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Showing 4826 to 4850 of 4986 results

4826. Questions about the Collection and Paul’s Plans

1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 1 Corinthians 16:5-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... [Acts 20–21]). Paul now coordinates the instructions for the collection with his own plans. At this point (though as 2 Cor. 1:15–17 indicates, his plans were modified), Paul’s hope is to come to Corinth after passing through Macedonia, to stay at Corinth (perhaps even for the winter), and then to continue his journey wherever that may take him. But he does not intend to begin his journey or leave Ephesus (from where this letter is written) until Pentecost; the opportunity for ministry, despite ...

4827. Paul Called by God

Galatians 1:11-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Arabia today, ruled then by the Nabateans). The text does not specify what he did while in that area. The reason he mentions it is not to explain what he did as much as to show what he did not do (i.e., consult with Jerusalem). After a stay of some undetermined time, he returned to Damascus (1:17), where presumably the incident of escape from the city took place (see additional details in 2 Cor. 11:30–33). 1:18–24 · First meeting with Jerusalem leadership: Paul’s desire was to show that he did not ...

4828. The Hymn to Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... some point to reject the cross as sufficient remedy for all sin. Paul is not insinuating that the Colossians are to muddle along as best they can and hope that their faith manages in the end to carry them to heaven. The point Paul makes is that the Colossians must stay the course, both in mind and in behavior. They must remain connected to the head, Christ, for the body cannot live without its head. Paul gives no hint that he is worried they might not reach this goal.

4829. Timothy’s Encouraging Report

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... trip to Thessalonica (see 1 Thess. 3:1–2). He had departed from Athens, and upon his return from the Thessalonian church, he caught up with Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5). We can only guess how he traveled (by road or sea?) and how long the trip and stay with the church lasted (up to a month or so?). The wait must have been agonizing for Paul. “But Timothy has just now come to us from you” and, contrary to fears, “has brought good news about your faith and love” (3:6). Timothy’s report was “good ...

4830. Stand Firm

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (2:15), through both the preaching they heard and the letter the apostles previously sent them (that is, 1 Thessalonians). The verse reflects a common exhortation given to new converts (see Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 16:13; Gal. 5:1; Phil. 1:27; 4:1) to stay stable and faithful to the Lord in the face of opposition (see 1 Thess. 3:8). The particular concern here is their continued adherence to the teaching they received (2:2, 5; cf. 1 Thess. 4:1–2). The teachings were the sacred apostolic tradition handed down ...

4831. Thanksgiving and Appeal

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the sum of a “pattern of sound teaching” that Timothy is to teach others (see chap. 2), with the indwelling Holy Spirit’s help. 1:15–18 · One other life to emulate, contrasted with counterexamples:Sadly, not everyone in Paul’s circle is staying true to the apostle. Though there is surely some exaggeration in Paul’s saying that “everyone in the province of Asia” (where Ephesus is situated, and where Timothy is ministering) “has deserted me,” it certainly means that Timothy is serving a ...

4832. Paul’s Teaching

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3:10–17 · Third appeal, part one: Stay with what you know: The false teaching being circulated among the Ephesians is that the resurrection is entirely “now.” In his controversy with the Corinthians over whether there was still a resurrection to come, Paul pointed to his own sufferings as proof that “we have not yet begun to reign” ( ...

4833. Boasting about Tomorrow

James 4:13-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... light of God’s person and purposes. 4:13–17 · Recognizing who we are before God: James addresses self-confident businesspeople in 4:13—whether Christian or non-Christian is unclear. These businesspeople have decided where they are going, how long they will stay, what they will do there, and even what the outcome of their efforts will be. James has nothing against making plans, but he does condemn the arrogance of those who think they can make their plans without reference to God. We must recognize ...

4834. The Antichrist Has Come! The Secessionists Deny Jesus’s Messiahship

1 John 2:18-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Christian speculation about the identity and advent of the antichrist has been a major pastime from the second century until today. In order to stay close to the text and its original meaning, however, we should be aware of several facts. (1) The Greek word antichristos does not appear in Revelation, but only in 1 and 2 John. While “the beast,” “666,” and other biblical villains might seem likely prospects for speculating about contemporary threats, ...

4835. The Antichrists Are Coming! They Deny Jesus Came in the Flesh

1 John 4:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a middle path between the Jewish-Christian rejection of “worldly” behavior and an accommodation of standard religious, political, and moral practices within pagan Asia Minor and across the Greco-Roman world. Other than the last verse of 1 John (stay away from idols; 5:21), the elder does not mention the specifics. Standard practices, however, would have involved participation in religious-cultural festivals, which sometimes involved offerings to the gods, the eating of foods offered to idols, and ...

4836. Let Us Love One Another

2 John 1:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’s commandments. This familiar style and content connects 2 John with 1 John, and both are connected to the love command of Jesus in John 13:34–35. To walk in the truth is also to love one another within community relationship. This implies staying in the community and not leaving, as did the first antichristic threat (1 John 2:18–25), and it also implies addressing new threats as they present themselves. 7–11 · Beware the Deceivers and the Antichrists, Who Deny the Flesh of Jesus!:In contrast ...

4837. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and church discipline in the third Christian generation. Just as Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, advocated appointing one bishop in every church in Asia Minor (an application of Peter’s receiving keys to the kingdom in Matt. 16:17–19?) and raising the value of staying within the walls of the church community, Diotrephes appears to be implementing this sort of advice. In that sense, he and the elder are trying to do the same sort of thing by different means: working to hold their communities together in the ...

4838. The Letter to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’s name (3:8b). Because of their perseverance (3:10) and works (3:8a), the holy and true one gives three promises. First, Christ tells the Philadelphians that the door to the church’s mission and ministry (cf. 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3) will stay open. No one can shut it. Second, he promises to vindicate the church before the Jewish community (3:9; cf. Isa. 60:14; Rom. 11:11). Last, the one who holds the keys to David’s kingdom (3:7; cf. Isa. 22:2) promises them a place in David’s ...

4839. I am the Door

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... write: “O Master, let me what with Thee in lowly paths of service free. Tell me thy secret, help me bear, the strain of toil, the fret of care. Help me the slow of heart to move By some clear winning word of love. Teach me these wayward feet to stay And guide them in the homeward way. [3] He had found the life of loving service to his neighbor which Christ opens to us. “I am the Door to the sheep; he who comes to me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” That was ...

4840. Today Can Be the First Day of Your New Life!

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... of the Christmas story. After the shepherds and the wise men have gone, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and says to him, “Herod will be looking for the child in order to kill him. So get up, take the child and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you to leave.” It is a scene of darkness and dread, of fear and flight. The humble couple gathers their few belongings and their precious newborn babe, and in the darkness of night they silently make their way toward Egypt. Life is often like ...

4841. You Are a Child of God…Uh-Oh

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... is a spot of beauty and peace amid a furious flowing river of hate and strife.” Gulledge notes that when Jesus’ enemies tried to seize him, he “went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed . . .” (John 10: 39‑40). He adds, “Whether at this location on the Jordan, or another, Jesus found refuge from the trials of life, at the place of His baptism. And we can, too. When difficulties seem more than we can bear, going back to our baptismal ...

4842. Dr. Jekyll Meet Jesus

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... do but glide the plane into the water. He survived the crash, but his plane sank quickly. Soon he was bobbing on the water in a leaky life vest. Suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body. It was a shark. Wyatt kicked the shark away. Somehow he stayed afloat for the next ten hours. When the morning broke, he felt another shark brush against him and he saw two more sharks headed his way. Again he kicked the sharks away. How much longer could he survive like this? At this crucial moment he heard the sound ...

4843. Accept His Peace

John 4:1-26, Romans 5:1-11, Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... all right to complain to the Lord. If you’re dying of thirst. If your children are in danger of starving. If you have a terminal illness, you have a right to ask, “Where are you, God?” The children of Israel after an extended in the desert stay are thirsty and quite naturally they complain to Moses. Moses cries to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” Now it’s Moses who is worried. No leader wants his people to turn against him. The Lord tells ...

4844. Jesus or Niccolo?

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16). As Jesus appealed to God's word, so must we. Paul calls us to take up "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). Furthermore, we remember the words of Jesus when he said, "Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Belief in God. The word of God. Pray to God. These are our weapons when temptation comes our way. We decide whether or not ...

4845. No Greater Love

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... professor, as a young man Dietrich had turned away from the life of prestige and privilege that would naturally befall him in order to pursue his sense of call to become a pastor. When the Third Reich came into power, Bonhoeffer could have chosen to stay in the United States and teach at the seminary where he had just earned his doctorate. Instead, he was moved with love for the Christians of his homeland and returned there to become the pastor of a small Lutheran congregation. He ended up dying on ...

4846. Afraid of Hope

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... see a monument to a doubter. No doubter ever built a successful business, found a cure for disease, conquered depression, or motivated people to rise above their circumstances and take hold of life. If you want to live a victorious Christian life you must stay away from negative people. "Doubting Thomas," we call him; just "Doubting Thomas." Doubt and negativity! They are everywhere around us. Some of us may be waiting for a pathology report on a loved one or ourselves. Perhaps some of us are wondering if ...

4847. This Spirit Is Not Spooky

John 14:15-21

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... , however, he did not remain with them. The guilt-ridden David pleads with God, "Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). What Jesus presents here is new, different, and exciting. Now the Spirit comes to stay with us for the rest of our lives. Listen for the word "forever"! Jesus said, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever" (v. 16). The Greek word for Advocate is parakletos, which is a joining together of ...

4848. What Was That All About?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

James L. Killen

... having discovered what they had in common, don't you imagine that a unique kind of friendship must have grown between them? Can you imagine that they sought every opportunity to spend time together, take long walks during family gatherings or religious festivals, and stay up late at night talking about the things on their minds? They must have spent a lot of time thinking about the things the prophets taught about the promised day of the Lord. They must have known well the teachings of the prophet Isaiah ...

4849. Come and See

John 1:29-42

Sermon

James L. Killen

... little smile on the face of the young teacher who was just getting started in the life work he felt God had assigned to him. He asked, "What are you looking for?" That probably surprised the disciples. Scrambling for something to say, they asked, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" That really wasn't what they wanted to know. They wanted to know much more. There were questions they didn't yet know how to ask. But it was the first thing they could think of. I can imagine that Jesus smiled and waved a hand as he ...

4850. Fix It, Daddy

John 11:17-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... this announcement, he told his parents that when the new priest came he would no longer be going to Mass. “What are you talking about?” his parents wanted to know. The young fellow replied, “When they get priests directly from the cemetery, I’m staying home.” Obviously that young fellow wanted nothing to do with a zombie apocalypse, in the modern vernacular. Of course the young priest did not come from a cemetery, but from a seminary. Only Lazarus was given the gift of returning from a cemetery ...

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