Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 626 to 650 of 2962 results

626. I Wonder Why My Prayers Go Unanswered?

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... change things,” but it is not God who changes. It is me. There is a wonderful old phrase: “Prayer does not give us what we want, but prayer helps us want what we need.” How true that is. You see, prayer is not designed to change or persuade God; it is designed by God to change us! Prayer is a spiritual discipline through which we are formed into disciples of Jesus Christ. In his classic book, The Meaning of Prayer, Harry Emerson Fosdick put it this way: “Some things God cannot give to a person until ...

627. How Much Are You Worth?

Matthew 10:29-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... grow into responsible, competent, mature adults. Overcoming obstacles produces character and competence. God has placed us in a world that is designed to bring out the best within us if we deal with life in an attitude of faith and love. That does not mean ... that God has forsaken us or forgotten us. It simply means that this world is a training school designed to produce souls fit to share eternity with Him. Sparrows do fall from the sky. There is a second truth related to this ...

628. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 10:1-42

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... Acts 1:13. The order varies somewhat, although Simon Peter heads each list and Judas Iscariot is always last (obviously, he is not listed in Acts). All lists have as the first four the two sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John. Matthew’s designation of Peter as first (v. 2) probably means first and foremost rather than first in the list. Since Mark wrote his Gospel as it came to him through Peter, it is understandable that this reference would be missing in his list (Mark 3:16). After listing ...

629. Jesus and Beelzebub

Mark 3:20-30

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... their loved ones have been “brainwashed” and are not in control of their minds. Seen in this light, the passage before us has a familiar human ring to it. The interruption of this story with the account of the accusation by some teachers of the law seems designed to show that the attitude of Jesus’ family, however understandable in one sense, is to be seen as a response like that of these critics. Although the charge He is out of his mind (3:21) is perhaps slightly less malevolent than He has an evil ...

630. Clean and Unclean

Mark 7:1-23

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... ). The fact that an explanation of Jewish customs is given (7:3–4) shows that Mark’s readers were probably gentile Christians. Though the complaint of the Pharisees and teachers of the law is concerned with the observance of religious meal customs designed to maintain ritual purity, essentially the same question addressed in 7:14–23, Jesus’ reply is a broad criticism of his opponents’ basis for their customs, the tradition of their ancestors (7:3, 5). The matter raised by Jesus’ critics is the ...

631. The Triumphal Entry

Mark 11:1-11

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... ). It is important to note that the entrance is not just to Jerusalem but to the temple itself, the seat of the religious significance of the city. This reference to the temple prepares the reader for the incidents following in chapter 11, but it also is designed to show Jesus as the master who has come to the house that is rightfully his to inspect (perhaps an allusion to Mal. 3:1–2). In the original situation of Jesus’ ministry, it is unlikely that Jesus’ entrance was recognized as the appearance of ...

632. Introduction

Luke 1:1-4

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1), cites portions of Mal. 3:1 and Isa. 40:3 (1:2–3), and then immediately moves into a description of the appearance and preaching of John the Baptist (1:4–8). We derive the literary designation “Gospel” from this first verse of Mark. Matthew calls his Gospel a “record [lit. “book”] of the genealogy of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1:1) and then lists a genealogy from Abraham to Joseph (1:2–18). John’s Gospel begins with a poetic, hymnic prologue (1 ...

633. Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

Romans 1:1-17

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... Jesus with God, but Paul comes extremely close to doing so here. In verse 10 Paul gives the impression that at last he sees daylight in his plans to visit Rome. If and when he comes, however, the success of his venture will depend on God’s design, a design shaped and influenced by his prayers. 1:11–12 One reason for visiting Rome was to establish something of a base camp for Paul’s missionary outreach to Spain (15:22–28). But here there is no mention of Spain. Paul may want to avoid giving the ...

634. God's Sovereign Choice

Romans 9:1-29

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... pp. 269–70; see also Wisd. of Sol. 11:21; 12:12). In a similar vein the Dead Sea Scrolls record, “Before things came into existence [God] determined the plan of them; and when they fill their appointed roles, it is in accordance with His glorious design that they discharge their functions. Nothing can be changed. In His hand lies the government of all things” (1QS 3.15–16; see also 1QH 15.14–20). Paul asks similarly, who resists God’s will? and follows with an illustration of a potter throwing a ...

635. Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... transition at 13:1 and the switch from the second to third person in 13:1–7, regard this section as a departure from Paul’s teaching on agapē and an independent unit of thought. But, in fact, the instruction here is very much a part of the design since chapter 12. In agreement with 12:2 Paul appeals for a considered response “to approve what God’s will is” with respect to rulers. “Those who do what is right” (v. 3) in civil duties also accomplish the good (the word for “right” is in Greek ...

636. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... for the first time in Romans. The reduction of the kingdom of God to eating and drinking is like playing a Mozart piano concerto with one finger. The reign of God confounds all attempts to reduce it to caricatures and formulas. These are human contrivances designed to serve human ends, but the gospel is a matter of serving Christ (v. 18). The idea of serving is doubly appropriate in this context because it corresponds to the larger issue of humility and the surrendering of rights out of love. God is not ...

637. On Divisions in the Church

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... in the congregation. Paul’s rhetoric is deliberate in its form and word selection. Most interpreters understand that Paul is using the Corinthians’ own language against them in his argumentation. He says he was unable to address them as spiritual people (perhaps their self-designation), not because they did not have the Spirit—from 2:10 it is clear that they did, and for Paul there was no Christian life without the Spirit—but because the Corinthians think and behave in such a way as to deny the true ...

638. Expel the Immoral Brother!

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to conclude that Paul is offering a moral judgment on Gentile culture at large. But one should recall that Paul uses the designation ethnos at Gal. 1:16 and Rom. 1:5 in reference to his work among the “Gentiles.” Already in 1 Cor ... . the NIV translated ethnos using “Gentile” at 1:23. Paul’s usage suggests he means to designate non-Jews with this term. One sees elements of Greco-Roman law concerning such incestuous relations in the frequently cited passages in Gaius ...

639. The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... Delivered Up’ (1 Cor 11:23),” Biblebhashyam 10 (1984), pp. 261–79. 11:24–25 Two elements of the Gk. text require observation. First, Paul refers to Jesus’ act of giving thanks using the Gk. verb eucharisteō, from which the church derives the designation for the Lord’s Supper as the Eucharist. That title gives emphasis to the celebratory nature of the entire Lord’s Supper. Second, the words do this (Gk. poieite) may be rendered “you are doing this,” and in translating in this fashion, Orr ...

640. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... up!” Moreover, in an aside that may be an indirect comment concerning his opinion of what all the problems in Corinth amount to, Paul expresses his desire that they be naive in terms of evil. 14:21 Paul refers to “the law” (Gk. nomos), a designation most often applied to the books of Moses, and then quotes Isaiah 28:11–12 LXX as a text on the topic of tongues. The citation is a very loose paraphrase that alters vocabulary, word order, subjects, and verbs alike, since the original passage in Isaiah ...

641. Orderly Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... one finds a reference to church custom and then an example of it in the mention of women’s silence. Another problem for interpreting this section is that the phrase “the churches of the saints” in verse 33b is peculiar. There is no such designation in the context of the undisputed Pauline letters. Rather, churches are referred to as the church(es) of God or Christ and as the church(es) of a region or city. Thus, divine proprietorship and geographical setting are the normal ways of identifying Pauline ...

642. Discharges Causing Uncleanness

Leviticus 15:1-33

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... but it can also cause death if the holy place is defiled. The procedures and diagnoses in the preceding chapters are intended to protect the sanctuary from any form of defilement. 15:32–33 These final verses summarize the instructions in the chapter designed to help the people avoid impurity and to limit the spread of such defilement; contagion was a major concern. Regulations is again the translation of torah. The summary moves in the order of the chapter, except that where the reader expects mention of ...

643. Job Speaks

Job 3:1-26

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... one’s last” (NIV perish). 3:23 God first appears herein the poetic portion of the book. In the prose prologue, God was identified as “the LORD” (yahweh), or by the more usual generic designation, ʾelohim, “God.” Here, however, Job uses (as is usual in the poetic section) the less common designation, ʾeloah, “God.” Although the verbs employed in 1:10 and here in v. 23 for hedged in differ slightly in their Hebrew spelling, most commentators understand both to be from the same root and ...

644. Eliphaz

Job 4:1-5:27

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... in mountain regions (such as Sinai, Horeb, Moriah). The common association of deities with mountains offers general confirmation of such an idea. The use of the term in Job may be intended to emphasize the association of Job with the Israelite patriarchs, for whom this designation of God was more common. 5:22–23 This passage apparently brings together the descriptions of the relations between humans and beasts in Gen. 1:25–30; 2:19; 3:1, 14; and 9:2. In the first of these passages, God creates the ...

645. Job’s Reply to Zophar

Job 12:1--14:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... claiming the friends are treating him as a rank amateur who needs the most basic and obvious forms of instruction. 12:9 This is the only place in the whole poetic dialogue section where the divine name the LORD (Heb. yhwh) occurs. Elsewhere, Job’s common designation for the deity is ʾeloah, “God.” The similarity between this phrase (the hand of the LORD has done this) and Isa. 41:20 has led some to suggest that Job has been influenced by Isaiah here. See the discussion in Pope, Job, p. 91, and Rowley ...

646. Elihu

Job 32:1--37:24

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... the price for a life, or a payment to avoid punishment (Exod. 21:30; 30:12; Num. 35:31; Ps. 49:8; Prov. 13:8; 21:18; Isa. 43:3). The related Hebrew word kippur takes on the connotation “atonement for sin,” as in the common designation of yom hakkippurim, “day of atonement.” 33:25–26 Delivered from the brink of death, the afflicted (v. 21) is now restored to full, youthful health: his flesh is renewed like a child’s. He prays to God. The Hebrew translated “prays” (ʿtr) means to supplicate ...

647. The Lord Speaks

Job 38:1--41:34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... domesticated. This is the only place in the whole OT where the plural indicates a single beast. Some interpreters have identified the “behemoth” as the crocodile, primarily because of the water imagery in the verses. Currently, the term is most often understood to designate the hippopotamus, known to have populated the area of Palestine in the Iron Age. God reminds Job that humans are only one part of the creative work and concern of God—he made this creature along with you. Divine care extends to the ...

648. The Cost of Following Jesus

Matthew 8:18-22

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... back to the apocalyptic figure in Daniel 7. This “one like a son of man” who comes with the clouds of heaven is both individual (Dan. 7:13–14) and corporate (Dan. 7:27). Within the Gospels the term is used exclusively by Jesus as a self-designation (twenty-nine times in Matthew alone). At times it is used in connection with the sufferings of Jesus during his earthly existence; elsewhere it is found in passages that emphasize the glory of his triumphant return at the end of the age. 8:21–22 The first ...

649. The Wicked Uprooted and the Righteous Flourishing in God’s House

Psalm 52:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... by a pronouncement of judgment (v. 5) implies verses 1–4 are an indictment. More specifically, they may be a prophetic indictment. Within the Psalter, this psalm shares most in common with Psalm 36, a psalm of temple entry (see the Introduction) whose opening verses are designated as “an oracle.” Some judgment speeches in the prophets also have literary forms similar to those in verses 1–7 (e.g., the Hb. interrogative mh, “what/why?,” in Ps. 50:16–21; Isa. 22:16–19 and the taunt in Isa. 14:4 ...

650. Jesus and Beelzebub

Matthew 12:22-37

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... what kind of a “tree” Jesus was. When John the Baptist saw the religionists of his day coming out to be baptized, he called them a “brood of vipers” who thought they could escape the coming judgment by joining the crowd (3:7). Jesus applies the same designation to the Pharisees who now oppose him. You brood of vipers, how would it be possible for you who are evil to say anything good? What the mouth speaks flows from the heart. Good people have stored up goodness, and evil people have stored up evil ...

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