Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 726 to 750 of 3852 results

Matthew 19:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... this slowly so you hear it clearly. If you divorce for any reason other than sexual immorality on the part of your spouse and you remarry someone else, you commit adultery. In fact, the problem is even worse. Let’s go back to what Jesus originally said in the Sermon on the Mount. “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:32, ESV) Unfortunately, back in ...

727. Digging Deeper

Luke 1:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

... to 125 A.D., which is only about 35 years after the New Testament was completed.[2] All of that is to say the text of the New Testament including the Gospel of Luke that we have today is almost exactly the same as the text as it was originally written. Of the approximately 138,000 words in the New Testament, only about 1,400 remain in doubt. In other words, the text of the New Testament is about 99% established. This only proves half the point. It is one thing to say that Luke’s gospel is historically ...

728. Dealing with Cantankerous People

Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Sermon

King Duncan

... of a role model tells a lot about you. Some of you will remember the 1987 motion picture Wall Street starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. There was a 2010 version of Wall Street, but it did not have the impact that the original did. The original film tells the story of Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen, a young stockbroker who falls under the influence of Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas, a sleazy but wealthy, power-hungry, unscrupulous corporate raider. The film sought to portray the greed and ...

729. Mighty Morphin Power People

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... search for their donor-fathers and any siblings they may have. On the TV show, they confessed with tears that they have a huge void inside that refuses to be satisfied and they were willing to use all their energies to seek the truth about their origins. These young people were consumed with seeking their true identities. One teenage boy only knew he was from test tube #46. One mother, when asked by her child where his father was, explained that another man, who already had a family, was loving enough to ...

730. What Did Jesus Do?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... crucial occasion, would express doubts about his resurrection. There seemed only one thing to do, the story continues. Jesus called over the head?waiter. “Max,” he said, “separate checks.” Well, that’s not exactly how the original story went. In fact, it could hardly have been more different from how the original story really went. We read, “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this ...

731. Solomon Asks for Wisdom

2 Chronicles 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... 1:14–17 This section was taken over from 1 Kgs. 10:26–29. However, a significant part of it can also be found in 2 Chron. 9:25–28, a section describing the end of Solomon’s reign. This correlates better with the original position of the source text in the Solomon narrative. Some commentators are therefore of the opinion that one of these occurrences is secondary. McKenzie rightly indicates, however, that “the repetition may also be viewed as a structuring device—a bracket or framework for the ...

732. The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-42

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... of its leader, as other movements had. In the recent past, he reminded them, there had been Theudas (v. 36) and Judas the Galilean (v. 37), each of whom had been killed and their followers scattered. On the other hand, if the Christian movement had its origin in God, how could they hope to withstand it? Such advice was typically Pharisaic in both temper and content. It picked up the leading point in their theology, namely, that God rules the world by a wise providence that is over all. Everything, they said ...

733. Saul’s Conversion

Acts 9:1-19a

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... v. 2; see disc. on 1:14). The expression “the Way” is peculiar to Acts (cf. 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22) and may have originated with the Jews who saw the Christians as those who had adopted a distinctive way of life. But it must have soon come into use among the ... with Bruce that, first, Paul in Galatians is defending himself against the charge that he received his commission from the original apostles. The part played by Ananias would not have affected his argument, even if he was the Christian leader in ...

734. Peter Explains His Actions

Acts 11:1-18

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... those of the circumcision” had become a more or less distinct group who wished to maintain the Jewish traditions exemplified by this rite (cf. Gal. 2:12; Titus 1:10). So Luke used the expression as significant to his readers, though it only had its origin in the events that he was narrating. It was true, nevertheless, that even then there were those in the church who were especially sensitive to the issues that Peter had raised, and the term is appropriately applied to these people (cf. 15:5; see further ...

735. Paul and Silas In Prison

Acts 16:16-40

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... , of this little group as they sat down to eat, the meal was an “Agape,” a love feast. It may also have included a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Later the prisoners were returned to their cell. 16:35 We do not know what the original intention of the magistrates was in jailing Paul and Silas—whether for one night or for longer. If for longer, they now changed their minds. The Romans were highly susceptible to omens, and in their own way the duumvirs may have been as deeply affected by the ...

736. The Trial Before Festus

Acts 25:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... he had (under Roman law), he would expect to be punished, but he had not and the governor had no right to hand him over to a Jewish court as a favor to his accusers. He appealed, therefore, to the emperor. The procedure that he had invoked had originally been an appeal to the Roman people, in the person of their tribunes, but since the time of Augustus, the emperor had stepped into their place. There were certain restrictions on the right of appeal, details of which are not now fully known. Sherwin-White is ...

737. The God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... the Roman province of Achaia and also the place where Paul gained his first converts in Achaia (cf. 1 Cor. 16:15; 1:16). As we discussed in the Introduction, Paul, the “apostle to the nations” (Rom. 11:13), thinks in terms of the original nations, which, from a contemporary Jewish perspective, are approximately coextensive with the current Roman provinces. Once he has evangelized a representative number of people in a particular locality, Paul’s job as evangelist is over, and he is eager to proceed to ...

738. Paul's Concern for the Galatians

Galatians 4:8-20

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... of him. In the Greek Paul uses the word “flesh” (sarx) here and in the following verse (translated “illness,” v. 14), thereby recalling for his readers his bodily presence with them. Paul reminds them that they heard the gospel because of an illness. His original readers are the only ones who know precisely what illness Paul had, although 4:15 might indicate that it had something to do with Paul’s sight. The Galatians were tempted to reject him and his gospel, but instead when he was present with ...

739. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Colossians 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... teach that believers will inherit or possess God’s promises at some future time (Rom. 8:24, 25). But here Paul is placing a much-needed emphasis on the present aspect of hope. He wants to show his readers that hope belongs to the preaching that they originally heard and that they already possess by virtue of being in Christ (“this hope … that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you”). Hope is the basis of their love and faith and thus assures them of the ...

740. Rules for Holy Living

Colossians 3:1-17

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... will give this new self the necessary ability and strength? The answer, says Paul, lies in the activity of God: the new self … is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator (cf. Rom. 8:29). These words recall Genesis 1:27, which states that originally human beings were created in the image—that is, moral and spiritual likeness—of God and at that point had the ability to choose between good and evil. In the Fall, however, that image was destroyed. But the good news of the gospel is that now ...

741. Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 2:16; 16:25; 2 Tim. 2:8), but it is “the gospel of God” in the sense that it is peculiarly God’s or that it originates from God (2:2, 4, 8, 9; Rom. 1:1; see further disc. on 1:8). In terms of its content, though, it is described as “the ... 1:9 You turned to God from idols: It would appear that from the outset, the majority of the Thessalonian Christians were of Gentile origin. The first converts came into the church by way of the synagogue as God-fearers (Acts 17:4; see Introduction on The Founding of ...

742. The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... Matt. 24:31) and to Luke (cf. esp. 1 Thess. 5:8–11 with Luke 21:34–36). If by reference to this teaching we can show that it is early, we have taken an important step towards establishing its authenticity, which is to say that it had its origin in Jesus’ teaching (see disc. on v. 15). 4:13 Brothers—the familiar affectionate address of these letters (see disc. on 1:4)—we do not want you to be ignorant—another familiar Pauline phrase: his way of saying, “We want you to know (cf. Rom. 1:13; 11 ...

743. Stand Firm

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... of making it known to those for whom it was intended, was through our gospel, i.e., the gospel given to Paul and his companions to preach. It was, of course, “the gospel of our Lord Jesus” as far as its content was concerned, and in terms of its origin, the gospel of God (see disc. on 1 Thess. 1:5). Earlier, God’s objective in making his choice was “for salvation” (2:13). Here that same goal is in terms of “obtaining” the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (eis peripoiēsin doxēs; see disc. on 1 ...

744. Overseers and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... in the Greek church (never in the West, since the translation into Latin happened before the variant arose). Hence the KJV translated “God was manifest in flesh.” See the discussion in Metzger, TCGNT, p. 641; and G. D. Fee, “The Majority Text and the Original Text of the New Testament,” esp. 117–18. The most common alternative to the view of the hymn presented here is to see it as having three sets of two lines, each alternately expressing humiliation and exaltation (or the realm of earth and ...

745. Titus' Task on Crete

Titus 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... Jesus our Savior (see disc. on 1 Tim. 1:1). In keeping with all the other Pauline letters (except 1 and 2 Timothy) the greeting is grace and peace. Although in these letters Paul more often calls God our Savior (as in v. 3), because salvation originates in God the Father, it is effected by Christ Jesus our Savior. The interchanging of this title between God and Christ Jesus (cf. 3:4, 6) reflects the high Christology found in Paul from the beginning. Additional Notes 1:1a The doublet servant of God and ...

746. The High Priesthood of Jesus

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... , although in the minds of the populace the office had long since been defiled. 5:5–6 For further information on Ps. 2:7, see note under 1:5. NIV rightly supplies God as the speaker of the verse (although the subject is not specified in the original), not simply because of the content of the words, but also because for the author, God is generally understood to be the speaker in the OT. The nuance of the somewhat unusual use of “glorify” (doxazō) behind NIV’s did not take upon himself the glory is ...

747. A Call to Persevere

Hebrews 10:19-39

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... same form by Paul in Romans 12:19. The thought of the judgment of the living God is something that can only fill the heart with fear (cf. v. 27; 12:29; Matt. 10:28). Yet this is to be the lot of those who repudiate their original faith. Additional Notes 10:26–27 The word for deliberately (hekousiōs) or “willingly” occurs only here and in 1 Pet. 5:2 in the NT. In view is the clearly volitional character of an abandonment of the Christian faith. The verb underlying sinning (hamartanō) occurs elsewhere ...

748. The Living Stone and a Chosen People

1 Peter 2:4-12

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... , despite hints that God had something special in mind for the latter (as in Isa. 9:1–2; 11:10; 42:6; 49:6; 60:5–6; Mal. 1:11). Verse 10 rounds off a passage (from v. 4) in which Peter has been spelling out the blessings, originally promised to Israel, that are now the privilege of the church of believers in Christ. The Jerusalem temple of stone is now replaced by the living stones of the new spiritual temple of believers. The priesthood, formerly limited to the tribe of Aaron and engaged in offering ...

749. The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:1-18

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... is recorded in the Scriptures. They choose to shut their minds to what did indeed once happen—even if it was long ago. The book of Genesis narrates the story of the original creation. Peter paraphrases that account: long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. According to Genesis, there was originally a kind of watery waste (Gen. 1:2). Then by divine fiat (“Let there be …”), the world was formed by the separation of land from water (Gen. 1:6–10 ...

750. Signs for Moses

Exodus 4:1-17

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... this staff in your hand” God focused Moses on the simple task of walking with his staff. If he went, God would be with his mouth, and Moses would speak to Aaron. Aaron would speak for him, at least until Moses grew into God’s original plan for him to speak himself. In the second half of Exodus 4 Moses moves closer to his first meeting with Pharaoh through five brief, but significant, encounters. Additional Notes 4:1 On the Lord’s willingness to develop new strategies in relation to Moses’ concerns ...

Showing results