If you dig a bit, you'll find that though it doesn't really have anything to do with Pentecost itself, each of the 3 steps has everything to do with the Holy Spirit: 1) the Spirit leads us into all truth, 2) the Spirit empowers us to will and to do of His good pleasure, and 3) only in submission to the Spirit can we be children of God.

If a preacher was willing to do this, it is definitely possible for 3000 to be converted each time out. But the miracle is not that many are baptized, but that individuals are redeemed from slavery to self, sin, and Satan. Fundamentally, this is not a plan for evangelistic success, but for basic Christianity.

Why don't more pastors follow this plan? Why don't more average-Joe "Christians" follow this plan? The answer is the same: self is alive and well. If we would allow self to be crucified by grace, there would be radical changes.

We are once again discussing from different questions. The specific issue at hand is, just becourse Noah became drunk, it was said that he sinned in becoming drunk. Now if being drunk is a sin, then it is of course a sin wether the drunk person knows it or not. But the question in discussion does not assume being drunk is a sin (you cant learn by asking questions youve already made up your mind about). We think that being drunk is wrong. The question is if it is therefore a sin before God or not. That all humans are sinners and that those who walk by Gods spirit do not sin are irrelevant for the question of being drunk until it has been established if in fact being drunk is a sin or not.

If Noah believed that God wanted him to be sober, yet he chose to be drunk, then it is definitely sin - sin as a choice.

If God wanted Noah to be sober, and Noah had no idea about the topic, then it is not a sin of choice. But if his actions, regardless of his ignorance, conflicts with God's will, then it is a sin - sin as a state.

So, is being drunk a sin? Yes and No, depending what you mean by sin.

Here's an outline of how our class discussion went:

• Meat-eating, which God allowed, shortened man's life.
• Man was created in God's image.
• By sin, that image has been marred and well-nigh obliterated.
• Even so, God forbade killing people because we were made in His image.
• God's laws included the death penalty for some sins.
• There were instances when God commanded that people be killed ("Sabbath stick gatherer", Amalekites, etc.).

What are the principles governing capital punishment and how do we apply them today?