See to It That No One Misleads You

In one paragraph

Pastor Ray preached through the Olivet Discourse, the two chapters in Matthew where Jesus answers his disciples' question about when coming calamity would arrive. Rather than settling the interpretive debates that surround this passage, he focused on the commands Jesus gave his disciples, because those are the parts we can actually do something about. The sermon closed with communion. Before...

Read together

1. Psalm 18:2 Berkley quoted it as his life verse: 'The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior...'
2. Hebrews 10:24-25 Berkley read it to describe the importance of Christian community and meeting together
3. Matthew 23 The seven woes to the Pharisees, described as the immediate context before the Olivet Discourse
4. Matthew 24 The Olivet Discourse, read through at length with commands highlighted
5. Matthew 25 Parables of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and goats, all read as continuation of the Olivet Discourse
6. Mark (chapter not specified) The Olivet Discourse in Mark cited for its list of commands including 'take heed' and 'be watchful'
7. Luke (chapter not specified) The Olivet Discourse in Luke cited for commands including 'do not be terrified' and 'look up'
8. Daniel (chapter not specified) Referenced when Jesus mentions the abomination of desolation as spoken through Daniel
9. Hosea (chapter not specified) Cited to show God desires mercy not sacrifice, mentioned as appearing three times in Matthew
10. 1 Peter 5:6-11 Used as the benediction: humble yourselves, cast your cares, be sober, resist the devil, and God will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you

Talk about it

1. Berkeley shared that he often caught himself focusing on how his faith looked to others rather than on his actual relationship with God. Have you noticed that same pull in your own life, and what has helped you recognize it?
2. Pastor Ray said the harshest words Jesus ever spoke were directed at religious people who failed to discern the thrust of scripture, caring more about rules and appearances than about justice, mercy and faithfulness. Where do you think that same temptation shows up in church life today?
3. Jesus told his disciples not to be alarmed by wars, famines and persecution, and to keep doing what he had told them to do. What does that kind of steady faithfulness look like in a week that feels uncertain or frightening?
4. The servant who buried his talent said he was afraid, and that fear led him to do nothing. Can you think of a time when fear kept you from using something God had given you, and what did you learn from it?
5. The sheep in Matthew 25 did not even realize they had been serving Jesus when they fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger and visited the sick. What does it look like practically, in Jackson, to do those things without making a performance of it?