Sermon and Worship Resources

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2951. The Daughters of Zelophehad (Part 1)

Numbers 27:1-11

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... is how injustice sometimes has to be addressed today. It is rarely politically feasible to legislate a utopian vision. However, small legislative improvements repeated over time can eventually lead to large results, as they have done for women’s rights in Western culture. Illustrating the Text God promises to pour out his wisdom for those who are willing to ask. Popular Culture: In 2010 Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates teamed up to form The Giving Pledge and invited others to join them. These ...

2952. Joshua Appointed as Moses’s Successor

Numbers 27:12-23

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... persons. Such ceremonies encourage the laity to support those new leaders and to let them take up the ministry roles to which God has called them, so that they, like Joshua, can lead their people in and out (Num. 27:21). Illustrating the Text Godly leaders practice what they preach. Science: From the earliest age, we are creatures who learn by imitating. A 2013 study by researchers from the University of Washington and Temple University discovered that babies’ brains are organized for imitation. When ...

2953. The Sacrifices of the Sacred Calendar

Num 28:1–29:40

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... support the work of God. But from time to time God may lead us to give special gifts to him that are over and above our regular offerings. We too need to be encouraged to consider making special, voluntary sacrifices to God. Illustrating the Text Christians can use non-Christian holidays for Christian purposes. Popular Culture: Although Christmas can be considered a Christian holiday, the Bible does not command that we celebrate it, and it first appears historically in the fourth century AD. Some speculate ...

2954. Keeping Promises

Numbers 30:1-16

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... than prescribing those structures. All human societal structures are prone to weakness due to human frailty and sin. This passage grants Israelite women more rights than they had previously. We today can go even further in ensuring women’s rights. Illustrating the Text In many Christian traditions vows are still taken. Cultural Institution: One occasion for vows is that of baptism. A number of Christian traditions have candidates for baptism (or parents in the case of infant baptism) vow to “renounce ...

2955. War against Midian

Num 31:1-54

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... Christians are like soldiers for Christ, and faithful soldiers can expect to be rewarded by God for fighting the good fight (2 Tim. 4:7–8). The reward that God gave these Israelite soldiers reminds us that ultimately Christian soldiers will be rewarded by God. Illustrating the Text The God of the Bible does not conform to our comfort level. Literature: The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis. In this series of books, C. S. Lewis has a Christ/God figure, the lion Aslan. Lewis portrays Christ as someone ...

2956. Selfishness of the Transjordan Tribes Corrected

Numbers 32:1-42

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... . But we often forget that we are always under divine surveillance. When we are conscious that God is present and watching, it is easier to avoid sinning—we do not want to displease our heavenly Father. When we forget it, we tend to go astray. Illustrating the Text We must practice the presence of God. Spiritual Biography: Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk who as part of his religious devotion trained his mind to be ever aware of the fact that God is present.12He established God’s presence not only ...

2957. Reviewing the Past

Numbers 33:1-56

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... can remember the bad things that God has seen us through and the good things that God has brought our way. God had Moses do that for Israel. But we can do it for ourselves, whether formally in a journal or informally through reflection. Illustrating the Text It is important to remember the past. Poetry: Sonnet XXX, by William Shakespeare. This well-known sonnet begins, “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought / I summon up remembrance of things past.” Shakespeare expresses many regrets, but he also ...

2958. Making a Successful Future

Numbers 34:1-29

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... ’ case, hope of inheritance should motivate us to lay claim to our full allotment by living out the Christian life as God’s children and heirs. The more we understand our inheritance, the more it motivates us to live for God. Illustrating the Text A vision of future possibility can motivate present action. Personal Story: As cross-cultural missions professor at Crossroads College, Dr. Cláudio Divino often leads students on short-term mission trips. The students must commit to going, get a passport ...

2959. The Daughters of Zelophehad (Part 2)

Numbers 36:1-13

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... promise of heavenly reward for Christians is likewise assured. Like the daughters of Zelophehad and the tribe of Manasseh, Christian believers should live in the assurance of faith that God’s promise of future inheritance is trustworthy for his people. Illustrating the Text The “family farm” meant much more than we understand in our modern, mobile society. Human Experience: The attachment to land seen in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad is somewhat alien to modern, mobile societies, but it ...

2960. The Road to the Throne Is Covered with Blood

2 Sam 1:1–5:5

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... David’s military exploits under Saul, the Lord has previewed his future king for Israel; finally the people, recognizing David’s gifts and calling, willingly anoint him as their king in recognition of God’s purposes for him and Israel. Illustrating the Text God’s seemingly delayed promises are nevertheless reliable. Letters: Letters and Papers from Prison, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer (1906–45), a German pastor, theologian, and martyr, understood the pain of delay as he became a part of a ...

2961. David the Conqueror

2 Sam 5:6-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... “inquire” of the Lord the way David did, receive specific customized orders, or hear God’s army marching in the trees above them. But God has communicated his purpose for this age and made promises that his people can trust. Illustrating the Text God accomplishes his purposes through those who promote his kingdom agenda. Christian Biography: A Passion for Souls, by Lyle Dorsett. This is a biography (1997) of D. L. Moody, businessman, national and international evangelist, and cofounder of the famed ...

2962. The Lord Decides to Build David a House

2 Samuel 7:18-29, 2 Samuel 7:1-17

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... humble gratitude and praise. The Lord’s promise to David is part of his redemptive work on behalf of his people, which enhances God’s reputation and demonstrates his incomparability (vv. 22–23; cf. 1 Sam. 2:1–2; 2 Sam. 22:31–32). Illustrating the Text The Lord’s promises are realized even when they appear to have failed. Bible: Habakkuk 3:17–19. The believer must respond to God’s promises with humble gratitude. Hymn: “Now Thank We All Our God,” by Martin Rinckart. German pastor Rinckart ...

2963. “Your Sin Will Find You Out”: The Lord Confronts His Sinful Servant

2 Samuel 12:1-31

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... generations, Solomon reminds the Lord that Israel is his people and his inheritance, whom he has taken for himself from Egypt (1 Kings 8:51). Micah 7:18–20 relates God’s merciful, loving forgiveness with his unconditional promises to the fathers. Illustrating the Text Divine discipline is severe even when forgiveness is extended. Literature: King Lear, by William Shakespeare. This play (1608), viewed by many as full of biblical allusions, is a study in the consequences of King Lear’s fatal pride and ...

2964. You Reap What You Sow

2 Sam 13:1-39

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... of power that he exhibited in the Bathsheba affair surfaces in his son Amnon, and the deceit and capacity to murder that he exhibited in the Uriah matter surfaces in his son Absalom. In both cases, the acorn does not fall far from the tree. Illustrating the Text Divine justice is satisfied even when human justice fails. Church History: As in the case of David long ago, we know that Christians are not exempt from hurting others, from cheating and deceiving their public. In the last two decades we have heard ...

2965. David Runs for His Life—Again

2 Samuel 15:13-37

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... in David’s case, where the Lord providentially begins to answer his prayer regarding Ahithophel immediately through loyal Hushai, who just happens to meet David at the top of the hill after David has prayed while ascending it (vv. 30–32). Illustrating the Text Submitting to divine sovereignty also includes the necessity of prayer and of taking wise action as appropriate. Literature: “Sonnet 19,” or “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent,” by John Milton. In February 1652, the English poet Milton ...

2966. The Lord Thwarts a Curse

2 Sam 16:1-14

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... the manipulative David exploiting his power with no regard for the lives of others (cf. 2 Sam. 11), but a lamenting David who is submissive to the sovereign plan of God. Though David’s suffering is disciplinary, the Lord does not abandon him. Illustrating the Text It is crucial that believers submit to divine discipline rather than trying to vindicate themselves. Quote: Reaching for the Invisible God, by Philip Yancey. Yancey (b. 1949) is a best-selling author of many books. Anyone who has lived through ...

2967. The Return of the King Brings Turmoil in the Kingdom

2 Sam 19:9–20:26

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... a more successful time in David’s career (cf. 8:15–18). When the Lord delivered his covenant promise to David, he emphasized that David’s throne, in contrast to Saul’s, would endure (7:15–16), and this promise proves to be reliable. Illustrating the Text Sin’s consequences are persistent. Christian Biography: “Johnny Cash’s Song of Redemption,” by Ted Olson. In this piece Ted Olson talks about Johnny Cash’s (1932–2003) long journey to God. His was a hard-lived life; he was often drug ...

2968. David’s Mighty Men

2 Samuel 21:15-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... stood his ground and defeated the Philistines. But these individuals did not stand alone: the narrator informs us that the Lord “brought about a great victory” (23:10), much like he had done for another solo Philistine killer (cf. Judg. 15:18). Illustrating the Text God supports those to whom he assigns challenging tasks, often through the actions of dedicated and loyal helpers. Story: Yearning: Living between How It Is and How It Ought to Be, by Craig Barnes. Barnes is the president of Princeton ...

2969. David Brings a Plague upon Israel

2 Samuel 24:1-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... from sending his judgment with full force (vv. 8–9). Unlike human beings, who sometimes annihilate the object of their anger in blind rage, God is able to express his emotions in perfect balance, tempering his anger with compassion. Illustrating the Text God severely punishes sin and disciplines sinners through its consequences, even when they genuinely seek forgiveness. Human Metaphor: Explain a scenario where a human being pushes another person off of a skyscraper and then is immediately and sincerely ...

2970. Barren No More

1 Sam 1:1-20–2:11

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... of the text’s theme, the passage is most naturally applied corporately to the covenant community: Hannah’s experience foreshadows Israel’s coming deliverance from foreign oppression and gives hope to the exiles, who are experiencing humiliation in a foreign land. Illustrating the Text There is mystery to trials and suffering. Memoir: A Stranger in the House of God, by John Koessler. In this memoir (2007), Koessler, a professor and author, writes: My prayers felt like the petitions I sometimes made to ...

2971. The Lord Chooses a Prophet

1 Sam 3:1--4:1

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... should not expect to be visited by God in the night or to receive prophetic visions about impending judgment. Samuel’s experience was not normative in his day, and the New Testament gives us no reason to expect it to be in ours. Illustrating the Text God will honor those who honor him. Literature: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë. In this beautifully written and principled novel (1847), the lead character, Jane, learns restraint over her anger at the way people have treated her in her past and present ...

2972. The Ark Does Some Damage

1 Samuel 5:1-12

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... to mean that God is finite. While God may reveal himself in anthropomorphic ways and even temporarily impose limitations on himself to accommodate human freedom and to facilitate divine-human relationships, he remains the infinite God who may be challenged, but never defeated. Illustrating the Text The one true God is superior to the so-called gods of the nations. Literature: The Last Battle, by C. S. Lewis. In this, Lewis’s (1898–1963) last volume (1956) in The Chronicles of Narnia, an ape named Shift ...

2973. Samuel Confronts the People

1 Samuel 12:1-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... future (Ezek. 20:44). In interceding for the people, Jeremiah appeals to the Lord’s concern for his own reputation (Jer. 14:7, 21). Several psalms appeal to God on the basis of his reputation (Pss. 25:11; 31:3; 79:9; 109:21; 143:11). Illustrating the Text The Lord is willing to restore his relationship with those who have rebelled against him. Poetry: “Hymn to God the Father,” by John Donne. The biography and poems of Donne (1572–1631) are worth perusing. Having earlier in his life made a religious ...

2974. Saul Forfeits a Dynasty

1 Samuel 13:1-15

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... ). God sometimes makes promises to those whom he chooses, but often these promises are contingent upon continued loyalty. Rather than being guarantees that give the recipients a license to act as they wish, these promises should motivate continued obedience. Illustrating the Text Strong leaders can influence the people under their authority positively or negatively. History: Jim Jones. Jones (1931–78) was the founder and leader of a group called the People’s Temple, best known for its November 18, 1978 ...

2975. Saul Dilutes a Victory

1 Sam 14:24-52

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... promises about the future. It seems permissible, then, to appeal to God as witness when testifying to the truth of present realities or past events, but in deference to God’s sovereignty, one should avoid emphatic oaths when making promises. Illustrating the Text Preoccupation with one’s honor can divert attention from God. Quote: Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis. In book 4 (chap. 8), Lewis (1898–1963) addresses self-preoccupation, essentially pride. The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing ...

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