Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 551 to 575 of 797 results

551. “Why Do You Boast of Evil, You Mighty Hero?”

Psalm 52:1-9

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C. Hassell Bullock

... either a relatively minor mechanical or electrical failure prevented the main feedwater pumps from sending water to the steam generators that remove heat from the reactor core. This relatively minor incident that led to the reactor core meltdown could have been deadly.4One lesson learned from this event is that small missteps can create a chain of catastrophic events. This is certainly true with regard to the tongue (vv. 2–4). The tongue is one of the smallest organs in the human body, and yet it can be ...

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

Psalm 54:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

... is particularly true when the psalmist is personally the victim of injustice, betrayal, and attacks. Rather than permit those who have no regard for God to set his agenda (v. 3), he leaves vengeance to God (v. 5a) and acknowledges him as judge (v. 1). We can learn from the example of Anne Frank, who sought not to allow the evil of her world to taint her soul. Frank was just fifteen years old when she became a Holocaust victim at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. Her “crime” was simply that ...

553. “You Laugh at Them, Lord; You Scoff at All Those Nations”

Psalm 59:1-17

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C. Hassell Bullock

... : Many of us are familiar with the children’s rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This phrase has become a stock response to verbal bullying in playgrounds throughout the English-speaking world. But most of us have learned, over time, that this phrase really is not true. Broken bones heal, but an unkind word can stick for a lifetime. It would be helpful if you shared from your own experience how an unkind word brought pain to your life. In the Psalms we often ...

554. “Human Help Is Worthless”

Psalm 60:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... take them too. That is a triumph, to be sure!” This paraphrase is intended to give the picture of what is taking place here. God had to give the land to Israel (“With God we will gain the victory,” 60:12a), and Israel has learned the hard way, by defeat, that “human help is worthless” (60:11b). But they should not forget that God promised the land to Abraham’s descendants, and the psalmist creates this moving “video” of the transaction. It is a prophetic oracle in animation. This memorable ...

555. “Truly My Soul Finds Rest in God”

Psalm 62:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... . I think those people could be trusted with riches. But only God knows whether that is true. How we deal with possessions certainly says something about where our trust is. David was a man of great wealth and privilege, at least in his later years, and he had learned that rest in God alone was the only position he could live by. Paul seems to be reflecting this psalm in 1 Timothy 6:17–19: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is ...

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

Psalm 64:1-10

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C. Hassell Bullock

... to the wicked who have no fear of anyone (64:4), now the fear of God falls on “all people” (kol-’adam). Verses 8b–9 contain a theme summed up in Isaiah 26:9: “When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.” 64:10 The righteous will rejoice.The term “righteous” is parallel with “the upright in heart.” This recalls the final verse of Psalm 63: “But the king will rejoice in God” (63:11). Theological Insights In Psalm 64 God turns the evildoers ...

557. “Endow the King with Your Justice, O God”

Psalm 72:1-20

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C. Hassell Bullock

... 1) and also begins the last psalm of Book 1 (“Blessed [’ashre] are those who have regard for the weak,” 41:1), occurs internally in two other psalms that come at the end of Books 3 and 4: Psalms 89:15 (“Blessed [’ashre] are those who have learned to acclaim you”) and 106:3 (“Blessed [’ashre] are those who act justly”). Psalm 72 is not quoted in the New Testament, but its messianic tones are in line with those of prophetic texts like Isaiah 11:1–5 and Zechariah 9:9–10. Outline/Structure ...

558. Daniel Interprets the Dream and Confronts Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 4:19-27

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Ronald W. Pierce

... and vulnerable. God can remove his gifting in our lives as quickly as he gives it. Apply this not only to leaders but to anyone whom God gifts in a way that allows him or her fame and a sphere of influence over others. Help them to learn to say, “It’s not about me but about the God who gives.” Encourage them to hold lightly the privileged position God gives, knowing these are sacred stewardships only for a time. 3. God allows prophets to call sinners to repentance. The Bible calls God’s people ...

559. Triumph of God’s People and Kingdom

Daniel 7:15-28

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Ronald W. Pierce

... responses of Daniel that frame its question-and-answer core. First, the confused seer inquires about the vision and discovers that the beasts represent kings and kingdoms (7:15–18). Second, he probes more deeply regarding the fourth beast and the little horn, learning of a war against the “holy ones” that leads to the establishment of God’s kingdom (7:19–27). Third, this section closes with Daniel’s response to the vision and God’s charge to him (7:28). Historical and Cultural Background ...

560. Spiritual Warfare and Jewish Suffering

Daniel 8:1-14

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Ronald W. Pierce

... way, it fits into the same short time of suffering in Daniel. Third, a spiritual struggle against evil need not degenerate into a political agenda. Daniel distinguishes only between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God. Illustrating the Text Remember what you learned in the light as you live in a dark and needy world. Bible: Ephesians 6:10–13. Imagine being held in a strange place of darkness under the control and evil intent of a hostile person—in part, because of your own failures. Just ...

561. Daniel's Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

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Ronald W. Pierce

... if they maintain their GPA. Here, the promise is twofold: (1) if the grade is made, parents are bound by oath to deliver the goods; but (2) if the grades are insufficient, the “promise” still must be kept—no trip. The virtues learned from parents keeping both positive and negative aspects of their “word” are the same—and God always keeps his word. The Old Testament roles of priest and prophet illustrate God’s mercy and justice. Bible: Jeremiah. A simple, twofold biographical sketch of ...

562. Abraham’s Test

Genesis 22:1-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... one word is said about that emotion-filled three-day journey. What were Abraham’s thoughts? Did he pray: “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matt. 26:39 KJV)? He certainly was quite vocal with God back in chapter 18. Why not here? Has he learned from what happened in chapter 18? Or is it a case of Abraham praying for the deliverance of sinners but refusing to pray for the deliverance of his own family? Abraham does not expect this to be the last he will see his son. (“We will come back ...

563. Jacob and Esau

Gen 32:1-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... him in chapter 31, and now he is about to meet Esau. Jacob is as diplomatic as possible. He identifies himself, through his messengers, as “your servant” (32:4, not “your brother”), and he refers to Esau as “my lord” (32:5). Terrified to learn that Esau has four hundred men with him, Jacob divides his entourage into two, breathes a quick prayer, and prepares a lavish gift for Esau. Jacob reveals his purpose for these presents: “I will pacify him” (32:20). Appeasement, then, is a must for ...

564. Joseph Makes Himself Known

Genesis 45:1-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... do so with Egyptian carts, new clothes, food, and provisions, with something extra for Benjamin (45:21–23). Joseph’s injunction that they not quarrel on the way (45:24) shows that he has not forgotten what his brothers are capable of doing. Jacob is stunned to learn that Joseph is still alive. And well he should be. Actually he needs little convincing—only the Egyptian carts. In spite of advancing age, he is now most eager to see his son. It is not clear why the father called Jacob in verses 25–27 ...

565. Birth, Preservation, and Preparation of Moses

Ex 2:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... known, he flees to the wilderness of Midian (2:11–15). There he gets married and shepherds his father-in-law’s sheep for forty years. Contrary to all appearances this aspect of Moses’s training and experience is indispensable, as he learns the terrain and the precious water sources of the Sinai Peninsula and gains skills necessary for leading recalcitrant groups. Although the wilderness is barren and forbidding, it is where God chooses to reveal himself both to Moses and later to God’s covenant ...

566. The Plagues of Hail, Locust, and Darkness

Ex 9:13–10:29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the hail will be destroyed by an invasion of locusts (10:1–20). Pharaoh’s entire system is eroding; in spite of his divine stature his officials challenge his authority, appealing to the potential utter ruin of Egypt. He recalls Moses and Aaron, but when he learns that they will all be leaving to worship, Pharaoh declares his intent to keep women and children as hostages. The ninth plague (10:21–29) attacks the sun god, Amun-Re. It is a darkness “that can be felt” (10:21), possibly the sharav, a ...

567. Bitter Waters

Exodus 15:22-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... inevitably the target of unjustified criticisms, obliged to sacrifice personal feelings for community well-being and “pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matt. 5:44 KJV). Paul declares that these events occurred as examples so that God’s people through the centuries would learn not to set their hearts on evil things (1 Cor. 10:1–13). 15:22-27 · In the desert, three days without water is a crisis. The bitter water the Israelites find fits well with the salinity of the swampy area north of the ...

568. Thirst in the Desert

Exodus 17:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , and quarrel with Moses to the point where he fears for his life. God promises Moses, “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out” (17:6). In Paul’s recital of the lessons to be learned from the wilderness events, he states that the people drank “from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4 NRSV). Unpacking the symbolic connections, there is an intimation that God himself is struck. Massah is related to the ...

569. Ten Commandments and the People’s Response

Exodus 20:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... their children. While this is a call to children to esteem their parents, it is likewise a call to parents to be worthy of the honor. Observing that this is the first commandment with a promise, Paul indicates that it should be from parents that children learn how to love and serve God (Eph. 6:2–4). Clearly human parents often fail in this enterprise, some more drastically than others. Part of the honor accorded them is, in those cases, forgiveness and exerting every effort to live at peace (cf. Heb. 12 ...

570. Purification after Childbirth

Leviticus 12:1-8

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... -death cycle of the state of mortality that results from sin (cf. Rom. 5:12; 6:23). These rules and remedies do not apply to Christians, whose high priest ministers in heaven (Heb. 4:14–16; 8:1–2) rather than in an earthly temple. However, we can learn from them about human nature in relation to God. He is the Lord of life and does not want himself to be misrepresented as comfortable with death, which was never part of his ideal plan. He saves people from (not in) their mortality to give them eternal ...

571. Holiness of the Promised Land

Lev 25:1-55

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... or not) that was regular and did not depend upon the whim of a human ruler. While modern Westerners cannot observe the Jubilee legislation as such because we lack the systems of ancestral land ownership and debt servitude that it regulates, we can learn much from Leviticus 25 about our responsibility to treat the poor and our workers with kindness. The Lord forbids taking advantage of people in economic distress (see 25:36–37, prohibiting charge of interest). If members of our society remember that they ...

572. Covenant Blessings and Curses

Lev 26:1-46

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... he could not bless them if they were disloyal to him, or he would send a false message about himself. Much longer than the list of blessings is the series of curses (26:14–39), which threaten escalating severity if the Israelites refuse to learn from their mistakes. This litany of horrors is among the most powerful warnings in the Bible. But while the Lord chastises his chosen people in a mighty attempt to teach them and prevent ultimate disaster, he will not utterly destroy their nation. Prominent among ...

573. Water from the Rock

Numbers 20:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

From Failure to Victory (20:1–21:35): Following the remedy for corpse impurity (chap. 19), we learn in chapter 20 that Miriam, Aaron, and Moses will share the fate of the adult generation by dying without entering Canaan. Miriam dies when the Israelites arrive (again?) at (the same or another) Kadesh (20:1). The text does not say why she is denied entrance to Canaan, but the ...

574. Apostasy with the Baal of Peor

Numbers 25:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... during the wilderness period, even much higher than the 14,700 slain in the aftermath of the revolt by Korah and company (Num. 16:49; but cf. 2 Sam. 24:15—70,000 in the time of David). God holds members of the new generation accountable to learn from the experiences of their parents. According to Deuteronomy 2:9, the Lord has told the Israelites not to fight the Moabites. But the Midianites, who are allied with Moab (Num. 22:4, 7), are under no such protection. Their complicity (as revealed by the role of ...

575. Upholding the Sanctity of Life

Deut 19:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... (19:1–13), called “cities of refuge” in Numbers 35:6–32. Thus, the right of asylum is provided for at three evenly distributed cities in Canaan, just as three cities of refuge have been provided in the Transjordan. In Joshua 20:1–9 we learn these added cities are Kedesh, Shechem, and Kirjath Arba (Hebron). These places of refuge are not for murderers but for those who unintentionally cause someone’s death. The illustration of an ax flying off the handle and killing a victim while the two are ...

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