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 601 to 625 of 3314 results

601. The Conclusion of the Appeal

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Paul reiterates, however, that his primary purpose is not his own defense. Instead, he has written in an attempt to bring the truth—which alone can be spoken in the sight of God—plainly into view, and to strengthen its hold on the minds of the Corinthians. The apostle’s fear is that upon his return, both he and his converts may find that the lies of his detractors have worked so well that neither of them will be happy to learn the truth. Indeed, for his part, Paul suspects that as a result of the work ...

602. Second Meeting with Jerusalem Leadership

Galatians 2:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... be framed both in Aramaic, the common language in Judea, and in Greek. In quoting the Greek for his readers, Paul utilizes the Greek translation for Cephas, which is Peter. If this view is correct, it may be significant that the “quotation” uses the term “apostle” (2:8) in referring to Peter’s status, but the term is not repeated in reference to Paul. There is debate as to whether the parallel construction in the Greek implies the word’s presence or if it was consciously left out. It may well ...

603. Encouragements, Appreciations, and Greetings

Philippians 4:2-9

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... as a result of their partnership with Paul in the mission of the gospel. They are his joy because they have accepted the gospel that Paul preaches, and his crown because they, like a laurel crown in an athletic event, are the result of his calling as an apostle and his many labors in the gospel. In calling them his “crown,” Paul may even be implying that they are part of “the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (3:14). Their faith brings both joy and honor to Paul, and out ...

604. The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a life characterized by faith, love, and hope will give them the assurance that the day of the Lord will not surprise them like a thief (5:4). While the unbelievers will not escape (5:3), the church will not experience divine wrath (5:9). The apostles’ focus, as in the previous section, is pastoral and not speculative (5:11). As in 4:9, Paul begins the section by reminding the Thessalonians about what they already know: “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you ...

605. Request for Prayer and the Second Prayer

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in his ministry (1 Thess. 1:6; 2:2, 15–16). He is looking for deliverance or rescue (2 Cor. 1:10; 2 Tim. 3:11; 4:17–18) from “wicked and evil” people (Luke 23:41; 1 Thess. 5:22; 2 Thess. 3:3). Their opposition to the apostles is a sign that they do not have faith. Paul and his companions remember the Thessalonians’ sufferings: “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (3:3). In the ancient world, patrons brought clients into their care, so to be ...

606. The Disorderly

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.” Previously the apostles reminded the church that they were not greedy and did not place any financial burden on them (1 Thess. 2:7, 9). Paul also raised his ... , 8; Titus 1:7; Acts 20:33; 1 Tim. 6:9–10; Heb. 13:5; 1 Pet. 5:2; 2 Pet. 2:3). Though the apostles labored hard (Acts 18:1–5; 1 Thess. 2:9) and paid for their own food, they also received support from the Philippian congregation (Phil. ...

607. Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Romans 6:1-14

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... from the law leads to moral anarchy (6:15–7:6). Finally, in a very existential argument, he dismisses the objection that if the law reveals sin—indeed incites it—the law itself must be evil (7:7–25). 6:1 In 5:20 the apostle made a daring pronouncement: “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Without clarification this statement could lead (and often has) to antinomianism. Paul broached this problem back in 3:8, “Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as ...

608. Slaves to Righteousness

Romans 6:15-23

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... the epistle, namely, the total indebtedness and absolute accountability of the forgiven sinner to the grace of God. 6:15 Somewhat surprisingly, 6:1 is repeated in verse 15: Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Why does the apostle plow the same field twice? It has been said that where the gospel is most faithfully proclaimed it is most vulnerable to misunderstanding and misuse. In no article of faith is this truer than of grace. This doctrine is susceptible to the slightest imbalances ...

609. Struggling with Sin

Romans 7:7-25

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... that this is only a manner of speaking, that Paul has one and the same law in mind, in the first instance seen from the perspective of faith, in the second from the perspective of sin. The plain sense of the text argues against this, however. In verse 23 the apostle contrasts another law at work in the members of my body from God’s law (which must be the Torah) in verse 22. A review of Paul’s argument implies that my inner being (v. 22), the law of my mind (v. 23), and the “I” that wills the good ...

610. God's Sovereign Choice

Romans 9:1-29

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... as a sinner?’ ” A careful reading of verses 19ff. erects a roadblock, or perhaps a detour, to an understanding of the prevailing thought here as a reference to the final salvation or damnation of individuals, for these verses steer away from that issue. Rather, the apostle already has his eye set on verse 24, that God has called (also v. 12) a new society not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles. The subject continues to be the purposes of God from the call of Abraham to the establishment of ...

611. Israel's Unbelief

Romans 9:30--10:21

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... more shamefully, churches) have justified their persecutions of Jews on the basis of race or blood or clannishness or historical destiny or economics or treachery or a thousand other slanders. All these so-called offenses against humanity are categorically rejected by the apostle. His sole and abiding concern is the theological mystery of Israel’s disobedience to God (9:3). Israel, of course, means unbelieving Jews, but we may not be wrong to see in the expression the symbol of a danger inherent in all ...

612. Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-8

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... this transforming power, but the gospel itself which transforms us. The surrender of life is the believer’s responsibility, but the transformation of life is God’s. Sanctification, like justification, is equally the work of God in the believer’s life. Thus the apostle summons believers to be transformed (v. 2), to be led by the Spirit (8:14), to become his “workmanship” (Eph. 2:10). Transformation by God begins by the renewing of your mind. Among much of Christianity there is, if not a skepticism ...

613. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... based only upon their own experience. God’s self-revelation in the cross is the key to comprehending God, it is the necessary starting point for valid comprehension of the divine, and without the cross we are bound to misunderstand God. The apostle himself employs reason, but always in reflection on the significance of God’s revelation in and through the cross. Paul’s point was not popular among many in the first-century church—witness the attraction to law-observance in Galatia and the fascination ...

614. One Body, Many Parts

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... in tongues. In the initial listing at verses 8–10 Paul referred to messages of wisdom, messages of knowledge, faith, distinguishing spirits, and interpreting tongues, none of which is explicitly repeated here. And, in this verse Paul writes of apostles, teachers, those able to help others, and gifts of administration—all listed for the first time explicitly. This variety in listings probably indicates that Paul’s references to gifts are illustrative, not exhaustive. Moreover, one should note that the ...

615. To the Church in Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... . In Christian preaching, faith and faithfulness always belong together, even though their exact relationship is understood differently by NT writers. The deeds of hard work and your perseverance, especially when understood as a hard fought intolerance of wicked men and false apostles, may reflect a Jewish tradition that such diligent devotion satisfies a criterion of Israel’s covenant with God. Especially in light of Christ’s opening exhortation, the congregation’s testing of those who claim to be ...

616. Faith or Observance of the Law

Galatians 3:1-14, Galatians 3:15-25

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... and put to death by human cruelty” (ibid., p. 180). N. Elliott argues that Paul’s conversion to the crucified Messiah was at the same time a “conversion to the cause of the crucified” (Liberating Paul: The Justice of God and the Politics of the Apostle [Maryknoll, N. Y.: Orbis, 1994], p. 227). That is, Paul became at once committed to Christ and to society’s poor and disenfranchised. Elliott regards the centrality of the cross to Paul’s gospel as a symbol of his political commitment, or to put ...

617. Suffering for Doing Good

1 Peter 3:8-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... , also appears in Acts 2:27, 31; 13:35; Rom. 10:6–8; Eph. 4:8–10. The misleading statement about Christ’s descending into “Hell” (the place of punishment; Sheol/Hades is meant, the “neutral” place of departed spirits) was not included in the Apostles’ Creed until the sixth century. It was inserted to stress the real humanity of Jesus Christ, against those who taught that he only appeared to suffer and to die. Preached: The fact of the dead hearing the gospel is alluded to in John 5:25; Phil ...

618. Chaos and Solitude

Mark 6:30-44, 53-56

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... his arrival (Mark 6:33). Mark points out that people "ran throughout that whole region of the Gennesaret and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was" (Mark 6:55). In dramatic contrast to all this chaos, Mark simultaneously reports that Jesus said to his apostles, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place" (Mark 6:31b-32). Chaos came to Jesus because people were attracted to him. The needy and the sick came to ...

619. The Way Up Is Down!

Mark 9:30-37

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... his letters and you see pride overcome in the power of the Holy Spirit. In 57 AD, Paul asserts his perception of authority to the Romans: "Inasmuch as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I make much of my ministry" (Romans 11:13). Two years later, in 59 AD, he writes to the Corinthians, "I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle" (1 Corinthians 15:9). Four years later, as Paul grows older and wiser in the Lord's service, he writes to the Ephesians, "I am less than the least of ...

620. What Will We Do When He Is Gone?

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... .” Will Rogers could say that because he did not know all the people I know. I have met people I didn’t like. In fact, I have met some people that I cannot imagine anybody loving or even liking. Yet this mandate remains: “Love one another.” The apostles must have asked, “Jesus just how are we supposed to do that?” Actually, our Lord answered that question a little earlier in the evening. He did so, not so much with his words as by his example. Chapter 13 of John opens by telling us that Jesus ...

621. From His Arrest to His Crucifixion and Burial

John 18:1--19:42

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... to all the events that led up to Good Friday. On the other hand, there is a certain commonality of human experience over the centuries. For that reason, I think it safe to assume that there was some sort of committee meeting before Jesus and his apostles left on that fateful journey from Judea in the north to the capitol city in the south. Assuming there was such a meeting, Jesus must have said something like, “Fellows, we are going to Jerusalem again. Pack carefully because I cannot promise when or, for ...

622. Known By Our Love

John 13:31-35

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... not say that the faithful will be known by the fact we have read the Bible from cover to cover or that we believe everything in the Bible from Genesis right on through the maps. Jesus did not say that they will know us by our ability to recite the Apostles’ Creed both forward and backward. Our Lord did not say they will know us by the way we go to church regularly, because we have the outline of a fish on the bumper of our car, or because we claim to believe all the approved doctrines of twenty-first ...

623. Making Your Life Count

1 Timothy 2:5-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... and powerful life is contained in these words from I Timothy 2: 5-7. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all . . . For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle . . . a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” Let’s consider for a moment that first clause; “For there is one God . . .” You and I take that great truth for granted. The writers of the Bible could not. They knew what a struggle it had been ...

624. In Need of a "Rally Monkey"

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... statue of Jesus on the mantelpiece. He could not stand this figure of Jesus watching him as he went about his business, so he carefully turned it around. In the process he left fingerprints on the statue. (4) That’s how the police caught him. I think the apostles couldn’t stand Jesus looking at them at this point. They knew they were going to fail him. They knew they couldn’t live the kind of grace-filled life he was prescribing under their own power. “You want us to be like you,” they were saying ...

625. Cloak of Power

Psalm 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and disgrace) Psalm 104 (The Lord is clothed with splendor) Psalm 30 (you have removed my sackcloth and have clothed me with joy) Luke’s Story of Jesus’ Ascension (stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high) (Luke 24) Acts of the Apostles: the Story of the promise of the Holy Spirit and the Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1) This week’s Story: The Story of Elijah and the Cloak of Power told in the annals of the Kings Book Two When the Lord was ready to take Elijah up to heaven ...

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