Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 701 to 725 of 5000 results

701. Jesus as God’s Wisdom Is a Hidden Reality

Matthew 11:20-24, Matthew 11:25-30

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... to provide his readers with a choice. Which path will they take? Will they respond in faith to Jesus or reject him as Messiah? Only one path leads to life and rest. It might be useful to share Dickens’s preface to A Christmas Carol. It illustrates the impact that the warnings to Scrooge were meant to have on Dickens’s audience: “I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season ...

702. Pharisees Reject the Divine Origin of Jesus’ Power

Matthew 12:22-37, Matthew 12:38-45, Matthew 12:46-50

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Jeannine K. Brown

... those who read this text and wrongly think of themselves as being outside God’s grace and forgiveness. We help them by interpreting the text rightly and assuring them that God in Christ does forgive their sin whenever they come in repentance (6:12). Illustrating the Text Jesus brings God’s kingdom to this world by the power of the Holy Spirit. History: If John Timmer is right to liken Jesus’ coming to an invasion to reclaim the world for God (see above), the following event might provide a captivating ...

703. Parables Discourse: The “Already and Not Yet” of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

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Jeannine K. Brown

... to put our faith and trust in the God who is making all things right. We can have the deepest conviction of the reality of the kingdom—a conviction grounded in trust in Jesus the Messiah, who is the firstfruits and promise of what is still to come. Illustrating the Text Although the kingdom has a hiddenness to it in the present, all will be made clear at the end of the age, and God then will judge everything and everyone. Metaphor: In chemistry, use of a litmus test allows someone to check a substance’s ...

704. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Feed and Heal

Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 15:29-39

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Jeannine K. Brown

... appears to know enough about Jesus to call him “Son of David,” a favorite Matthean term to signal Jesus’ messianic identity (1:1–17). My daughter is demon-possessed. Jesus’ ministry of exorcism is introduced in the summary in 4:24 (also 8:16) and illustrated in 8:28–34; 9:32–33; 12:22; 17:14–20. 15:23 Jesus did not answer a word. In spite of the woman’s plea and her apparent recognition of his messianic identity, Matthew narrates that Jesus gives no response to her.[3] Commentators ...

705. Jesus Announces His Impending Suffering and Death

Matthew 16:21-28

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Jeannine K. Brown

... jar, or set in a frame, or displayed for all to see and appreciate. It must be buried in the ground, going the way of death. And as the seed goes into the soil and dies, it makes new life. In John 12:23–26 Jesus uses this illustration of a dying seed producing life to speak of his own coming death and the way to life for his own followers. Life emerges from the other side of death. The nature of Jesus’ role as Messiah necessarily and profoundly shapes Christian discipleship as cruciform. Quote: Miroslav ...

706. Community Discourse: Care for Others in the Kingdom

Matthew 18:1-9, Matthew 18:10-14, Matthew 18:15-20

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Jeannine K. Brown

... He called a little child. Jesus draws in a child to provide an object lesson, as he answers the disciples’ question about greatness. Given that their question is about status (18:1), it is most likely that the child is meant to illustrate someone of low status (as 18:4). In ancient perspectives, children were viewed as lacking logos (the full measure of rationality) and so were considered irrational and lacking in judgment.2Additionally, they were viewed as weak and vulnerable, given their susceptibility ...

707. Eschatological Discourse: Prediction of the Temple’s Destruction

Matthew 24:1-35

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Jeannine K. Brown

... . In the context of Matthew 24, Daniel’s vision provides a portrait of the vindication of Jesus’ predictions about the temple’s destruction at the climactic point of those predictions. 24:32 lesson from the fig tree. This concluding illustration reemphasizes that there will be a forewarning of the temple’s destruction through particular warning signs (24:4–25). 24:34 this generation will certainly not pass away. If 24:34–35 provides a culminating authentication of Jesus’ prediction ...

708. Eschatological Discourse: Being Prepared for Jesus’ Return

Matthew 24:36-51, Matthew 25:1-13

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Jeannine K. Brown

... focus on proper attentiveness and positive hope (not fear), as we look ahead to Jesus’ return: “With minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” (1 Pet. 1:13). Illustrating the Text Jesus’ return at the end of the age will not be preceded by signs indicating its arrival. News: Jesus made it clear that we will not know the day or the hour of his return, yet Christian history is filled with examples of people who ...

709. Eschatological Discourse: Being Faithful and Merciful

Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:31-46

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Jeannine K. Brown

... Such acts of justice and mercy are not insignificant. As Gutiérrez suggests, “To offer food or drink in our day . . . means the transformation of a society structured to benefit a few who appropriate to themselves the value of the work of others.”[10] Illustrating the Text Believers in Jesus are exhorted to exercise faithfulness in all things, so that they are always ready for the Lord’s return. Popular Culture: We live in a culture that prizes ownership. We work our whole lives to own our own house ...

710. Jesus Is God’s Faithful Son in Gethsemane and at His Arrest and Trial

Matthew 26:31-35, Matthew 26:36-46, Matthew 26:47-56, Matthew 26:57-68, Matthew 26:69-75

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Jeannine K. Brown

... God’s covenant faithfulness. These stones were meant to keep Israel from the temptation of idolatry. As we seek to endure moments of temptation, we might mark moments of God’s salvation and loyalty for us with “memorial stones” of our own. This illustration might lead to application. You might encourage people to try one of the following ways of setting up their own memorial stones: Create a memorial box: Either individually or as a family, record memories of God’s faithfulness on slips of paper ...

711. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

Matthew 27:1-10, Matthew 27:11-26

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Jeannine K. Brown

... of the divine activity that is at the center of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Teaching and preaching Jesus’ death can focus where Matthew does: God’s work in Jesus the Messiah’s life, death, and resurrection to usher in the kingdom and bring restoration. Illustrating the Text Jesus is innocent of the charges lodged against him, because he is the true king of Israel, the Messiah. Film: Catch Me If You Can. In this 2002 movie, Leonardo DiCaprio portrays the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., a real-life con ...

712. Through His Faithful Death, Jesus as Messiah Redefined Brings Life

Matthew 27:27-31, Matthew 27:32-44, Matthew 27:45-56, Matthew 27:57-61, Matthew 27:62-66

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Jeannine K. Brown

... . As we do this for Jesus’ sake, we, like Jesus, trust in a God whose resources are limitless. In seeing how Jesus triumphs over death even as he gives up his life, we can have confidence to walk in the footsteps of our king. This illustration could easily lead to application. Consider including one of the two action steps below, or create your own. It would be helpful to research your local context for specific examples of people or groups divesting their resources. Divest time: One of the most valuable ...

713. Jesus’s Ministry and Popularity Continue to Grow

Mark 1:40-45, Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

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Grant R. Osborne

... to everyone. Understanding the Text Mark 1:21–38 describes one twenty-four-hour period (from Sabbath morn to Sunday morn). All of this material (including through 1:45) traces Jesus’s ministry to the crowds, who are filled with wonder at each new illustration of his healing power over demons and all kinds of illnesses (1:23–28, 32–34), leprosy in particular (1:41–45). In addition, with each new powerful act, Jesus’s popularity soars. The news spreads after the first miracle (1:28), with “the ...

714. Jesus as Lord and as Archcriminal

Mark 2:23-3:6, Mark 2:18-22

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Grant R. Osborne

... emphasis on Jesus as God. He is the Son of God, and as the Son of Man he fulfills the universal dominion set out in Daniel 7:13–14. Worship demands the realization that Jesus is more than our friend and guide; he is our Savior and Lord. Illustrating the Text The new community and ritual Object Lesson: Apply a large, unwashed, wool patch to an old pair of pants (wool will shrink significantly when washed). Wash the pants in hot water and run them through the dryer. The patch may not tear, but it certainly ...

715. Jesus Turns to His New Family

Mark 3:31-35, Mark 3:20-30

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Grant R. Osborne

... . To them, the Son of God is the son of Satan! 3:23 How can Satan drive out Satan? If Jesus is demon possessed, it means that Satan has gone to war against his own demonic hordes, which cannot be. Jesus uses two “parables” to illustrate this. In the first parable, the prince of demons driving out other demons would constitute civil war. The “kingdom divided” builds on the idea that Satan’s minions are a military force divided into battalions or legions (cf. Eph. 6:12–14) that could erupt ...

716. The Authority of Jesus over Nature and the Cosmic Powers

Mark 5:1-20, Mark 4:35-41

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Grant R. Osborne

... (Satan is the god only of “this world” [2 Cor. 4:4]), and they have already been defeated by Christ once and for all. They have no true power over believers; to the contrary, believers have authority over them (Mark 3:15; 6:7). Illustrating the Text The problem of fear Human Experience: According to a study published in Archives of General Psychiatry, about 18.1 percent of people age eighteen and over suffer from an anxiety disorder in any given year.8 Quote: Fearless, by Max Lucado. Lucado identifies ...

717. Failing the Test and Spiritual Failure—Hardness of Heart

Mark 6:45-56

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Grant R. Osborne

... tomb to anoint a corpse and are rebuked by an angel (16:5–6), and then they disobey the angel’s commission out of fear (16:7–8). Victory over our self-centered tendencies can come only when we meet the risen Lord (14:28 = 16:7). Illustrating the Text Where do you turn in the storms of life? Quote: The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck. Peck begins his classic book with these words: “Life is difficult. . . . Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then ...

718. Family in the New Kingdom Community

Mark 10:13-16, Mark 10:1-12

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Grant R. Osborne

... bringing little children to Jesus. Family issues continue with the place of children in the kingdom community. This is the second passage on children (9:36–37). Both deal with children as essential to the kingdom of God; the first uses them as illustrative of the place of those lowly in status in the kingdom, this one with children as models for kingdom living. The bringing of children to rabbis for a blessing was common, and a similar practice has continued in almost every religious tradition to this ...

719. A Call to Servanthood and Suffering

Mark 10:46-52, Mark 10:35-45, Mark 10:32-34

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... to perfectly follow your hand movement. Explain that simply trying to imitate Jesus is not enough. Rather, we have to live in Christ in such a way that we pray regularly, read his word continually, and submit our selfish desires to him on a daily basis. To illustrate this truth, have the volunteer hold his or her hands out once again. This time, lock your hands with the volunteer’s and begin to move your hands. Because the volunteer’s hands are in yours, he or she will be able to imitate your movement ...

720. The Christian Shema: Loving God and Neighbor

Mark 12:28-34

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Grant R. Osborne

... is not just a fellow believer or one from the same socioeconomic or ethnic group. A neighbor is anyone we encounter, anyone who needs help. There is no room for favoritism (James 2:1–7), no room for refusal to help (James 2:14–15). Illustrating the Text God as the one and only God Theological Book: The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters, by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett. The authors argue that Christians should not shy away from teaching the truth about the ...

721. Jesus Proclaims Judgment on the Temple and the Nation

Mark 13:1-31

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Grant R. Osborne

... doomed once sin entered it. Two “ends” are described here: the destruction of the temple and the city of a nation that had deserted God, and the events at the “end” of history when evil will be removed and a new eternal world created. Illustrating the Text Judgment coming Human Experience: Although no one likes getting a traffic ticket, most people are happy that the authorities work to ensure justice on the roads to protect all of us. Although we dislike being the one who receives a ticket, most ...

722. The Messianic Anointing of Jesus

Mark 14:1-11

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Grant R. Osborne

... and then for outsiders. Love for God must be reflected in love for neighbor (Matt. 22:37–39). True disciples must be controlled by three layers of love: for God and Christ and the Spirit, for brothers and sisters in Christ, and for all humankind. Illustrating the Text Giving God our very best Scenario: Imagine that you won a contest and would be serving dinner to the president of the United States tomorrow. Chances are you would not serve the president last night’s leftovers on paper plates. Rather, you ...

723. Jesus Interprets the Passover Seder of Himself

Mark 14:12-26

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Grant R. Osborne

... might ask, “If God is in control, why is there evil in the world?” God has a plan, and he will use the evil hearts and intentions of people in service to that plan. This is what we see in the story of the betrayal of Judas. To illustrate this powerful truth, show the congregation a colorful quilt. Explain that this is the finished product, but in the making of the quilt the quilter laid out all the pieces of fabric. From the perspective of the untrained eye, the random pieces of fabric seem to have no ...

724. Jesus Is Tested in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-42

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Grant R. Osborne

... temptation Human Experience: Before being too hard on the disciples for falling asleep, we must remember that we too often succumb to temptation. The question becomes, “How do we stand firm against temptation?” One key is to keep our eyes on our Lord. A great illustration of this fact is to talk about effective dog training. A well-trained dog keeps its focus on its master and takes its cues from his or her commands. For example, a well-trained dog will leave a treat alone, on command, by keeping its ...

725. Luke the Historian

Luke 1:1-4

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R.T. France

... tax collectors and sinners, the Gentiles and even the Samaritans. To all, in their different needs, salvation and wholeness came through the ministry of Jesus, who came to proclaim “good news to the poor” (4:18), and Luke took delight in using their stories to illustrate the revolutionary ideals of the Magnificat (see 1:51–53), the dawning kingdom of God, in which the last will be first and the first last (13:30). All this is, of course, in fulfillment (note the use of “fulfilled” in 1:1) of what ...

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