The first two beatitudes give some of the entry requirements for being a part of the kingdom of heaven. Both show the failure of man to please God and his righteousness. Humility and repentance are the proper response to this reality.

Paul said some strong things to the church at Corinth. In this section Paul displays tact and care for these believers as he closes out this letter. He narrows down his desires for the church.

After showing that Jesus is better than angels and any man, the author of Hebrews moves to the fact that Jesus is greater than the greatest lawgiver, Moses. Moses was faithful in his task of leading the nation of Israel. Jesus is faithful in all His house of leading many brothers and sisters to glory.

This introduction to the Sermon on the Mount encompasses the whole of the book of Matthew and then focuses on the immediate context before the Sermon. The emphasis of John and Jesus' preaching before the Sermon was to preach repentance. As you enter the Sermon, righteousness and the need of it is emphasized. Without righteousness one cannot be a part of the kingdom. A recognition of sin in repentance would lead one to look for a righteousness outside of oneself in order to be able to enter the kingdom.

Paul was coming back to the church at Corinth. He prepared the Corinthians for his visit. If they did not take care of the sin that was ruining the testimony of the church and of Christ, Paul would be forced to administer discipline himself. Paul wanted the church to take care of this discipline but they had not yet done it. The goal of discipline is hope of restoration for the erring believer.

Jesus took on humanity for multiple reasons. His main desire was to bring many brothers and sisters with Him to glory. His humanity allowed him to defeat the one who has the power of death and deliver mankind from bondage to sin and death. He also serves as mankind's high priest before God.

This last lesson reminds us that humility is key in dealing with any kind of sin. This lesson reviews the sins that have been seen over the last few weeks, and concludes with pattern to battle sin in our lives.

Paul spent the last two chapters putting out a "fool's" speech to combat the super apostles. They gave their resume to attract followers. Paul gave all of his credentials, though all of them point to suffering and difficulty. Paul should have had to defend his character or impact. The Corinthians should have done this for them. He had not taken anything from them, but had been like a parent to them.

This message reminds us that the position of a deacon is not necessarily a position of leadership, but an official recognition of a call to service.

This is part 2 of the lesson on worldliness. It does review the previous week and definitions of worldliness. Three examples are given of worldliness in the church. Last lesson dealt with money. This lesson deals with vicarious immorality and idolatry.