Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 626 to 650 of 655 results

Revelation 2:18-29

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Jesus commends his church for trusting and loving God, for serving people, and for persevering in faith, but he warns of judgment for those who go along with false teaching that promotes idolatry and immorality. Understanding the Text The message to the church in Thyatira is the fourth (and longest) in the series of messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3. The setting and themes here are very similar to those of Pergamum: Christ is portrayed as Judge, and the church is commended for ...

627. The Protective Sealing of God’s People on Earth

Revelation 7:1-8

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Before God pours out his wrath on a wicked world, he will give his people spiritual protection. Understanding the Text The interlude of Revelation 7 stands between the sixth and seventh seal judgments. (There is another dramatic interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets in Revelation 10:1–11:14, but no interlude at the end of the bowl judgments.) Interludes in Revelation often shed light on the current situation of God’s people and offer insight into their present responsibilities and ...

628. Uncleanness Due to Childbirth

Leviticus 12:1-8

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God provides for people’s health, cleansing, and restoration regardless of social standing. Understanding the Text This chapter continues the laws of purity for all Israel that specify what can cause ceremonial uncleanness (Lev. 11–15). Uncleanness is caused by eating or touching unclean animals (Lev. 11), by childbirth (Lev. 12), by certain skin diseases and molds (Lev. 13–14), and by sexual emissions (Lev. 15). The discussion thus moves from external uncleanness (animals) to uncleanness related ...

629. “God Looks Down from Heaven . . . to See If There Are Any Who Understand”

Psalm 53:1-6

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: History repeats itself in periodic unbelief, and God’s judgment falls upon humankind, as it did in the generation of the flood. Understanding the Text Psalm 53, an adaptive version of Psalm 14, is considered by some to be an individual lament, even though it is one of those genre-defying psalms that enjoy a noble company in the Psalter. Psalm 52:1 addresses the “mighty hero,” who, in his arrogant boasts, is much like the “fool” of Psalm 53. Descriptively they look very much alike, for the mighty ...

630. Jonathan Attacks the Philistines

1 Sam 13:23–14:14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

When all seems lost, Jonathan leads a daring attack on the Philistine position north of the Mikmash pass (14:1–14). At the time Saul is still near Gibeah, trying to take care of national business as he sits under a pomegranate tree. No one else knows that Jonathan and his armor bearer are embarking on a dangerous mission. Jonathan believes that God will intervene on behalf of his people and save them from “those uncircumcised men” (14:6). As Jonathan and his armor bearer make their way across the Mikmash ...

631. Elijah on Mt Carmel

1 Kings 18:16-46

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (18:16–40) is a dramatic and well-known episode, and three aspects of Elijah’s words should be highlighted. First, the prophet’s accusation (literally, he asks the people, “how long will you hobble on two sticks?”) encapsulates the vacillating tendencies of the general population. Ahab and the prophets of Baal are not Elijah’s only opponents in this contest: also on trial is the spiritual paralysis that stems from a lack of real ...

632. The Work Begun

Nehemiah 2:11-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

After arriving in Jerusalem and resting three days, the first thing Nehemiah does is survey the situation. No doubt, even in these three days, he is gathering information and getting acquainted with the leaders of the people. But he wisely does not yet tell them of his project. He needs time to survey the existing remains of the walls and their condition. He knows God has called him to this work but is careful to await the correct time to present the project to the leaders and all the people. Nehemiah ...

633. The Helper of Israel

Isaiah 41:1-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The message of consolation (41:8–20) is enclosed by two arguments against the nations (41:1–7, 21–29). These arguments are addressed particularly to Israel to assure her that the nations are subject to God’s power. The nations are called to come before God’s tribunal (41:1–7). Through a series of questions and answers, Yahweh announces the imminence of the judgment for the rebellious nations who are foolishly hoping that their idols will protect them. The instrument of God’s judgment here (“one from the ...

634. Moab and Ammon

Zephaniah 2:8-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Though the Israelites were related to the Moabites and Ammonites through Lot, a nephew of Abraham, their relations had always been bitter (cf. Num. 22:2–24:25; Deut. 23:3–6; Judg. 3:12–30; 1 Samuel 11; 2 Sam. 8:2; 10:1–19). The policy of Moab and Ammon was to ridicule Judah by scoffing at her precarious situation. When Judah needed political and military support against the Assyrians, Moab and Ammon did not come to her rescue but were intent on protecting their own delicate situation. Their concern for ...

635. The Crucifixion

Mark 15:21-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With restrained objectivity, and without sentimentality, sensationalism, or appealing to readers’ emotions, Mark recounts the crucifixion in order to show what Jesus’s death accomplished. Cicero described the hideous brutality of crucifixion as the “most cruel and horrifying punishment.” Reserved for non-Roman citizens, crucifixion unleashed excessive and prolonged cruelty on the classes for which it was intended: slaves, violent criminals, and prisoners of war. As a rule, victims were crucified naked and ...

636. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

If love motivates the exercise of the gifts, it should not be difficult, as Paul now shows (14:1–25), to determine which gift should be accorded priority in worship. For while all the gifts are desirable, the “gift of prophecy” builds up or edifies the church to a greater extent than any other, and, in contrast to some at Corinth who thought otherwise, on this basis it is to be given priority over the exercise of the gift of speech in tongues. For speech in tongues is not directed in the first instance ...

637. Correcting Cephas

Galatians 2:11-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The incident related in this section (2:11–14) indicates that in spite of the basic agreement reached at the Jerusalem council, certain ambiguities continued to exist. The incident at Antioch is significant, for it moves us on to the next logical step in Paul’s argument regarding his authority on the matters troubling the Galatians. We need to take careful note of the situation as Paul has developed it. The authorities in Jerusalem had recognized Paul’s equal status relative to them, but in Paul’s view ...

638. The Taming of the Tongue

James 3:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3:1–4:12 Review · Worldliness in the Church: The heart of this section, and in many ways the heart of the whole letter, is 4:4–10, with its radical call for repentance from flirtation with the world. The worldliness plaguing the Christians to whom James writes has taken the form of a bitter jealousy and has led to quarrels (3:13–4:3) and harmful, critical speech (3:1–12; 4:11–12). 3:1–12 · The concern James has already shown about sins of speech (1:19, 26) is given full exposure in this paragraph. He ...

639. The Babylonian Whore

Revelation 17:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

17:1–19:10 Review · The end of the empire: The next three chapters (Revelation 17–19) are an expansion of the sixth and seventh bowl judgments against “Babylon,” which has stood for Rome throughout Revelation (14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). The dissolution of Roman power, which was anticipated in 14:8 (“Fallen is Babylon the Great!”) and 16:19 (God “gave her [Babylon] the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath”), is elaborated on in 17:1–19:10, as Rome’s entire domination system of military ...

640. The Return of the King

Revelation 19:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

From this point onward (19:11–22:5), John narrates eschatological events surrounding the parousia of Jesus Christ. The Greek term parousia can be translated “return” but literally means “coming” or “advent” (see Matt. 24:36–42; 1 Cor. 15:21–28; 1 Thess. 4:14–17). In 19:11–16, John focuses on a particular aspect of the parousia, that is, the final defeat of God’s enemies. When the skies split apart and heaven opens up (19:11; cf. 4:1), a glorious rider appears on a white horse. This rider, with eyes “like a ...

641. Do You Have Your Key Ready?

John 20:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Around the turn of the twentieth century there lived a man named Reuben John Smith. Smith was fond of the comforts of life. Since he had lived a comfortable existence in this world, he thought it only proper to be prepared for a comfortable existence in the next world as well. Thus at his death he left detailed instructions concerning his burial. He was to be buried in a new recliner chair of upholstered russet leather and was to be interred in a sitting position. On his lap was to be placed a checkerboard ...

642. David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan

2 Samuel 1:17-27

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

David’s Lament: David’s grief over the deaths of Saul, who had once been like a father to him, and of his friend Jonathan, was heartfelt. He found an outlet for that grief in writing poetry, and this lament is the result. 1:17–18 The insistence that all the men of Judah learn the lament is likely to have been politically motivated. If the Judeans could be shown as paying proper respect to Saul’s memory, there was a much greater likelihood of the northern tribes transferring their loyalty to David, who was ...

643. Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

7:7–11 Earlier in the sermon (6:5–15) Matthew brought together a portion of Jesus’ teaching on the subject of prayer. Now he expands it by stressing how important it is for believers to be persistent in prayer. The present imperatives, “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking” (Williams) indicate that prayer is not a semi-passive ritual in which we occasionally share our concerns with God. In Luke, the narrative is immediately preceded by the story of the man awakened from sleep at ...

644. Before the Sanhedrin

Matthew 26:57-68

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Final Evening: The Passion narrative is the account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It normally includes all the events beginning with the garden scene in Gethsemane and finishing with the burial. The centrality of the cross in early Christian preaching is reflected in the major emphasis given to it in each of the four Gospels. Matthew 26 records the events of Wednesday and Thursday of the final week of Jesus’ life. 26:57–61 Jesus was led off under arrest to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest ...

645. Peter's Confession of Christ

Mark 8:27-30

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

8:27–30 This passage should really be read in connection with the following passage (8:31–9:1), which is given a separate heading in the NIV. Together, the two sections give us an open acclamation of Jesus as Messiah, and the first of three predictions of Jesus’ death, which triggers the rebuke of Peter, revealing that his acclamation of Jesus was not based on a full understanding of Jesus’ purpose and activity. The answers given to Jesus’ first question remind us of the list of the same opinions given in ...

646. The Death of Jesus

Mark 15:33-41

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

15:33–41 This portion of the narrative of Jesus’ execution is full of dramatic events, including the darkness from noon till mid-afternoon (v. 33), Jesus’ cry to God (v. 34), his last cry (v. 37), the tearing of the temple curtain (v. 38), and the statement of the Roman officer (v. 39). But at least some of these events hint at the significance of Jesus’ death. For example, the darkness not only suggests in general that something momentous was happening, but it also may be an allusion to Amos 8:9 (“I will ...

647. The High Priest Questions Jesus

John 18:19-24, John 18:15-18, John 18:25-27

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

A relatively brief interrogation of Jesus by the high priest (vv. 19–24) is framed by a two-part account of Peter’s denial (vv. 15–18, 25–27). The division of the denial into two scenes follows a precedent reflected in Mark (14:54, 66–72) and Matthew (26:58, 69–75; Luke on the other hand, puts the material in one continuous narrative, 22:54–62). As in Mark, the vivid picture of Peter warming himself by the enemy’s fire is the point at which the narrative breaks off (v. 18) and later resumes. But unlike ...

648. Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

Jeremiah 38:14-28

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Jeremiah in Prison during the Reign of Zedekiah: Scholars are split over the relationship between chapters 37 and 38. Carroll (Jeremiah, pp. 678–79) and Fretheim (Jeremiah, p. 519) suggest that they are variants of the same story of Jeremiah’s imprisonment at the instigation of the pro-Egyptian party in Judah and eventual release. They believe that the differences are the result of variants that arose in the context of oral tradition. However, Holladay (Jeremiah 2, p. 282) argues that the differences are ...

649. Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Jonah 3:1-10

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

The Patience of God (3:1-4): 3:1–4 Though undeserving, Jonah has been delivered from death by God’s merciful working through a fish. The book of Jonah is, before all else, a lesson concerning God’s free grace. But it is also a portrayal of God’s incredible patience. As Jonah confesses in 4:2, Yahweh is a God who is “slow to anger,” and it is amazing that God says nothing to Jonah in 3:1–2 by way of rebuke or admonition. Instead, God simply calls Jonah again, using the same words that he used in 1:1: “Arise ...

650. The Son and the Drawbridge

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

A man had the duty to raise a drawbridge to allow the steamers to pass on the river below and to lower it again for trains to cross over on land. One day, this man's son visited him, desiring to watch his father at work. Quite curious, as most boys are, he peeked into a trapdoor that was always left open so his father could keep an eye on the great machinery that raised and lowered the bridge. Suddenly, the boy lost his footing and tumbled into the gears. As the father tried to reach down and pull him out ...

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