Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4076 to 4100 of 4884 results

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

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R.T. France

... 1:48 the humble state of his servant. This is the only part of the song that focuses directly on Mary’s situation. God has chosen a person of no social importance as the means of his saving work. As Paul later put it, God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). See Paul’s observations in 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 on the social insignificance and helplessness of those whom God has chosen as his people. 1:50 those who fear him. This phrase, together with “the humble” in 1:52 and ...

4077. Testing in the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

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R.T. France

... His repeated references here to Deuteronomy 6–8 develop the important typological theme of Jesus as the new Israel. Israel was tested in the wilderness as God’s “son,” and Jesus now takes up that role. Israel was a disobedient son, but Jesus’s perfect submission to his Father’s will enables him to fulfill Israel’s mission to be a light to the nations. This story therefore focuses on the testing of that filial relationship, as the repeated challenge “If you are the Son of God” reveals. Some ...

4078. Power over Illness and Death

Luke 7:11-17, Luke 7:1-10

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R.T. France

... his slave. Furthermore, he had “an extremely unusual attitude toward the Jews.” Gentiles were known for despising the Jews; yet, for someone accustomed to giving orders, he was a humble man. Finally, he was a man of faith, coming “with that perfect confidence which looks up and says, ‘Lord, I know you can do this.’”3 Jesus’s compassion had multiple dimensions. Sermon Notes: Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Some of well-known preacher Charles Spurgeon’s (1834–92) notes on Christ read as follows ...

4079. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

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R.T. France

... issue is not pursued. Following the logic of the parable in 7:41–43, we must suppose that the woman’s loving actions show that she is already aware of being forgiven, and that Jesus here simply makes it explicit. (The verb is in the perfect tense, lit., “have been forgiven.”) Perhaps we should assume that she has met Jesus, or at least listened to his preaching, before coming to make this gesture of appreciation. 7:50 Your faith has saved you. This formula is used elsewhere of physical healing (8 ...

4080. “Who Is This?”

Luke 9:10-17, Luke 9:1-9

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R.T. France

... be brought to life by encouraging listeners to put themselves in the place of one of the Twelve and to follow through the phases of the story. In particular, how would they have responded to Jesus’s unexpected answer in 9:13 to a perfectly sensible request? How would they describe what had happened as they cleared up the leftovers? While modern hearers will readily recognize the miracle as the blessing of a free lunch, be sure to bring out the important biblical parallels, including the provision of manna ...

4081. “When Will These Things Happen?”

Luke 21:5-38

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R.T. France

... Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things. This is a solemn declaration (as in 9:27) that all that has been predicted in the discourse so far will occur while some of “this generation” are still alive. This makes perfect sense if, as I have argued, the discourse as a whole, including the coming of the Son of Man, relates to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. It is more difficult to explain for those who claim that 21:25–31 relates to the parousia. Some ...

4082. The Faithfulness of God and the Covenantal Curses on Israel

Romans 3:1-8

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C. Marvin Pate

... that they are still in exile and under divine judgment. On that reading, the question of the advantage of being a Jew with the law as the stipulation of the covenant and circumcision as the sign of the covenant as opposed to being a Gentile makes perfect sense. But Paul’s response to such a protest is surprising, for the reader rather would have expected the apostle to answer, “There is no advantage in being a Jew!” Instead, Paul answers that there most definitely is an advantage to being a Jew and ...

4083. The Whole World Is under the Curses of the Covenant

Romans 3:9-20

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C. Marvin Pate

... two are in tandem in stimulating humans to sin. Paul makes this connection more specific in 3:20. 3:20 through the law we become conscious of our sin. Here is where Paul’s argument has been leading since 1:18: no one can keep the law perfectly enough (not Gentile regarding the natural law / Noahic law, not Jew concerning the Torah) such that one’s obedience will merit favor before God. This is because the law reveals the sinful heart of each individual and shows how far short each one falls of the ...

4084. The Story of Abraham versus the Story of Israel

Romans 4:1-25

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C. Marvin Pate

... unbelief regarding the promise of God. In 4:20–21 Paul wants to make the point that God’s promise to Abraham generated or created the faith of Abraham. Two matters indicate this. First, the words “promise” (epangelia [v. 20]) and “promised” (perfect tense of epangellomai [v. 21]) form an inclusio around verse 20b, “Abraham was strengthened in his faith.” This structure appears to signal that Abraham’s faith was generated by God’s promise, with the outer two points shedding light on the ...

4085. New Dominion as a Blessing of the New Covenant: Dead to Sin

Romans 6:1-14

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C. Marvin Pate

... . First, dying in the “likeness” (homoi?ma) of Christ’s death probably means that the Christian’s participation in Christ’s death is real but not an exact correspondence, because Christ did not die for his own sins (he had none). Instead, Christ, the perfect one, took our sins upon himself in order to give us his righteousness (see 2 Cor. 5:21). Second, being united with Christ in his resurrection attests to the overlapping of the two ages. Thus, Christ’s resurrection inaugurated the age to come ...

4086. Freedom from the Law through Christ, Enslavement to the Law through Adam

Romans 7:7-25, Romans 7:1-6

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C. Marvin Pate

... in Romans 7:1–12. First, the Christian’s union with Christ produces a holy lifestyle, something that the law cannot do. Second, this age and the old covenant still tug at the believer’s heart. Therefore, the believer’s obedience to God will not be perfect in this life. Third, the law is holy because it is an expression of the character of God. The problem with the law is that sinful human nature perverts it into the instrument of death. Teaching the Text Two sermons emerge from Romans 7:1–12 ...

4087. Paul the Apostle of the New Covenant to the Gentiles

Romans 15:14-22

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C. Marvin Pate

... ” (pl?ro? [NIV: “fully proclaim”]) in 15:19; he used a word of the same root in 11:25 for the “fullness” (pl?r?ma) of the Gentiles. (c) Paul’s reference to the “obedience of the Gentiles” in 15:18 (cf. 1:5; 16:26) fits perfectly with the concept that Paul sees himself as a central figure in salvation history whose mission to the Gentiles will usher in the end time. (d) Paul’s language in 15:16 about Gentiles being a sacrificial offering to God represents, as Douglas Moo observes, the ...

4088. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

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C. Marvin Pate

... things that could be said about this, I mention three. First, the term “gospel” early on was applied to Caesar Augustus as the savior of the world. Thus, the famous Priene inscription (dated ca. 9 BC) about Augustus reads, Providence . . . created . . . the most perfect good for our lives . . . filling him [Augustus] with virtue for the benefit of mankind, sending us and those after us a saviour who put an end to war and established all things . . . and whereas the birthday of the god [i.e., Augustus ...

4089. Applying God’s Wisdom to Life’s Issues

1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

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Preben Vang

... on the basis of human wisdom and merely add special experiences and theoretical points of teaching to their way of thinking. Their actions have not changed; they are like those who reject the cross. 2:7 God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden. The perfect passive participial form “has been hidden” explains God’s wisdom as a wisdom that has been hidden through the ages and to some extent still is.5 It is not a new, transient wisdom but one that has been true since before time began. Even then ...

4090. Christian Maturity

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

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Preben Vang

... . The Corinthian culture excelled in competition, and the followers (called disciples) of the various orators spent much of their time ridiculing rival teachers and attempting to create jealousy and strife.[6] Paul picks up these two words precisely because they perfectly compare the Christians who claim special allegiance to a specific teacher with the disciples of Corinthian sophists. It is Paul’s shorthand for “you have become like the surrounding culture” (cf. Rom. 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5 ...

4091. Personal Rights and Christian Testimony

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

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Preben Vang

... , it is the very refusal of his rights that sets him free to preach the gospel. I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. This somewhat-awkward-sounding phrase is rooted directly in the soil of patron-client relationships. Opening with a perfect-tense dismissal of his rights, Paul highlights the ongoing reality of the decision he made (“I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me”; cf. 2 Cor. 11:9–10). The Corinthians boast of their rights; if Paul has ...

4092. Worship and Proper Attire

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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Preben Vang

... worship of God, they have missed how their relationship is exemplified in the relationship between Christ and God (11:3). As Paul sees it, a violation of marital fidelity is a violation against the very being of God, whom Christians worship as perfect community between Father, Son, and Spirit. Paul’s elevation of the wife (“nor is man independent of woman” [11:11]) is surprising in the Corinthian context, but the reverse statement speaks volumes to the centrality of spousal unity for genuine worship ...

4093. Many Parts, One Body

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

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Preben Vang

... coming to a head.” The hand shows up in terms like “handicapped” and “handsome.” “Handicapped,” of course, refers to a body in which a limb or part is missing or does not function optimally. “Handsome,” oppositely, points to perfection—where all elements work together beautifully. Even in our modern tech-driven society, Aesop’s fable continues to inform our metaphors, language, and conceptualization. Because of this, Paul’s Christ-focused use of the body metaphor remains an important ...

4094. Greeting, Doxology, and Confession

Revelation 1:4-8

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J. Scott Duvall

... he reassures readers that God will intervene in the future (“is to come”). Even when it doesn’t seem like it, God is still in control of human history. While some take the “seven spirits” to refer to the seven angels of the seven churches or to the perfect work of God in the world, the expression most likely refers to the sevenfold Holy Spirit. This is due to the immediate context of the Triune God as the source of grace and peace; the parallels in Revelation (3:1; 4:5; and 5:6); the background of ...

4095. John’s Introductory Vision The Risen and Glorified Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

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J. Scott Duvall

... , different methods have been developed to share the gospel. Each can have its strengths and weaknesses. One popular method, used to reach many, began with “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Understood in context, this is a perfectly true statement. However, in our pleasure-seeking, self-oriented culture, such a statement could be understood to mean, “Come to Jesus and all your dreams will come true!” If people think that’s what they’re getting when they become Christians ...

4096. Message to Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7

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J. Scott Duvall

... tree of life, symbolic of eternal life (Rev. 22:2, 14).5 Theological Insights This letter emphasizes the importance of connecting truth and love. Throughout the Scriptures, God is portrayed as holy, righteous, and truthful, as well as loving, gracious, and compassionate. Jesus perfectly embodies this integration of love and truth: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 ...

4097. The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1-17

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J. Scott Duvall

... The martyrs cry out to God, addressing him as “Sovereign Lord” (despot?s), an uncommon term in the New Testament, which stresses his absolute authority and power (cf. Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4). While they affirm God’s holiness and truth, perfect character qualities for executing justice (cf. Rev. 3:7; 16:7; 19:2), they question his timetable. God’s people have often asked him, “How long?” as a matter of pleading for justice (e.g., Pss. 79:5–10; 89:46; 119:84; Isa. 6:11; Hab. 1 ...

4098. John Called to Prophesy Again

Revelation 10:1-11

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J. Scott Duvall

... which we live. We hold on and wait and endure difficulties now as we look forward to the blessed hope of Jesus’s second coming (Titus 2:11–14). God will keep his promises! 2. In the meantime, we must continue to trust in God’s perfect character and his sovereign purposes. It’s no accident that three times the mighty angel is described as standing on the land and the sea (10:2, 5, 8). As Christ’s representative, the angel’s colossal size and lionlike voice (10:3) communicate God’s sovereignty ...

4099. The Beast from the Earth (The False Prophet)

Revelation 13:11-18

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J. Scott Duvall

... , is not without its problems (e.g., the need to translate into Hebrew), and speculation seems counterproductive. Since numbers are consistently used to symbolize spiritual realities in Revelation, the primary importance of 666 may be that it falls short of the trinity of perfection (777) or that it pales in comparison to the number of “Jesus”—888 (I = 10, H = 8, S = 200, O = 70, U = 400, S = 200). In other words, the beast is a complete failure. Theological Insights This passage warns of the power of ...

4100. The Vision of the Great Prostitute

Revelation 17:1-18

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J. Scott Duvall

... our own. As fallen creatures struggling to be holy people in an unholy culture, it is difficult to overestimate the power of culture to control our thinking. When our sinful self-interests naturally align with a cultural norm, we have a perfect formula for compromise. Though not a Christian, Thomas Jefferson was an avowed abolitionist—until it was no longer profitable. Commenting on this hypocrisy, Henry Wiencek notes: We can be forgiven if we interrogate Jefferson posthumously about slavery. It is not ...

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