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 51 to 75 of 612 results

51. Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... identity. In typical fashion Jesus adds humor even to this most significant moment - for he founds the messianic community, the church, on a pun. His play on words between Peter/Petra and rock/petras is well known. Also familiar to his first century Jewish audience would be the tradition that often cited Abraham as the rock from which Israel was hewn. Thus, as Abraham served as the foundation from which sprang the first chosen community, the first Israel, Peter stands as the foundational rock for Christ's ...

52. Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 5:38-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... outside the directive of “loving” them. Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 20:16-18, and 23:3-6 certainly suggest a legitimated attitude of hatred towards those outside of the “neighborhood.” This makes Jesus’ directive all the more shocking to his Jewish audience: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Clearly, Jesus’ mandate steps far afield of the letter of the Torah law. Yet when he clarifies the reason for this directive, it is squarely based on the unique covenantal relationship ...

53. Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of “Messiah” — a moniker heavy with historical, theological and political baggage. While Peter’s assertion may sound right-on-the-money to our twenty-first century ears, it is important to hear what this declaration would have meant to a first century Jewish audience. For them “Messiah” meant a descendent of David, sent by God to deliver the people of Israel and to restore their national identity. As such this divinely sent deliverer was also referred to as God’s Son: “You are my son; today ...

54. A Sick Woman and a Dead Girl

Luke 8:40-56

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... —typical of Luke’s special interest in Jesus’s concern for women two cases where normal human resources have failed to bring healing the issue of ritual defilement (Luke does not make this explicit, but it is likely to have been in the mind of a Jewish audience who knew the significance of ritual purity in the law.) the vital role of faith in healing Jesus’s divine authority to heal the sick and to raise the dead There are two main angles from which to approach these passages in a sermon or lesson ...

55. Priceless!

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

King Duncan

... say “kingdom of God.” They mean the same thing. As we’ve noted before, a good Jew considered the name of God so sacred that he or she would not even write God’s name. Perhaps that is the reason that Matthew, who was writing for a Jewish audience, was hesitant to write “kingdom of God” for fear of violating the holiness of God’s name. So he used the term “kingdom of heaven.” But they mean same thing. What is this kingdom that Christ spent most of his ministry proclaiming and how can we go ...

56. Three Parables about the Unfaithfulness of the Jewish Leaders

Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 21:33-46, Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 21:23-27

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: When his authority is questioned by the Jerusalem leaders, Jesus, the faithful Son of God, tells three parables contrasting those who are faithful and do God’s will (even supposed sinners) and those who disbelieve and disobey (the Jerusalem leaders). Understanding the Text Two symbolic actions of Jesus—his entry as king into Jerusalem and his temple critique (21:1–22)—provoke a contest of authority with the chief priests and Jewish elders (21:23–27). Jesus refuses to answer their question about ...

57. The Jewish Leaders as Negative Foil for Jesus’ Followers

Matthew 23:1-39

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: For Matthew, the Jewish leaders are disobedient to the Torah and pursue the honor of their positions, providing a foil to Jesus’ followers, who are to renounce concern for status and live in community as brothers and sisters. Understanding the Text Matthew concludes his narration of confrontation between Jesus and the Jerusalem leaders with a series of judgment warnings upon the Pharisees and teachers of the law (23:1–36). The chapter begins with a call to Jesus’ followers to avoid the motivation ...

58. Playing to the Right Audience

Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

It was an incredible military breakthrough. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Commander Joe Rochefort broke the Japanese codes. From an intelligence base on Oahu, he predicted an attack on Midway Island for June 3, 1942. Because of Rochefort's skill, the United States surprised the Japanese Navy with its first defeat in 350 years. Four carriers were lost, one cruiser, 2500 men, 322 aircraft, and the best of their pilots. The tide turned in the Pacific; Japan never recovered momentum. Commander ...

59. Judgment on Jewish Leadership

Matthew 23:1-39

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The preliminary judgments issued by Jesus on the Jerusalem elite in Matthew 21–22 lead into a more extended section of judgment in Matthew 23–25, with chapter 23 focused on prophetic judgments leveled against teachers of the law and Pharisees specifically. Yet the story audience of these woes is the crowds and Jesus’s disciples (23:1) rather than the teachers and Pharisees themselves. Matthew intends this chapter to shape the discipleship and leadership of the Christian community, focusing on themes of ...

60. The Throne in Heaven

Revelation 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

A clear break in John’s book of visions is indicated by the events of 4:1. The seer sees an open door, and he hears the angel’s trumpetlike voice summoning him to enter through heaven’s portal. This passage into the visionary world will lead John to understand what will take place on earth. This is not to say that what follows in this chapter is unrelated to what precedes it; in fact, the various visions of this book are interrelated according to the seer’s own commission (cf. 1:19). In our view, it is ...

61. Paul Before Agrippa

Acts 25:23--26:32

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

25:23 On the morrow, Paul was brought in before a large and distinguished audience (cf. 9:15; Luke 21:12). Besides the governor and his guests of honor, there were the high ranking officers, that is, the tribunes or prefects of the cohorts stationed at Caesarea (see note on 10:1) and the leading men of the city. These may have included Jews, but the majority at least would have been Gentiles. The occasion was one of great pomp. This translates the word phantasia (cf. our “fantasy”), which points to the ...

62. Proper 22

Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 21:33-46, Philippians 3:1-11, Psalm 19:1-14

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 20:1-20 is the account of the revelation of divine law to Israel that occurred at Mount Sinai. Psalm 19 is a hymn in praise of law. Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 - "The Gift of Law" Setting. The most prominent event in Israel's wilderness journey is the revelation of law at Mount Sinai. After Israel is led out of Egypt in Exodus 15 their initial wilderness journey is described for 3 chapters ( Exodus 16 -18). In Exodus 19:1 the journey stops and the reader is informed that Israel ...

63. The Story of Israel and the Story of Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: There is plenty of condemnation to go around for Jews as well as Gentiles. In this passage the story of Israel is reflected in the story of Gentiles—sin and judgment for both. But this bad news is designed to drive both to the gospel, the ultimate restoration of the Jews and conversion of the Gentiles. Understanding the Text Romans 1:18–4:25 is the unit of Romans that corresponds to the stipulation component of the Old Testament covenant formula. According to Paul, the stipulation for receiving ...

64. On Mars Hill

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon Aid

CSS

At Athens, Paul found himself in a different world. Although a Jewish synagogue existed in Athens, the Jewish presence was without influence on the life of the city. Athenians thought of the Jews as primitive foreigners. Probably the Jews themselves had been affected by the indifferent environment and had forsaken some of their Jewish customs, for we read that Paul argued in the synagogue "with the Jews and devout persons." From the moment he arrived, Paul’s activities extended beyond the synagogue. He ...

65. The Antichrist Has Come! The Secessionists Deny Jesus’s Messiahship

1 John 2:18-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Christian speculation about the identity and advent of the antichrist has been a major pastime from the second century until today. In order to stay close to the text and its original meaning, however, we should be aware of several facts. (1) The Greek word antichristos does not appear in Revelation, but only in 1 and 2 John. While “the beast,” “666,” and other biblical villains might seem likely prospects for speculating about contemporary threats, each of these subjects must be investigated on its own. ...

66. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Mission Discourse: The Twelve to Follow Jesus’ Lead (9:35--10:23) Big Idea: In the second major Matthean discourse Jesus calls the Twelve to lead in mission to Israel, following his model as an authentic shepherd of God’s people despite persecution. Understanding the Text The brief narrative transition between chapters 8–9 (9:35–38) and Jesus’ second teaching section in chapter 10 highlight Jesus’ Galilean ministry to a people who are without true shepherds (leaders) and Jesus’ call to pray for “harvest ...

67. The Antichrists Are Coming! They Deny Jesus Came in the Flesh

1 John 4:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

While the first antichristic passage (1 John 2:18–25) describes a church split in which so-called believers abandoned the Johannine fellowship and likely rejoined the local Jewish community, the second antichristic passage describes a threat in the impending future that is not a schism but an invasion. False teachers are about, and the way they are discerned is also by considering their Christology. In contrast to the first group, however, which refused to believe that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, this ...

68. Turning Potholes into Mud Puddles on the Bethlehem Road

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Did you hear? NASA is already testing prototypes of space suits for the first astronauts who will walk on the surface of Mars. Scientists are hoping this event might happen around 2030. That means by the time all the infants playing baby Jesus in this year’s bathrobe dramas known as “Christmas pageants” are getting their driver’s permits! Right now the space suit design weighs about one hundred pounds and completely encases whoever wears the suit within a separate, sealed environment. The environment on ...

69. God Subjugates Judah under Babylon

Daniel 1:1-21

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Big Idea: The incomparable Lord is sovereign over all earthly kingdoms, holding rulers and subjects alike accountable for sin and challenging believers to spiritual fidelity. Understanding the Text Daniel 1:1–21 introduces the narratives of chapters 1–6, which reflect the writer’s perspective on the approximately seventy years of Judean exile (605–538 BC) alluded to in verses 1 and 21 and throughout the book. It also serves as the Hebrew prologue to the book’s concentric Aramaic and Hebrew sections (chaps ...

70. Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22:7-21

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

The concluding section of early Christian letters often contains the author’s benediction, typically expressed as a prayer or doxology, but often accompanied by many other pastoral conventions as well. In his letters, for example, Paul sometimes closes his correspondence by greeting various acquaintances in a particular congregation (cf. Rom. 16), perhaps to encourage them in their faith (cf. 1 Cor. 16:19–20) or to give them instructions (cf. Col. 4:15–16). In several of his letters, he includes a list of ...

71. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

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

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Although Jesus is innocent of all charges and is truly the king of the Jews, he is delivered to be crucified by Pilate, the Roman governor, at the instigation of the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, aided by Judas. Understanding the Text Following Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin, the chief priests and elders bring him to Pilate, the governor (27:1–2). Matthew narrates the self-inflicted death of Judas, emphasizing Judas’s belief in the innocence of Jesus, a theme that continues through this ...

72. Oracles of Restoration

Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ezekiel 35:1-15, Ezekiel 36:1-38, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel 37:15-28

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

Ezekiel’s Message of Hope and Restoration: Ezekiel 34–48, the second major part of this book, is concerned with a message of hope for the exiles and with the promise of Israel’s future restoration. That message has broken through in a muted sense in chapters 1–33 (11:14–21; 16:53–63; 20:33–44; 28:25–26), but it now becomes the central theme. These fifteen chapters fall into three sections. The first, chapters 34–37, is a series of seven oracles dealing with the restoration of Israel. The second section ...

73. The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3:1-30

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Nebuchadnezzar Builds the Statue (3:1-12): Big Idea: God sometimes allows believers to face dark times of crisis in which their faith and faithfulness are challenged, even with the penalty of death. Understanding the Text Daniel 3:1–30 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in two ways. First, it advances the narrative of chapters 1–6, in which the first four focus on Nebuchadnezzar (chaps. 1–2 with historical markers and 3–4 without) and the last two show the transition from Belshazzar of ...

74. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

Daniel 2:1-23, Daniel 2:24-49

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Nebuchadnezzar Is Troubled by a Dream (2:1-16): Big Idea: God sometimes allows mere mortals, however powerful, to discover the bankruptcy of their belief systems before revealing himself through his messenger. Understanding the Text Daniel 2:1–49 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in two ways. First, it advances the narrative of chapters 1–6, in which the first four focus on Nebuchadnezzar (chaps. 1–2 with historical markers and 3–4 without) and the last two show the transition from ...

75. The Story of Abraham versus the Story of Israel

Romans 4:1-25

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: Unlike the Mosaic covenant, based on obeying the Torah, the Abrahamic covenant is based on faith. Abraham becomes Paul’s star witness that justification is by faith alone. Paul marshals five arguments to refute the commonly held view that Abraham was justified by his good works: theological (4:1–5), hermeneutical (4:6–8), historical (4:9–12), logical (4:13–17a), and experiential (4:17b–25). Understanding the Text The general context of Romans 4 is that it continues the discussion of 3:27–31: the ...

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