Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3951 to 3975 of 4884 results

3951. The Law Spoon

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... look drinkable. However, we all know that it would still be dangerous to drink, even though that wasn’t readily evident. If you took a claen spoon and stirred the water, it would become readily evident that the water was not clean. The law is like the clean spoon—though perfect in itself, it made evident the true nature that exists within us.

3952. Two Dimes

Illustration

Michael P. Green

During the season of Super Bowl I, the great quarterback Bart Starr had a little incentive scheme going with his oldest son. For every perfect paper Bart Junior brought home from school, Starr gave him ten cents. After a particularly rough game against St. Louis, in which Starr felt he had performed poorly, he returned home weary and battered, late at night after a long plane ride. But he couldn’t help feeling better when ...

3953. Masturbation

Illustration

C.S. Lewis

... with a real woman. For the harem is always accessible, always subservient, calls for no sacrifices or adjustments, and can be endowed with erotic and psychological attractions which no woman can rival. Among those shadowy brides he is always adored, always the perfect lover; no demand is made on his unselfishness, no mortification ever imposed on his vanity. In the end, they become merely the medium through which he increasingly adores himself. . . . After all, almost the main work of life is to come out of ...

3954. Ripples Through History

Illustration

Michael P. Green

At the base of the Tetons in Wyoming lies Jackson Lake. Sometimes, early in the morning when the lake is perfectly calm, the reflection of the Tetons is magnificently duplicated and mirrored on the lake’s surface. The interesting thing is that if you were to take one little flat stone and skip it across the surface of the lake, the image of the Tetons would be distorted and marred. In ...

3955. We Have No Record of It

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... is a case where the integrity and excellence of that company would not permit a flaw in workmanship or materials to be made known. The excellence of Christ does not permit our flaws to be made known to the Father. He has no record of it, because he has manufactured perfect grace. He has accomplished our forgiveness.

3956. Suffering Has Value

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... one of his legs had to be amputated. That did not arrest the course of his disease, and he ultimately died because of it. Just a few days before the man’s death, a minister visited him in the hospital, and the patient said something that perfectly expresses what “rejoicing in suffering” means to a Christian: “I never would have chosen one of the trials that I’ve gone through, but I wouldn’t have missed any of them for the world!” This man had an awareness that his suffering was something of ...

3957. Urim and Thummim

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... your question?” The young man said, “Tell me, what were the Urim and the Thummim? The old man thought a moment, then said, “Well, sir, I don’t know really, and I don’t think anyone else does either. We do know the names mean ‘lights’ and ‘perfections’ and that these were the instruments by which the high priest could determine the mind of God in specific instances. Beyond that, I don’t think I could go. But you know, I’ve found that if we change just one letter in these words, we have ...

3958. In The Eye of the Storm

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... storm with cyclonic winds that exceed 74 m.p.h. Rain, thunder, and lightning usually accompany the winds. Hurricanes can be very fierce storms with relentless pounding winds that continue hour after hour. But a very fascinating thing about a hurricane is its “eye”—a place of perfect calm in its center. Though the winds blow and rage all around it, there are none in the eye. So with us in the storms of life. With the Lord as our center, there is calm and peace, even in the darkest of life’s storms.

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.

Traditional

3960. Jesus Taken Up into Heaven

Acts 1:1-11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... from their earlier hope of occupying the seats of power in such a kingdom (Mark 10:35ff.; Luke 22:24ff.). But given these hopes and against the background of Jesus’ resurrection and his statements concerning the Spirit, their question, though mistaken, was a perfectly natural one. In Jewish thought, resurrection and the Spirit belonged to the new age. Indeed, the prophecy of Joel, to which Jesus had very likely referred them, may have given rise to the question they were now asking, for the prophet had ...

3961. Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

Acts 1:12-26

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... the number to twelve: Several writers have discussed the possibility of Essene influence in the role of the Twelve. They have been compared with 1QS 8.1: “In the council [?] of the community [where they are? or there shall be?] twelve men and three priests, perfect in all that is revealed in the Law.” It has been suggested that the mention of “twelve men” is “an analogue to the college of the twelve apostles of Jesus” (B. Reicke, “The Constitution of the Church,” in The Scrolls and the New ...

3962. The Return to Antioch in Syria

Acts 14:21-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... were commissioned with prayer and fasting, as the missionaries themselves had been (13:2, 3), and were thus commended to the Lord [Jesus], in whom they had put their trust (v. 23; cf. 20:32). For the expression “to believe into,” see disc. on 10:43. The perfect tense of the verb indicates that they had sometime past come to this faith and were continuing in it (cf. 15:5; 16:34; 19:18). 14:24–28 In verse 24 we find again that expression that suggests that Paul and Barnabas “made a missionary journey ...

3963. The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-21

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... . The covenant mentioned in Isaiah 56:6 was held to be that of circumcision. These advocates of circumcision belonged to the party of the Pharisees—the first mention of any converts from that sect other than Paul (v. 5). They were believers, where the perfect participle is intended perhaps to emphasize the reality of their faith (see disc. on 14:23), that is, they were fully convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, though they thought of him still as the king of Israel from whose kingdom the Gentiles would ...

3964. Paul and Silas In Prison

Acts 16:16-40

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... jail) where both he and his family could receive fuller instruction. The theme of this further teaching was still the lordship of Jesus (v. 32, taking the genitive “of the Lord” to be objective), and so they were brought to confess Jesus as Lord. The perfect participle (v. 34) is perhaps intended to make the point that they had come to a full profession of this faith (see disc. on 14:23). Their new life was demonstrated at once in two ways: the jailer himself tended the prisoners’ wounds from their ...

3965. In Athens

Acts 17:16-34

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... by the chance agglomeration of atoms (a theory derived from Democritus and learned by Epicurus from his disciple Nausiphanes). The gods had no involvement, therefore, in creation. Indeed, they cared for neither the world nor its inhabitants, but themselves followed to perfection the life of detachment that was the Epicurean ideal. Thus the Epicureans were practical atheists, though they did not deny the existence of the gods—we have an idea of them, therefore they must be real (the atoms of which the ...

3966. Paul in Ephesus

Acts 19:1-22

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... to break the hold that superstition had had even on them. This, too, was an ongoing result, which saw them coming from time to time (imperfect) openly confessing their evil deeds. Luke has no doubt that their faith prior to this had been genuine (for the perfect tense of the participle those who believed, see disc. on 14:23). But they were still “infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1) learning to live their new life—profession was only slowly followed by practice (cf. Eph. 4:22–24; 5:11). 19:19–20 ...

3967. Paul Speaks to the Crowd

Acts 21:37--22:21

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... he had been called. He put it only in general terms—to be a witness to all men of what he had seen and heard (v. 15; cf. v. 21; 9:15; 26:17; Gal. 1:16). The verb “to see” (as in 1 Cor. 9:1) is in the perfect tense, expressing the abiding result of having seen Jesus. The image would remain in the mind’s eye. The verb “to hear” is in the aorist with reference to the initial event. To have seen the risen Lord was an essential qualification of an apostle (cf. 1:22; 2:32 ...

3968. The Storm

Acts 27:13-26

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... them all (v. 20). At all events, as far as he was concerned, the angelic vision had brought confirmation of the promise that he would witness in Rome. But he was also told that God “had already granted him as a favor” (the sense of the Greek verb in the perfect tense) the lives of those who were with him. (Was this in response to his prayers on their behalf? See disc. on 1:14 and 9:11.) 27:25–26 His last words were a testimony. He urged the ship’s company to keep up [their] courage, because God ...

3969. The God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... God (cf. 1 Cor. 4:9). He saw in the situation the divine purpose that he should trust solely in the God who raises the dead and not in himself. Paul expresses the same kind of resolution to life or death in Philippians 2:19–26. Paul employs the perfect participle of peithein to mean “have confidence in, trust in” (cf. 2:3; 10:7; Phil. 3:3). Is there a question that the apostle would rely on himself rather than on God? Paul describes another, unrelated experience in 12:7 when God gave him a “thorn in ...

3970. Hearts

2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... preceding scriptural argument. Based on the promises quoted in the citation combination of 6:16 and 18, Paul concludes that the Corinthians should, once again, separate themselves from pernicious influences. This is what the apostle means by perfecting holiness, for holiness or “sanctification” denotes “separation.” The Israelites were originally charged to maintain a holiness through obedience to the law. This obligation is the result of Yahweh’s separating them from other nations, redeeming them ...

3971. Paul Opposes Peter

Galatians 2:11-21

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... even in the simple power of confidence in God, but in recognizing that one has become incorporated into Christ. The Christian life is one of conformity with Christ. Paul uses the Greek aorist (past) tense when he says that he died to the law and the Greek perfect tense (which indicates that an event in the past has continuing results in the present) when he says he has been crucified with Christ. This suggests that Paul thought of his death to the law as having happened in the past, but he defines his life ...

3972. Living as Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... truth. Both dokimazō and euarestos occur in Romans 12:2, where Paul writes that because of the inner transformation of their minds, believers “will be able to test and approve [dokimazō] what God’s will is—his good, pleasing [euarestos] and perfect will.” Beare notes that euarestos (“well-pleasing,” “acceptable”) nearly always concerns a sacrificial offering (Rom. 12:1; Phil. 4:18): “So here it suggests the thought that the life of the Christian is ever laid upon the altar. All of our ...

3973. Further Instructions

Colossians 4:2-6

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12). The content of Paul’s message is the unveiling of the mystery of Christ, something that he already has explained in 1:26 and 2:2 (cf. Eph. 3:3–6, 9). Paul indicates that he is in chains (dedemai, a perfect passive of deō; cf. 4:18). His request for an opportunity to preach may imply a desire for personal release (cf. Philem. 22); but Paul often used his imprisonment to share the gospel as well (Acts 28:30) and felt that these circumstances “served to advance the gospel ...

3974. Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 4:10). Our election is entirely an expression of God’s love. Notice then, how Paul links these two ideas in this passage by calling the chosen those loved by God (cf. Deut. 33:12; Neh. 13:26; Sir. 45:1; Bar. 3:36; m. ‘Abot 6.1). The perfect tense of the participle expresses the thought that the love, once shown to us in Christ, continues to enfold us. (See 2 Thess. 2:13 and probably Jude 1 for a similar use of ēgapēmenoi.) The adjective agapētos more often expresses this idea, but the participle may ...

3975. The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... , see disc. and note on 1 Thess. 2:12; and for the title Lord, see the note on 1 Thess. 1:1). “Sudden” (see disc. on 1 Thess. 5:3) may somehow have become “soon” and soon “now,” and so rumors spread that it had already come (enestēken, the perfect of enistēmi, is commonly employed to mean, “to be present as distinct from future”; cf. Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 3:22; 7:26; Gal. 1:4; Heb. 9:9, and see Moulton-Milligan). The combination in the Greek of the two conjunctions hōs and hoti, where either ...

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