Following Jesus: Focus On The Message – Matthew 23

Last Updated on January 20, 2025 by Rocklyn Clarke

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Description

Welcome to Focus On The Message – the first component of our Following Jesus discipleship program. This web page contains the lessons for:

Matthew 23

Purpose

Follow this link for information about these key aspects of our training: Purpose, Goals, Habits, Ministries, and Assignments.

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Matthew 23

This chapter has 2 lessons. You should ideally cover one chapter (with all of its lessons) in a week, but please don’t let a week go by without completing at least one lesson.

Lesson 1: A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 23:1-12 – Bible Gateway
  • Matthew 23:1-12; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47
  • “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-9
  • “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come(A) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,(B) with a blue cord on each tassel.” – Numbers 15:37-41

Checkout the following:

• • ?

Topics to explore:

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Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 2 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
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Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.

Lesson 2: Seven Woes

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 23:13-39 – Bible Gateway
  • Luke 11:37-54
  • “Do not swear an oath at all” – Matthew 5:33-37
  • tithe – Leviticus 27:30-33
  • “strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel” – gnats and camels are both unclean:
    • gnat – Leviticus 11:20-25
    • camel – Leviticus 11:1-8
  • Abel is the first murder victim in the Bible. Zechariah is the last prophet killed in the Hebrew Bible.
    • Abel – Genesis 4:1-9
    • Zechariah – 2 Chronicles 24:17-22
  • “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” – Psalm 118

Checkout the following:

• • Life Church Discipleship Resources – YouTube
    • Hell – Check out videos on Gehenna.
  • Life Church – Hell / Gehinnom – YouTube

Topics to explore:

• • ?
  •  

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 2 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.

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Advance to Matthew 24