Main Text: Matthew 24:15–28 (ESV) 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

Preaching Point: Jesus’ warnings to those living during the Tribulation should compel us to remain watchful in our own day as we eagerly await Christ’s return to abolish evil and establish his Kingdom.

Teaching Points:

1. Scripturally Identify the Abomination of Desolation (v. 15)
2. Grasp the Severity of the Great Tribulation (vv. 16-22)
3. Keep Your Focus on Christ’s Return (vv. 23-28)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14, Daniel 9:24–27, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4. What do these passages teach you about the identity of the abomination of desolation? Why is understanding this future event important for Christians?
3. Read Matthew 24:16–22. What does Jesus’ description of the Great Tribulation teach you about the severity of God’s future judgment?
4. Matthew 24:22 shows that even the most severe period of human suffering will operate within limits established by God. What do these limits teach you about God’s sovereignty over evil and suffering and his mercy toward those he loves?
5. Read Matthew 24:23–27. According to this passage, why will those living during the Tribulation not need anyone to convince them that Christ has returned?
6. How does Jesus’ description of his unmistakable return help you evaluate claims that Christ has already returned or that the events described in this passage have already been completely fulfilled?
7. Read Titus 2:11–14 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10. What is the difference between eagerly awaiting the return of Christ versus simply agreeing that he will return someday?
8. What should eagerly waiting for Christ’s return look like in your life right now?
9. As one pastor once put it: “The plain things are the main things and the main things are the plain things.” How can this principle help you keep your eschatology in its proper perspective as you pursue greater biblical clarity while maintaining unity with other believers?

Main Text: Matthew 24:4–14 (ESV) 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Preaching Point: The worldwide birth pains that precede Christ's return and mark the beginning of God's judgment will not keep the gospel from advancing, but they should remind us to warn others to flee God's wrath by turning from sin and trusting in Christ today, so they will not undergo the Tribulation to come!

Teaching Points:

1. Envision Unimaginable Escalation of Worldwide Turmoil (vv. 4-8)
2. Grasp the Intensifying Difficulties of Tribulation Saints (vv. 9-13)
3. Expect Worldwide Gospel Proclamation (v. 14)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Revelation 6:1–8 and Matthew 24:3–14. Although many of these troubles have occurred throughout history, how do the descriptions and imagery in these passages reveal the unimaginable escalation of worldwide turmoil to come during the seven-year Tribulation?
3. Read Revelation 13:5–7, Revelation 6:9–11, and Matthew 24:9-13. What difficulties will those who turn to Christ during the Tribulation face, and what do these passages reveal about the cost of remaining faithful to him?
4. According to Matthew 24:13, what will distinguish those who genuinely belong to Christ from those who fall away in the midst of such intense persecution?
5. How should the future endurance of Tribulation Saints challenge you to remain faithful to Christ amid the comparatively lesser pressures you face today?
6. Read Revelation 7:9–14, Revelation 14:6–7, and Matthew 24:14. What do these passages reveal about the worldwide advancement of the gospel and the salvation of sinners during the Tribulation?
7. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16–5:9. In light of everything we have studied, how should knowing that believers will be caught up to be with Christ while unbelievers alive at that time will enter the Tribulation increase your urgency to warn others of God's coming wrath and call them to turn from sin and trust in Christ today?

Main Text: Matthew 24:1–3 (ESV) 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Preaching Point: To properly grasp what Jesus says about the end times, we must understand both the disciples' historical understanding of the end times and the intentional gap God created in salvation history.

Teaching Points:

1. Understand God’s Kingdom Program (vv. 1-3)
2. Recognize the Prophetic Gap (vv. 1-3)
3. Grasp the Disciples' Questions (v. 3)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week's sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Isaiah 9:6–7, Daniel 7:13–14, and Acts 1:6. What do these passages reveal about the kind of kingdom the disciples were expecting? Why is it important to let Scripture, rather than our own assumptions, define our expectations about the future?
3. How can you wrongly allow culture, headlines, or a theological system shape your expectations about the future instead of starting with what God actually promised?
4. Read Zechariah 9:9–10 and Luke 19:11. How does understanding the gap between Christ first coming and his second coming help you understand many Old Testament prophecies better?
5. Read Matthew 23:37–39 and Matthew 24:1–3. What events prompted the disciples’ questions, and why must we understand exactly what they were asking before interpreting Jesus’ answer in Matthew 24–25?
6. Read 1 Corinthians 13:1–2 and Jude 1:3. How can you have charity in your eschatological views while remaining convictional about what you believe is to come?
7. How have you either dismissed eschatology as unimportant to keep the peace or caused dissension amongst brothers or sisters in Christ with how you’ve handled your eschatological views?
8. Read Revelation 1:3 and Titus 2:13. Why is disregarding eschatology because it can be divisive or confusing the wrong attitude for a Christian to have?
9. How can avoiding end times teaching, because it feels complicated or controversial, hinder your faith and your attitude about Christ's return?

Main Text: Psalm 51:1–19 (ESV) To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Preaching Point: When confronted with the reality of your sin, we must respond to God in penitent faith, seeking his forgiveness and restoration.

Teaching Points:

1. Request God’s Mercy (vv.1-2)
2. Repent of Your Sin (vv.3-6)
3. Ask for Inward Restoration (vv.7-12)
4. Respond with Outward Profession (vv.13-17)
5. Rebuild Communal Fractures (vv.18-19)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Psalm 51:1-2 and Luke 18:9–14. When you sin, how should you approach God?
3. How does this differ from the ways our culture typically responds to sin and guilt?
4. Read Psalm 51:3–6 and 2 Corinthians 7:9–10. What do these passages teach about the anatomy of genuine repentance? What does David recognize about his sin, himself, and God in Psalm 51:3-6?
5. Read Psalm 51:7–12 and Ezekiel 36:25–27. What do these passages teach about the kind of cleansing and restoration you need from God?
6. Read Psalm 51:13–17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17–20. How should experiencing God's mercy and forgiveness change the way you speak about him and serve him?
7. What is one way you can publicly testify to God's mercy and grace toward you this week?
8. Read Psalm 51:18-19 and Matthew 5:23–24. Why should genuine repentance include concern for how your sin affects others and the people of God? What responsibility do you have to pursue reconciliation when your sin has damaged relationships?
9. Compare a healthy church that works to rebuild relationships damaged by sin with an unhealthy church that neglects that responsibility. What do these two churches look like?

Title: The Seven Woes of Summer: The Danger of Cultural Christianity

Main Text: Matthew 23:25–28 (ESV) 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Preaching Point: God wants us to reject a cultural Christianity that leads to judgment and appeal to him for a genuine righteousness that cleanses us from the inside out.

Teaching Points:

1. See the Futility of Cultural Christianity (v. 25)
2. Appeal to God for Genuine Righteousness (v. 26)
3. Expect God to Judge Cultural Christians (vv. 27-28)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Matthew 15:7–9. Why do you think cultural Christianity is so appealing?
3. In what ways are people tempted to settle for outward religion instead of trusting in Christ to make them righteous before God and transform them from the inside out? Why is settling for this kind of religion ultimately futile?
4. Read Ezekiel 36:26–27 and 2 Corinthians 5:21. According to these passages, what distinguishes someone who has genuinely been converted from someone who merely practices cultural Christianity?
5. How would you approach a gospel conversation with someone who is starting to think they are a cultural Christian?
6. Read Matthew 7:21–23, Revelation 3:1–3, and 2 Timothy 3:1-5. What warnings do these passages give about having the appearance of godliness without genuine conversion?
7. Read 1 John 5:13. How can you pursue biblical assurance without falling into either false confidence or unnecessary doubt?

Main Text: Matthew 23:23–24 (ESV) 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Preaching Point: Knowing what God values most should lead us to prioritize the weightier matters of Scripture without neglecting the rest.

Teaching Points:

1. Distinguish the Majors from the Minors (v. 23a)
2. Pursue Faithfulness in Everything (v. 23b)
3. Recognize the Folly of Majoring on Minors (v. 24)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read Matthew 23:23 and Hosea 6:6. How can you grow in your ability to distinguish between the weightier things of God’s Word and the lighter matters of God’s Word?
3. What dangers arise when Christians fail to distinguish between the weightier and lighter matters of Scripture?
4. Why is growing in this kind of spiritual discernment so necessary?
5. Read Matthew 23:23b (starting with the word “these”) and Matthew 5:19. What balance does Jesus expect you to maintain between the weightier matters of Scripture and the rest of God's commands?
6. What does pursuing faithfulness in everything while distinguishing between the weightier matters and lighter matters of scripture look like at church, at work and at home?
7. Read Amos 5:21–24. Why did God reject Israel's worship? How can you be guilty of obeying some of God’s commands, while ignoring some of the weightier commands of God throughout the week?
8. Read Matthew 23:24. If Jesus evaluated your life the way he evaluated the Scribes and Pharisees, where might he say you are "straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel"? (e.g., favorite theological topics, easier areas of obedience, hobby horses, current hot topics, etc.)?
9. After identifying an area where you may be "majoring on the minors," write out a prayer of confession and repentance that reflects your desire to live according to God’s priorities.

Main Text: Matthew 23:13–15 (ESV) 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Preaching Point: Because false teachers zealously lead people away from Christ and toward judgment, we must reject their teaching and faithfully embrace the biblical gospel.

Teaching Points:

1. Guard Yourself from False Teachers (v. 13)
2. Don’t Mistake Sincerity for Truth (v. 15a)
3. Protect Others from False Teachers (v. 15b)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon. Why did it stand out to you?
2. Read John 14:6 and Galatians 1:6–9. What do these passages teach about why a message that distorts the gospel of Jesus is not simply another path to God but a false one that keeps people out of Heaven?
3. Which false gospels are most common in our community, and why do you think people find them attractive?
4. What Scriptures help you address the false gospels you mentioned above?
5. Read Romans 10:1–3 and Acts 26:9–11. What are some of the dangers of zeal, sincerity, and religious devotion that are not guided by a biblical gospel?
6. How can you keep yourself and help others from being misled about beliefs that might be held with sincerity or zeal, but are contrary to the gospel?
7. Read Matthew 7:21–23 and 2 Peter 2:1–3. What do these passages teach about the danger of following, or becoming a teacher whose message is not rooted in the biblical gospel?
8. Not every gospel distortion is immediately obvious. What are some subtle ways a person can drift away from the biblical gospel without immediately realizing it?
9. Read Jude 3–4 and Jude 23. What responsibility do you have to protect others from false teaching?
10. How can you improve your ability to help protect people from the pervasive problem of false teaching in our culture?