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 551 to 575 of 612 results

551. Sermon on the Mount: Final Warnings and Call to Obey Jesus’ Words

Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

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Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus’ final words in the Sermon on the Mount warn against those who claim to belong to God but are disobeying God’s will. Those who are wise will put Jesus’ authoritative words into practice. Understanding the Text The final section of the Sermon on the Mount focuses on putting into practice Jesus’ teachings and provides warnings about those who do not obey God’s will. Jesus speaks of bearing fruit being the mark of a disciple (7:15–20; see also 12:33–37; 13:18–23; 21:18–22, 43). Bearing fruit ...

552. The Boy Jesus in the Temple

Luke 2:41-52

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R.T. France

Big Idea: Already in his childhood Jesus is aware both of a special relation with God as his Father and of a special calling. Understanding the Text With this unique glimpse into the period of Jesus’s adolescence, Luke bridges the thirty-year interval between Jesus’s infancy and the beginning of his public ministry. His special relationship with God that is revealed in this story begins to fill out the promises associated with his birth. Mary and Joseph remain central to the story, as Jesus is still in ...

553. Two Memorable Healings

Luke 5:17-26, Luke 5:12-16

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R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus brings not only physical healing and social restoration but also spiritual liberation by the forgiveness of sins. Understanding the Text These two episodes develop Luke’s portrait of Jesus the healer, a theme that was alluded to in 4:23 and spelled out in 4:40, and that will remain a prominent feature of his ministry throughout the time in Galilee and on the road to Jerusalem. In 4:40 we learned of Jesus’s ability to heal “various kinds of sickness,” and here that bald statement is filled ...

554. Feasting and Fasting

Luke 5:33-39, Luke 5:27-32

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R.T. France

Big Idea: The joyful inclusiveness of Jesus’s ministry contrasts with the joyless ritual of formal religion. Understanding the Text The note of controversy that came into Luke’s story with the accusation of blasphemy by scribes and Pharisees against Jesus in 5:21 is now further developed in two scenes in which he is criticized first for mixing with people regarded as irreligious and second for not imposing a proper disciplinary regime on his disciples. The impression thus grows stronger that Jesus’s whole ...

555. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

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R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus, the Son of Man, declares that he has the authority to determine how the Sabbath should be observed. Understanding the Text The two Sabbath incidents in 6:1–11 complete the series of confrontation stories that began in 5:17–26, and the concluding discussion of “what they might do to Jesus” sets an ominous note for the further development of the story. But alongside the official opposition, we are now more fully introduced to the contrasting group of Jesus’s committed followers. We have read ...

556. Challenge and Counterchallenge

Luke 20:9-19, Luke 20:1-8

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R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus’s dramatic arrival in Jerusalem provokes the religious leaders to question his credentials, but Jesus in turn uses a parable to challenge their legitimacy. Understanding the Text After the long journey southward (9:51–19:44) Jesus has deliberately entered Jerusalem as the Messiah, and his actions and teaching in the temple have thrown down the gauntlet to the religious authorities of Jerusalem (19:45–48). Now they take up the challenge, and the rest of chapter 20 will continue the public ...

557. Introduction and “Hello”

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

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Preben Vang

Big Idea: Paul introduces himself as a fellow Christ follower and reminds his Corinthian friends that calling Christ Lord should generate life patterns that reflect such a relationship to Christ. Understanding the Text If anything strikes someone who begins reading 1 Corinthians, it is how Paul packs content into every word from the outset. When we realize how well he knows the Corinthian congregation even on a personal level and recognize that this is at least his second letter to the church (5:9), it is ...

558. The First Four Trumpet Judgments

Revelation 8:6--9:21, Revelation 8:1-5

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J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God responds to the prayers of his people by pouring out the first four trumpet judgments on an unbelieving world. Understanding the Text We see three sets of judgments in Revelation: seals, trumpets, and bowls. In both the seal and the trumpet judgments, we find a 4 + 2 + 1 pattern with an interlude coming before the last element: Pattern…Judgments…Revelation Text 4…Seals 1-4…6:1-8 2…Seals 5-6…6:9-17 --…Interlude…7:1-17 1…Seal 7…8:1 4…Trumpets 1-4…8:2-12 2…Trumpets 5-6 (Woes 1-2)…8:13—9:21 --… ...

559. The Lamb and the 144,000

Revelation 14:1-5

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J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: One day believers will stand in the presence of God and the Lamb and celebrate with a new song of redemption. Understanding the Text In chapter 13 the dragon stands on the seashore and calls forth the two beasts to wage war against the saints (13:1–10, 11–18). Chapter 14, the last part of the extended interlude of 12:1–14:20, opens with the Lamb standing victorious with his faithful followers on Mount Zion. The war and struggle of chapter 13 appear in bold contrast to the victory and celebration ...

560. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

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

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J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God’s people are called to rejoice over his judgment of the evil city and his vindication of the saints. Understanding the Text We now enter the final stage of Babylon’s destruction (17:1–19:5). The laments of Babylon’s codependents in 18:9–19 are contrasted with the rejoicing of the righteous in 18:20–19:5. God’s people are urged to celebrate God’s judgment of the “great city” (18:20). This command is followed by the announcement of Babylon’s certain destruction (18:21), which focuses upon what ...

561. The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-27

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J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God will live with his people in the new creation. Understanding the Text The final vision of Revelation (21:1–22:5) highlights the primary goal and theme of the entire book and all of Scripture: God’s presence among his people in the new creation. From the time sin and death intruded upon God’s good creation, God purposed to defeat his enemies and live among his people in a new garden city. This final vision of Revelation represents the fulfillment of the promises to those who overcome (Rev. 2–3 ...

562. Racism and Envy

Numbers 12:1-16

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Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Racism and envy can bring about God’s judgment. Understanding the Text When Israel leaves Mount Sinai, things quickly turn sour. Numbers 11 begins a series of three locations where the people grumble and complain. At Taberah they complain because of the hardships of the journey (Num. 11:1–3), and at Kibroth Hattaavah they complain because they are tired of manna and want the meat and vegetables that they had enjoyed in Egypt (Num. 11:4–35). Now at Hazeroth (Num. 11:35) two members of Moses’s own ...

563. Job Considers a Legal Dispute with God

Job 9:1–10:22

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Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Job wants God to declare him righteous, but he cannot envision how to bring this about. Understanding the Text In chapters 9 and 10, Job takes up the challenge made by Bildad in 8:5 to plead with the Almighty. As he contemplates this possibility, Job focuses on his legal status before God. In this speech he begins to work out in his mind how he might approach God with his situation, and how God might respond to him. In his soliloquy in chapter 9, Job turns over in his mind whether he should enter ...

564. “I Will Praise Your Name, Lord, for It Is Good”

Psalm 54:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Faith affirms God and worships, and in that context confronts the ongoing conflict between truth and evil. Understanding the Text Psalm 54 contains most of the characteristics of an individual lament, including an address to God, petition, lament/complaint, confession of trust, vow to praise, and assurance of being heard.1 It is another of the thirteen psalms that have historical titles (see the sidebar). Psalm 54 belongs to a minicollection (Pss. 52–55) that is joined together by the phrase “A ...

565. “They Will Proclaim the Works of God and Ponder What He Has Done”

Psalm 64:1-10

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C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God outstrategizes evil and its perpetrators and exhausts their arsenal of weapons. Understanding the Text Psalm 64 is an individual lament, identifying the problem that stimulated the psalmist as the “threat of the enemy,” the “conspiracy of the wicked,” and the “plots of evildoers” (64:1–2). It sums up with the aphoristic commentary of verse 6c: “Surely the human mind and heart are cunning” (lit., “the inward person and heart are deep”). In addition to this detailed description of the problem ( ...

566. “When We Were Overwhelmed by Our Sins, You Forgave Our Transgressions”

Psalm 65:1-13

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C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Nature’s wonders and God’s forgiveness come together as dual witnesses of grace. Understanding the Text Psalm 65 is a community psalm of thanksgiving,1 grammatically indicated by the plural pronouns (“we” and “our”) in verses 1–5. (See the sidebar “Psalms of Thanksgiving” in the unit on Pss. 9–10.) The psalm of thanksgiving includes two essential elements: a report of the crisis that generated the thanksgiving (“we were overwhelmed by sins,” 65:3a) and the acknowledgment of deliverance (“you ...

567. “May All the Peoples Praise You”

Psalm 67:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: As the nations see God’s equitable judgment and guidance in the life of Israel, they will come to acknowledge his sovereignty. Understanding the Text Judging from its first-person plural pronouns (“us”), this psalm is a community psalm of thanksgiving.1 Hakham calls it a psalm of thanksgiving for an abundant harvest.2 Israel acknowledges God’s blessings and prays for their extension, even salvation to the nations of the world (67:2, 7). Psalm 66 ends with a word of blessing (“Blessed [baruk] be ...

568. The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5:1-31

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Ronald W. Pierce

The Handwriting on the Wall (5:1-9): Big Idea: Sacrilege against God can lead to a divine confrontation that worldly wealth, power, and wisdom cannot adequately address. Understanding the Text Daniel 5:1–31 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in two ways. First, it advances the narrative of chapters 1–6, in which the first four focus on Nebuchadnezzar (chaps. 1–2 with historical markers and 3–4 without) and the last two show the transition from Belshazzar of Babylon to Darius the Mede ( ...

569. Daniel's Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

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Ronald W. Pierce

Jeremiah’s “Seventy Years” (9:1-6): Big Idea: Yahweh faithfully fulfills his prophetic word and keeps his covenant with his people, whether for blessing or for judgment. Understanding the Text Daniel 9 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in several ways. First, it advances the chronology of chapters 8–12. Second, it forms the middle of Daniel’s final concentric Hebrew section, which is framed by the parallel units of chapter 8 and chapters 10–12. Third, it covers the same long-range time ...

570. Ten Commandments and the People’s Response

Exodus 20:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Overview: When Jesus is asked which commandment is the most important, he affirms two fundamental principles that characterize the Law and the Prophets: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28–34; Matt. 22:34–40; Luke 10:25–27). The Decalogue (literally the “Ten Words,” or the Ten Commandments) itself opens with “the Lord your God” (20:2) and closes with “your neighbor” (20:17). ...

571. The Mystery of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In Matthew 13:34–35, Matthew narrates the reason Jesus speaks in parables by citing Psalm 78:2. Here the reason for Jesus’s speaking in parables to the crowds has to do with revealing what has previously been hidden—what is not easily understood. Parables in this case fit the nature of the truths of the kingdom being revealed, which are difficult to fully grasp (even the disciples do not always understand; 13:36). Once again, the reason for parables is about revelation (to those who are ready and willing ...

572. Resurrection and Commissioning

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Once the Sabbath is over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses (cf. 27:56, 61) return to the tomb. Instead of finding it sealed and guarded, they experience an earthquake (cf. 27:51) and see an angel roll back the entrance stone (28:1–2). The guards faint in fear, while the angel comforts the two women and calms their fears with the news that Jesus has risen as predicted (28:4–6). They are invited to see the evidence—the empty tomb—and instructed to tell Jesus’s (now eleven) disciples that ...

573. The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Chapter 4, on parables, and chapter 13, on eschatology, are the only two chapters in Mark devoted entirely to Jesus’s teaching. The parable of the sower (4:1–20) is another A-B-A sandwich construction, in which Jesus’s teaching on the mystery of the kingdom of God (4:10–12) divides the parable of the sower (4:1–9) and its explanation (4:13–20). The parable discourse takes place in the now familiar context of Jesus’s teaching alongside the northwest quadrant of the Sea of Galilee. Jewish rabbis did not ...

574. Clean and Unclean

Mark 7:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Jesus’s confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes over the question of uncleanness marks the end of his ministry in Galilee, which began in 1:14. Henceforth in Mark, Jesus will reappear in Galilee only intermittently, in 8:11 and 9:33. The Pharisees and scribes, last seen in chapter 3, come from Jerusalem, which throughout Mark is seen as the primary center of opposition to Jesus. The issue of ritual purity was the dominant trait of Pharisaism, and not surprisingly it is the issue at stake in 7:1–23, ...

575. The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony

John 8:12-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

John 8:12 returns to the festival setting of Tabernacles (cf. 7:2). The discourse of 7:14–39 focused on one symbolic element: the everlasting temple water of Zechariah. Now Jesus employs a second ritual theme: everlasting light (8:12–20). Zechariah also predicted that light would shine forth perpetually from the temple in the last days (Zech. 14:6–7). This too was associated with Moses and the wilderness tabernacles: was not Israel led by a pillar of light (Exod. 13:21)? The Feast of Tabernacles was ...

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