Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 301 to 325 of 391 results

301. Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

Acts 18:18-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... an act prior to the observance of the vow that ends when he has his hair “shaved” (Acts 21:24; cf. Num. 6:18). Luke does not provide the specific occasion for this vow, but this brief note is sufficient in emphasizing Paul’s adherence to Jewish traditions. The note that “he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church” (18:22) also highlights his connection with the center of Jewish Christianity. Second, this account also aims at introducing Paul’s return to Ephesus during his third missionary ...

302. Before the Sanhedrin

Acts 22:30--23:11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... not to those who claim to represent him. The note on his “good conscience” also highlights that he is only responsible to God. In Paul’s letters and in other New Testament writings, this phrase does not refer to mere subjective feelings or an adherence to an abstract set of universal moral imperatives; rather, this “good conscience” refers to submission to the will and sovereignty of God (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 1 Pet. 3:21). Finally, “to this day” also points to the consistency and determination ...

303. Festus Consults King Agrippa

Acts 25:13-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and under Nero he gained control over areas surrounding Judea and Samaria. Traditions point to his incestuous relationship with his sister Bernice (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.145; Juvenal, Satire 6.156–60). In his report to Agrippa, Festus emphasizes his adherence to proper legal procedures as well as his effectiveness as a judge (25:16–17). Festus concludes that the charges have to do with “their own religion” (25:19). Significantly, while the issue of resurrection has already been brought up ...

304. The Jews and the Law

Romans 2:17-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... claim that the Mosaic law constitutes a fundamental advantage of Jews over Gentiles. First, he cites the claims of his Jewish dialogue partner (2:17–20). (1) He proudly calls himself a Jew, identifying himself with the beliefs, rites, and customs of the adherents of Israel’s Mosaic and prophetic tradition. (2) Jews rely on the law in the sense that it gives them comfort, support, and contentment. (3) Jews boast in God; that is, they are confident their special relationship with God will vindicate Israel ...

305. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... priorities and constructing their own values (14:8–9). 14:13–23 · Second, Paul discusses renouncing one’s freedom out of love. He argues that Christians who are strong in their faith have the responsibility not to damage the believers who continue to adhere to Jewish legal practices in the area of dietary law and Sabbath observance. Paul agrees theologically with the strong: no food, no beverage, no day of the calendar is ritually unclean (14:14, 20). They are right in believing that the kingdom of ...

306. Expel the Immoral Brother!

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... people” (5:9). His counsel, however, has been misunderstood by the church, which took it to apply to the advisability of contact with the “people of this world” (5:10) and therefore neglected it as an impossibly rigorous and impractical standard. Adherence to such a standard would involve the Christian community’s complete withdrawal from the world, and this possibility Paul does not even pause to contemplate. Rather, he writes again, more fully and clearly, what he wrote before: “You must not ...

307. Orderly Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... also be safe to ignore the claims of such an individual to be led by the Spirit. The exhortation epitomizes Paul’s advice. The ability to prophesy should be sought eagerly, and speaking in tongues should not be forbidden. But whatever form the worship service takes as a result of adherence to these directions, “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (14:40).

308. Paul’s Reflection on His Ministry

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the gospel. But, as experience has shown, whenever they turn to the Lord, that veil “is taken away” (3:16; Exod. 34:34), and it is removed (according to Paul’s interpretation of Exod. 34:34) under the inspiration of the Spirit. For the Spirit brings freedom from the systematic adherence of Judaism to the law and its traditional interpretation; the Spirit actually enables the transformation of existence that was the intention behind the letter of the law (3:17–18).

309. Conclusion with Personal Appeal

Galatians 6:11-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... follow this rule.” Only these people can be properly identified as “the Israel of God” (6:16; see Rom. 9:6; 11:7; Eph. 3:6). Therefore, in Paul’s view, to be admitted as a member of the old covenant people of God, one must adhere to the provisions of the new covenant, which was promised as part of the old. Paul’s last words alert us to the toll such battles exacted from him. The constant harassment concerning his apostolic credentials and the problem of legalism as an excuse for Jewish prejudice ...

310. Holy War: Fighting Right the Right Fight

Ephesians 6:10-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Paul asks for prayers on his own behalf, that he might speak boldly as an ambassador with a message from the king of creation. Yet Paul’s calling is really no different from the calling all followers of Jesus have received. Their very adherence to the lifestyle described so powerfully in the preceding three chapters loudly proclaims that a new king has arrived on the scene, establishing a new and permanent rule over humanity, establishing in fact a new humanity. The overhaul of broken creation is under ...

311. Judge Those Who Work among You by the Truth of the Gospel

Philippians 2:19-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... proved his worth by serving closely with Paul in spreading the message of the gospel. Paul’s chief concern, and therefore his primary reason for writing the Letter to the Philippians, is the progress of the gospel in Philippi. Because of his character and adherence to the gospel, Timothy can represent Paul as his forerunner, even as Paul hopes that he himself will be able to follow soon. Paul then moves on to the example of Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus, as the messenger the Philippians sent to Paul (2:25 ...

312. Paul’s Life as an Example of the Truth of the Gospel

Philippians 3:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... not come from ignorance about the law. But “knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” has brought about a complete change in Paul’s life. He describes this change in Philippians 3:7–8 and makes it clear that this change could never have been brought about by adherence to Jewish law. In fact, Paul now considers all his former advantages as a Jew, the things that he used to consider “gains,” to be a total “loss” for the sake of knowing Christ. The word translated as “what is more,” which begins 3:8 ...

313. Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 1 Thess. 3:3–4): “For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews” (2:14). While many early congregations suffered for their adherence to the gospel (Acts 14:22; 1 Pet. 5:9), the churches in Judea were recognized as the first fruits of God’s work in the new covenant (Rom. 15:26–27; Gal. 1:17–24; 2:1–10) and enjoyed high honor among the other churches ...

314. Stand Firm

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... verse reflects a common exhortation given to new converts (see Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 16:13; Gal. 5:1; Phil. 1:27; 4:1) to stay stable and faithful to the Lord in the face of opposition (see 1 Thess. 3:8). The particular concern here is their continued adherence to the teaching they received (2:2, 5; cf. 1 Thess. 4:1–2). The teachings were the sacred apostolic tradition handed down to them in the gospel (Rom. 6:17; 1 Cor. 11:23; 15:3; Jude 3). These traditions were not of human but divine origin and, therefore ...

315. The Antichrist Has Come! The Secessionists Deny Jesus’s Messiahship

1 John 2:18-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :42; 16:2). While there probably was not anything like a universal ban or excommunication of Jesus followers, these pressures against confessing Jesus as the Christ, and especially as the Son of God, caused at least some defections of Jesus adherents from local synagogues. (4) Once they had departed from the synagogue, however, their Jewish family and friends likely sought to draw them back into the more established faith community, with its more supportive religious practices—the way of Moses, the truth ...

316. Let Us Love One Another!

1 John 4:7-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... committing infractions; incentives may be posed as an approach to reinforcing some behaviors and discouraging others; distant goals may be identified with means of attaining them being explored; values may be clarified and extolled as a means of motivating adherence; and leaders may be delegated authority, serving as determiners of standards and arbiters of conflict. The elder obviously has attained a good deal of personal authority, but whether it comes from positional or personal status is impossible to ...

317. Humanity Reaching Out

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

James L. Killen

... represent the three major racial groups that make up the world's population as we know it. That is probably not historically accurate, but it is a meaningful interpretation of the message of the story. They were probably from Persia, seers trained in astrology, adherents to the Zoroastrian religion, maybe advisors to the rulers of Persia. These wise men represent the rest of the world. They represent humanity in us and in our world that is always reaching out to humanity, wherever it is across all of the ...

318. Clean and Unclean

Matthew 15:1-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... him about his activities. The scribes were Jewish scholars who copied the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament and consequently became the professional interpreters of Scripture. The Pharisees were a religious order, primarily laymen, who devoted themselves to strict adherence to the law. Most scribes were Pharisees, but not all Pharisees were scribes. The question used by the religionists from Jerusalem was more an accusation than an honest request for information. Why do your disciples keep breaking ...

319. The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... soils, which symbolize various circumstances that affect people who hear the word. Some scholars have proposed that this parable should be titled the Parable of the Soils. The explanation of the meaning of the various soils is relatively clear. Some who become adherents of the message fail under persecution (4:16–17). Some are so tied to materialist priorities that they cannot really surrender to the message (4:18–19). It is perhaps the first group, the ones from whom Satan takes the message, that ...

320. Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

Romans 1:1-17

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... A. Richardson, An Introduction to the Theology of the New Testament (New York: Harper & Row, 1958), pp. 281–84. On the issue of discipleship Bonhoeffer avers that the call to faith is a call to discipleship, and that discipleship is a concrete form of adherence to Christ which can only be undertaken by following Jesus. “Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe” (Cost of Discipleship, p. 72). 1:6–7 T. W. Manson (“St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans—and Others,” in Romans Debate, Revised, pp. 4–5 ...

321. No One Is Righteous

Romans 3:9-20

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... law. Total fulfillment of the law cannot produce salvation. Observing the law cannot remove a person from the cloud of condemnation which results from being “under sin” (v. 9). That is not the way to a restored relationship with the creator, because the law, even if adhered to, is not sufficient to resist the power of sin. What then is the function of the law? One purpose of the law is to produce a consciousness of sin (v. 20). This too is an insight unique to Paul and unknown to rabbinic Judaism. The ...

322. An Illustration from Marriage

Romans 7:1-6

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... of the law. For I am speaking to men who know the law indicates that even among his Gentile readers Paul could assume a familiarity with the law, which indicates that in Rome, as elsewhere, many of the Gentile converts had previously been adherents to the Jewish synagogue or were “God fearers.” The law under discussion is scarcely Roman law, despite the fact that the Romans, as Paul well knew, were eminent jurists. The marriage illustration that follows clearly refers to Jewish and not to Roman practice ...

323. Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-8

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... instead of rejection of them. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (11:33). The renewal of the mind approves what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (v. 2). If Christian conduct were simply adhering to a legal code or moral principle, then there would be no need to test and approve what God’s will is. But Christian conduct grows only from discipleship, and discipleship from learning and following Christ. The renewed mind is thus the discipled mind, and ...

324. The Burnt Offering

Leviticus 1:1-17

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... central sanctuary in Jerusalem. This suggests preexilic usage. The OT’s accounts of the kingdom period describe a rather mixed history of worship in Jerusalem. Reforms, such as those of Hezekiah and Josiah, were frequently necessary. How often preexilic worship actually adhered to the format in Leviticus is open to question. No doubt the instructions were also adapted along the way. The trauma of exile and hope of return led the Priestly school to unite their traditions, including this Manual of Sacrifice ...

325. The King’s Thanksgiving for Military Victories

Psalm 18:1-50

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... and is thus a testimony.) These are not claims of moral perfection but affirmations that one embraces the ways of the LORD and that one is a “seeker” and “fearer” of Yahweh (see on Pss. 15; 24). They simply profess that one is a loyal adherent, as opposed one who rejects or disregards Yahweh and his ways. We cannot read this testimony as an expression of pride, for God saves the humble but brings low those whose eyes are haughty. In stark contrast to most leaders, the Davidic king must count ...

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