• Do I shut off the kingdom of heaven from people?

  • Matthew 23:13

  • John 7:45-53 – Nicodemus was a Pharisee, but honestly sought truth.

  • The Pharisees assumed they were right and others were wrong without honestly seeking truth.

• Am I selfish?

  • Matthew 23:14

  • Do I look like a Christian, but avoid the work a Christian should be doing?

• Do I bind tradition instead of truth?

  • Matthew 23:15

  • The Pharisees converted people to their own traditions – not to God’s law.

  • II Corinthians 4:5

  • Acts 8:35; 17:2; 18:28

  • There is no such thing as “church of Christ doctrine.” There is Christ’s doctrine and that’s all!

• Am I dishonest?

  • Matthew 23:16-22; 5:33

• Do I neglect what’s important?

  • Matthew 23:23

  • Details are important, but don’t forget the big things!

• Do I pretend to be what I’m not?

  • Matthew 23:25-28

  • Titus 1:15-16

  • James 2:15-17; I John 2:4

• Do I think I would have been a better child of God in some other time or place?

  • Matthew 23:29-36

  • Amos 7:14-15

  • We can’t make excuses. We have to serve God the best we can in our present circumstances.

• Themes and take-aways from 1 and 2 Thessalonians:

  • Compliments / indications they’re doing well

    • I Thessalonians 1:2-3, 9; 2:19-20; 4:1, 9-10

    • II Thessalonians 1:3-4; 3:4

  • End of the world

    • I Thessalonians 4:15-17

    • II Thessalonians 1:8

    • Acts 24:24

    • We need to know about the end of the world and teach our children about it!

  • Example / imitate / model

    • I Thessalonians 1:5-7; II Thessalonians 3:7-9

    • Follow good examples and be good examples!

  • Non-Christians (others / outsiders, contrast to converts in Thessalonica)

    • You are not like this anymore!

    • I Thessalonians 2:14-16

    • II Thessalonians 1:8

    • I Thessalonians 4:4-5, 13

  • Word / instruction / gospel

    • I Thessalonians 1:5; 2:13; 4:2; 5:19-20, 27

    • II Thessalonians 2:15; 3:14

    • God’s word is the instruction in your life.

  • Prayer

    • I Thessalonians 1:2; 5:25 – Prayer beings and ends the letter.

    • I Thessalonians 5:17; 3:9-10

    • II Thessalonians 1:3, 11; 3:1

  • Persecution

    • II Thessalonians 1:6; 3:3-4; 1:4-6

• Help! We’re in a crisis of Bible illiteracy!

• We just don’t know what the Bible says.

  • Hosea 4:1-2, 6; 8:12-14 – Hosea was one of the prophets who pointed out that problem.

  • Survey after survey indicates that our knowledge of the Bible is going down.

    • Albert Mohler – The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It’s Our Problem

    • Ephesians 3:4-5

• Therefore, we need to read it!

  • II Timothy 3:14-17; II Timothy 1:5

  • I Timothy 4:13 – All churches need to preach and teach it!

    • Dan Kimball – How Not to Read the Bible

  • The Bible is NOT being taught in many pulpits.

    • Malachi 2:4-7

    • Matthew 23:13-15

• We also need to make the effort to understand it!

  • II Timothy 2:15

  • II Peter 3:15-16

  • A.J. Jacobs – The Year of Living Biblically

• Psalms 119:105

• Zechariah 8:1-14:21

• Zechariah was mentioned in Ezra 5:1; 6:14 and possibly also Matthew 23:35.

• Zechariah 8:1-15 – God would again bless them.

• Zechariah 8:16-17 – God’s blessings would be conditional. Their fast days would become feasts of joy.

• Zechariah 9:1-17 – God pronounces judgment on the Gentile nations, but a remnant of even these would return to God – clearly a Messianic prophecy.

• Zechariah 10:2 – Idols are false and can never give blessings.

• Zechariah 11 – Allegory of the good and foolish shepherds.

  • Zechariah 11:7 – The good shepherd made two staffs: Favor and Union.

  • Zechariah 11:11 – The staff (covenant) was broken.

  • Zechariah 11:13 – Prophecy of Judas Iscariot and his betrayal.

  • Zechariah 11:14 – Union was broken, signifying the breaking of the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

  • Zechariah 11:15-17 – The foolish shepherd would not care for the flock. Hebrews 13:17

• Zechariah 12 – Jerusalem defeats the nations because God fights for her.

  • Zechariah 12:7 – Allusion to Judah receiving the gospel first.

• Zechariah 13-14 – The Messiah: the kingship and church.

  • Zechariah 13:1 – Fountain = Christ’s blood.

  • Zechariah 13:2-3 – There would be no more prophets.

  • Zechariah 13:7 – The shepherd would be smitten. Matthew 26:31

  • Zechariah 14:3 – God is with us in our battles.

  • Zechariah 14:8 – This might be implying that Jesus’ blood cleanses those in the Old and New Covenants.

  • Zechariah 14:17-18 – All people must come to the new Jerusalem (the church) to serve God.

• Lessons for us:

  • God’s people must walk in His name to be His people.

  • Jesus’ blood is for all in all time.

  • Woe to foolish shepherds.

  • Jesus is now king.

  • Prophets and unclean spirits are gone.

  • All preaching must have a “thus sayeth the Lord.”

  • All must come to new Jerusalem (the church).

  • Good shepherds care for God’s flock.

  • God won’t bless those who don’t serve Him.

Introduction

• 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
• Baptism is just the beginning of life in Christ.

What are some telltale signs of spiritual immaturity?

I go around with a chip on my shoulder.

• Romans 15:1-3
• I Thessalonians 5:15-18
• Christians always have something to rejoice about!

I’m still using impure entertainment.

• Ephesians 5:3-4
• II Samuel 11 – David and Bathsheba
• Romans 12:2
• Galatians 5:19-24
• Suggestions: ClearPlay, VidAngel

I fight fire with fire.

• Romans 12:14-21 – Overcome evil with good!
• Matthew 5:44
• Luke 6:28
• I Peter 2:12