I am currently the Youth Pastor for The Church Next Door in Prescott Valley, AZ. On Sunday, August 11, 2019, I took over teaching the adult Sunday School class (the foundation of why we learn from history) before the regular service. (If you find yourself in North Central Arizona, specifically the Prescott Valley area, come join in from 8:45 to 9:45 AM, and then stay for the singing and sermon at 10!)

The second and third lessons were combined in the post last week, with a look at when the Church was founded and the various forms of leadership Jesus dealt with.

Again, here are my notes:

Nothing New: The Importance of Church History

Lesson 3: Christ and the Church’s Foundation – His Rebukes

The leadership in the time of Jesus included the entirely secular yet pagan Roman Empire, the hyper-religious Pharisees, the super-compromised Sadducees, the fastidious Essenes, and the rebellious Zealots.

Briefly, how did Jesus confront each of them?

Jesus clearly took issue with everyone:

• Pagan Romans did not know what they worshiped, but they believed this life was worth leaving behind.
  
  • He called out their sinfulness and incorrect worship.
  • Matthew 16:18 may have taken place at one of the “Gates of Hell” popular with pagans and Jews alike
    • Jesus’ Church would prevail over death and pagan beliefs, meaning the Roman idea that death was preferable to life is directly refuted.
  • Likewise, when the Canaanite woman pleads with Jesus in Matthew 15 to heal her daughter, Jesus rebukes her that He came for the faithful.
    • Her humility in accepting that she is outside of the nation of Israel is a rebuke to Roman ideas that you can believe whatever you want. It is those who believe in Christ alone that find peace and eternal life.
• The Divided leadership:
  • Pharisees – Were simultaneously too strict and not strict enough in their interpretations.
    • See Matthew 23.
    • See Matthew 5-7
  • Sadducees – Denied everything Christ was about while using His Scriptures.
    • Just about anything Jesus ever said to the Sadducees was a rebuke.
    • They can be included in Matthew 5-7 and 23.
  • Essenes – Largely cut themselves off from society instead of interacting with it to change it.
    • See Matthew 28:18-20
  • Zealots – Took devotion to the wrong extremes.
    • See John 18:36
  • Look at Matthew 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-22 – Jesus clears the Temple Courts
    • This was a handy rebuke of all of them:
      • The Sadducees most obviously allowed selling to happen in the courts
      • The Pharisees either allowed it and/or promoted it
      • The Essenes essentially ignored it
      • The Zealots liked Jesus’ actions, of course, but they were so focused on fighting off the pagans while neglecting the House of God
• Read the Seven Letters from Revelation 2-3:
  • Notice the similarities of the churches with the leadership in Jesus’ time
  • Notice similarities to today’s churches