Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2576 to 2600 of 4962 results

2576. Possessions and Choice in the New Kingdom Community

Mark 10:17-31

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... first describing a gloomy countenance (at times it can refer to anger), the second, deep sorrow and grief. But he has no idea that the human sadness he feels is nothing compared to what he will face when he dies and stands before God without any hope for “eternal life.” 10:23 How hard it is. Once more Jesus privately explains the meaning of an event or parable to his disciples.1This is “the moral of the story.” The man wants to “enter eternal life” but instead becomes an example of the great ...

2577. The Roman Trial

Mark 15:16-20, Mark 15:1-15

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Grant R. Osborne

... Isaiah 52:15, saying that “many nations will be amazed.” 15:6 the custom at the festival. Pilate clearly sees this as a way to avoid a difficult situation in which his idea of Roman justice ran counter to the demands of the crowd. He hopes to rid himself of the legal dilemma and use the amnesty as a way of freeing Jesus. Many scholars doubt the historicity of this “paschal amnesty” because neither Roman records nor Josephus’s writings mention such a thing. They see it as a literary creation to ...

2578. Jesus’s Manifesto

Luke 4:14-30

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R.T. France

... forgiveness” in 1:77; 3:3; 24:47. The best guide to how Luke understood them is his following record of Jesus’s actual ministry, where the focus falls on physical and spiritual deliverance of the sick and possessed, and on giving hope to the hopeless and a voice to the voiceless, rather than on a concrete attempt to reform the social or political system. But the values here expressed have provided an important incentive to radical Christian sociopolitical involvement in subsequent generations. We have ...

2579. The Story of Israel and the Story of Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

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C. Marvin Pate

... . Fourth, on a little more pluralistic note, a sermon entitled “Common Ground: Universal Ethics and Romans 1:18–32” might be appealing for postmodern audiences. The goal here might be to identify moral commonalities among the major religions of the world in the hope of establishing a broad base of rules by which various societies can get along. Romans 1:18–32 spells out such ethics in the negative. Illustrating the Text God is both loving and just. Classic Sermon: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry ...

2580. The Story of Israel Now and Later

Romans 2:1-16

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C. Marvin Pate

... mind the overarching purpose of Romans 1:18–3:20, which is that Paul wants to show that acceptance before a righteous God is based on perfectly following his law, which, in fact, no one can do, not even Jews. Coming to grips with that reality, Paul hopes, will drive the sinner into the arms of God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ (see Rom. 3:21–4:25). Theological Insights A number of insights meet us in Romans 2:1–11. First, profession without practice does not impress God. Neither does it convince ...

2581. Israel and the Present Curses and the Past Blessings of the Covenant

Romans 9:1-29

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C. Marvin Pate

... covenant rather than the children of Israel (Exod. 32:32). I suggest that Paul’s use of the word “curse” (anathema) evokes the curses of the covenant, for five reasons. First, as we just noted, Paul’s request resembles the one made by Moses, who hoped to prevent God from cutting his people off from the covenant after their worship of the golden calf. Second, Paul’s lament in 9:1–3 recalls the Old Testament laments over Israel’s sin, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile to Babylonia (Jer ...

2582. Greeting, Doxology, and Confession

Revelation 1:4-8

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J. Scott Duvall

... . 15:20) and that he is now the sovereign Lord over all things, including death (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15). Third, he now reigns as exalted Lord over all earthly rulers and kingdoms (Ps. 89:27; 1 Tim. 6:15). Jesus is our example as the faithful witness, our hope for a future resurrection, and the object of our faith as the exalted Lord. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father. This doxology celebrates what Jesus ...

2583. John’s Introductory Vision The Risen and Glorified Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

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J. Scott Duvall

... Christ’s kingdom but also in the harsh realities of persevering through trials in a hostile world. John was banished to Patmos because of his faithfulness to Jesus and the gospel. Most likely the Roman authorities viewed him as a political threat and exiled him in hopes of hindering the church’s influence in Asia Minor. 1:10–11 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit. The early Christians designated Sunday, the first day of the week, as “the Lord’s Day,” a day of worship chosen because Jesus ...

2584. Message to Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17

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J. Scott Duvall

... the Jews and Their Lies, denouncing the Jews. As believers, we can never underestimate just how much power the world has to blind us. We are called to be in the world but not of it. Jesus’s promise of acceptance, community, and significance provides a hope that can change our lives right here and now. Quote: Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. Jesus gave his church a very tangible reminder of his promise to make us his own, now and forever—the Lord’s Supper. In this great celebration, God’s ...

2585. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

Revelation 19:1-10, Revelation 18:1-24

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J. Scott Duvall

... bring justice. Music: “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” by The Who. In this eardrum-smashing, throat-tearing anthem, The Who serve a double shot of cynical disillusionment. Verse by verse, the lyrics poke holes in the hope that “this revolution” will be “the revolution”—restoring hope, fulfilling promises, providing true justice. The song culminates with an invitation to “meet the new boss,” who is the “same as the old boss.” In other words, the liberator has become the dictator he deposed ...

2586. Ruling in the Fear of the Lord

2 Samuel 23:1-7

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:17; Phil. 3:9), who frees his followers from slavery to sin and through his Spirit imparts the capacity to live in a righteous manner (Rom. 6:17–18; 14:17–18; Gal. 5:5). 2. The Lord’s chosen servants should place their hope in the Lord’s faithful promise to David. Despite his sins and failures, at the end of his life David still holds on to God’s irrevocable covenantal promises, for he knows that ultimately God’s purpose in choosing him will be realized. As a study of David ...

2587. Job Shatters the Silence

Job 3:1-26

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Daniel J. Estes

... its father (cf. Gen. 50:23, where Joseph’s grandsons are placed on his knees). The ancient world typically viewed death as a place of gloom and darkness (see the sidebar). Job’s pain is so great, however, that he inverts this concept, so that he hopes for death as peace, sleep, and rest (3:13), a great improvement upon the horrors of his life in the face of intense adversity. Interpretive Insights 3:1 Job . . . cursed the day of his birth. Instead of cursing Yahweh, as the adversary has predicted (2:5 ...

2588. Elihu Makes His Appearance

Job 32:1--37:24

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Daniel J. Estes

... , will he listen when you say that you do not see him. In verses 14–15, Elihu twists words that Job has uttered previously. Job said in 9:11 that he cannot see God. He brought his legal case before God in 23:4 and 31:35. Job expressed his hope in God in 13:15 and 14:14. He complained in 9:24; 12:6; and 21:17 that God is not acting justly toward him. Elihu takes Job’s words and spins them so that they sound like an arrogant rejection of God, but that is not an accurate ...

2589. “The King Rejoices in Your Strength, Lord”

Psalm 21:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

... , fighting them for us, and putting our enemies (human, emotional, social, spiritual, etc.) to flight. John 3:16 affirms the central message of God’s love, and God is powerful enough to save us from perishing, both in the pursuits of this life and in the hope of eternity. The leader might also bring in Paul’s words about this relationship of power and love. Paul knew that the power of God was exercised in love, and nothing could separate us from that (Rom. 8:35, 37). Moreover, it was so strong that ...

2590. “The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Lack Nothing”

Psalm 23:1-6

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C. Hassell Bullock

... or her out of Egypt. Christians have inherited this marvelous view of personhood from Judaism—that it was both corporate and individual—and to celebrate our personal redemption at Calvary, we can sing, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”14 David’s hope to dwell in the house of the Lord “forever” (lit., “for length of days”; 23:6b) is parallel to “all the days of my life” in the first half of the verse (23:6a) and should be understood in that sense. The fact that Christians ...

2591. “Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit”

Psalm 31:1-24

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C. Hassell Bullock

... to “be strong and take heart” (Ps. 27:14). The two verbs reissue Moses’s admonition to Israel (Deut. 31:6, 7, 23) and the Lord’s to Joshua in the face of the daunting challenge of the conquest (Josh. 1:6, 7, 9, 18; 10:25). On hoping in the Lord, see Psalm 130:7. Theological Insights The contrast between God’s hands and the enemies’ is striking. Twice the suppliant refers to his enemies’ hands (31:8a, 15b), once praising God that he has not delivered him into them and once petitioning the Lord ...

2592. “Why Do You Boast of Evil, You Mighty Hero?”

Psalm 52:1-9

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C. Hassell Bullock

... a projection of our person. If we are not what we say, eventually the pattern of evil talk becomes retrojective in its effect and has the power to shape us into its foul image. Thankfully the righteous, faced with the powerful and wealthy, are encouraged by the hope of divine intervention. While the suppliant is very much conscious of the power of evil, he is also quite aware that his trust in God has made him like an “olive tree flourishing in the house of God” (52:8)—that is the contrast between him ...

2593. “In Your Heart You Devise Injustice”

Psalm 58:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... birth,” “from the womb,” 58:3). Sadly, their evil inclination has been generated in their inner being (58:2), leaving little hope that their social behavior is only a temporary departure from the ethical norm. If we understand the subject of 58:1 to ... that Isaiah predicts (Isa. 45:23; cf. Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10), which seems to be a saving confession, we can at least hope that this too is a saving confession. The victims of the twisted rules of law made by those who “weighed out” injustice to the ...

2594. Saul’s Final Battle

1 Samuel 28:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Eli and his sons died the same day the Philistines defeated the Israelites (1 Sam. 4:11, 18), so Saul and his family will fall before the same enemy. In both cases, Samuel announces God’s word of judgment prior to the catastrophe. Recognizing that all hope is gone, Saul falls to the ground in despair (28:20–25). He is also completely exhausted, because he has eaten nothing all day in preparation for his encounter with Samuel. At the urging of the woman and his men, Saul finally agrees to eat something ...

2595. Judah

2 Chronicles 2:1--4:23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and end of the list of Jesse’s children in 2:10–17. David’s royal descendants, provided in detail in 3:1–24, continue well after the fall of the kingdom to the time of the Chronicler, evidence of the Chronicler’s enduring royal hope. The first and longest genealogy among the tribes is that of Judah, not surprising in light of the fact that descendants of this tribe formed the majority of the postexilic audience, for which Chronicles was written, and that royal descendants of this tribe (Davidic ...

2596. The Final Royal Accounts, Exile, and Restoration

2 Chronicles 36:2-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and makes no mention of their deaths. The lack of death notice, typical of all these kings in chapter 36, suggests hope for the Davidic line to reemerge after the exile. The link of royal figure and temple treasures suggests an intertwining of ... , resulting in a period of seventy years. The conclusion to 1–2 Chronicles, in 36:22–23, expresses both the Chronicler’s hope and his challenge in his own generation. In 539 BC, after amassing a large empire surrounding the Babylonian Empire, Cyrus will conquer ...

2597. Sayings of the Wise: Admonitions for Societal Relationships

Proverbs 22:17--24:22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... human beings and cut short their punishment (or perhaps redirect his attention to us; 24:17–18; cf. 17:5; Job 31:29). Third, we should neither be vexed by (cf. Ps. 37:1, 7–8) nor envy them, since, unlike the wise, evildoers have “no future hope.” Instead, they will be extinguished like a lamp (24:19–20). Therefore, the best course for the son to take is to fear both God and his agent, the king, rather than making common cause with dissenters, since both of them are capable of suddenly turning his ...

2598. Judgment and Comfort: Part One

Isaiah 1:1-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in the historical situation of the growing Assyrian Empire. A holistic approach to these chapters presents the reader with Yahweh’s holiness (6:3), Isaiah’s prophetic calling (6:8), the finality of God’s judgment (6:11–13a), and the hope for the remnant (6:13b). Each motif is developed throughout the triptych. The prophet begins with Yahweh’s charges against Judah and Jerusalem (1:2–31) and concludes with the new song of the remnant who have discovered that the Holy One of Israel is still in ...

2599. Lamenting the Death of the Nation

Amos 5:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... holds. Amos laments that the virgin Israel, a young nation in the prime of her life, is soon to be a fallen, deserted virgin that no one will help. He laments that her armies will go out strong but come back decimated, with few survivors (5:3). Her only hope is to seek God truly if she wants to live (5:4). It is useless to worship at Bethel or other sacred temples in the nation because all of those temples will be destroyed with a fire that cannot be put out. God will bring destruction, because in Israel ...

2600. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Israelite forefathers concerning the land of Canaan as an inheritance, an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:1–8; Exod. 3:8; Josh. 1:1–9; 2 Sam. 7:10; cf. Deut. 1:6–8). The purpose of Obadiah’s appeal to history is to instill hope in the Babylonian exiles (and those who remained in Jerusalem as vassals to Nebuchadnezzar) by reinforcing their faith in Yahweh as a covenant-keeping God. By beginning and ending these verses (vv. 19–20) with the Israelite possession of the Negev, the prophet indicates ...

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