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 3851 to 3875 of 4942 results

3851. Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover

2 Chronicles 30:1--31:1

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Hezekiah: 30:1–27 This subsection of 29:1–32:23 (which is the Chronicler’s own material in full) is dedicated to the preparations for and celebration of the Passover. Passover occupies a very prominent place, not only in the Hezekiah narrative, but also in the Josiah account. However, it is here in the account of Hezekiah’s reign that the Passover is mentioned for the first time in Chronicles. It is introduced in 30:1 with the remark that Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to ...

3852. Jehoiakim King of Judah

2 Chronicles 36:5-8

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah: The accounts of the last four kings of Judah are very brief. Two of them (Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin) ruled for only about three months each, while the other two (Jehoiakim and Zedekiah) each ruled for eleven years. Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim therefore were nothing more than transitional figures bracketing the rule of King Jehoiakim of Judah and leading to the rule of Zedekiah. Although Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim were still successors to the throne of their respective ...

3853. Jehoiachin King of Judah

2 Chronicles 36:9-10

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3854. Zedekiah King of Judah

2 Chronicles 36:11-14

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3855. Those Guilty of Intermarriage

Ezra 10:18-44

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

The Message Hits Home: The story continues so smoothly from chapter 9 that, although it switches to third-person references to Ezra, this must be an editorial change made to the Ezra memoirs. He is labeled Ezra the priest in verses 10 and 16, for he was engaging in priestly work as he instructed the people about their uncleanness and pointed to the remedy, along the lines of Leviticus 10:10–11. In this way he discharged the second half of his mission, teaching the Torah and making it the basis of communal ...

3856. The Remnant of Israel

Isaiah 10:20-34

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

The Felling of Assyria and the Growth of a Branch: As 7:1–8:10 comprised two parallel sequences, so does 10:5–11:16. The immediately preceding section has come to a worrying end, but there now follows an unexpectedly encouraging reversal. Yahweh has been using Assyria to punish Judah, but Assyria’s own woe, or moment of punishment, is coming—as is Judah’s moment of restoration, the restoring of a remnant. We have been told that Yahweh’s anger is still unsated, but then we discover that it is being ...

3857. An Oracle Against Damascus

Isaiah 17:1-14

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

17:1–9 We move north from Moab to Aram (v. 3) or Syria, though the poem speaks of Aram’s capital city Damascus. The mention of the city corresponds to a feature that runs through this poem and forms a contrast with the poem on Moab. There cities featured, but they were chiefly ciphers for their inhabitants. “Heshbon cries out” meant “the people of Heshbon cry out” and the problem was the withering of their fields (15:4; 16:8). The disaster that had come on Moab was an agricultural disaster; the invader had ...

3858. A Prophecy Against Arabia

Isaiah 21:13-17

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

21:13–17 The word ‘arab (NIV Arabia) comes only here, in this poem about the steppe, and could refer to people living on the high desert plain, or it could mean “evening.” So again the introduction points in several directions. The scene remains to the northeast from Judah. Dedan and Tema are oases near Dumah in northwest Arabia. Dedan is mentioned in the records of Nabonidus (see on 14:3–23) and Tema was his capital for a period. Again we are in the midst of an event, perhaps within the same sequence of ...

3859. A Prophecy About Tyre

Isaiah 23:1-18

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

23:1–18 The fact that the sequence actually concludes with a poem about Tyre gives it an impressive end to match its impressive beginning. Babylon and Tyre are the two significant powers at the eastern and western frontiers of Assyria’s empire, its equivalents to New York and Los Angeles. Once again it is the city’s impressiveness that is a key factor in making its downfall necessary. But Babylon, along with Elam and Media, was on the edge of Israel’s known world. Tyre was the beginning of a world that ...

3860. Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold

Isaiah 37:1-13

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Hezekiah’s Great Political Crisis Confronts Him (37:1-7) We may be surprised to find the introduction to the second half of the book in chapters 34–35 followed by four chapters of prose stories about Hezekiah, the last of the kings of Isaiah’s own lifetime. One reason for this surprise is that they also appear in 2 Kings. As with 2:2–4, we do not know which is the more original version. But Isaiah is prominent in the stories and they incorporate some of his prophecies, so it is reasonable enough that they ...

3861. Sennacherib's Fall

Isaiah 37:21-38

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Hezekiah Responds to His Great Political Crisis: It will be a while before Yahweh will carry out the threat in verse 7. In the meantime, verses 8–35 go over similar ground to that just covered, and especially 36:18–37:7. Once again, Sennacherib sends a message to Jerusalem rather than coming himself. Once again he expresses contempt for Yahweh. Once again Hezekiah goes to the temple. Once again Isaiah sends him a message bringing Yahweh’s word of judgment and reassurance. As the story unfolds, the dramatic ...

3862. Song of Praise to the Lord

Isaiah 42:10-17

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Servant and Covenant: Again Yahweh challenges opponents to come to court to argue out who is God (41:21–29). Again a passage about Yahweh’s servant (42:1–9) follows this court case. Again this leads into praise and a vision of Yahweh transforming nature (42:10–17). While the three sections parallel the preceding set of three, they take matters much further. 42:10–17 The invitation to praise announces that we are coming to the end of a section of the book, and/or draws attention to the significance of what ...

3863. Judgment and Hope

Isaiah 66:1-24

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Yahweh’s Closing Critique and Vision: In these last two chapters of the book, once more we cannot discern an order or structure. The succession of phrases that look like introductions to prophecies (65:8, 13, 25; 66:1, 5, 12, 22) and the movement between verse and prose suggest that here it is not because a prophet let a stream of consciousness have its way. It is, rather, because a number of separate prophecies have been accumulated at the end of the book. These different prophecies have overlapping ...

3864. The False Prophet Hananiah

Jeremiah 28:1-17

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Jeremiah Versus the False Prophet Hananiah: In the midst of a turbulent time, Jeremiah’s message was not the only one that was being heard in Jerusalem. Other prophets with different messages were also active. Hananiah is an example of a rival prophet, and in chapter 28, these two will almost come to blows. The book of Deuteronomy anticipated the presence of false prophets. False prophets are those who are not sent by Yahweh, though they might speak in his name. Deuteronomy 13 and 18 provide the people ...

3865. Getting It Right in the Coming Year

Galatians 4:4-7

Sermon

King Duncan

It seems strange that New Year’s Eve should fall on a Sunday. But that, of course, is what today is. Many of you are looking forward to New Year’s Eve parties. I’ve always appreciated writer Bill Vaughan’s words: “Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.” I won’t ask how late some of you will be up. Some of you will celebrate via your television. I also like what some comedian said about that. He said, “I love it when they drop the ball in Times ...

3866. The Three Kings

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

British pastor Geoff Thomas tells about an amusing event that occurred sometime back at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. A gifted preacher, Al Martin was preaching in the main auditorium of the college for a special conference, and the congregation was completely absorbed by what they were hearing. Then toward the end of the sermon, all the lights in the place went out. Now that’s not too unusual. All kinds of things can cause power failures. But you might be interested in what caused this interruption ...

3867. Such a Little Thing

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

King Duncan

I understand President Ronald Reagan used to tell story about a very timid little man who ventured into a biker bar. The little man cleared his throat nervously and asked, “Which of you gentlemen owns a black Pit Bull which is chained outside to a parking meter?” A giant of a man, wearing biker gear, turned slowly on his stool, looked down at the quivering little man and snarled, “It’s my dog. Why?” “Well, sir,” squeaked the little man, obviously very nervous, “I believe my dog just killed your Pit Bull.” ...

3868. Chaos and Solitude

Mark 6:30-44, 53-56

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Everywhere Jesus went, people flocked to him. They wanted what he was offering. They wanted inspiration. They wanted healing. They wanted God. Mark's gospel tells us that "so many people were coming and going they (Jesus and the apostles) did not even have a chance to eat" (Mark 6:31). That coming and going provided a chaotic atmosphere for Jesus' ministry. That chaos meant that even before Jesus got to a town, the mass of admirers and hangers-on rushed ahead of him and waited for his arrival (Mark 6:33). ...

3869. Filling the Emptiness Within

John 6:24-35

Sermon

King Duncan

A few years ago a news article came across the wires of the Associated Press. It concerned the plight of a Swedish woman who had a rare eating disorder. Because of her disease, she was forced to eat thirty pounds of food a day just to stay alive. The old amounts of food she used to eat couldn’t sustain her physically any more. She would die if she simply ate three normal meals. She always needed more. That’s sad. Some of us probably fantasize about eating a significant amount of food without gaining weight ...

3870. At the Intersection of Heaven and Earth

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

It is said to be a true story from the old West. It is about a group of Apaches who attacked a Cavalry unit and successfully captured the paymaster’s safe. They had never seen a safe before. But they knew it contained precious gold. They tried to open the safe but were unsuccessful. They beat it with tomahawks. They dragged it over the ground with their horses. They heated it on a fire. They tried to blast it with gunpowder. Finally, they dropped it off a cliff into a great ravine. In spite of their best ...

3871. Who Is a Missionary?

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

For a helpful look at what or who a missionary is or should be, I recommend A Hitchhiker's Guide to Missions by Ada Lum (InterVarsity Press, 1984). Lum gives some helpful definitions and analysis of just what the missionary enterprise is all about. "A missionary is a prepared disciple whom God sends into the world with His resources to make disciples for His kingdom." She suggests six biblical images: 1. A Witness—Acts 1:8; Isaiah 43:10-12 2. An Evangelist—Luke 2:10-11; Acts 11:19-21 3. A Pioneer—Hebrews ...

3872. Use Your Head as Well as Your Heart

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that some people don’t think things through very well? There’s a story about a professional football player who wasn’t very fond of team curfews when the team was playing on the road. So this player had a routine that he followed whenever his team was in another city. If he wanted to stay out after curfew, he would take whatever he could find loose in his hotel room and cram it under his bed cover so it would appear that he was in his room. However in one motel there was very little ...

3873. Get the Garbage Out!

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

For those of you who are parents or grandparents, I bet you remember your baby’s first words. Were you surprised by what those first words were? You spend the first six to nine months of your baby’s life just babbling at him and making all kinds of words and sounds. And one day, he or she suddenly responds! It’s a great feeling. Unless your baby’s first words are something unexpected. A parenting website asked parents to submit stories of the strangest first words their babies ever said. Laura Conaway from ...

3874. Cloak of Power

Psalm 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. Malachi 4:2 Props: Prayer Shawl or Tallit (with Tzizit) or Cloak/Diver’s helmet Have you ever had the opportunity to take or watch a scuba diving lesson? What happens is this: a group of students, young and old, listen as the instructor has them practice fitting on the scuba helmet. Of course the helmet is part of the breathing tank apparatus, which supplies them with oxygen down below the surface of the water. You can’t watch this without ...

3875. The Cure

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

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus) Prop: Symbol of Medical Oath and/or Hippocratic Oath on screen (you can also use a rod or staff and rubber snake) And the Lord said unto Moses, Make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live. And so Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers) In that ...

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