, vv. 1-3.
2. He pronounced judgment on the Philistines: the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron, vv. 4-7.
3. He pronounced judgment on Moab and Ammon, the descendants of Lot, vv. 8-11.
4. He pronounced judgment on Ethiopia and Assyria, vv. 12-15.

II. meditation: on God's speaking in the First person through zephaniah
1. To the Philistines: "I will destroy you," v. 5.
2. To the Moabites and the Ammonites: "I have heard the reproach . . . and the insults," v. 8.
3. "Therefore, As I live," v. 9 . . . Here God swears upon His own life; He pledges the absolute
certainty of His existence as the guarantee of His coming judgment.
4. "You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword," v. 12.

III. Revelation: on zephaniah's urgent call for judah to repent
1. He has specified the nation's sins in chapter 1; here he summarized their wickedness by calling
them an "undesirable" (shameless) nation, v. 1.
2. He urged them to take immediate action before it was too late . . . before God's decree of final
judgment was issued; before the day (opportunity to repent) passed away like chaff blown by the
wind; before God's firece anger was poured our upon them, v. 2.
3. He called upon the nation to diligently "seek" (search or strive to find) the Lord . . . exhibiting the
spiritual characteristics of meekness, justice, righteousness, and humility, v. 3.
4. He held out hope that such sincere seeking of the Lord could avert God's fierce anger . . . that they
might be "hidden" in that day of judgment, v. 3 . . . a play upon the prophet's own name, which
meant "The Lord Has Hidden."

IV. applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's convicting me of my sins against God.
2. Immediately repent, confess, and forsake my sins, receiving the Lord's mercy and grace, His
forgiveness and cleansing.
3. Diligently seek the Lord, cultivating the spiritual traits of meekness and humility, and pursuing
God's justice and righteousness.
4. Live in the blessed hope that through Christ I shall be kept safe from harm in the day of
judgment . . . "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God," Colossians 3:3.

Words Used in Acts to Describe
Experiencing the Holy Spirit

1. BAPTO - Being "baptized" (immersed) in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:5 (Luke 3:16)
Greek word used in describing a sunken ship, a drowned person,
dipping bread in a liquid, and dyeing a garment.

2. EPERCHOMA - The Holy Spirit "coming upon."
Acts 1:8 (Luke 24:49 - "endued; clothed")
Acts 19:6

3. PLEROO - They were "filled" with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:4
Acts 4:31
Acts 9:17
(Ephesians 5:18 - "continuously being filled to overflowing")

4. EKCHEO - The Holy Spirit "poured out".
Acts 2:17
Acts 10:45
(Titus 3:5 - 6: Spirit "poured out" abundantly.)

5. EPEPEPTO - The Holy Spirit "falling upon."
Acts 10:44
Acts 8:16

6. LAMBANO - "Receiving" the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:17
Acts 19:2

Observations

Luke's terminology in describing people's experience with the Holy Spirit in Acts is fluid. He is more interested in conveying dynamics than theology.
He notes:
a.. that people were "filled" with the Holy Spirit (2:4; 4:31; 9:17),
b.. that they "received" the Holy Spirit (8:17; 19:2),
c.. that the Holy Spirit "fell" upon them (10:44; 8:16),
d.. that the Holy Spirit had been "poured out" on them (2:17; 10:45), and
e.. that the Holy Spirit "came upon" them (1:8; 19:6).
These terms all are the essential equivalents of Jesus' promise that the church would be 'baptized" with the
Holy Spirit (1:5) . . . especially its immediate fulfillment (2:4) which Luke described as a "filling."

Occasions of Experiencing the
Holy Spirit in Acts

1. The Promise Acts 1:5 "baptized"
Acts 1:8 "come upon"

2. Pentecost (Jews) Acts 2:4 "filled"
Acts 2:17 "pour out"

3. Prayer meeting Acts 4:31 "filled"

4. Samaria (Samaritans) Acts 8:16 "fallen upon"
Acts 8:17 "received"

5. Paul (Damascus) Acts 9:17 "filled"

6. Cornelius (Romans) Acts 10:44 "fell upon"
Acts 10:45 "poured out"

7. Ephesus (Greeks) Acts 19:2 "receive"
Acts 19:6 "came upon"

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