Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4626 to 4650 of 4968 results

4626. The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

John 9:13-34, John 9:35-41

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be ignored, and yet even with this tangible evidence in hand the religious leaders spurn both the man and Jesus. Their allegiance is set; they are intransigent. The language of 9:28 is important. The Pharisees have polarized everyone’s commitments: you cannot be a disciple of Moses and a disciple of Jesus at the same time. The chasm between church and synagogue is at hand (cf. 8:39–47). The blind man’s final defense (9:30–33) supports the logic both of his own case and John’s case in the Book of ...

4627. The Shepherd and His Flock

John 10:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... shift following this chapter. No longer will Jesus discourse with the Jewish leaders. He will later be with friends in Bethany (11:1–12:8), supportive crowds (12:12–19), and Gentiles (12:20–36). Then Jesus will “hide himself” from all but his personal disciples (12:36). Here in chapter 10 the height of Jesus’s self-revelation is completed: his identity with the Father is now explicit (10:30, 33) and centered on his claim to the title Son of God (10:34–36). Similarly, the hostilities are keen ...

4628. The Unbelief of the Jews

John 10:22-42

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :18), now anticipates its completion with a second reference to him (10:40). The Fourth Evangelist even reminds us of the subject of these ten chapters. Although John worked no signs, Jesus did; and those who witnessed these and perceived their truth found faith (10:42).More signs await those disciples of the inner circle (chaps. 11–12), and we as readers are privileged to view these. The final plea for belief, however, will come to us at 12:44–50, when we with the rest of the ...

4629. Jesus Predicts His Death

John 12:20-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his hour of death and glory. It too will be a sign, but how will it be received? Can the average person accept that the world’s judgment will be inaugurated when one man is crucified (12:31–32)? This crowd cannot (12:34)—but neither could the disciples at this point (Mark 8:31–33; 9:30–32; 10:32–34). But fortunately the crowd stays with Jesus; they keep inquiring. The last question posed to Jesus is in John 12:34: “Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” In the previous chapter Martha could not ...

4630. The Vine and the Branches

John 15:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 17). Christlike love should be the hallmark of the church (see esp. 17:20–26; 1 John). The remarkable summary of Jesus’s offer and expectations appears in 15:14–17. What especially stands out is his offer of friendship. In Christ, disciples have unparalleled access to God. True friendship is always hallmarked by complete candor, honesty, and transparency between persons. Jesus has become that sort of friend because he has unveiled himself fully (15:15). Moreover, this is not a casual thing passed out ...

4631. Jesus Prays for All Believers

John 17:20-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... God in Christ (17:21, 23). Unity is not merely a human achievement but flows from a mature walk with Christ. Just as we noted the importance of Jesus’s final public words (12:44–50), now we read his final private teachings for his disciples before his arrest. John 17:24–26 sweeps up subjects from the entire Farewell Discourse but emphasizes one central theme: Jesus desires that he and the Father indwell the believer, conveying to that person the certainty of God’s love. While God’s presence will ...

4632. Jesus Appears to Thomas

John 20:24-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

When Jesus met with the disciples, Thomas (11:16; 14:5; 21:2) was absent. He receives the now familiar Easter greeting (20:25) but claims that unless he can acquire this ... , the latter a pastoral intent for those who already believe.) The Gospel is a record of signs—of evidences—that the reader must weigh. It stems from Jesus’s disciples, who are trustworthy witnesses (see 19:35), and in particular from the testimony of John (21:24). Its aim is to lead us to faith in Christ because in him alone can ...

4633. Ascension and Commission

Acts 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1:5). This baptism of the Holy Spirit signifies the arrival of the eschatological era (cf. Isa. 11:1–3; 32:14–17; 44:1–4). With this note, the disciples naturally think of the promises concerning the restoration of Israel (1:6). Jesus’s response in 1:7 does not deny the fact of the restoration, but it does qualify the timing of the final restoration. Moreover, Jesus’s response also provides a radical reformulation ...

4634. In Pisidian Antioch

Acts 13:13-52

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... by the repeated use of Isaiah 49:6, a verse that describes God’s work in an eschatological era. This account concludes with a description of Gentile reception (13:48) and continued Jewish rejection (13:49–52) of the gospel. As they learned from Jesus’s own instructions to his disciples (Luke 9:5), Paul and Barnabas “shook the dust from their feet” to signify how the Jews are to be responsible for their rejection of the gospel (13:51). In the midst of persecution, however, the ...

4635. Paul in Ephesus

Acts 19:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a statement that again evokes the symbol of twelve (see 1:15–26). Under the leadership of the Twelve, the Jewish believers witness the dawn of the eschatological Spirit on the restored people of God. Here the presence of the Spirit among the twelve disciples in Gentile lands confirms that God has indeed taken “a people for his name from the Gentiles” (Acts 15:14). Finally, the message Paul preaches is also of significance. Because they did not receive the Holy Spirit (19:2), Paul preaches to them, and ...

4636. You Are a Child of God…Uh-Oh

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... to baptism by John there in the wilderness? This is interesting. Bible scholars tell us that the fact that Jesus was baptized by John was an embarrassment to the early church. For many years after John’s death, he still had many disciples, just as Jesus had disciples. They continued to follow John’s teachings, separate from the early Church and may have actually been competitors to the early church. Some of them claimed that John was superior to Jesus since Jesus came to John to be baptized. That makes ...

4637. Falling Into Faith

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... grab on to God by affirming certain beliefs about God. But that requires intellectual work, which can be stimulating, but it is not faith. Faith is allowing God to grab you, wherever you may be. For instance, when Jesus called the disciples, he did not say, “Before you can be my disciples, I need to tell you who I am and then find out if you believe me.” On the contrary, he simply commanded, “Follow me!” And the belief and understanding came only after they “gave in” and followed him. To use a ...

4638. Need a Lift?

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... it possible to lift myself above the day-to-day grind? Is it possible to elevate myself beyond mere existence?” Our text gives us some clues about being elevated above the stress pool of life. At a glance, this text is exactly what we want. An outer-circle disciple of Jesus named Tabitha had become ill and died unexpectedly, and the Apostle Peter arrives with a big S on his chest and rescues Tabitha by bringing her back to life. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It would be so nice to have someone like Peter who ...

4639. Learn To Play Again

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... were appalled. You can imagine their reaction, “Children ought to be seen and not heard. Where are their parents? Can’t they see these kids are interrupting Jesus? Get these kids out of here!” The Bible says that Jesus became very angry at the disciples. He felt the kids were treated unfairly. He said, “What are you doing? Let the children come to me. Don’t get in their way. In fact, unless you can receive the kingdom like these kids, you will never be able to enter it.” What did Jesus mean ...

4640. True North

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... shows us that the purpose of the law is to bring us closer to God and our neighbor. If we love God and our neighbor we are fulfilling what God desires. That’s it! That was the heart to all of it. One time the Pharisees chastised Jesus and his disciples for breaking a dietary law. Jesus told them to get some perspective. He said it is not what you eat that makes you unclean; it is what comes out of your mouth that makes you unclean. In other words, it is what is in your heart that matters. The Pharisees ...

4641. Jesus Morality

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Tom Garrison

... . It does not seem like a stretch to welcome a prophet or a righteous person. I think the rub comes when we get to the last couple of lines of this: "Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple." First, who are the little ones? Second, what does it mean to give a cup of cold water to a person like this? It is obvious in Matthew that the "little ones" are children or people who cannot fully take care of themselves. Here in a few words we have ...

4642. John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Mark 1:1-8

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... , but the reader is let in on the secret right at the beginning. The effect of this is that the reader is prepared to feel how tragic and grievous were the rejection of Jesus by his enemies and the misunderstanding of Jesus by his disciples. The introduction of Jesus by these titles also immediately shows that the writer proceeds out of adoration for Jesus, and that the work is written not from the standpoint of unconcerned historical observance but with deeply religious interests in mind. The Old Testament ...

4643. A Dead Girl and A Sick Woman

Mark 5:21-43

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... Jesus’ clothes, meaning probably the fringe or tassels worn at the corner of clothes by ancient Jews as symbols of their dedication to God. 5:37 Peter, James and John the brother of James seem to be presented as a kind of inner circle among Jesus’ disciples (see also 9:2; 13:3; 14:33). 5:39 The child is not dead: Jesus’ words are probably figurative, implying that all is not lost and that this dead child can be “awakened” again to life. There is a similar figurative expression attributed to Jesus ...

4644. Jesus Before Pilate

Mark 15:1-15

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... betrayal of Jesus; 9:31; 10:33, predictions of Jesus’ death; 13:9–12, the arrest and betrayal of disciples; 15:10, 15, the actions of priests and Pilate in condemning Jesus) and nearly always has a sinister connotation, describing various betrayals and the arrests ... of John the Baptist, Jesus, or his disciples. Both the Jewish leaders here and in 15:10, and Pilate in 15:15 handed over Jesus and are thus guilty together ...

4645. The Man with Leprosy

Luke 5:12-16

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... man (vv. 17–26) involves faith and the forgiveness of sins. This healing story is the first of a series of episodes where Jesus encounters religious criticism and opposition. In 6:1–5 Jesus is accused of working on the Sabbath when he and his disciples picked grain to eat, while similar charges are brought for healing the man with the withered hand (6:6–11). At this point the plot begins to thicken as the religious authorities begin considering what to do with Jesus. Thus, Luke is able to make ...

4646. The Calling of Levi

Luke 5:27-32

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... their quarrel with Jesus. They were critical of Jesus’ style of ministry because to them it did not seem to square with Scripture’s call to holiness (Lev. 10:10; 19:2) and separation (Neh. 10:28). his disciples: The hostile questioning addressed to Jesus’ disciples (instead of being addressed to Jesus himself) mirrors the situation of the early church when Christians had to face hostile questions and accusations concerning their practices and beliefs. 5:30, 32 sinners: This epithet refers to those who ...

4647. The Little Children and Jesus

Luke 18:15-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... the elders for a prayer of blessing upon them on the evening of the Day of Atonement.” The disciples, however, rebuked the parents, no doubt because they viewed it as trivial and as a waste of Jesus’ time. But Jesus called the children ... to him. (Here Luke omits Jesus’ indignation directed at the disciples found in Mark 10:14.) Jesus’ saying in v. 16 would indicate that the sincerity and eagerness characteristic of children are ...

4648. The Resurrection

Luke 24:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... ending, i.e., Mark 16:9–20). Luke’s account is perhaps the most eloquent of all and consists of the following four components: (1) the Discovery of the Empty Tomb (vv. 1–12); (2) the Walk to Emmaus (vv. 13–35); (3) the Appearance to the Disciples (vv. 36–43); and (4) the Farewell and Ascension (vv. 44–53). This section will consider the discovery of the empty tomb. 24:1–12 The major points of difference between the Marcan and Lucan accounts involve the appearance of two men (24:4), instead of ...

4649. Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-8

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... to a legal code or moral principle, then there would be no need to test and approve what God’s will is. But Christian conduct grows only from discipleship, and discipleship from learning and following Christ. The renewed mind is thus the discipled mind, and the discipled mind must be a discerning mind which approves what is good, pleasing and perfect. The will of God is good because it is morally right, it is pleasing because it is acceptable and agreeable to his character, and it is perfect because ...

4650. Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... to erect—and demand worship of—his statue in Palestine in A.D. 39, and in Claudius’ expulsion of Jews from Rome a decade later. The fledgling church was not unaffected by these movements and the sentiments which provoked them. Had not the disciples put a question to Jesus freighted with political expectations, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)? In Thessalonica some years earlier Paul had been accused of “defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there ...

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