Sermon and Worship Resources

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1 Samuel 16:14-23, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... times he may harden or even deceive the objects of his judgment (Rom. 9:18; 2 Thess. 2:11–12).5As the author of Hebrews declares, it is indeed “a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31). Illustrating the Text Godly character is the foundation of good leadership. Quote: Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance, by Os Guinness. In this passage, British author and speaker Guinness (b. 1941) addresses the difference between older great leaders and the trend ...

2977. David’s Faith Ignites a Victory

1 Samuel 17:1-58

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... Lord is a living God, but the world fails to see his active presence if his people do not activate his intervention through their faith. David wants all observers to recognize God’s sovereignty and God’s commitment to his people (vv. 46–47). Illustrating the Text Walking by faith and not by sight assures the believer of God’s intervention and of his power to deliver. Quote: Reaching for the Invisible God, by Philip Yancey. Yancey (b. 1949) reflects on a public television series based on interviews ...

2978. The Lord Is with David

1 Samuel 18:1-30

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... that they become enemies of God. The New Testament denounces such individuals and warns them that God’s discipline will be severe (1 Cor. 4:18–21; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:19–21; Titus 3:10–11; James 3:14–16; 3 John 9–10). Illustrating the Text God protects his people as he grants them success in the mission to which they are called. Church History: Martin Luther. On October 31, 1517, Luther (1483–1546) changed the course of human history when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door ...

2979. The “Nine Lives” of David

1 Samuel 19:1-24

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... –15) and eventually to take them to heaven to live with him (17:24). Though God’s people may suffer persecution and martyrdom, in the end nothing, even physical death, can separate them from God’s enduring love (Rom. 8:28–39). Illustrating the Text God’s people are not insulated from danger. Christian Autobiography: Living Sacrifice, by Helen Roseveare. Dr. Helen Roseveare (b. 1925) was an English missionary to the Congo from 1953 to 1973, where she practiced medicine and taught the nationals how ...

2980. David Spares Saul’s Life

1 Samuel 24:1-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... even assures him that his destiny will be realized. David’s decision to look to God as his vindicator, rather than to follow the advice of his men, is a reminder that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:17–21). Illustrating the Text It is crucial that believers maintain their integrity and wait for God’s timing. Church History: François de Salignac de La Mothe Fénelon. Fénelon (1651–1715) was the archbishop of Cambrai, France, during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries ...

2981. David Spares Saul’s Life—Again

1 Samuel 26:1-25

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... upon him, and even assures him of future success. David’s decision to look to God as his vindicator, rather than following the advice of his men, is a reminder that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:17–21). Illustrating the Text The believer must wait on God’s timing, maintaining integrity during the wait. Poetry: St. Patrick. This prayer by St. Patrick (387–493), who was born in Scotland and traveled throughout Ireland while preaching the simple gospel of Jesus Christ, has ...

2982. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

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Daniel J. Estes

... comfort one another, and in doing that they incarnate the love of God as they identify with and encourage their brothers and sisters in need. The initial sympathy shown by Job’s friends suggests some of what genuine Christian comfort should entail. Illustrating the Text When we cannot control circumstances, we can honor God with our spirit. Film: The Elephant Man. In this 1980 drama based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (played by Anthony Hopkins) in nineteenth-century England, a hideously disfigured ...

2983. Zophar Rejects Job’s Complaints

Job 11:1-20

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Daniel J. Estes

... to life, even though by all appearances he has somehow ended up at the destination to which folly leads. Zophar’s counsel to repent is precisely what many people in adversity need to heed, but it does not fit Job’s special case. Illustrating the Text God’s wisdom properly weighs the circumstances of a person’s suffering, even when human critics do not. Literature: Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo. In this beloved work, one of the unforgettable characters is Inspector Javert, who throughout the novel ...

2984. Eliphaz Turns Up His Criticism of Job

Job 15:1-35

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Daniel J. Estes

... says may be true for many people, it is not relevant to Job’s case. Similarly, we must be careful lest in our attempts to counsel others we misconstrue what is happening in their lives and thus point them in the wrong direction. Illustrating the Text Human beings often grossly misjudge others, a reality Job must come to terms with. History: During the American Civil War, President Lincoln was subjected to intense criticism and accusations that must have caused him sometimes to waver. However, he persisted ...

2985. Job Destroys the Friends’ Major Argument

Job 21:1-34

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Daniel J. Estes

... . However, Job does not yet have another compelling alternative to put in its place. He, like us, will have to trust God for what he does not yet comprehend, rather than lean on his own faulty understanding (cf. Prov. 3:5). Illustrating the Text The retribution principle is, as Job has discovered, false. News Story: One can cite many contemporary examples of prominent world leaders, actors, musicians, sports heroes, and politicians who are thoroughly ungodly in their lifestyle yet still seem to prosper ...

2986. Eliphaz Condemns and Counsels Job

Job 22:1-30

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Daniel J. Estes

... that Eliphaz assumes. However, the rest of the book will make it evident that Eliphaz does not comprehend Job’s situation nearly as well as he thinks he does. As a result, Eliphaz’s counsel to his friend is not helpful but hurtful. Illustrating the Text Eliphaz falsely concludes God is too lofty to be concerned with human activity. Philosophy: Beyond Good and Evil, by Friedrich Nietzsche. In the book Beyond Good and Evil (1886), the German philosopher Nietzsche (1844–1900) argues that good and evil ...

2987. Bildad’s Final Attempt to Answer Job

Job 25:1-6

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Daniel J. Estes

... in Scripture. Logical implications, however, must not be held if they contradict other clear teachings of God’s Word. Our theological conclusions must always be evaluated by and consistent with the total revelation that God has given in the Bible. Illustrating the Text Bildad wrongly focuses on God’s transcendence to the exclusion of other attributes. Quote: Renewed Day by Day, by A. W. Tozer. In the following excerpt, Tozer (1897–1963) corrects Bildad’s contention based on retribution theology. God ...

2988. Job Comes to a Good End

Job 42:7-17, Job 42:1-6

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Daniel J. Estes

... adversity, we, like Job, may ask questions that seem dangerous, and we may even express feelings that are raw, but we can be sure that the Lord searches our hearts and knows our thoughts (Ps. 139:23–24) and that he will lead us in his good way. Illustrating the Text Having seen God’s omnipotence, Job yields to God in great humility. Book: In God’s Waiting Room, by Lehman Strauss. In this book, Strauss writes, “I expect to meet Job one day. I will thank him for his rich legacy. He has helped me to ...

2989. “In Peace I Will Lie Down and Sleep”

Psalm 4:1-8

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C. Hassell Bullock

... in Jesus Christ. This indeed is an Old Testament precedent for Jesus’s word of instruction. And the change of pronoun in the benediction from “you” (see Num. 6:25) to “us” in verse 6b implies that the psalmist is included among the recipients of grace. Illustrating the Text A balanced perspective Quote: Abraham Lincoln. On April 4, 1864, in a letter to Albert Hodges, Abraham Lincoln wrote, “If God now wills the removal of a great wrong, and wills also that we of the North as well as you of the ...

2990. “You Are Not a God Who Is Pleased with Wickedness”

Psalm 5:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... be their downfall,” and “banish them for their many sins” (5:10). Here we may stress the truth that the most effective plan of opposition against evil is a program of doing good, which in psalmic terms is essentially the same as being good. Illustrating the Text Follow God’s way. Hymn: “Thy Way, Not Mine, O Lord,” by Horatius Bonar. In the nineteenth century Bonar published the great hymn “Thy Way, Not Mine, O Lord,” which provides a powerful picture of what we see in Psalm 5, David ...

2991. “Have Mercy on Me, Lord, for I Am Faint”

Psalm 6:1-10

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C. Hassell Bullock

... sight of victory.”9 Jesus uses the language of the psalmist’s imperative (6:8) when he speaks of those evildoers who thought their pretense of doing good would get them into the kingdom of God (Matt. 7:23). But their actions spoke louder than their words. Illustrating the Text The dark night Human Experience: When your congregants can relate to the struggle of David, they are more likely to consider David’s response in Psalm 6. In the first seven verses we see that David is at a very low point in his ...

2992. “Their Violence Comes Down on Their Own Heads”

Psalm 7:1-17

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C. Hassell Bullock

... opportunity for the preacher/teacher to stress evil’s progressive path. James also sketches out its path: “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15). Illustrating the Text A complete surrender History: On December 17, 1944, approximately 120 Americans surrendered to the Nazi tank force at Baugnez. The American prisoners were taken to a field, and the German SS troops suddenly fired on their prisoners with machine guns ...

2993. “Lord, Our Lord, How Majestic Is Your Name in All the Earth!”

Psalm 9:1-20

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C. Hassell Bullock

... . The praise of God is one of the most practical dispositions the believer can assume. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism so wisely states, humankind’s chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”11It is in glorifying God that we come to enjoy him. Illustrating the Text Faith and the universe Quote: Why I Believe in a Personal God, by George Carey. In Psalm 8:3, the psalmist considers the wonder of the heavens, “the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place ...

2994. “The Lord . . . Rules the World in Righteousness”

Psalm 10:1-18, Psalm 9:1-20

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C. Hassell Bullock

... s prayer of dedication for the temple (2 Chron. 6:41), showing how one saint of history (Solomon) prayed the prayer of a previous saint (Moses), thus applying an effective prayer appeal to a new situation. In effect, Solomon was praying, “Do it again, Lord!” Illustrating the Text God has a heart for the poor. Statistics: In Luke’s recording of the Sermon on the Plain, we read, “Looking at his disciples, he [Jesus] said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God’” (Luke 6 ...

2995. “The Lord Looks Down . . . to See If There Are Any Who Understand”

Psalm 14:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

... his people. It is certainly appropriate to make an application of the “company of the righteous” to the New Testament church and stress the continuity of the Hebrew people of God and God’s manifestation of himself to and among them. Illustrating the Text Denying God does not improve human morals. Science: In our world there is a movement called the “new atheism,” championed by such writers as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. It is different from the “old” atheism that was largely ...

2996. “I Love You, Lord, My Strength”

Psalm 18:1-50

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C. Hassell Bullock

... gospel in the light of God’s love (John 3:16), and Paul insists in his Letter to the Roman church that Israel’s history, especially as represented by the gift of God’s law, should be viewed in the context of God’s love (Rom. 13:10). Illustrating the Text God is mighty in power. Testimony: The intimacy of the Psalms provides a great opportunity to share stories of God’s activity in the lives of people today. The God of the Psalms is the same God we worship today. He is the same yesterday, today ...

2997. “Some Trust in Chariots . . . , but We Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God”

Psalm 20:1-9

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C. Hassell Bullock

... implications of “God of Jacob” in 20:1). While the application should be obvious throughout the lesson or sermon, we might conclude by putting the question more pointedly: “How would our lives change if verse 7 were intentionally our motto?” Illustrating the Text In ourselves we trust? News Story: On September 11, 2001, the United States changed forever. On that day four passenger airliners were hijacked by terrorists with the goal of flying them into buildings in suicide attacks. When the day ...

2998. “The Earth Is the Lord’s, and Everything in It”

Psalm 24:1-10

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C. Hassell Bullock

... just as he condescends to dwell in Israel’s praises (Ps. 22:3). The concept of divine condescension and self-humiliation is written indelibly into the Christian gospel, and it is not a New Testament novelty but has its beginnings in the Hebrew Scriptures. Illustrating the Text The earth belongs to the Lord. Quote: God and the Astronomers, by Robert Jastrow. The acknowledgment that God is the Creator of the universe is a basic premise of the biblical faith. The fact that the Bible begins with the story of ...

2999. “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation—Whom Shall I Fear?”

Psalm 27:1-14

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C. Hassell Bullock

... of our own lives that configure to send us into retreat. And when the “battle” seems lost, the circumstances may miraculously turn, and the hostilities may be defused by a rush of the adrenaline of grace, taking away the fear and restoring confidence. Illustrating the Text “The Lord is my light.” Bible: The centrality of light in the Scriptures is attested in many places. Here David’s statement “The Lord is my light” summons to our minds the primordial light of the universe (Gen. 1:3–5 ...

3000. “Ascribe to the Lord the Glory Due His Name”

Psalm 29:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... that the sovereign God gives strength to his people and blesses them with peace (29:11). The word “peace” (shalom) is a product of God’s “love” (hesed), even though the latter term does not occur in this psalm. And he is King forever! Illustrating the Text God is majestic and powerful. Film: Twister. Much of Psalm 29 focuses on the power and majesty of God expressed through nature. Imagery from Psalm 29:3–9 might be visualized by thinking about the devastation wrought by tornadoes, such as is ...

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