Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 701 to 725 of 832 results

701. “When I Awake, I Will Be Satisfied with Seeing Your Likeness”

Psalm 17:1-15

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... of Old Testament grace. Thus the psalmist’s bold petitions arise much more out of the boldness of grace (hesed) than out of the suppliant’s own righteous actions (Heb. 4:16). Yet, so confident is he in the grace of moral innocence that he also copies the words of Moses (Num. 10:35) to his own profile, requesting God’s intervention (Ps. 17:13). It is a bold move, but God issues his facsimiles of grace in every age, based on his self-revelation in the wonderful deeds of salvation history. Based ...

702. “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God”

Psalm 19:1-14

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... constitution but where Christians often face prosecution under blasphemy laws or persecution from neighbors. One pastor, “Edward John,” held sewing classes at a sewing center in Karachi. A student, Abia, was curious about the daily Bible readings and asked repeatedly to have a copy of her own. So one day Pastor Edward gave her a Bible, and he never saw her again. Instead, five men (one, Abia’s brother) came and shot up the center and brutally beat Pastor Edward.16 Despite dangers like these, there are ...

703. “No One Can Redeem the Life of Another or Give to God a Ransom for Them”

Psalm 49:1-20

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... another sphere of existence. We may make the following observations. First, in Israel’s world the doctrine of the afterlife is well attested, from the robust belief of Egypt to the rather anemic view of Mesopotamia and Canaan. Israel should not be expected to copy such a doctrine, but in view of the emphasis on life’s brevity and its attendant plethora of troubles, it would be strange to find no remnants of such a doctrine in the Old Testament. So our natural inclination, especially with New Testament ...

704. Nebuchadnezzar’s Testimony and Tree Dream

Daniel 4:1-18

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... purpose of the vision (4:17–18). Historical and Cultural Background Usually, a proclamation like Nebuchadnezzar’s would be inscribed on a large stele in a place that was inaccessible to passersby, yet where all could read it. Smaller copies were sometimes made, as was done with the Behistun Inscription of Darius I Hystaspes (sixth–fifth century BC). Although the salutation of Nebuchadnezzar’s decree in Daniel is similar to then-standard royal inscriptions, the personal testimony section is unusual ...

705. Take Your Job and Love It

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... had problems with their typesetters. Too many mistakes were being made in setting type for their daily editions. The editors thought long and hard about how to correct this troubling situation. Finally, they gathered the workers all together and announced that from now on the first copy of every edition would be sent free to Buckingham Palace for the king and queen to read. You and I need to have that feeling about our lives--not as an added burden, not out of fear or dread--but as a joyful response to the ...

706. Covenant Ratification

Exodus 24:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and the preparation of the priesthood (24:18; cf. 25:40; 26:30; 27:8). When the glory of the Lord covers the mountain, it is a prelude to his presence manifested in the forthcoming tabernacle, God’s dwelling in the midst of his people. The tabernacle is only a copy and shadow of God’s heavenly dwelling (Heb. 8:5; 9:24).

707. Appointing Leaders to Lead

Deut 16:18–17:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ) he must be the one the Lord chooses (17:15); (2) he must not multiply horses, which is where other nations put their trust for military prowess (17:16); (3) he must not acquire many wives in a harem or great riches (17:17); and (4) he must make a copy of his own scroll of the law to have with him and to read all the days of his life (17:19–20). This observance of the law will keep the king on the straight path and prevent him from getting arrogant.

708. The Covenant Renewed At Mount Ebal

Joshua 8:30-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . The ceremony basically follows what Moses prescribed. Joshua builds an altar using uncut stones, on which the people present burnt offerings and fellowship offerings (8:30–31; cf. Deut. 27:5–7). On some large stones coated with plaster (cf. Deut. 27:2, 4), Joshua copies the entire law of Moses (8:32; cf. Deut. 27:3, 8). The Israelites are then divided into two groups according to tribal affiliation: one in front of Mount Ebal and the other in front of Mount Gerizim, both facing the ark between them ...

709. God’s Chosen People Among the Nations

1 Chronicles 1:1-54

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 1:4, therefore, introduces the threefold genealogical segments that follow (1:5–7, 8–16, 17–23). 1:5–7 These verses present the seven sons of Japheth. Two of them, Gomer and Javan, are singled out by also listing their descendants. These verses are copied exactly from Genesis 10:2–4 (also attributed to the Priestly writers). There the genealogy of Noah’s sons starts with Japheth, continues with Ham, and ends with Shem. The order of presentation is thus the opposite from that in 1 Chronicles 1:4 ...

710. The List of Returnees

Ezra 2:1-70

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the Second Commonwealth (538 BC–AD 70). The Nehemiah mentioned in 2:2 is apparently not the Nehemiah who will rebuild portions of the Jerusalem wall. However, we do not know when this list was compiled. It is quite possible that the final author copied the same list that was used in Nehemiah 7. Although the leaders are mentioned, the real emphasis is on all the “people of Israel.” During the divided monarchy, the northern kingdom is usually referred to as Israel and the southern kingdom as Judah. The ...

711. Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:6-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... very concerned about Persian control in this part of the empire at this time, for an Egyptian revolt, supported by the Greeks, began in 460 BC. Ezra 4:7 notes that the letter is written in Aramaic. The author of Ezra-Nehemiah apparently had copies of the letters and other documents in Aramaic, which is probably why Ezra 4:7–6:18 is written in that language. The phrase “written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language” is literally “written Aramaic, translated Aramaic.” The NIV note gives an ...

712. The List of Exiles Who Returned

Nehemiah 7:4-73a

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... list is almost exactly the same as the list in Ezra 2. There are differences in the spelling of some names and a few differences in verses 70–72. These verses appear to be summarized in Ezra 2:68–69; therefore some think the list of Ezra 2 is a copy of Nehemiah 7.

713. The New Residents of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 11:1-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... live in Jerusalem. Some offer voluntarily to move to the city (11:2).The list of those who move to Jerusalem (11:4–24) can be compared to a parallel list in 1 Chronicles 9. There are quite a few differences, so apparently neither is copied from the other. Both lists begin with the laypeople: the Chronicles list includes some families from tribes of the former northern kingdom; Nehemiah’s list, only Judah and Benjamin. The families of priests are listed in 11:10–14. Some of their different tasks are ...

714. Mordecai’s Petition to Esther

Esther 4:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the reason for her cousin’s unusual behavior. Mordecai sends a detailed report to Esther describing Haman’s edict and his offer to pay a sum of money into the royal treasury in order to have all the Jews killed. Together with this report, Mordecai gives a copy of the royal decree to Esther and pleads with her to request an audience before the king in order to intercede on behalf of her people (4:8). Upon learning that Esther has not been summoned to appear before the king for over thirty days, Mordecai ...

715. Further Benefits of Wisdom

Proverbs 3:1-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the next two deal with evil deeds to be avoided. (Don’t harm the one who has not harmed you!) The fifth negative imperative, in 3:31, warns against envying a violent person, presumably because no punishment for such actions is apparent, leading one to copy those ways. Verses 32–34 give the rationale for this prohibition by noting God’s response. Above all, such people are detestable to the Lord (3:32). This is the first of twenty-one occurrences of the word toebah in Proverbs (here, what the Lord ...

716. False Prophets

Ezekiel 13:1-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... magic charms on their wrists and make veils for their heads (13:18). More than likely the reference here is to fortune-tellers. The law demanded the fastening of objects to the body (Deut. 6:8). But here is a prostitution of the custom. There are no copies of the Decalogue beneath these charms or veils. What these women do is ensnare people. The reference to barley and scraps of bread (13:19) may be a reference to the remuneration the fortune-tellers receive, and a pittance at that. Such gross sin for such ...

717. Final Greetings

2 Timothy 4:9-18, 2 Timothy 4:19-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , Paul still focuses on the work to which God has called him; he is grateful his duress has meant that “the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it” (4:17). His request for manuscripts has prompted much guesswork: he may mean copies of Scriptures he had to leave behind at his arrest; he may mean his own collected writings; he may mean writings he is still preparing. In any event, his request means he is still working. He continues to warn about those who oppose him and will ...

718. Submit Yourselves to God

James 4:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... are fighting within us, waging “war against your soul,” as Peter puts it (1 Pet. 2:11), and this fighting within also results in fighting without (4:1). The precise meaning of verse 2 depends entirely on how we punctuate the verse. (The earliest copies of the New Testament had no punctuation at all.) Some versions (KJV and HCSB, for instance) separate the relevant words into three separate sentences: 1. You want something but do not get it. 2. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want ...

719. Clean and Unclean

Matthew 15:1-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

15:1–2 Knowledge of Jesus and his ministry had by this time spread throughout Palestine. Scribes and Pharisees came all the way from Jerusalem to question him about his activities. The scribes were Jewish scholars who copied the sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament and consequently became the professional interpreters of Scripture. The Pharisees were a religious order, primarily laymen, who devoted themselves to strict adherence to the law. Most scribes were Pharisees, but not all Pharisees were ...

720. Playing One Hand

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

Tom Garrison

... the liberation and the encouragement of people in the process. For too long it seems there has been a tendency to define each other in the form of photocopying; that is, our success is measured by whether or not we turn out a carbon copy of ourselves as we help others along the way. This model is flawed from both a theoretical and a practical standpoint. It consists rather in recognizing the uniqueness of each individual and facilitating the emergence of that "only-one-of-its-kindness." Our word "educate ...

721. Some Enchanted Evening

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

Last summer, a large crowd gathered at the Wee family cabin in northern Minnesota to celebrate my mother-in-law's ninetieth birthday. At one point I realized that all the relatives had gone outside and I was in the middle of a room full of strangers. It's an awkward feeling. I wished that someone would come in who would be happy to see me and make their way toward me through that crowd of strangers. A similar thought is expressed in an old song, "Some Enchanted Evening." Some enchanted evening You will see ...

722. John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Mark 1:1-8

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... sonship is an important part of Mark’s portrait (cf. 1:11; 3:11; 5:7; 9:7; 14:61–62; 15:39), and this causes most scholars to believe that the title was originally here in the opening of the book and that it was accidentally omitted in some copies. It is very significant that Jesus is called the Son of God only by God (1:11; 9:7), by demons (3:11; 5:7), and by one man, the centurion at the cross (15:39), illustrating Mark’s emphasis upon the blindness of people to Jesus in his own ...

723. Propriety in Worship

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to use as the basis of their evaluation of the situation. Like other ancients, Paul and the Corinthians would have understood that “nature” indicates God’s will, and so persons should style themselves according to the lines of nature as a copy of nature itself. Paul surely did not reflect on this relatively weak example or argument, for what he attributes to nature is merely human fashion, reflecting culture, not necessarily God—unless Paul thinks somehow that culture derives from nature and, in ...

724. Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

Revelation 15:1-8

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... of the Testimony. This phrase would seem to suggest that John continues to use the Exodus narrative as a template to arrange the events of his vision. Accordingly, after crossing the Reed Sea, Israel received the Decalogue (Exod. 19–20) and preserved a copy in the ark of the covenant, which they then placed inside the tabernacle of the Testimony (Exod. 25–26). The two tablets of the Decalogue were a permanent reminder that God’s relationship with Israel was covenantal and that Israel’s ongoing ...

725. Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22:7-21

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... words … of this book; and he again refers to these words as a prophecy—a rule for faith and life (cf. 22:10–11). The force and scope of this warning suggest a theological intention. That is, John is concerned not with scribes who may well copy his composition for other readers in the future, but with his first readers. His concern is not that the Apocalypse will be corrupted during its transmission but that it will be dismissed as unimportant for the faith of its readers. In this sense, John’s use ...

Showing results