Luke 24:45-47

Matthew 12:41

“I’ve got cobwebs in the corner.”

• Acts 8:13

• Romans 6:3; 2:1-6

• II Corinthians 7:8

• Repentance is for people as long as they live!

• Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19

• I’m not going to leave any corner of my life untouched by God!

“I can do better.”

• I Corinthians 6:9-11

• Ephesians 4:1

“I am resolved.”

• Luke 19:8-10 – Zaccheus resolved to make things right. He had a specific plan.

• Luke 3:8-14

• What should our specific plan be?

• What do I need to change?

Attitude check: II Timothy 2:23-26

As long as we unite on Jesus, isn’t that all that matters? (continued)

• Ephesians 4:4 – There is one church/body.

• There are no divisions in Christ’s church.

  • Take baptism as an example.

    • Ephesians 4:5

    • Mark 16:15-16 – Can one church start teaching that you don’t have to believe and be baptized to be saved – you can just believe?

    • Galatians 3:27 – Can one church start teaching that you’re not baptized into Christ – you are in Christ, then you are baptized as an outward sign?

    • How can we claim to be united in Christ when we change His doctrine? II Corinthians 13:5; John 14:6

• Practical applications

  • Be a member of Christ’s one church

    • Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28

    • Jesus bought it and built it with His own blood. I should:

      • Submit to His Headship

      • Make Him my Savior

      • Be baptized into His death and into His body (Romans 6:3-4; I Corinthians 12:13)

      • I John 1:6-7; 2:3-6

    • Study and learn Christ’s one truth

      • Ephesians 4:5 – We ought to study, learn, and practice this one faith!

      • We are fallible and will not be in perfect agreement, but we should be studying to unify on the truth in the Bible.

Shouldn’t we support Israel today to prepare for Christ’s kingdom?

• Many people still believe that Israel is still the nation through which God will bless the rest of the world. This is part of a larger doctrine (with many variations) called Premillenialism.

• Some believe that since Christ was rejected by most Jews when He came to earth, He set up the church instead of the kingdom.

• Mark 9:1 – The kingdom of heaven was at hand.

• Acts 2:30-33

• Colossians 1:13 – The kingdom was already in existence!

• Revelation 1:9

• I Corinthians 15:20-28 – Jesus will hand over the kingdom – not start the kingdom.

• I Thessalonians 4:13-18 – Those who are alive at Christ’s coming will meet Him in the air!

• The kingdom of Christ is not a physical one based in Jerusalem, but a spiritual one (John 6:14-15; 18:36; Luke 17:20-21; Mark 12:34). Jesus reigns over us spiritually today!

Lesson three, continued:

• Teaching method

  • Get their attention and interest

    • Wonders and miracles – Luke 5:12-15

    • Relate to “real” world situations

      • Parables

      • Figures (shepherds, servants, kings, etc.)

  • Lecture and demonstration

    • Jesus taught crowds of people – Matthew 4:23-5:1

    • In doing this, He demonstrated the skill to His disciples

  • Practice – Luke 9:1-6; 10:1

  • Review – Luke 9:10; 10:17

  • Repeat

• For what purpose?

  • Original promise of following Jesus

    • Becoming fishers of men

    • Bear witness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – Luke 24:25-49; John 15:26-27

    • What not just a matter of the Holy Spirit giving them the words

    • Being a witness added to the authoritative stature of the apostle – Acts 1:21-23

      • Baptism of Jesus attested to His righteousness – Matthew 3:13-15; John 15:10

      • Resurrection is a centerpiece of the gospel – I Corinthians 15:12-19

      • True resurrection to life – no more subject to death and decay – Romans 6:9

Lesson four:

• Teaching the apostles

  • Some of the major themes

    • Humility – Luke 22:24-26

    • Kingdom not forwarded by violence – Luke 9:55

    • Words matter – choose wisely – Matthew 12:36

    • Choose who to serve – Matthew 6:24

    • The heart is the beginning of devotion to God – Matthew 15:8

    • Humility of anonymity brings the best rewards – Matthew 6:1-8

• More on teaching methods

  • Taught by authority – Mark 1:21-22

  • Used stories with familiar themes – Matthew 13:1-9

  • Used attention-getting hyperbole – Matthew 5:29-30; 7:3-5

  • Used sound bites – Luke 6:37-39

  • Asked questions, sometimes rhetorical – Matthew 16:26; 22:17-22

I Samuel 13:11-14

What does it mean to seek God’s heart? (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22)

• God saw such a determination – a desire in David.

God’s heart is His will.

• Matthew 6:21 – The heart is one’s will and desire.

• Jeremiah 31:20 – So it is with God when Scripture speaks of His heart.

• Matthew 23:27 – He desired their faithfulness for their good, not His.

A place where sin cannot molest.

• A blessing found in Christ is the protection against sin and destructive consequences.

• The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sin beings the penalty of eternal destruction (II Thessalonians 1:9).

• The temporal effects of sin are devastating (Psalms 32:3-4).

• Psalms 119:10-11,80,161-165 – Near to the heart of God, we can be free from sin. The way sin molests is through its consequences.

A place where all is joy and peace.

• John 13:17 – There is comfort and peace in the doing of God’s will – doing what is in His heart.

• The joy and peace of God cannot be had apart from trusting obedience (Romans 15:13; Proverbs 3:5-6).

• John 15:10-11 – Jesus knew joy, and He also knew that joy could be had by His people.

A place where all is joy and peace

• Faith must precede hope, joy, comfort, and peace.

• II Peter 1:2

• Hebrews 6:10

A place where we our Savior meet.

• I John 2:23-24, 28

The greatest story ever told!

• Matthew 1:1, 18-25 – The birth of Jesus.

• Matthew 4:23 – Jesus begins teaching.

• Matthew 10:1-4 – Jesus selects apostles.

• Matthew 20:17-19

• Matthew 23:1-3, 13

• Matthew 27:21-26, 33-35, 50-54 – Jesus’ crucifixion.

• Hebrews 9:22 – Jesus was our sacrifice!

• Matthew 27:62-66 – Jesus’ grace is secured.

• Matthew 28:5-7 – Jesus is risen from the dead!

• Matthew 28:18-20

• Acts 1:8-9

• Acts 2:4, 36-39 – The gospel is preached at Pentecost.

But many were confused and offended.

• Matthew 11:1-6

• John 6:15 – Jesus was already a king!

• John 6:35, 51, 59-65

• The people needed to listen to what Jesus was teaching, even if it contradicted their preconceived ideas about the Messiah. We must do the same!

What should we do today?

• We should hear and obey the word of God!

• Luke 8:19-21

• I Corinthians 11:23-26