Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4801 to 4825 of 4958 results

4801. The Gospel of God in Christ through Paul

Romans 1:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... orientation of the gospel is the Old Testament. Thus, the gospel is rooted in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Jesus Christ the promised Messiah, and articulated by Paul the Jewish Christian. To lose this orientation is to follow the path of the heretic Marcion, who claimed that the Bible presents two different gods, the Old Testament god of wrath and the New Testament god of love. One of my professors used to say that to be a strong Christian, one had to know the Old Testament. He was right. The Old ...

4802. The Whole World Is under the Curses of the Covenant

Romans 3:9-20

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C. Marvin Pate

... arguing instead for the traditional view that “works of the law” is the entirety of the Mosaic system (if the presenter happens to agree with the traditional view on Paul and the law). The reader will recall that covenantal nomism, as described by Sanders, claims that Second Temple Judaism was not a legalistic religion but rather based on grace—grace to enter the covenant with God, and works to stay in that relationship. Related to this, Dunn’s theory is that Paul in Romans and Galatians is not ...

4803. The Christian’s New Dominion: Dedicated to Righteousness

Romans 6:15-23

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C. Marvin Pate

... . Although early Christianity did not officially challenge slavery (to do so would be to invoke the wrath of mighty Rome against Christians), the gospel did sow the seeds that have contributed toward the overthrow of that hideous institution. Indeed, Paul’s claim in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ there is “neither slave nor free,” his holding masters accountable in Ephesians 6:5–9, and his strong encouragement to Philemon to let his slave Onesimus go free hopefully will contribute to the downfall ...

4804. The Reversal of the Deuteronomic Curses and Blessings: Replacing Law with Faith

Romans 9:30--10:21

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C. Marvin Pate

... –10:5 by emphasizing it as the human responsibility side of election, while 9:1–29 reflects the divine side of election. Both, I think, are true. There is mystery though harmony. A view that is being championed these days claims to harmonize divine sovereignty and human responsibility. It is known as Molinism. Over three hundred years after Thomas Aquinas, a Spanish Jesuit of the Counter-Reformation, Luis de Molina (1535–1600), advanced Aquinas’s compatibilist theory of divine sovereignty and human ...

4805. “Weak and Strong” Should Get Along

Romans 14:1--15:13

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C. Marvin Pate

... been killed. She begs two sisters, Martine and Philippa, who preside over an aging, dwindling church, to hire her as a servant, and she gives everything to deliver these people from their spare, loveless religion, from living meagerly, bickering among themselves while claiming faith. After fourteen years as their cook, one day she wins a considerable sum of money in the lottery, and she chooses to spend it all on a sumptuous feast for the community. She invites this “frozen chosen” group to a lavish ...

4806. Wisdom and Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

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Preben Vang

... a mystery, unless, of course, cultural wisdom is the guide to success. If that were the case (though it is not), all we would need to do is to “Christianize” secular self-help books and include a few Bible verses to back up our claims. Christian Nonfiction: Come before Winter and Share My Hope, by Chuck Swindoll. Swindoll describes the nature of the eagle in human terms. “They are driving with this inner surge to search, to discover, to learn. . . . They’re courageous, tough-minded, willing to ask ...

4807. Separation of Faith and Life

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

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Preben Vang

... adopted by representatives of the people, how much more when we think of the way God’s divinely given laws govern the affairs of his church? If the representatives who govern a nation cannot be above the laws they write, how can leaders in Christ’s body claim to be above laws they have received from their divine Lord and master? Anyone who does so must be disciplined for God’s honor and even for one’s own healing. News Story: This text provides an opportunity to talk about the kinds of breaches in ...

4808. Trust versus Self-Reliance

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

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Preben Vang

... The lesson for the self-proclaimed strong Corinthians is that although they have been baptized into Christ, they should not risk their relationship in reliance on ritual. It is the distinctiveness of their relationship to Christ that safeguards them, not the claim of a religious ritual. Illustrating the Text Becoming stronger in God’s grace requires remaining ever more dependent on it. Contrasting Concept: Talk about the idea of using a crutch or cane to recover from an injury. (Bringing some crutches as ...

4809. Worship and Humility

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

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Preben Vang

... of what God had done to a celebration of what God was doing. The focus, then, is not on the unleavened bread but on the Christ event expressed through the community’s sharing of the one bread. Examining the significance of one’s faith claims for a Christian transformation of behavior is the only table manner (11:27) worthy of Christ’s invitation. Illustrating the Text The church and sacraments are meant to be status neutral. Contrasting Concept: Show or describe a clip from a reality television show ...

4810. The Priority of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

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Preben Vang

... There will be no need for them when believers in their resurrection bodies (15:44) meet God face-to-face (13:12; Rev 22:3–4). 13:10–11 when completeness comes. When the fullness of maturity (teleion) comes, the empowerments the Corinthians presently claim as demonstrations of maturity will prove to be mere expressions of immaturity, even child’s play (ta tou n?piou [13:11; cf. Eph. 4:13–14]). The evidence of genuine maturity, therefore, is not a particular spiritual gift but love. Gifts cease ...

4811. Resurrection and History

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

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Preben Vang

... both God’s promises from Holy Scripture and the persons God caused to become eyewitnesses to his Son’s resurrection. It is an out-and-out rejection of every source of their faith—indeed, a rejection of God himself. Moreover, since they claim to belong to the Christ community, they are denying what they themselves believed (15:11). By doing so, they have rendered useless (eik?, “without cause or purpose” [15:2]) the faith they used to have. Illustrating the Text Doctrinal primacy—believing first ...

4812. Message to Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7

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J. Scott Duvall

... . 1. Our deeds are important, including the hard work of contending for the truth of the faith. We live in a pluralistic and secular culture, increasingly similar to that of first-century Ephesus. There are more and more religious voices claiming to possess absolute truth and demanding uncritical allegiance. Churches cannot afford to assume the doctrinal purity of potential church leaders; their belief system must be examined along with their practical ministry skills. This is more than a theoretical, ivory ...

4813. Message to Sardis

Revelation 3:1-6

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J. Scott Duvall

... biblical teaching that those who fail to overcome (or persevere) will not receive salvation. Throughout the seven messages we see several categories of people being addressed in the same church: unbelievers, faithful believers, and compromising “believers.” Jesus sternly warns those who claim to have faith but are failing to live out what they profess (e.g., Rev. 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 17–19). Depending on your theological persuasion, you may see verse 5 as confirmation (1) that people can definitely lose ...

4814. Message to Laodicea

Revelation 3:14-22

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J. Scott Duvall

... , poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold, . . . white clothes . . . and salve to put on your eyes. Now Jesus makes it clear that the church that thought they had everything in fact has nothing. While the city claims financial self-sufficiency, the church boasts of spiritual independence. They are confusing material prosperity and comfort with spiritual health and security. Although the city serves as a banking center, the church is poor rather than rich (contrast the rich poor church in ...

4815. The Celebration of the Great Multitude in Heaven

Revelation 7:9-17

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J. Scott Duvall

... the home and care they had never had. They were Christians, they explained to the judge, and they wanted to show something of the grace they had received from God to those who had done them such grievous evil. The judge, who newspaper reporters claimed had a reputation for being hard and unemotional, had tears in his eyes as he explained, ‘That is not the way our system of justice works!’” By their forgiveness, the parents testified of a kingdom utterly different from the kingdoms of this world, a ...

4816. Faithful Witnesses Who Proclaim God’s Word

Revelation 11:1-14

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... ministry. As with the two witnesses, God’s miraculous works often accompany the proclamation of the gospel (e.g., Acts 6:8; 14:3; 19:11–12). As Craig Keener reminds us, “Only when the church becomes prepared to challenge the idols of society with the claims of Christ, as the two witnesses do in our text, will we witness God’s power in biblical fullness.”7 2. We should not be shocked when the world rejects us. Living in a post-Christian culture calls us to adjust our expectations. Being “measured ...

4817. The Woman, the Son, and the Dragon

Revelation 12:1--13:1a

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... the next week, make God’s promise of protection a part of your prayer life. Psalm 91 provides an incredible prayer we can adopt for ourselves and our loved ones. As you move through the text, substitute “me” and “my” in the appropriate places, claiming the promises of protection. As the week proceeds, you can also use the language of this prayer to intercede for loved ones, for your pastor, and for missionaries your church supports. We live between the decisive battle and the end of a great war ...

4818. The Beast from the Sea (Antichrist)

Revelation 13:1b-10

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... endurance along the path he has pioneered (Heb. 12:1–3). The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Illustrating the Text Satan often works through secular power structures and their leaders. Science: Cancer is a terrible disease, claiming an estimated 580,000 lives in the United States in 2013. Unlike many other illnesses, which can arise when some outside virus or bacteria invades the body, cancer arises from within our very cells. Normal cells, designed to multiply when needed and die ...

4819. Proclamations of Judgment and Reward

Revelation 14:6-13

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... But John had no such scruples against “scaring” people, and as long as we speak the truth and are able to reason with people (Acts 19:9; 24:25), there remain occasions when this approach is appropriate. A young atheist chose to consider the claims of Christ immediately rather than deferring the decision because the doctrine of hell made the stakes too high to ignore. Twenty-four years later that former atheist remains a committed Christian—and is writing this commentary.6 Will we endure over the long ...

4820. The Bowl Judgments

Revelation 16:1-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... we curse, we have God’s name on our lips—he can so warp the creature that it hates the one who made it.”[7] The way a person responds to perceived discipline reveals the condition of their heart. Sadly, some people who claim to be Christians regularly respond by refusing to repent and consistently blaming God and God’s people, when what is needed is a humble acceptance of personal responsibility and repentance. Illustrating the Text An awareness of the ending will bring perspective to the everyday ...

4821. The Coming Judgment Calls for the Saints to Leave Babylon

Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... I will never mourn.” Babylon’s sins consist of self-glorification, sensuous luxury, and prideful arrogance, the very opposite of humble dependence upon the Lord and sacrificial love within a community (e.g., Prov. 29:23; Isa. 5:15; 1 Pet. 5:6). Her threefold claim echoes Isaiah 47:7–8, where Babylon boasts, “I am forever—the eternal queen! . . . I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.” 18:8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her ...

4822. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

Revelation 19:1-10, Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... and assurance for Christians currently suffering persecution and abuse under evil human rulers. Teaching the Text 1. At present, we can praise God in anticipation of the beginning of his universal reign. Every generation of Christians lives under some earthly ruler who claims lordship over their world. We know that God is firmly seated on his heavenly throne as the only legitimate ruler of the universe. While God’s sovereignty is never in question, we do not yet see his reign fully established on the ...

4823. The Temporary Imprisonment of Satan

Revelation 20:1-7

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... 3, 14). Last, he is the devil, or Satan, meaning “adversary” or “accuser,” who knows his time is short and devotes his dying energy to attacking the people of God (12:10–12). Satan is imprisoned for a thousand years. Although some interpreters claim this refers to a literal thousand years, most treat the number one thousand as symbolic of a full and complete but indefinite period of time, a conclusion in keeping with the symbolic role of numbers throughout the book. Since the number ten represents ...

4824. The Sin Offering

Leviticus 4:1--5:13

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... a nuclear explosion. When impurity reaches a critical mass, God breaks out in wrath. But the sin offering was a ransom to God that appeased his anger and purged from his presence the offending human sin or uncleanness. Contrary to the claims of nineteenth-century reference works, kipper is not a “covering” of sin derived from kapar (“to cover”). On the basis of this earlier interpretation it was argued that atonement in Old Testament times served to “cover” sins temporarily until the time ...

4825. The Guilt Offering

Leviticus 5:14--6:7

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... the pledges given for a loan (Ezek. 18:18 where ‘ashaq ‘osheq, “did what was wrong” [NIV], is the opposite of returning collateral in Ezek.18:7). Here the culprit admits to having confiscated the goods but swears falsely about the circumstances, claiming that confiscation is fully justified. 6:3 find lost property and lie about it. The rule of “finders keepers, losers weepers” makes sense where an owner of lost property cannot be found, but here the culprit refuses to return a lost item ...

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