Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4126 to 4150 of 4884 results

Job 20:1-29

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... temporary joy, then the retribution formula is not as absolute as Zophar presumes. In effect, he is agreeing in principle with Job, even though not to the same degree; Job argues that his adversity, despite his blamelessness, demonstrates that there is not a perfect correlation between how a person behaves and the consequences received. 20:6–11 Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens. In 20:6–11, Zophar develops the principle that the higher a wicked person rises, the harder he ...

4127. Eliphaz Condemns and Counsels Job

Job 22:1-30

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Daniel J. Estes

... , it is not surprising that his final counsel to Job is well off the mark. Eliphaz exhorts Job to submit to God, that is, to confess his sins. If Job does that, then as the retribution principle dictates, his prosperity will be restored. This makes perfect sense within the system of retribution theology that Eliphaz assumes. However, the rest of the book will make it evident that Eliphaz does not comprehend Job’s situation nearly as well as he thinks he does. As a result, Eliphaz’s counsel to his friend ...

4128. “You Are My Son; Today I Have Become Your Father”

Psalm 2:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... this verb is vocal, not silent, and the reader ought to hear the low-voiced but threatening talk going back and forth in the distance as the nations make their sinister plans.3 The first two verbs have a different tense. The first question (Hebrew perfect) asks the reason for their attempt (already past), and the second (Hebrew imperfect) asks why they imagine that they will succeed (in the future). 2:2 anointed. In ancient Israel the king was anointed with oil (2 Sam. 5:3). The term “anointed” came ...

4129. “The Lord . . . Rules the World in Righteousness”

Psalm 10:1-18, Psalm 9:1-20

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C. Hassell Bullock

... .” Perhaps such a tune had come into existence as a lamentive tune for the death of Absalom and became associated with Psalms 9 and 10. The background is one of international strife, which the Lord himself turns in David’s favor (9:3–6, 13–20), matching perfectly the general background of Book 1. The images of Psalms 9 and 10 arise naturally out of their world, with the nations falling into a pit they themselves have dug and caught in the net they themselves have hidden (Ps. 9:15, 16; see also 7:15 ...

4130. “In the Lord I Take Refuge”

Psalm 11:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

... of the silver combined with the lead, resulting in a purer metal.[3] Repeating this process “seven times”4would greatly purify the silver, a most appropriate metaphor for the “flawless” word of God, and the number seven itself being a symbol of perfection. The metaphor, however, should not be taken to imply that the Lord’s words were impure and had to be refined; it is the product, not the process, that constitutes the analogy. Interpretive Insights Title sheminith. See the comments on the title ...

4131. “When I Awake, I Will Be Satisfied with Seeing Your Likeness”

Psalm 17:1-15

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C. Hassell Bullock

... truth eloquently: “This superb verse soars straight up from the prosperous lowlands of verse 14, where all was earthbound.”18 Teaching the Text We can prepare a lesson/sermon on the idea of whether our moral condition matters when we pray. Admittedly if moral perfection were the requirement for God to hear our prayers, we would all be at a great loss at the throne of grace, some more than others. However, in light of Psalm 17 our moral condition is not an entirely negligible factor when we pray ...

4132. “The King Rejoices in Your Strength, Lord”

Psalm 21:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the Hebrews, after he has asserted that Christ is not ashamed to call his followers “brothers and sisters” (Heb. 2:11), quotes verse 22 to affirm that Christ and his followers are all of the same family (Heb. 2:12), and to attest Christ’s perfect identification with them. It is also noteworthy that, while Psalm 21 is about Israel’s earthly king (21:1, 7), Psalm 22 is about Israel’s heavenly King, who dwells in Israel’s praises (22:3) and whose “dominion” (or “kingdom”) extends over the ...

4133. “Lord, I Love the House Where You Live”

Psalm 26:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the epithet “your glory” (26:8)—seven occurrences—which offset the power of evildoers. We might call this code language, but that is one of the literary riches of the Psalms. Evil is powerful—six is close to seven, only one less—but seven, the perfect number, represents the Lord’s overpowering grace. In conclusion we should call attention to the fact that verse 12 is our conclusion, and as such, it restates the theme of the psalm introduced in verse 1 and developed in verses 2–10: “My feet ...

4134. “Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit”

Psalm 31:1-24

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C. Hassell Bullock

... spirit” (ruah) was his “life,” but more than what was represented by the Hebrew noun nepesh, also commonly used for “life.” It included his conscious experience as a human being (Eccles. 3:21), not merely his physical life. The imperative “deliver” (a perfect verb used imperatively; also Ps. 3:7, “break the teeth of the wicked”) is a petition that God will deliver him from the crisis described by the psalm, whether illness or political danger. The “faithful God” is the One who can be ...

4135. “Trust in the Lord and Do Good”

Psalm 37:1-40

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C. Hassell Bullock

... (37:19, 25). These are all more or less tied to the inheritance of the land (37:18). Those of us who live in a mobile society have a hard time appreciating the concept and reality of “landedness,” but those in the ancient biblical world understood it perfectly. Property, which was held by the same family in perpetuity, was a security second only to security in God.8 Faith as represented in Psalm 37 is definitely a journey, symbolized by the use of the word “way” (37:5, 7, 34) and signified by their ...

4136. “Blessed Are Those Who Have Regard for the Weak; the Lord Delivers Them”

Psalm 41:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

... , David has concluded Psalm 40 by acknowledging that he is “poor and needy,” and he appropriately opens Psalm 41 with this benedictory word for “those who have regard [lit., “the one who has regard”] for the weak.” The portrait of Psalm 40 corresponds almost perfectly to that of the “righteous one” in Psalm 1 in that the “blessed” person is that one “whose delight [root hpts] is in the law of the Lord” (1:2), while the speaker of Psalm 40 declares, “I desire [hpts] to do your will ...

4137. “As the Deer Pants for Streams of Water, So My Soul Pants for You, My God”

Psalm 42:1-11, Psalm 43:1-5

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C. Hassell Bullock

... very real (see “Illustrating the Text” for the ideas of vanguard and rearguard). If we want to make a connection to the incarnation of God in Christ, we may point out that Christ is not a personification of light and truth but their incarnation, the perfect Guide (John 8:12; 14:6). To connect with the tone of the psalm, we should note that the psalmist calls God his “joy” and “delight” (43:4), quite an elevated description for one who is depressed, deprived, and derided. This is a strong point ...

4138. “The Lord Most High Is Awesome, the Great King over All the Earth”

Psalm 47:1-9

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C. Hassell Bullock

... . It marks the end of the Easter season and occurs ten days before Pentecost. Thus Psalm 47, with its call to the worship and exaltation of the Lord, along with its reminder that the gospel is to go to the very ends of the earth, is a perfect selection for this Christian festival. The connection between the ascension of Jesus and Psalm 47 is rightly expressed by Scott Hoezee: “Jesus has ascended to God’s right hand and is, right now, the King of kings and Lord of lords; the President of presidents and ...

4139. “Create in Me a Pure Heart, O God, and Renew a Steadfast Spirit within Me”

Psalm 51:1-19

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C. Hassell Bullock

... . Schaefer comments: “Sin disappears in the second half in the same ratio that God appears.”17 Teaching the Text To begin our study, we may observe that, while the historical titles sometimes seem to be loosely related to their psalm, Psalm 51 fits perfectly the story of David’s adulterous relationship with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11–12). Although the Samuel narrative does not give an account of David’s repentance, his admission of sin (2 Sam. 12:13) and the emotional trauma associated with the death of ...

4140. “I Will Praise Your Name, Lord, for It Is Good”

Psalm 54:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

... Like a completely spoiled brat, I took my healthy body for granted. I criticized it and despised it. With crystal clarity, I know that I do not deserve the good health that God has mysteriously blessed me with. . . . As I watch these kids with their less-than-perfect bodies, I feel so thoroughly ashamed of myself. I mean, how could I have been so stupid and shallow and self-centered?5 Maintain godliness in an unjust world. History: At times, as in Psalm 54, we see anger rise up in the heart of the psalmists ...

4141. “In Your Heart You Devise Injustice”

Psalm 58:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... to evil (cf. Ps. 51:5; Isa. 48:8).5Ibn Ezra renders the verb “go astray” as “estranged” and translates, “The wicked are estranged from the womb,” meaning “the wicked are different in nature at birth from other newborn children.”6This forms a perfect parallel with the last part of the sentence: “from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.” 58:4 the venom of a snake . . . a cobra that has stopped its ears.The word for “venom” also occurs in Deuteronomy 32:33 with that meaning ...

4142. “Human Help Is Worthless”

Psalm 60:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... that the battles of life belong to the Lord and we need to depend on him and not ourselves (60:5, 11). Abandoned! History: During the American Civil War, the Confederates (southern states) courted support from both Great Britain and France. It seemed like a perfect fit with Europe in need of cotton for their textile industry and the South needing weapons and military support. But help was not to come, and this was a major factor leading to the Union’s victory. The reason given for the lack of support ...

4143. “You Have Given Me the Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name”

Psalm 61:1-8

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C. Hassell Bullock

... under the Almighty’s wings, the psalmist can sing and pay his vows to God. The journey of God’s people is laced with dangers of all kinds: physical, emotional, political, relational. But our psalmist informs us that God is our perfect security and strength, which we are likely to find in the several dimensions of our lives, both institutional and behavioral. Illustrating the Text The power and regimen of prayer Biography: John Calvin. The psalmist had experienced effective prayer (v. 5). Herman ...

4144. “When You Ascended on High, You Took Many Captives”

Psalm 68:1-35

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C. Hassell Bullock

... commonly identified as strongly messianic. It is the “old, old story,” 15the church’s history claimed and reclaimed from its Hebrew forebears. Reardon sums it up very well: Here we have the deeper, more authentic sense of the psalm: Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, arising from the dead [“May God arise,” v. 1], triumphant over sin and death [“may his enemies be scattered,” v. 1], bringing His saints from the demonic depths of Hades [“I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring ...

4145. God Subjugates Judah under Babylon

Daniel 1:1-21

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Ronald W. Pierce

... making her a fellow. Consider these words from “O Father, You Are Sovereign,” which won the Christianity Today hymn-writing contest in 1982: O Father, You are sovereign In all affairs of man; No powers of death or darkness Can thwart Your perfect plan. All chance and change transcending, Supreme in time and space, You hold your trusting children Secure in Your embrace. O Father, You are sovereign The Lord of human pain, Transmuting earthly sorrows To gold of heavenly gain, All evil overruling, As none ...

4146. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

Daniel 2:1-23, Daniel 2:24-49

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Ronald W. Pierce

... coerce or buy an understanding of God’s work in his life. Second, without reliable knowledge of God, the wisest sages are left in a darkness that comes from their distant, secretive, and disinterested false gods. Third, such desperate situations form perfect opportunities for a messenger of the God of heaven to speak true wisdom to needy people. Teaching the Text 1. The limits of worldly power. The most powerful rulers today regularly use their considerable wealth and influence to ensure successful lives ...

4147. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

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Ronald W. Pierce

... satirizes faith and highlights caricatured, hypocritical Christians, like the condescending, judgmental Christian characters in such teen-comedy films as Saved! (2004)and Easy A(2010). This general perspective is all too common, and though no Christian life is perfect, sometimes a careless lack of integrity on the part of believers can reinforce this stereotype. In contrast, in director Adam Shankman’s A Walk to Remember(2002), a teenage Christian girl named Jamie with terminal leukemia exercises faith ...

4148. Daniel's Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... in the Gospels (Matt. 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4). It does not necessarily reflect the form of “true” or “mature praying.”17 Illustrating the Text The gracious gift of covenant with a righteous God demands our obedience. Quote: Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The perfectly holy and righteous God paid the ultimate price for our sin. Such an amazing sacrifice demands our awe and worship and also compels us to obedience. God’s righteousness is a call to believers to live in obedience, for we have been bought ...

4149. What Is It That Makes You Blush?

Mark 8:27-38

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... best friend and they found out about it? That would be embarrassing. Very few people like to get embarrassed. That's why we try to wear matching socks and just the right kind of shirt and pants and shoes. The opinion of other people really matters to us. That's perfectly natural. But deep in our hearts we know that the only opinion that really matters is God's opinion of us, isn't it? If God approves of us, it doesn't really matter if other people aren't impressed. We are God's children. We certainly don't ...

4150. Closing

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... with each other, and with Paul (cf. Phil. 2:18; 4:4). Rejoicing thus becomes an expression of unity in the congregation, and unity seems to be the main thrust of the imperatives in 2 Corinthians 13:11. Second, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to aim for perfection (katartizesthe). This verb is a cognate of the noun katartisis, which is used in 13:9, but, as we have seen, the interpretation of the noun is uncertain there. The problem is compounded by the fact that in verse 11 katartizesthe can be taken as either ...

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