Epsitle for November 22, 2002

#1 · November 21, 2002, 1:57 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on November 21, 2002, 1:57 pm
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E-pistle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough FreeWay Foundation November 22, 2002

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In This Issue:
Previews from Dr. Curt
Sermon: Haggai 1:1-15
Bible Study: "The Promise . . . The Gift"
"'Baptism' in the Epistles"

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 "Iron Men" will meet next on Thursday, December 12, from 9:30 to 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 Meditation 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 our master's or doctoral degrees in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring through distance education at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity. Check our web-site: 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

Consider Your Ways!
(Haggai 1:1-15)

I. Concentration: on the characters mentioned in verse 1
1. Darius - King of Persia who succeeded Cyrus, and who reigned from 522 to 486 B.C.
2. Haggai - Prophet whose name means "Festive"; contemporary of Zechariah;
among the exiles who returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem in 536 B.C.;
prophesied in 520 B.C.
3. Zerubbabel - Descendant of David's royal line who was appointed by the Persians to
govern Judah, Matthew 1:12.
4. Joshua - Descendant of Aaron who was the anointed high priest of Judah.
Note: The first captives of Judah were carried into Babylon in 606 B.C., and
the first exiles returned in 536 B.C. Jerusalem finally fell and the temple
was destroyed in 586 B.C.; the temple was rebult and dedicated about 515 B.C.
Both these time periods fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy of a 70-year captivity
(Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10).

II. Meditation: on the background of Haggai's prophecy
1. Under the edict of Cyrus, about 50,000 of the poorer Jewish captives returned to
Jerusalem in 536 B.C. led by Zerubbabel and Joshua.
2. They quickly rebuilt the altar and began construction on the temple.
3. Opposition from neighboring Samaritans resulted in an order from the Persian
government to cease construction, Ezra 2-4.
4. Fifteen long years passed . . . years of delay, discouragement, and doubt
. . . years of fear, frailty, and frustration.

III. Revelation: on Haggai's message to consider their ways (vv. 5, 7)
1. Haggai accused the people of procrastination: "The time has not come . . .
that the Lord's house should be built," they said, v. 2.
2. Haggai told the people that their priorities were wrong: they had built themselves
paneled houses, but had allowed God's temple to lie in ruins, vv. 3-4.
3. Haggai connected their lack of productivity and prosperity (vv. 5-6) with God's
punishment upon their procrastination and their messed-up priorities (vv. 7-11).
4. The people all responded to Haggai's message of encouragement that God was
with them: their spirits were stirred up and they started to work, vv. 12-15.

IV. Application: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid laziness and procrastination in serving the Lord.
2. Put God's kingdom and His righteousness first, Matthew 6:33.
3. "Consider my ways" . . . reflect upon and examine carefully the failures and
disappointments of my life to see if God may be disciplining me to teach me a
spiritual lesson.
4. Allow God's Spirit to encourage and strengthen me as I do His work.

The Promise . . . The Gift

I. The Promise

1. Luke 24:49
"Behold, I send THE PROMISE of My Father upon you; but tarry in the
city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
2. Acts 1:4-5
"He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for
THE PROMISE of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me;
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the
Holy Spirit not many days from now.'"
3. Acts 2:32-33
"This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we all are witnesses. Therefore
being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father
THE PROMISE of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear."
4. Acts 2:38-39
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For THE PROMISE is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar
off, as many as the Lord our God will call,"

II. The Gift

1. Luke 11:13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good GIFTS to your children, how
much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
2. Acts 2:38
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and you shall receive THE GIFT of the Holy Spirit."
3. Acts 10:45
"Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with
Peter, because THE GIFT of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also."
4. Acts 11:17
"If therefore God gave them THE SAME GIFT as He gave us when we believed on the
Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

"Baptism" in the Epistles

There are ten (10) occasions when the word "baptize" (or "baptism") is used in the New Testament after
the promise that Jesus would "baptize" with the Holy Spirit in the Gospels and Acts 1:5.

1. Romans 6:3-4 baptized into Christ; new birth and
baptized into His death water baptism

2. I Corinthians 1:13-17 specific persons baptized water baptism

3. I Corinthians 10:2 baptized into Moses (cloud; sea); new birth
(passed through death into life)

4. I Corinthians 12:13 by one Spirit baptized into one body new birth

5. I Corinthians 15:29 baptized for the dead water baptism
(In I Corinthians 15, Paul writes about how things would be if Christ is
not risen. This difficult verse (v. 29) asks why persons would be
baptized (picturing the resurrection) if Christ were still dead!
"Who are baptized for the dead" refers to those who are baptized
for (or, with reference to) the dead, that is to Christ. If Jesus is not
alive, what is the point of portraying His resurrection by the ordinance
of baptism?)

6. Galatians 3:27 baptized into Christ new birth

7. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism new birth

8. Colossians 2:12 buried with Him in baptism water baptism

9. Hebrews 6:2 doctrine of baptisms new birth; baptism
in water, in Spirit,
and in suffering

10. I Peter 3:21 baptism . . . through resurrection new birth
(Noah, like Moses in I Corinthians 10:2,
passed through death into life)

The word baptize (or baptism) in these Scriptures always refers to the event of the new birth or to water baptism. "The baptism with (in/of) the Holy Spirit" is not the expression used in the New Testament church to refer to believers' experiencing the Holy Spirit's "coming upon" them. The preferred term, by actual count, seems to be "filled with the Spirit" or "full of the Spirit," Acts 6:3; 7:55, etc. "Baptize" was Jesus' promise; "fullness" is the realization (fulfillment) of His promise.

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough FreeWay Foundation November 22, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In This Issue:
Previews from Dr. Curt
Sermon: Haggai 1:1-15
Bible Study: "The Promise . . . The Gift"
"'Baptism' in the Epistles"

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 "Iron Men" will meet next on Thursday, December 12, from 9:30 to 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 Meditation 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 our 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

Consider Your Ways!
(Haggai 1:1-15)

I. Concentration: on the characters mentioned in verse 1
1. Darius - King of Persia who succeeded Cyrus, and who reigned from 522 to 486 B.C.
2. Haggai - Prophet whose name means "Festive"; contemporary of Zechariah;
among the exiles who returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem in 536 B.C.;
prophesied in 520 B.C.
3. Zerubbabel - Descendant of David's royal line who was appointed by the Persians to
govern Judah, Matthew 1:12.
4. Joshua - Descendant of Aaron who was the anointed high priest of Judah.
Note: The first captives of Judah were carried into Babylon in 606 B.C., and
the first exiles returned in 536 B.C. Jerusalem finally fell and the temple
was destroyed in 586 B.C.; the temple was rebult and dedicated about 515 B.C.
Both these time periods fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy of a 70-year captivity
(Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10).

II. Meditation: on the background of Haggai's prophecy
1. Under the edict of Cyrus, about 50,000 of the poorer Jewish captives returned to
Jerusalem in 536 B.C. led by Zerubbabel and Joshua.
2. They quickly rebuilt the altar and began construction on the temple.
3. Opposition from neighboring Samaritans resulted in an order from the Persian
government to cease construction, Ezra 2-4.
4. Fifteen long years passed . . . years of delay, discouragement, and doubt
. . . years of fear, frailty, and frustration.

III. Revelation: on Haggai's message to consider their ways (vv. 5, 7)
1. Haggai accused the people of procrastination: "The time has not come . . .
that the Lord's house should be built," they said, v. 2.
2. Haggai told the people that their priorities were wrong: they had built themselves
paneled houses, but had allowed God's temple to lie in ruins, vv. 3-4.
3. Haggai connected their lack of productivity and prosperity (vv. 5-6) with God's
punishment upon their procrastination and their messed-up priorities (vv. 7-11).
4. The people all responded to Haggai's message of encouragement that God was
with them: their spirits were stirred up and they started to work, vv. 12-15.

IV. Application: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid laziness and procrastination in serving the Lord.
2. Put God's kingdom and His righteousness first, Matthew 6:33.
3. "Consider my ways" . . . reflect upon and examine carefully the failures and
disappointments of my life to see if God may be disciplining me to teach me a
spiritual lesson.
4. Allow God's Spirit to encourage and strengthen me as I do His work.

The Promise . . . The Gift

I. The Promise

1. Luke 24:49
"Behold, I send THE PROMISE of My Father upon you; but tarry in the
city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
2. Acts 1:4-5
"He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for
THE PROMISE of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me;
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the
Holy Spirit not many days from now.'"
3. Acts 2:32-33
"This Jesus, God has raised up, of which we all are witnesses. Therefore
being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father
THE PROMISE of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear."
4. Acts 2:38-39
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For THE PROMISE is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar
off, as many as the Lord our God will call,"

II. The Gift

1. Luke 11:13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good GIFTS to your children, how
much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
2. Acts 2:38
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and you shall receive THE GIFT of the Holy Spirit."
3. Acts 10:45
"Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with
Peter, because THE GIFT of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also."
4. Acts 11:17
"If therefore God gave them THE SAME GIFT as He gave us when we believed on the
Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

"Baptism" in the Epistles

There are ten (10) occasions when the word "baptize" (or "baptism") is used in the New Testament after
the promise that Jesus would "baptize" with the Holy Spirit in the Gospels and Acts 1:5.

1. Romans 6:3-4 baptized into Christ; new birth and
baptized into His death water baptism

2. I Corinthians 1:13-17 specific persons baptized water baptism

3. I Corinthians 10:2 baptized into Moses (cloud; sea); new birth
(passed through death into life)

4. I Corinthians 12:13 by one Spirit baptized into one body new birth

5. I Corinthians 15:29 baptized for the dead water baptism
(In I Corinthians 15, Paul writes about how things would be if Christ is
not risen. This difficult verse (v. 29) asks why persons would be
baptized (picturing the resurrection) if Christ were still dead!
"Who are baptized for the dead" refers to those who are baptized
for (or, with reference to) the dead, that is to Christ. If Jesus is not
alive, what is the point of portraying His resurrection by the ordinance
of baptism?)

6. Galatians 3:27 baptized into Christ new birth

7. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism new birth

8. Colossians 2:12 buried with Him in baptism water baptism

9. Hebrews 6:2 doctrine of baptisms new birth; baptism
in water, in Spirit,
and in suffering

10. I Peter 3:21 baptism . . . through resurrection new birth
(Noah, like Moses in I Corinthians 10:2,
passed through death into life)

The word baptize (or baptism) in these Scriptures always refers to the event of the new birth or to water baptism. "The baptism with (in/of) the Holy Spirit" is not the expression used in the New Testament church to refer to believers' experiencing the Holy Spirit's "coming upon" them. The preferred term, by actual count, seems to be "filled with the Spirit" or "full of the Spirit," Acts 6:3; 7:55, etc. "Baptize" was Jesus' promise; "fullness" is the realization (fulfillment) of His promise.