Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 3301 to 3325 of 4967 results

3301. Children of God

1 John 2:28--3:10

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... ” the remaining Johannine Christians. In the Gospel and letters of John, the focus of love is within the community of believers. There is no command concerning love of neighbor or love of enemies, as in the Synoptic Gospels and Paul’s writings. What is at issue is love among Jesus’ disciples (John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17) and love among those who claim to be brothers and sisters in the same fellowship (1 John 2:9–10; 3:10–11, 14–18, 23b; 4:7–8, 11–12, 20–21; 5:1–2; 2 John 5–6; 3 John 6 ...

3302. Jesus’s Ministry and Popularity Continue to Grow

Mark 1:40-45, Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... that Jesus was unhappy with the man breaking with tradition by approaching him, for he never worried about such issues in his ministry.5In 3:5 Jesus is angry about the “stubborn hearts” of the leaders, and in 10:14 he is indignant because of the disciples’ rejection of children. The case here is unlike either of those and is probably similar to John 11:33, 38, where Jesus is angry at the power of sin and death in this world, specifically the physical, emotional, and social anguish that the person has ...

3303. Jesus Turns to His New Family

Mark 3:31-35, Mark 3:20-30

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... were not even able to eat. We do not know in what town or house this takes place. But as always, a huge crowd (see on 3:9) surrounds and fills the house. Here we get a further picture of the intensity of Jesus’s ministry. He and his disciples are kept so busy with the people that they “are not even able to eat,” a comment that shows the depth of their compassion and commitment to people and their needs. 3:21 his family . . . said, “He is out of his mind.” The RSV attempts to remove the stigma ...

3304. On the Cross Jesus Is Mocked and Dies

Mark 15:33-41

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... of the psalm he cries out in triumph, knowing that God will vindicate him (vv. 22–31). So some believe that this is a cry of victory rather than of agony. However, in the context it is clearly deep sorrow that predominates, culminating the desertion of his disciples, the rejection by the leaders and people of Israel, and now the absence of his Father’s presence. There is an aspect of trust and a realization that triumph will come (the whole psalm is implied in Jesus’s cry, as he utters its first line ...

3305. Sabbath in Capernaum

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... three specific exorcisms in addition to this one (8:26–39; 9:37–43; 11:14), but his summary statements (6:18; 7:21; 8:2; 11:15–20) show that this was a central element in Jesus’s ministry, and one that he shared also with his disciples (9:1; 10:17) and even with one outsider (9:49–50). Modern Western society is generally uncomfortable with the idea of demonic possession and sometimes tries to dismiss it as a primitive explanation for mental illness, but in the society in which Jesus lived, as in ...

3306. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... , this story (7:36–50) together with the following verses (8:1–3) shows that Jesus valued women as much as men, and that women were coming to play a more significant role in his movement than the reader might have thought from the choice of twelve male disciples in 6:13–16. Outline/Structure The other three Gospels (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8) tell of a woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany on his final visit to Jerusalem; John identifies her as Mary of Bethany. But beyond the fact ...

3307. “Love Your Neighbor”

Luke 10:25-37

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... it is distinctive in two ways: first, it is the questioner, not Jesus, who first offers the summary; second, Jesus provides extensive comment on it in the form of the parable of the good Samaritan. The recent hostile reception of Jesus and his disciples by a Samaritan village (9:51–56) provides a telling backdrop to a parable that depends for its effect on the enmity between Jews and Samaritans. Historical and Cultural Background The mutual hostility between Jews and Samaritans goes back to the separation ...

3308. The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35, Luke 14:15-24

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... shore of the Dead Sea and sold in Palestine was not pure: the salt content might be washed out, leaving a useless deposit. Whether the thought is of salt as flavoring or as preservative, it is the distinctive “saltiness” that makes an effective disciple; one who is no longer “salty” (i.e., who is indistinguishable from the world around) is no good to anyone. For this metaphorical use of salt, compare Matthew 5:13; Colossians 4:6. “Loses its saltiness” is literally “is made foolish,” possibly ...

3309. A Blind Beggar and a Rich Scoundrel

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... not all, though the additional restitution of 400 percent of his ill-gotten gains (the law required only 120 percent [Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:7]) would probably make a sizable hole in the other half. And we are not told that he left home and followed Jesus as a disciple (as the blind man has done [18:43]). But there is no hint that his response is insufficient; rather the opposite. Does this suggest that 18:22 may not be intended as a rigid rule so much as a diagnostic test of the depth of a person’s commitment ...

3310. The Roman Verdict

Luke 22:66--23:25

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R.T. France

... used here in the broader sense of the land of the Jews (and so including Galilee), but even so, this is something of an exaggeration, at least as far as Luke’s record goes. But it was as a teacher with a following of enthusiastic disciples, whom he had also sent out to recruit others, that Jesus had come to the notice of the authorities in Galilee. An unpopular occupying authority cannot afford to ignore such popular movements. 23:7 he sent him to Herod. It is historically plausible that Herod Antipas ...

3311. The Death of Jesus

Luke 23:44-49, Luke 23:26-43

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R.T. France

... him. These may include some or all of the Eleven (Luke has not told us what happened to any of them except Peter after Jesus’s arrest) but probably also a wider circle of supporters (such as Joseph [23:50]) and perhaps also family members; we will hear of disciples additional to the Eleven in 24:9, 13, 33 (cf. Acts 1:13–15). The special mention of the women (whom we met earlier at 8:2–3) prepares us for their important role as witnesses in 23:55–56; 24:1–10. Theological Insights Like the other ...

3312. Christian Success and Christlikeness

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... non of the Christian faith, as indeed he is teaching in every church everywhere (4:17). 4:17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy. Paul sent Timothy, not to remind them that he (Paul) was their father, but to show them what a true disciple looks like.7 Not only was Timothy Paul’s beloved child; he was also to be trusted (“faithful in the Lord”). The reminder that Timothy was to bring was not a repeat explanation of Paul’s teaching but a living example of his lifestyle—the application of ...

3313. Resurrection and History

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

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Preben Vang

... follows his common pattern of using Peter’s Aramaic name (1:12; 3:22; 9:5; Gal. 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14). This appearance is recorded in Luke 24:34. “The Twelve” is a technical term referring to the inner group of Jesus’s disciples and does not reflect on Judas’s absence (or replacement). This could be the appearance in Luke 24:36–43. more than five hundred . . . James . . . all the apostles. Neither Acts nor the Gospels record a postresurrection event that includes five hundred believers. Paul could ...

3314. Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain

Revelation 5:1-14

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... , to name a few. Of the many details worth describing, however, one stands out above all: da Vinci composed his work with astounding technical perspective, so that the head of Jesus is at the very center of the work. The placement of the disciples, surrounding architecture, and even the lighting are meant to focus our eyes on him. Like a master Artist, God has composed universal history to focus our eyes on Christ’s cross and resurrection. (If your setting allows, this illustration will work much better ...

3315. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

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

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... lifetime?” The old proverb is true: “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” One clear mark of cultlike leadership is a fear of actually developing disciples. Unhealthy leaders prefer to forge a deep spiritual dependence between the congregation and themselves. This kind of leader is not someone who “teaches to fish” and releases people to ministry. Instead, he becomes the only dispenser of wisdom. He alone is capable of bringing ...

3316. Love to Stay Here Forever

Exodus 24:12, 15-18, Matthew 17:1-9

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... gave us chores that need to be done. Chores like preparing meals, and sweeping the house, and earning an income, and even chores like picking up our toys and making our bed. Jesus and three of his disciples were on a very special mountain. There the disciples had the greatest experience of their lives. In fact the disciples wanted to stay there on the mountain. But Jesus would not let them. There were people down in the valley who needed them, so as wonderful as the mountain was, they needed to go back to ...

3317. The Narrow and Wide Gates

Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a wise person and a foolish person build houses, one on rock, the other on sand (7:24–27). The wise person hears Jesus’s words and enacts them; the foolish one hears but does not obey. The sermon’s conclusion calls Jesus’s disciples as well as Matthew’s readers to obedience—to be the wise person who obeys Jesus’s teachings. Five times Matthew uses identical wording to transition from Jesus’s teaching (in the five discourses) to Jesus’s activity that follows: “When Jesus had finished ...

3318. The Cost of Discipleship

Matthew 8:18-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Matthew includes here a teaching on discipleship. Although the identity of the two “would-be” disciples has been debated (is either a true disciple?), the account focuses on Jesus’s expectations for his disciples in light of the arrival of God’s kingdom: sacrifice and uncompromising allegiance (8:18–20), even in the face of family obligations (8:21–22; for “Son of Man” [8:20] as Jesus’s self-designation, see “Theological Themes” in the introduction).

3319. The Call of Matthew

Matthew 9:9-13, Matthew 9:14-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to the law must be enacted with mercy and love at the center (12:7; 23:23; also 22:34–40). After enacting mercy toward sinners as a signal of God’s kingdom, Jesus responds to a question from John the Baptist’s disciples by alluding to the kingdom’s arrival. When asked why Jesus’s disciples do not fast, Jesus answers that the time does not allow for it. Jesus’s presence (as a sign of the kingdom’s presence) is a time of joy and so is not appropriate to fasting (9:14–15). New wine calls for ...

3320. The Mystery of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... hidden, see 13:35, 44; cf. 13:33 ESV). The kingdom, even in its present, hidden manifestation, is worth everything one has and brings great joy (13:44). Two moments mark the end of the Parables Discourse. The first narrates Jesus’s question to his disciples of whether they have understood his parables. Although their answer is an unqualified yes, Matthew will show their lack of understanding as the story progresses (e.g., 15:15; 16:22). The final saying or parable of Matthew 13 (13:52) calls the hearer to ...

3321. The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’s enemies (15:22; cf. Num. 21:1). Using the messianic title “Son of David,” she cries out to him to heal her demon-possessed daughter (15:22). Yet Jesus speaks to her only after his disciples have entreated him to deal with her cries. His answer echoes the mission parameters he has already given to his disciples: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (15:24; cf. 10:5–6). This initial scenario has much in common with the entreaty of the Gentile centurion on behalf of his servant who is ...

3322. The Lord's Supper

Matthew 26:17-30, Matthew 26:31-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... future consummation of God’s kingdom (26:29; cf. the kingship theme at 27:33–56). After moving east from the city to the Mount of Olives (across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem; 26:30), Jesus predicts that not only Judas but also all his disciples will fall away (skandalizō—“stumble”; cf. 11:6), citing Zechariah 13:7, concerning the scattering of the flock at the striking of the shepherd. Though Peter protests, Jesus predicts Peter will disown him before morning arrives (26:34; cf. 26:69–75).

3323. Resurrection and Commissioning

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... faint in fear, while the angel comforts the two women and calms their fears with the news that Jesus has risen as predicted (28:4–6). They are invited to see the evidence—the empty tomb—and instructed to tell Jesus’s (now eleven) disciples that Jesus has risen and will meet them in Galilee (28:6–7). Matthew’s portrait of the two Marys as the first witnesses of the empty tomb (and the resurrection; 28:9) would have surprised his original audience. Ancient perspectives prioritized male testimony ...

3324. Jesus Questioned about Fasting

Mark 2:18-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... do not follow the examples of the disciples of John the Baptizer and the disciples of the Pharisees, both of whom were considered morally and ritually exemplary, is a further cause of offense to his contemporaries (2:18–22). The Pharisees, a lay movement that came into existence during the Maccabean revolt (168–146 BC), staunchly resisted the accommodation of Jewish life to prevailing Greco- ...

3325. The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... brief, superficial, even careless hearing. As a result, it is lost. The people who represent good soil, by contrast, attend to the gospel with earnest and ongoing engagement, which Mark signals by the present tense of the Greek verb for “hear.” The mark of a true disciple, an insider, is to “hear the word and accept it and bear fruit” (4:20 ESV, NASB). Those who genuinely hear and receive the mystery of the kingdom of God will, by the grace of its generative power, produce a harvest beyond belief.

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