Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 476 to 500 of 4957 results

476. Paul Before Agrippa

Acts 25:23--26:32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Jew since he was a child (26:4), and he belongs to the sect of Pharisees, the “strictest sect of our religion” (26:5). Then he ties the gospel that he preaches to the hope of the twelve tribes of Israel (26:6–8). This claim is important for a number of reasons. First, Paul is claiming that the gospel is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel, a point that has been made repeatedly in the Lukan narrative (cf. Luke 2:25, 29–31; 16:16; 24:27, 44–49; Acts 3:18–26). To reject this gospel is to ...

477. Paul Boasts About His Sufferings

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... raised in the struggle for authority at Corinth involved the respective credentials of Paul and his opponents (11:16–32). If an inspection were made, charged Paul’s detractors, then his inferiority to them, or if not to them then to those they claimed as sponsors, would be clearly seen. But contrary to his adversaries’ expectations, and perhaps to those of some of the Corinthians, Paul takes up the challenge to compare his background and service with his rivals’, refusing to be written off by anyone ...

478. Paul's Vision and His Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... The true boast of an apostle, of one sent out by the Lord on a mission (for that is what the title truly means), is that in the course of such a mission, the Lord has faithfully provided power in moments of necessity so that the apostle may claim, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10). Accordingly, though he regrets having “made a fool” of himself with a different boast, Paul has shown through it that he deserves to be commended rather than written off as the inferior of his opponents or those ...

479. Introduction and No Other Gospel

Galatians 1:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... lives (see 1 Cor. 1:20; Eph. 2:2; 6:12). The effect of this opening review is to establish the ground on which Paul will argue his grace-focused gospel. The recognition of the completed work of God in redemption would be undermined by any claim to human activity in conjunction with it. The unusually early doxology found here (1:5) has the effect of placing his detractors in the precarious position of lessening the glory attributable to God if they affirm any human aspect to the redemption process. 1:6–9 ...

480. Paul’s Life as an Example of the Truth of the Gospel

Philippians 3:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... rather unexpectedly. This change of tone and subject has led several scholars to suggest that Philippians 3 is actually a fragment of an earlier letter that has been grafted into the main body of the epistle. There is, however, no manuscript evidence to support such a claim, and although the change of tone is striking, there is a basic similarity in theme between Philippians 3 and the rest of the letter. Paul still has the gospel at the center of his thinking, and the change in tone can be explained by his ...

481. True Christian Faith seen In Its Works

James 2:14-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to God. In a teaching style James frequently uses, he broaches the issue with a question, or, to be more precise, two questions (2:14). In the Greek, it is clear that the assumed answer to these questions is no—this faith, the faith that certain people claim to have but that is without deeds, cannot save them from the judgment of God. The illustration in verses 15–16 drives home this point. What good have we done the fellow Christian who lacks the essentials of life if we simply dismiss him or her with ...

482. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... imitating not what is evil but what is good (v. 11). Does this imply that the inhospitality resulting from Diotrephes’ primacy-loving leadership is presented as evil? If so, the assertion that “anyone who does what is evil has not seen God” becomes problematic. Claiming that Jewish-Christian deserters “never were a part of us” (1 John 2:19; NIV “they did not really belong to us”) and that loving the flesh comes from the world and not from God (1 John 2:16) is understandable, but to say ...

483. I am the Door

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... cleansed, to receive the strength that we need to live from day to day. Today’s sermon addresses one of the great claims of Jesus. One of those claims that offers so much promise and hope and possibility to us. “I AM THE DOOR.” This claim of Jesus is set in the context of the story of the Good Shepherd. His hearers couldn’t understand the meaning of Jesus’ claim, so Jesus plainly, boldly, and without reservation applied the story to Himself, saying, “I am the Door of the sheep. If any person ...

484. When Lazarus Leaped and Laughed

John 11:1-45

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... . Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die" (v. 25). This is a claim from Jesus that takes us to a climax of faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus has made claims about his identity before. Now, however, he makes his claim about his authority over life and death, humanity's last great enemy. He makes his claim in the context of the most powerful demonstration of his identity that he had ever made. What is more, we learn from what we are told ...

485. Jesus Before Pilate

Mark 15:1-15

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... something about his ministry that gave the authorities reason to crucify him as a messianic claimant. Thus, the early church’s claim that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) does seem to be linked with the nature of the ministry of the historical Jesus; ... suggest that Jesus called himself king and opposed the emperor. From Mark’s standpoint, this too is an incorrect description of Jesus’ claim and of his significance, and is likewise a false charge. But there is more to be said than simply that the charges ...

486. The Jews and the Law

Romans 2:17-29

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... foolish, and a teacher of infants. These again are premises of the subsequent argument, introduced by if. It may appear from these accolades that, similar to Matthew 15:14, for example, Paul is mocking the Jews or chiding them for harboring inflated claims of their importance. But this does not seem to be the case. These and other designations appear frequently enough in the OT and rabbinic literature to assure us that Paul is not being sarcastic. Especially in the Diaspora, one frequently encountered the ...

487. Abraham Justified by Faith

Romans 4:1-25

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... to the attitude he attacked in chapter 2, namely, that circumcision and observance of Torah qualified one to inherit righteousness. But in Paul’s mind this led to “boasting” (3:27), to the calculating of merits, and to the laying of charges to God’s account. Claiming inheritance on the basis of law empties faith and annuls the promise (5:12–20; Gal. 3:18–19). When one attempts to secure by one’s own efforts what is intended as a gift, the attention is shifted from the giver to the gift. The ...

488. Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Romans 6:1-14

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... perfect obedience to the eternal God. Because he lived for God he did not live for self; because he did not live for self he knew no sin; because he knew no sin death held no mastery over him. The cross swallows up the grave. Death can claim neither Christ again nor those who through faith “charge their lives to his account” and grow into his likeness. Faith in the resurrected Christ is thus no pipe dream, but the fulcrum of history, the hope of the ages, the clarion truth that in Jesus eternity beams ...

489. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... we might have hope. In these words Paul introduces the theme of hope with which he will conclude the epistle (v. 13). We might have expected that Scripture would impart knowledge or salvation, but the apostle views its essential message as one of hope. Hope is the claiming of Christ’s coming triumph and reign by saving faith (8:24–25). Of course, Paul speaks of hope that comes not from the Scriptures per se but from the “God of hope” (v. 13), to whom the Scriptures bear witness. 15:5–6 In verses 4 ...

490. Greetings and Doxology

Revelation 1:4-8

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... to the central images of John’s Jesus, but it offers again an elegant justification of his composition’s authority. Sharply put, to trust that Jesus is all this christological creed confirms him to be is to trust John’s book of visions to be true. The claims made for Jesus fall into three broad categories: Jesus Christ is known and confessed (1) in terms of his relationship to God (1:5a); (2) in terms of his relationship with the community of faith (1:5b–6); and (3) in terms of his relationship with ...

491. The Rider on the White Horse

Revelation 19:11-21

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... mouth (cf. 1:16; Isa. 11:3–5). But what words come from Messiah’s mouth? The Christian proclamation of the slain Lamb, who is named “Faithful and True” (cf. Eph. 6:17). That is, by the preaching of the gospel about Christ’s faithfulness to God, the claims of the anti-Christian kingdom and its rulers are exposed as lies and deceptions; and by its message, God’s condemnation of the nations is found to be true (cf. Heb. 4:11–12). The other two images which John draws from the OT—the one of an ...

492. Abner Goes Over to David

2 Samuel 3:6-21

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... and satisfied by the action he had taken. The question of power again comes to the fore. David was king, but he had not had the power to prevent the death even of a great soldier-prince like Abner. Given the treatment handed out to the Amalekite who had claimed to kill Saul (1:15) and to the slayers of Ish-Bosheth (4:12), it is not clear why David felt unable, or at least reluctant, to handle Joab and his brothers. Perhaps there is some degree of self-interest in this. Joab was a great general, and David ...

493. Job's Reply to Bildad

Job 9:1–10:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... prey from the teeth and claws of the lion that has captured it. God stalks Job “like a lion” in 10:16. On several occasions the complete phrase “no one can rescue”—including “from your/my hand”—describes the inevitability of divine judgment. In Deuteronomy 32:39, God claims the power of life and death over his covenant people. “See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand ...

494. Epilogue

Job 42:7-17

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... the first. God’s blessing of Job is abundant and free. There is no causal link here other than the gracious care of God for his servant. We have learned that the servants of God may suffer horrendously (as Job has) without giving up their claim to righteousness. Job does not earn this final blessing but receives it freely—and it is freely given. A quick comparison of the numbers of Job’s livestock before and after the test reveals the doubling of his herds in every instance (e.g., fourteen thousand ...

495. A Victory Procession and Instruction for Temple Entry

Psalm 24:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... on our own naïveté regarding ancient imagery. This poem employs the ancient Near Eastern motif of the divine warrior who becomes king by virtue of his victory over chaotic waters (see the Introduction). This background helps us to make sense of the strange claim, he founded it upon the seas (Hb. yammîm) and established it upon the waters (lit. “rivers,” Hb. nehārôt). In the Canaanite epic the storm god, Baal, becomes king once he vanquishes Prince Sea (Yam)–Judge River (Nahar). His dual name ...

496. Walking in Integrity and Loving the Lord’s House

Psalm 26:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... It seems remarkable, if not strange, that one should invite God to judge and examine him (vv. 1–2). The reason given with this invitation, “for I have led a blameless life,” hardly encourages us to identify with the speaker or even endorse such claims to righteousness. But we must allow him more than one verse to explain himself. We must first note that at some points the NIV translation is misleading. “Blameless life” (v. 1) is a questionable translation for the Hebrew term tummî in verses 1 and ...

497. My God as Refuge from Social Alienation

Psalm 31:1-24

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... , where the speaker is assured Yahweh has heard the prayer but where actual liberation is yet to be made public. The confession is careful to say that God has revealed himself to the speaker (he showed . . . to me and you heard my cry) but makes no claim of a change in circumstances (on the contrary, note in a besieged city). It is interesting to observe that here, and not in the lament, admission is made of earlier despair (v. 22), which the speaker now rejects. 31:23–24 The public performance of this ...

498. Zion’s Divine Defender

Psalm 48:1-14

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... roaring of the seas” (vv. 6–8; note also the reference to joy). This background of divine kingship is also evident in the reference to the heights of Zaphon, which was Baal’s sacred mountain north of Ugarit in modern-day Syria. Verse 2, in effect, claims that Zion is the true “Zaphon” or holy mountain (lit. “Mount Zion, the recesses of Zaphon, is the city of the great king”). Verse 3 continues the description of Zion but shifts to the military sphere and echoes 46:7, 11 by using the same term ...

499. The Pilgrim’s Thirst for God in a Dry and Weary Land

Psalm 63:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... eaten before the Lord (22:26; 65:4; Lev. 7:15–16; Deut. 12:5–7; 1 Sam. 1:3–4, 9). Similarly, 36:7–9 claims that those who “find refuge in the shadow of your wings . . . feast on the abundance (Hb. dešen) of your house; you give them drink from ... graphically portrays the soul’s longing for God as a fundamental appetite of the worshiper. We may wonder how a worshiper could claim, I have seen you in the sanctuary. First, we should note this expression is sometimes used in the OT for the pilgrim’ ...

500. A Servant Appeals to His Lord for Protection

Psalm 86:1-17

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... :4–5; cf. also Jer. 32:39; Ezek. 11:19). The worshiper thus demonstrates that he wants to do what all nations must do because of who Yahweh is. Similarly, as Yahweh is hymned to be great (v. 10) and abounding in love (v. 5), so the worshiper will claim, for great is your love toward me (v. 13). 86:14–17 As already noted, the lament opening the third strophe seems out of place, but now that we have discovered how the poet links his material by key terms we can see how verse 14 appropriately follows verse ...

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