... may be attached to any particular leader. Rather he argues against the concept of division within the church in the first place. While he will conclude this section by asserting his apostleship and authority (4:1-21), that is not Paul’s first concern. To demonstrate the wrong-headedness of this divisiveness Paul states the extreme case. “Has Christ been divided?” That is, has Christ been made accessible only to a few? Is Christ just another “party?” Equally absurd is Paul’s use of himself as an ...
... ’ family after his birth (Mt. 2:14, 22), further highlighting the danger of the situation and Jesus’ need to relocate. While Herod Antipas was also the governor of the Galilean region, those northern territories were on the periphery of his concern. Galilee was a region of mixed ethnicity and religion. Bordered by both Syrophoenicia and Samaria, confined by the Assyrians (the region renamed Megiddo) for a long period, here was a rich region of multiculturalism, with both Jewish and Gentile communities ...
... the lives of eight of the climbers. Jon Krakauer was in one of those three groups. The title of his book, In Thin Air, comes partially from an experience he had on top of the mountain. As he was beginning his slow descent back down the mountain, Krakauer became concerned about his oxygen supply. He was going to stop and rest for a few moments while he waited on others who were still making it to the top. So he asked Andy Harris, a guide with another team with whom he had become close friends, to turn down ...
4554. Peter, James and John
Matt. 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-13
Illustration
J.O. Sanders
G.C. Morgan wrote concerning the special three: "There can be no doubt that these men, Peter, James, and John, were the most remarkable in the apostolate. Peter loved Him; John He loved; James was the first to seal his testimony with his blood. Even their blunders proved their strength. They were the men of ...
Matthew 3:1-12, Romans 14:1--15:13, Isaiah 11:1-16, Psalm 72:1-20
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... are messianic texts that soar to breathtaking heights in envisioning the future that God has in store for us. Yet upon closer reading, one begins to wonder whether Isaiah 11:1-10 and Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 are not actually more concerned with God's present salvation than with a utopian future. Isaiah 11:1-10 - "Celebrating the Messianic Rule" Setting. Isaiah 11:1-10 reflects Israel's royal theology. Second Samuel 7 provides some background to understanding this theological perspective. This narrative is about ...
Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... , to be Jesus' private perceptions: he is the one who sees. But the word from God is a public declaration. This framing of the events distinguishes Matthew's Gospel in comparison with the other New Testament versions of this story. Matthew displays a concern to relate the depth of Jesus' personal, even private, comprehensions; yet, the voice of God makes clear the meaning of Jesus' insights. This story gives us Matthew's understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Through this story we are told ...
John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 16:1-11
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... vv. 14b -21. In these verses, Peter addresses the misunderstanding of the masses. He explains not only that they are wrong in believing the disciples to be drunk but also that the events they are witnessing are to be understood in relation to the prophecy of Joel concerning God's outpouring of the Spirit on humanity in the last days. Indeed, God works in this manner in the last days so that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (v. 21). Thus Pentecost is a splendid eschatological event ...
Psalm 66:1-20, Acts 17:16-34, 1 Peter 3:8-22, John 14:15-31
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... speech sound vaguely more like Stoic pantheism than Christian theology. Lest we take a side street and get lost by examining some of the exceptional ideas in these lines, we should notice that the speech rambles to a thoroughly christological conclusion. In fact, a concern with Christology was the occasion of this speech (see 17:18). Thus we should follow Acts's lead and begin where the speech ends. Paul's speech is a radical critique of pagan polytheism. He focuses on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as ...
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... in view of this he now wishes to be glorified in the very presence of the Father. In following the movement of the text, it becomes clear that the glory of Jesus is already loose in this world (v. 4), and that his further request for glory concerns the vindication or exaltation of the work that Jesus has already accomplished. This further glorification of Jesus in the presence of God ties his work back to the Father. Verses 6-8 shift the focus from Jesus and glory to Jesus and his disciples. This shift is ...
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... vv. 18-23); (5) the Pharisees and the blind man (vv. 24-34); (6) Jesus and the blind man (vv. 35-38); and (7) Jesus and the Pharisees (vv. 39-41). Any one or more of these scenes could be the text for a sermon. Significance. The main concern of this story as a whole is the articulation of Christology, similar to the thrust of the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. This story holds a special place in the gospel, however, for scholars conclude that in this account we have rich testimony to the evolution ...
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... world—only God can forgive sin. This revelation is the turning point in the psalm, which provides the basis for the soliloquy on hope in vv. 5-8. The conclusion of the psalmist points us firmly toward Easter. NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS The texts are united by a concern to speak about life. The new life of believers in Christ is a major Lenten theme, and certainly on this fifth Sunday, with these passages before us, we must deal with "New Life in Christ." Romans 8:6-11 - "In the Spirit and the Spirit in You ...
Genesis 29:15-30, Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52, Romans 8:28-39, Psalm 105:1-45
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... educate the Romans, but to inspire or assure them. Recognizing this motive and hearing this tone in Paul's statements helps one to know how to approach the passage for preaching. These verses impart a bold word of assurance concerning the power, purposes, and dependability of God. Christians are given a certitude for living. Paul portrays a very active God with these lines. The chain of activities—called, foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorified—recognizes God's deliberateness, intervention ...
Exodus 13:17--14:31, Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 15:1-21
Sermon Aid
Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe
... 35. It is not that we better forgive others or God will get us. No, Jesus says God's wrath will come on those who do not "forgive [their] brother or sister from [their] hearts." It is the genuineness of the forgiveness, not merely the act of excusing that concerns Jesus. But, how can we do more than try to live out the call to forgiveness? How can we possibly guarantee that our forgiveness will be from the heart? At base level this parable, as v. 35 makes clear, is about the true experience of grace. God is ...
4564. Great Men Are Often Broken by Their High Ideals
Matthew 21:1-11
Illustration
Brett Blair
... didn't believe her. They said that President Wilson was coming and they knew that everything would be alright. The cheering lasted about a year. Then it gradually began to stop. It turned out that after the war the political leaders in Europe were more concerned with their own agendas than they were a lasting peace. At home Woodrow Wilson ran into opposition in the United States Senate and his League of Nations was not ratified. Under the strain of it all the President's health began to break. He suffered ...
4565. A Russian Resurrection
John 20:1-18
Illustration
Donald Dotterer
... also benefited from it, both at home and abroad. Last year, he explained that Russia’s intervention in the Syrian civil war was designed to protect Christians from the Islamic State. Not only has the Orthodox Church supported this “holy war” but so have some American evangelicals, who are likewise concerned about Christians in the Middle East and praise Putin’s socially conservative policies. See: https://religionandpolitics.org/2018/10/16/russias-journey-from-orthodoxy-to-atheism-and-back-again/
... guards. Those who had been assigned to watch over a corpse themselves became “like corpses” or “dead men.” The shaking these guards experience is so severe that, like extreme Parkinson tremors, they are paralyzed, frozen in place. Their rigorized presence is of no concern to the angel, for he is there to speak to the women witnesses. All the gospel accounts of Easter morning testify to a contingent of women who are the first to view the empty tomb, the first to hear the “good news,” and ...
... us. Sometime ago there appeared a scathing article in a theological magazine about the late Albert Schweitzer, the great missionary. The author attacked Schweitzer's theology as dated and obsolete and the man himself as muddle‑headed, misguided, and off center concerning the fundamental teachings of the New Testament. Toward the end of the article, however, he paused to say, “Perhaps we should not judge Schweitzer by his word, but by his deeds; not by his books, but by his Christian discipleship; not ...
... resurrection. They did it to keep his disciples from stealing his body. Surprise. Surprise is the best word to describe that first Easter Sunday. All of us enjoy surprises, don’t we? Recently, an article was published in a computer magazine concerning little surprises that the designers of computer software sneak into their products. Programmers add these surprises to give the programs added appeal. Some of the examples are funny--like the hidden message “I’m being held prisoner in a software factory ...
... days passing that gracious spirit on to others. Isn’t it sad that so many people miss that? Like the Elder Brother, they live in the presence of the Father… but somehow they miss His gracious, loving spirit. In 1988, the poet Carol Wimmer, became concerned about the self-righteous, judgmental spirit she was seeing in some people because she felt strongly that being judgmental is a perversion of the Christian faith. So, she wrote a poem about this. It’s called “When I say I am a Christian” and it ...
... with God. But, even in the depths of despair, Jan still had faith that somehow God would help her family turn their lives around… and that somehow God would help them find another home. But Jan was impatient. She wanted to see evidence of God’s concern immediately. A few years later, Jan and her husband and their 19 year-old daughter moved into a new home. As Jan was lining the kitchen shelves with paper… she became frustrated because she could not get the paper to sty flat. She started again, folding ...
... be expressed in words, attitudes and actions. Now, that is precisely what we see in our scripture lesson for today in Mark 7 as this Greek mother comes to Jesus for help. Her daughter is sick, she has heard about Jesus and His power to heal. So, as a loving, concerned Mom, she comes to Jesus. She kneels before Him and asks Him to heal her daughter. At first glance, it seems like Jesus is being a bit harsh with the Greek woman because He says: "Let the children first be fed for it is not right to take the ...
... and keep you safe.” The noted journalist, Hugh Redwood, told about a time some years ago when he was at the breaking point. He was… physically exhausted, emotionally drained, under severe nervous strain, confused, perplexed, stressed out… not knowing which was to turn concerning some highly important decisions he had to make. He was staying at a friend’s home prior to speaking at a big meeting. His friend said to him: “Hugh, you look tired… would you like to escape all this chatter and rest in ...
... Lincoln terribly,… yet because Lincoln respected and trusted McClellan as a soldier, he suffered his personal insults with grace and patience. One evening, President Lincoln and a colleague went to General McClellan’s home on a matter of urgency concerning the war. Of course, people normally go to the President… but Lincoln trying to be friendly and wanting not to inconvenience McClellan… came to his home. After keeping the President waiting for a long time, McClellan finally sent word down ...
... returned home one night and went to bed. But, a storm came up. Winds were blowing and lashing. The farmer woke and heard the winds and he remembered – the broken barn door – the weak place in the fence – and, some ripped wire in the Chicken Coop. Concerned about his livestock, he got up and went out into the storm to check on them and what do you think he found? The barn door, the fence, the chicken coop, had all been repaired… The animals were all safe and the hired worker was sleeping soundly ...
... to support God and the church with your presence in worship every Sunday? As Isaiah learned many years ago, going to church will draw us closer to God. II. SECOND, GOING TO CHURCH GIVES US COMPASSION FOR OTHER PEOPLE. In church that day, Isaiah became concerned about the people. He wanted to reach out and help them. Church at its best makes us more compassionate people. Statistics show that people who go to church regularly are happier and more satisfied than those who don’t. And regular church-goers live ...