Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 4576 to 4600 of 4957 results

4576. Getting at the Truth

John 14:16-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... the Holy Spirit that helps us get at the truth about ourselves and about our world. I. The Holy Spirit helps us get at the truth by teaching us the truth about reality. At first, this must sound like another of the preposterous and propagandistic claims that are foisted on us today. More than that, many of us are more or less children of the enlightenment. Like our American founding fathers, we believe that truth is self-evident to the reasonable, rational mind. Along with philosopher John Locke, we think ...

4577. Our Father Who Art in Heaven

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... behind the scenes. Think of the enormous influence and impact of the nuns in the Roman Catholic church. And consider our mainline Protestant seminaries of today. Over half the student body is female. Fewer and fewer men are going into the ministry. Some would claim the men have been "feminized" out of the church. Nevertheless, in the church, feminized or not, we still pray to "our Father who art in heaven." We read a Bible where the overwhelmingly dominant image of God is male and Father. So in keeping ...

4578. I Don't Get No Respect

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... they asked. You can see their home-town pride start to swell. A local boy was doing well. But then they thought about his words, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The implications of that comment were obvious. Jesus was making the claim that he is the Messiah who was to come. And as they continued to listen, Jesus’ friends and neighbors became incensed. These people had watched Jesus grow up. He was the boy they saw running around, playing games and being like every other boy in ...

4579. Bring The Parchments

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... of God. Dr. Darby for many years lived among the rustic country people of Ireland—preaching the gospel to these farm families and living at their modest level. One day an infidel who was very well-known in those times challenged Darby, saying, “You claim that all Scripture is profitable. What possible earthly value could a verse like 1 Timothy 4:13 have—‘The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments’?” To which Darby ...

4580. Aspirins Don't Work On Sunday

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... it possible for people to get out of bed and fight off headaches, bad nerves, and muscle spasms. I have noticed that these tablets work wonders on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and especially well on Saturday. But people who take them on Sunday seem to get no relief. They claim they cannot get rid of their aches and pains and are thus not able to attend Sunday school and church. Is it possible to put in an ingredient that will work on Sunday? Hopefully, A Concerned Pastor

4581. Cure of Cirrhosis of the Giver

Humor Illustration

Michael P. Green

... , and from thence to the offering plate. This strange malady is clinically unobservable in such surroundings as the golf club, supermarket, clothing store, or restaurant. Some try to use a fake remedy, pointing out to the patients that income tax deductions can be claimed for giving. The best therapy, and that which leads to a sure and lasting cure, is to get the individual’s heart right with God. This affliction is actually a symptom of a more basic need of the soul. Prescribed Medication: Frequent doses ...

4582. Jonah Proof

Jonah 1:17

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... the appearance of parchment … (and) never recovered its natural appearance … (though otherwise) his health did not seem affected by his terrible experience. Note: Though the PTR did run this article the widow of the captain of the whaling ship later claimed the story was false (see Allen, L. C. (1976) The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah, New International Commentary on the Old Testament. See, Neue Lutheranische Kirchenzeitung (1895), p.303 and A. J Wilson (1927) Princeton Theological Review, p ...

Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan; no one wants to claim it.

John F. Kennedy

4584. Selling Yourself As A Slave

Romans 6:16

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... as a freeborn man, and he would have to be released at once. This caused havoc with the Roman economy, which was well oiled by its slave labor. Therefore, just before Paul’s day, a new law was enacted whereby any man who sold himself into slavery could no longer claim free status later. The law could no longer help him. It was therefore clear to Paul’s readers in Rome that “to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, his slave you are.”

4585. Solomon Asks for Wisdom

2 Chronicles 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... of all Israel in his going up to Gibeon. This designation is a prominent theme in Chronicles. In a certain sense the whole literary construction of the Chronicler is intended to define who “all Israel” was after the exile. Here it is claimed that “all Israel” was the community (consisting of different leadership groups) that supported Solomon in his cultic endeavors. In 1:3 this community is called the whole assembly, a term that often refers to the organized cultic community. The location indicated ...

4586. Preparations for Building the Temple

2 Chronicles 2:1-18

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... Israel, dwelled among his people without being physically present or being confined to the sanctuary. McKenzie (1–2 Chronicles, p. 233) mentions that this theological understanding is probably related to the practice in the ancient Near East whereby a king would lay claim to a site by placing his name there. The Chronicler adopted this name theology here in order to reflect his understanding of the status of the sanctuary, namely, as the place chosen by Yahweh. Although the palace of King Solomon is also ...

4587. The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

2 Chronicles 9:1-12

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... , but with this small change to the source text the Chronicler reminds his readers that Solomon was not occupying his own throne but was rather representing Yahweh. In the time of the Chronicler, when Israel had no earthly king of its own, this claim might have had special significance for the restoration community. The Chronicler’s easy acceptance of Persian rule over them (see commentary on 2 Chron. 36:22–23) might even be related to this conviction that earthly kings are not the real kings. Yahweh ...

4588. Abijah King of Judah

2 Chron 13:1–14:1

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... of the temple cult. In doing so, they were observing the requirements of the LORD. The main difference between Judah and Israel is that the Judahites have not forsaken (lo? 'azab) Yahweh (13:10), while the Israelites have forsaken him ('azab) (13:11). Therefore, the strong claim is made in 13:12: God is with us; he is our leader. Israel should know that they are engaging in a holy war now (see Num. 10:9) in which Yahweh is fighting the battle for Judah. Therefore, the northern neighbors are warned: Men of ...

4589. Uzziah King of Judah

2 Chronicles 26:1-23

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... The narrative ends with the usual summary notes taken from the source text in 2 Kings 15:6–7. Two small changes are noteworthy, however. First, whereas the Deuteronomist’s version refers to “the book of the annals of the kings of Judah” again, the Chronicler claims he tells events recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. This is normally taken as reference to the eighth-century B.C. prophet Isaiah, who was a contemporary of King Uzziah of Judah (Isa. 1:1; 6:1). The change was probably made by the ...

4590. Hezekiah Purifies the Temple

2 Chronicles 29:1-36

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... Judah but extends its cultic function to include All-Israel, that is, the complete postexilic people of Yahweh as envisioned by the Chronicler. Since we know that Samaria and its sanctuary were destroyed concurrent with the reign of Hezekiah, the Chronicler’s claim is that Jerusalem is now, and always was, the sanctuary for All-Israel. Second Chronicles 29:25–30 specifically involves the Levites in the celebrations. They are reinstated in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan ...

4591. Peter Addresses the Crowd

Acts 2:14-41

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... have done the miracles, wonders and signs that he had unless God were with him (cf. John 3:2). Peter did not yet ascribe divine power to Jesus. He was content to speak of him as God’s agent, God working through him. Even so, this was a bold claim to make before such an audience. Not that the miracles themselves were likely to be disputed, for they were a matter of public record—as you yourselves know (cf. 26:26). But there was likely to be some dispute about the source of the power. Jesus had once been ...

4592. Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

Acts 3:11-26

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... glorified are drawn from the prophecy of Isaiah 52:13–53:12, which begins: “My servant … will be … highly exalted” (see notes 8:32f. and 11:20). Almost certainly Peter had in mind the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and was in effect claiming that this prophecy had been fulfilled in those events, in which God had not only manifested his divine presence and power, but invested Jesus with divine glory. In turn, the glorified Jesus had endowed his apostles with power to act in his name. Thus ...

4593. The Believers Share Their Possessions

Acts 4:32-37

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... … one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4f., GNB)—in short, on their mutual love of God—was demonstrated, as it had been from the first, in their readiness to meet one another’s needs, their love of neighbor (cf. 2:44f.). Thus no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own (again, a general rule to which there were exceptions). From Luke’s expression, however, it is clear that the believer still “owned” his belongings until such time as he saw fit to dispose of them, that is, they ...

4594. The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-42

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... (in the temple) and in private, in their believers’ meetings in the house churches (see note on 14:27). Their message was essentially this: “The Messiah has come in the person of Jesus.” This must have rankled with the Sadducees especially, since this claim for Jesus was always based on the fact of his resurrection, but there was little they could do about it while the Christians remained popular and the Pharisees unwilling to take the Sadducees’ side against them (see disc. on 6:12ff.). Additional ...

4595. Stephen Seized

Acts 6:8-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... simply had the temple lost its expiatory function, but it had had no legitimate function ever. From the outset, it had been a mistake (see disc. on 7:47ff.). Even so, we cannot think that he, any more than Jesus, ever threatened to tear it down as the witnesses claimed (v. 14). 6:15 When the witnesses against Stephen had finished, all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him (see disc. on 3:4). What they saw was a man whose face was like the face of an angel. This is the description of one ...

4596. The Stoning of Stephen

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... is called Son of Man, though there may be a hint of the title in 17:31 (Rev. 1:13 has an allusion to Dan. 7:13). It was certainly not part of Luke’s vocabulary. 7:57–8:1a On hearing what must have seemed to them an outrageous claim that Jesus, whom they had put to death, was at the right hand of God, the Sanhedrin determined to put Stephen to death too. No mention is made of any formal condemnation and sentence. Instead, the story moves quickly to its climax. Stephen was bundled out of the city, as ...

4597. Saul’s Conversion

Acts 9:1-19a

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... of Christ as a power within (Rom. 8:10; Gal. 2:20), “but at Damascus he not only experienced power within but more than that, he perceived a person without—not only the gift of grace but the appearance of the risen Jesus. His claim that his seeing of Jesus was something distinctive therefore was not lightly made and cannot be lightly dismissed” (Dunn, Jesus, p. 109). Only his utter conviction of the reality of what happened will sufficiently explain the outcome—“a radical change from a self ...

4598. Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Acts 9:19b-31

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... his teaching (evidence of his considerable powers of leadership?). The possessive pronoun his, however, has been questioned by a number of scholars, not on textual grounds (it is well attested) but because in vv. 19 and 25 “disciples” is used absolutely. Alford claims that the pronoun is an unusual use of the genitive as the direct object (otherwise unexpressed) of the verb took, giving the sense “the disciples took him” (vol. 2, pp. 104f.). B. M. Metzger suggests that the normal accusative of the ...

4599. Peter at Cornelius’ House

Acts 10:23b-48

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... way of stating what happened (cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). One wonders, however, what these Romans, to whom crucifixion was the most shameful of deaths, made of the “Good News” that the Lord of all had been nailed to a cross by their own troops. Peter’s claims for Jesus were only believable in that God had raised him from the dead on the third day (v. 40). This is one of only two references outside the Gospels to the resurrection taking place “on the third day.” The other is found in 1 Corinthians 15 ...

4600. In Corinth

Acts 18:1-17

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... by means of exemplars, and having already shown how Paul preached and worked wherever he went, he has no need to repeat himself here. Thus eighteen months of work in Corinth are summed up in one verse (v. 11). Something else now claimed Luke’s attention. On one occasion during these eighteen months Paul was brought before the proconsul Gallio on the charge of disseminating an illicit religion. The charge was dismissed, and for Luke this was an important demonstration of the compatibility of the Christian ...

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