Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 226 to 250 of 5000 results

226. The Disciples Confess Jesus as the Messiah

Matthew 16:1-4, Matthew 16:5-12, Matthew 16:13-20

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Jeannine K. Brown

... of Judah, of David, etc.). Yet by idealizing and moralizing these characters, we not only do a disservice to the authors’ intentions; we also run the risk of downplaying the theological themes of these narratives, in which God is the focus (and hero). Illustrating the Text To confess Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God, is to demonstrate a right understanding of who Jesus is. Biography: Theodulf, a ninth-century priest, had risen from humble beginnings to serve in the court of Charlemagne ...

227. Jesus Is the Example of Service for His Followers

Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 20:20-28

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Jeannine K. Brown

... ’s cosmic drama of salvation. The scope of God’s work in Jesus is not the small stage of my individual life; instead, it is the broad canvas of the redemption of Israel, the nations, and ultimately the whole of creation (Rom. 8). Illustrating the Text Jesus calls his followers to service for others modeled after his own example and not that of Gentile rulers. History: Conduct an image search for historical figures known as great and powerful rulers. For example, you might search for images of Alexander ...

228. Testing in the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

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R.T. France

... strengthen our faith, to bring us closer to him, and to enable us to face even greater challenges. A second approach is to explore the theme of Jesus as the new Israel, and also the nature of typological thinking in relation to the Old Testament as it is illustrated here by the use of Moses’s speech in Deuteronomy 6–8. Consider other ways in which this Israel/Jesus typology is developed in Luke’s Gospel (e.g., Luke 9:30–31) and the New Testament generally (e.g., Matt. 2:15, where “son” in Hosea ...

229. Two Memorable Healings

Luke 5:17-26, Luke 5:12-16

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R.T. France

... reader (and the crowd whose awed reaction is noted in 5:26) is left with a sense that Jesus really is “God with us.” Teaching the Text These two healings may be taught separately, since they represent two episodes, or together, since both illustrate Jesus’s extraordinary power to heal. Below are teaching points for each. 1. In teaching about the man healed from leprosy, it is essential to bring out the nature and significance of defilement, or “uncleanness.” The man’s disease made him a social ...

230. Jesus and John the Baptist

Luke 7:18-35

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R.T. France

... by the new, when God’s people will receive complete forgiveness of sins and will truly know God through the abiding presence of his Spirit (Jer. 31:31–34). This is why John—who represents the old age—is the “least” in the kingdom of God. Illustrating the Text In his humanity, John the Baptist brooded about Jesus as he lay in jail. Anecdote: William Barclay. Think what was happening to John. John, the child of the desert and of the wide-open spaces, was confined in a dungeon cell in the castle ...

231. “Who Is This?”

Luke 9:10-17, Luke 9:1-9

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R.T. France

... sure to bring out the important biblical parallels, including the provision of manna in the wilderness and the future messianic banquet (Isa. 25:6–9). Jesus is not just performing a charitable act. He is also illustrating the nature and blessings of the kingdom of God. Illustrating the Text Be discerning about when to shake the dust off your feet. Personal Stories: Many individuals have had experiences of persevering in relational and spiritual encounters in which the other person has either been hostile ...

232. Jesus’s Fallible Followers

Luke 9:51-56, Luke 9:46-50, Luke 9:37-45

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R.T. France

... the most relevant message for the group. But it is also possible to trace related themes through the different sections, as I have done in “Theological Insights” above, and so to teach about the following: 1. The fallibility of disciples. The disciples illustrate weakness in various ways in these texts, including lack of faith (9:40), lack of spiritual discernment (9:45), pride (9:46), and exclusivity (9:49). In what ways do believers today manifest these same failings? Notice how Jesus responds in each ...

233. The Revolutionary Values of the Kingdom of God

Luke 18:31-34, Luke 18:18-30, Luke 18:15-17

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R.T. France

... that “the eye of the needle” was a name for a small gate in the city wall. But there is no historical evidence for such a gate in Jesus’s time. A later rabbinic saying uses an elephant going through the eye of a needle to illustrate an impossibility. 18:27 What is impossible with man is possible with God. The stark simplicity of 18:25 is modified not by suggesting ways in which the impossible might exceptionally be made possible but by shifting the whole discussion away from human possibility to ...

234. A Blind Beggar and a Rich Scoundrel

Luke 19:1-10, Luke 18:35-43

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R.T. France

... subject for salvation in contrast to the rich man in 18:18–25? How does Zacchaeus’s massive “redistribution of wealth” relate to Jesus’s demands in 12:33; 18:22? In what ways might God be looking for a similar response from rich people today? Illustrating the Text In stopping to heal the blind man, Jesus shows his concern for the lowly and outcast. Christian Fiction: In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?, by Charles Monroe Sheldon. Among the top-selling books of all time, this novel (1897) is set in ...

235. Challenge and Counterchallenge

Luke 20:9-19, Luke 20:1-8

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R.T. France

... God himself will be a stone on which people will stumble and be broken, while in Daniel 2:34–35, 44–45 God’s final triumphant kingdom is a rock that will strike down and pulverize all preceding powers. New Testament authors enjoyed collecting “stone” prophecies to illustrate the triumph of Christ (see Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:32–33; 1 Pet. 2:4–8). The first allusion here puts Jesus in the place of God in Isaiah’s vision and reminds the reader of Simeon’s prophecy that the child will be the cause ...

236. “When Will These Things Happen?”

Luke 21:5-38

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R.T. France

... under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.”5 History: Josephus’s vivid descriptions of the siege and capture of Jerusalem provide a great deal of illustrative material. See especially books 5–6 of his Jewish War. In one account, Josephus tells of a man who predicted the coming turmoil: But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus, the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, who, four years before ...

237. Getting Ready for the Passover

Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6

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R.T. France

... of 22:29–30 at the time? Are these verses expressing what is to be true only of them, or is there some sense in which it is true of all disciples? Compare, for example, Ephesians 2:6; 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 3:21; 5:10. Illustrating the Text Jesus’s words over the bread and wine inaugurate a new covenant to be commemorated faithfully by his followers. Hymn: “We Gather Together to Eat the Lord’s Supper.” This Dutch hymn expresses the ethos of this important gathering. We gather together to eat the ...

238. The Trials of Peter and of Jesus

Luke 22:66--23:25, Luke 22:63-65, Luke 22:54-62

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R.T. France

... Jesus so apparently evasive in Luke’s version? Compare the clear declaration of Mark 14:62a (though immediately followed by the same qualifying explanation). And what was it about Jesus’s replies that the Sanhedrin took to justify their action against Jesus? Illustrating the Text Though Peter was finally loyal to Jesus, he had first betrayed him, even after having been warned. Literature: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis. One of the memorable story lines in this familiar and moving ...

239. Paul Reinterprets the Story of Israel

Romans 2:17-29

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C. Marvin Pate

... of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). In this parable the lost son could represent the repentant Gentile, and the older, Pharisaic-like brother could stand for the unbelieving Jew. Bible: The Parable of the Vineyard Workers (Matt. 20:1–16). This parable nicely illustrates the reversal of values and rewards that will be meted out on judgment day. Those who worked all day received no more reward than those who started work at the end of the day, for divine evaluation is based on grace, not works. Jesus ...

240. New Dominion as a Blessing of the New Covenant: Dead to Sin

Romans 6:1-14

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C. Marvin Pate

... And so it is that Christians need to become what they are in Christ. God presents us with tasks and trials and allows us to face temptations in order to develop our faith, which translates the indicative into the imperative. Illustrating the Text Sanctification must build on the foundation of justification. Quotes: Two well-known statements from two famous literary figures could be contrasted with the teaching of a Christian catechism. The Enlightenment skeptic Voltaire (1694–1778) once said sardonically ...

241. The Holy Spirit and the Blessings of the New Covenant

Romans 8:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... the Text While Christians battle the old nature, the Holy Spirit gives them strength. Literature: The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. This book (1678) is excellent for illustrating theological tenets in Romans, particularly those scenes in the Interpreter’s House before Christian loses his burden at the cross. There are seven such teaching scenes in this section. In one of these, Christian sees the Interpreter lead a man to the door of the Palace, where many men are ...

242. The Kindness and Sternness of God

Romans 11:11-24

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C. Marvin Pate

... of the dead that will occur at the parousia, the return of Christ (cf. Matt. 25:31–46; Rom. 8:11, 23; 1 Cor. 15:22–24; Phil. 3:1–10; 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 20:4–6), which will include the restoration of Israel. The illustration in 11:16—the firstfruits of the dough being holy ensures that the whole batch will be holy—draws on Numbers 15:17–21, although the Numbers text does not mention the firstfruits making the batch holy. James Dunn suggests that this latter principle was derived from ...

243. The New-Covenant Ethic of Love

Romans 12:9-21

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C. Marvin Pate

... school in the South. Robert Coles, child psychiatrist and author, tells of her in his book Children of Crisis (1967), and her story has also been published as a children’s book entitled The Story of Ruby Bridges (1995), written by Coles and illustrated by George Ford. Ruby was one of the black children who, in the face of abusive, even potentially violent resistance, began the process of school desegregation in New Orleans. Day after day, Ruby was ushered to and from school alone while onlookers taunted ...

244. God and Government

Romans 13:1-7

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C. Marvin Pate

... disagree and obey God. And John’s apocalypse reinforces Peter’s stance, reminding the church that Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord. This is about the best that believers can hope for until the parousia and the establishment of the only perfect rule. Illustrating the Text Government is a divine institution, so we must pay taxes and respect officials. Bible: Use the story of Daniel. Daniel 6:4 says: “Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard ...

245. Introduction and “Hello”

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

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Preben Vang

... .” More often, biographers focus on the sensational sides of his personality. Nevertheless, at one period of his life, Van Gogh gained a reputation among very poor miners “for selflessly sharing their hardships and for his love of the unlovable. Anecdotes from this period illustrate the length to which he would go to practice the love of Christ.” In one example, after a severe explosion in a mine, “he tore up his own clothing and linen, soaking the rags in wax and olive oil for use as bandages ...

246. Trust versus Self-Reliance

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

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Preben Vang

... grace requires remaining ever more dependent on it. Contrasting Concept: Talk about the idea of using a crutch or cane to recover from an injury. (Bringing some crutches as props and trying them out or having a volunteer try them out could add to this illustration.) We use crutches to buttress our own strength and protect injured or weakened legs until they can bear weight again. This passage teaches that dependence on God’s grace is the exact opposite of a crutch. It is not a prop that we use temporarily ...

247. Faithful Witnesses Who Proclaim God’s Word

Revelation 11:1-14

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J. Scott Duvall

... also (1 Cor. 15:20–23; Rom. 8:11). We can trust God to keep his word. Our greatest enemy has already been defeated. Therefore, we can live with a degree of abandon and freedom not possible when the fear of death grips our lives. Illustrating the Text The church is called to speak prophetically. Quote: Revelation, by Craig Keener. Keener recounts the story of a lame man named Ditt, from the untouchable Chuhra caste, who was led to Christ in 1870. He faced considerable persecution as he carried the message ...

248. The Woman, the Son, and the Dragon

Revelation 12:1--13:1a

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J. Scott Duvall

... community group. We live in the wilderness, and that is where God walks with us. Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). We are on the wilderness journey now, but we are moving toward the promised land! Illustrating the Text We will face spiritual warfare. Quote: Oswald Chambers once commented: We are not meant to be “carried to heaven on flow’ry beds of ease”; we are given the fighting chance, and it is a glorious fight. Jesus Christ came to fit men to fight ...

249. The Bowl Judgments

Revelation 16:1-21

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J. Scott Duvall

... move from drowsy awareness to jump-out-of-bed alertness because you’re late! How often do we exist in that hit-the-snooze-button-one-more-time state of existence when it comes to our readiness to do kingdom work? (For this short illustration, use an alarm clock.) God looks for humble, contrite hearts. Nature: Bees are hardwired to like certain colors and not others. In fact, scientists suggest that people who are nervous about being stung should be careful about what colors they wear. Darker colors will ...

250. Sexual Discharges

Leviticus 15:1-33

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... impurity. Teaching the Text Although laws about discharges no longer apply under the new covenant, they do teach some abiding lessons. They teach about health and self-control. They disassociate God from sexuality while associating him with life. And they illustrate the problem of human impurity before the holy God. 1. The rules on discharges promote health and self-control. Limiting contact with people with symptoms of gonorrhea, urinary infections, or vaginal infections (Lev. 15:2–3, 25) and encouraging ...

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