1. Questioning the Conventional Jesus did not fall in with the popular accepted notions about him. He often questioned and rebuked the accepted practices and doctrines of the world.

2. Questioning the Conventional • Jesus questioned man’s customary anxiety about tomorrow (Matt. 6:27, 32-34)

3. Matthew 6:27 “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”

4. Matthew 6:32-34 “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous-ness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

5. Questioning the Conventional • Jesus questioned man’s customary anxiety about tomorrow (Matt. 6:27, 32-34) • Jesus questioned the accepted practice of returning like for like (Matt. 5:46, 43-45)

6. Matthew 5:46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

7. Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

8. Questioning the Conventional • Jesus questioned man’s customary anxiety about tomorrow (Matt. 6:27, 32-34) • Jesus questioned the accepted practice of returning like for like (Matt. 5:46, 43-45) • Jesus questioned supplanting the commands of God with tradition (Matt. 15:3, 7-9)

9. Matthew 15:3 “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?’”

10. Matthew 15:7-9 “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

11. Questioning the Conventional • Jesus questioned man’s customary anxiety about tomorrow (Matt. 6:27, 32-34) • Jesus questioned the accepted practice of returning like for like (Matt. 5:46, 43-45) • Jesus questioned supplanting the commands of God with tradition (Matt. 15:3, 7-9) • Jesus questioned the world’s standard of greatness (Matthew 20:27; 18:1-4)

12. Matthew 20:27 “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.”

13. Matthew 18:1-4 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ 2Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”

14. Questioning the Conventional Will you challenge “conventional thinking” by accepting today the “foolishness of the message preached”? (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20-21)

15. 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”