Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3501 to 3525 of 4963 results

3501. Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in the conception of the messianic child. Joseph's obedience to the angelic messenger's command is complete. Without hesitation, he takes Mary for his wife. As further evidence of his righteousness, he refrains from having sexual relations with her. She remains the embodiment of the virgin Israel. Matthew's text does not necessarily offer evidence one way or another here about the Catholic doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity. The gospel writer is focused on the unique situation that surrounded Jesus ...

3502. Matthew 2:13-23

Matthew 2:13-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a great new hope. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, the prophet tells of the "new covenant" that will be written on the heart. By choosing Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew demonstrates both the fulfillment of prophecy in Herod's horrible crime and the miraculous message that remains. Even in the midst of immense tragedy, the story of the Messiah's arrival on earth offers the greatest hope ever imagined. The third "fulfillment" in this week's text returns again to the exodus theme. Joseph is told he can return to Israel because ...

3503. 2 Kings 2:1-12a

2 Kings 2:1-12a

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... baptism once again envelopes all those present, re-affirming Jesus as "beloved Son" and admonishing the disciples to "listen to him." This transfiguration then combines light, vision, and voice to attest to Jesus' glory. When the vision suddenly disappears, Jesus remains alone before the confused and now dumbstruck disciples. Jesus encourages this silence, perhaps hoping that quiet introspection may help Peter, James, end John come to grips with what they have experienced. Yet the final words of this week's ...

3504. Genesis 9:8-17

Genesis 9:8-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... inclusive of all the earth's residents) the rainbow is a symbol directed from the clouds above the earth to God. The rainbow is not a sign to people of some special promise God has made to them - it is a reminder to God that the earth is to remain safe from divine retribution. Indeed, since the word "bow" is always used by the Priestly writer to refer to a weapon, this bow in the clouds can be thought of as being pulled toward God, holding his anger at bay and bending it away from the earth, even as ...

3505. Mark 8:31-38

Mark 8:31-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... what the title they have just proudly declared actually means. It is a startling lesson. Rather than claiming authority from his identity, Jesus shakes his faithful followers with the news that the Son of Man (the term Jesus uses to define himself) is to remain obedient to God above all else. The cost of this obedience, Jesus reveals, will be rejection, suffering, and death. Only when he has endured all this will the Son of Man "after three days rise again" (verse 31). Not surprisingly Peter and the other ...

3506. Luke 24:35-48

Luke 24:35-48

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . The drama of his disappearances inspires the disciples for their future mission. Jesus' Emmaus Road companions immediately realize who they have been walking and talking with, and without hesitation know they must now go back and convey the good news to the remaining disciples. At the conclusion of his visit to the gathering in Jerusalem, Jesus blesses them and then makes his bodily ascension into heaven. The power of this glorious vision spurs the disciples on to worship and to work. It is only with ...

3507. 1 Samuel 16:14-23

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Testament is filled with stories so suspenseful, plots so convoluted and interwoven, that even in this unshockable age they continue to leap off the pages. Amidst all the cliffhangers and catastrophes, however, the tragedy of Saul and the triumph of David remain one of the most memorable - confounding our sensibilities and astounding our expectations. Last week's text introduced the guileless David into the divine plot to overthrow the unsuspecting Saul. This week the noose of God's judgment begins to slip ...

3508. 2 Samuel 7:1-17

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... David forever reads here in two directions at once. On one hand the covenant with David naturally fits at the beginning of his long reign in Jerusalem. And the promise of continued lineage counters the revelation in chapter 6 that David's wife Michal would remain barren. But since these words were written and read after the fall of Israel, and during the Babylonian exile of the people from their homeland, these are also words of comfort. Despite the fact that Israel had been lost to the Babylonians and her ...

3509. John 6:24-35

John 6:24-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . They are looking for their next meal. Jesus attempts to turn their appetite for bread into a hunger for the imperishable food of eternal life. Since this whole dialogue sets up a discussion of the Eucharist (6:51-58), the imagery of eating remains essential. But Jesus' first efforts to get this stubborn crowd to think with their heads instead of their stomachs is a failure. Their next question does not suggest any comprehension on their part it only reveals that they are trying a different tack. Perhaps ...

3510. Mark 8:27-38

Mark 8:27-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of others, will find themselves securely part of an eternal relationship with God. The rhetorical questions in verses 36-37 highlight the fragile mortality of humanity and emphasize our dependency on the divine. Whatever gains we may feel we have made in this life, the old truism remains that "you can't take it with you." The value of our life was established before we were born. It is a gift we receive with our first breath, a gift we can never repay. Following Jesus or not is left up to us. But Jesus ...

3511. Genesis 2:18-24

Genesis 2:18-24

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that God intends not just any sort of companion rather a "helper" and a "partner" is the missing component. In verse 19 God seeks to remedy this divine oversight through the outpouring of a series of new creative energies. The creative process, however, remains basically the same - God once again uses the "ground," the earth itself, as the raw material for creation. While these new creatures share with the human a basic commonness of being, these late arrivals do not receive the additional gift of God's ...

3512. Hebrews 4:1-3; 9-13

Hebrews 4:1-3; 9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... will happen to those whose lives fail to manifest a faithful, obedient spirit. The author believes his message to be critically current - for it is only while the promise of "rest" is still "open" that we are able to act. God's promised rest yet remains a viable pledge. It did not conclude when the Hebrew people entered into Canaan. It has never been rescinded. But attaining the ability to spiritually rest in God is not some easy, passive spectator's reward. Throughout Hebrews one of the author's repeated ...

3513. Mark 12:38-44

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . Keeping all this in mind enables the thrust of Jesus' observation in verses 41-44 to take on new meaning. Whereas the institutional church has often used "the widow's mite" as a kind of ecclesiastical fund-raising text, it actually remains within the context of Jesus' teachings against the religious establishment. That Jesus is still teaching is indicated by his physical location - "he sat down opposite the treasury" taking up the traditional position used by rabbis when conducting their classes. Having ...

3514. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... there is only one Spirit, the Spirit of God, but that its expressions or its "distributions" ("diaireseis") take on as many variations as there are people called by God. Whatever else Paul covers in this extended section on spiritual discernment, this remains his overarching tenet. Bridging the span between this general rule and particular gifts in verses 8-10 is verse 7. Charismatics and oldliners who expend their energies spotting shortcomings in each other usually find this text a useful one to avoid ...

3515. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... place. The further reference to "the twelve" served to distinguish them from the rest of the faithful as well. At verse 6 the style of the text changes to a distinctly Pauline character, indicating that the catalogue of information on the remaining "appearances" is supplied by Paul himself. These additions to the traditional confession create an impressive line-up of post-resurrection witnesses. It seems that although Paul knows that the gospel has been passed on to the Corinthians, he deems it necessary ...

3516. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... clarity of their call to ministry, Moses' experience on Mt.Horeb is enviously dramatic and unambiguous. While the format of this week's Old Testament text follows the established guidelines of all the "call narratives," the face-to-face quality of Moses' experience remains unique. Despite the miraculous nature of the vision, Moses does not immediately associate it with the presence of God. It is curiosity more than awe that originally draws Moses to the burning bush. Not until verse 6 is it made clear that ...

3517. John 20:1-18

John 20:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... so that she can simply stand around. She has been awakened to the miracle of Christ's resurrected presence and is now called to take action and proclaim the good news of prophesy fulfilled. Mary's miraculous message opens a door for the remaining disciples, for they may now expect the rest of Jesus' promises to be just as wondrously brought to life. Transformed by the content of this message, Mary does as she is told and joyfully proclaims to the sorrowing, frightened, disheartened outcasts that are ...

3518. Acts 9:1-20

Acts 9:1-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... only think of getting out of there before Jesus sees him and forces a confrontation. He hastily pulls on some clothing so that he won't be stranded naked on the shore and plunges into the water. His disappearance from the text now seems reasonable, for he remains waterlogged for some time. But Simon Peter does not make his escape; his love for Jesus keeps him close. This construction allows Peter's reboarding of the ship (now from the water, not the shore) in order to empty the net (verse 11) to serve as ...

3519. Revelation 21:10, 22-27

Revelation 21:10, 22-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... souls everywhere the message of John is that our home is in Christ. This is the home to which we can always go. John's New Jerusalem is a city of lights in other ways as well. The city gates - all 12 of them - remain open and welcoming at all times. There are no powers of darkness, spiritual or visual, which necessitate their closure. Remembering John's physical exile and brutal imprisonment makes his revelation even more poignant. While many of his prisonmates were undoubtedly incarcerated for political or ...

3520. Colossians 3:1-11

Colossians 3:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... not encounter the vision of Christ at God's right hand, but will be confronted by God's wrath. For all those who succeed in establishing their "new self" after being raised in Christ, the promise of the eschatological vision of paradise remains - whether Greek or Jew, Scythian or slave. Secret rites, prematurely transporting only a privileged few believers to this scene of glory, are categorically denied. By dying in Christ and then living for Christ, all believers will be welcomed. Christ truly "is all ...

3521. Hebrews 13:1-8

Hebrews 13:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... leaving the church to affix this conclusion at some later date. But while most scholars note this possibility, few actually adhere to the hypothesis. While the style of prose changes in chapter 13, the author's essential vocabulary and primary concerns remain the same. A less drastic theory states that while the author was concerned with voicing general guidelines and Christian attitudes in the first 12 chapters, he now focuses on specific, practical matters that directly concern members of the community he ...

3522. Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... parables is the story of the so-called "Dishonest Steward" in Luke 16:1-9. Few parables have been subject to such a myriad of interpretations - all attempts to harmonize the story's surprising end with our traditional moral expectations. The problem remains that after painting the steward with the brush of questionable ethics and untrustworthy behavior, this story concludes with words of praise for the master's fiscal manager. The parable starts traditionally enough. It is cast in the middle of a series of ...

3523. 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... how long the wickedness of Babylon will be imposed upon Judea as punishment for her sins. Habakkuk's watchful prayer is answered by God's words to him recorded in verse 2. God assures Habakkuk that the ultimate vision for the people still remains - that a divinely ordained order will "surely come." Despite their imminent experience with invasions and injustice at the hands of a conquering enemy, God still intends that Judah operate under the miraculous gift of divine mishpat. Verse 3 makes it clear that ...

3524. Ephesians 1:11-23

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Ephesians is one of the most optimistic communications in the Bible. Whether or not authentically Paul's work, the fact remains that the distinctively Pauline nature of faith is presented here with a distinctively celebratory note. This week's epistle reading introduces one of the central tenets of this entire section - that of the special "inheritance" available to us through Christ. Verse 11 declares that this inheritance is experienced once believers ...

3525. Matthew 2:13-23

Matthew 2:13-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The journey of the Magi is recounted in Matthew 2:1-12 and demonstrates the trustworthy nature of these three powerful figures. The Magi take the signs and portents of the Lord very seriously. They go to great lengths and some risk to remain obedient to the visions they are given. First they seek the child by going on a kind of pilgrimage journey. When they find Jesus, these stately, royal personages do not hesitate to bow down and worship the tiny baby. They also pay homage to the infant's foretold ...

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