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 801 to 825 of 2273 results

801. Love for Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... to the message of Jesus. One of the distinct features of Matthew’s Gospel is that the teaching of Jesus is collected into five sections. The Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5–7) is the first of these blocks. The others are Instructions to the Twelve (chap. 10), Parables of the Kingdom (chap. 13), Life in the Christian Community (chap. 18), and Eschatological Judgment (chaps. 23–25). Each block closes with a formula similar to, “When Jesus had finished saying these things” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1 ...

802. Mark 6: 1-13

Mark 6:1-6

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... own extreme “unbelief,” and our openness to or rejection of the possibility of God’s presence and power among us and for us. It is directly after this inauspicious moment that Mark’s text introduces the mission of the Twelve. Jesus’ authority, which had been summarily dismissed in Nazareth, is now wielded with great power and purpose over his chosen disciples. First Jesus “summons” or “calls” (“proskalein”) his disciples together. Then he begins sending them out (“apostellein”) on ...

803. Adultery

Matthew 5:27-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

804. The Branch from Jesse

Isaiah 11:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... the nations in a “second” exodus. They will freely come from Egypt (Upper = Pathros and Lower), Cush (Nubia/Ethiopia, the Upper Nile region), Elam (east of Babylonia), Shinar (Babylonia), Hamath (region north of Damascus), and the Mediterranean coastlands. He will join together the twelve tribes and rule over a restored Israel. Nothing can stand in the way of God’s purpose. He will even dry up the Red Sea (“Egyptian” sea), make the Euphrates passable, and make a highway from Assyria and Egypt to ...

805. Is It I, Lord?

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Erskine White

... pressure was on and the moment of truth had come, couldn't Peter have betrayed his Lord in order to save his own skin? The disciples asked, "Is it I, Lord?" because it could have been any one of them. This is a fact of human nature. Any one of the twelve could have been the Judas. And any one of us, too. If the disciples were able to say, "Is it I, Lord?" - disciples who had given so much to follow Jesus - if the disciples weren't too proud to ask that question about themselves, shouldn't we be able to ...

806. Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-3:6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of “doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath” (2:24). The putative infractions are either traveling (walking more than 1,999 paces was considered a journey) or harvesting, or both. In defense, Jesus appeals to the precedent of when David and his companions ate from the twelve loaves of altar bread intended for the priests (1 Sam. 21:1–6; cf. Exod. 40:23; Lev. 24:5–9). The appeal to David hints at Jesus’s messianic status, for David was both Israel’s greatest king and precursor of the Messiah (2 ...

807. “On the Way” to Jerusalem

Mark 9:33-37, Mark 9:38-41

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... accentuates the contrast between Jesus and the disciples: he embraces humility, they argue who is greatest; he surrenders his life in service, they desire recognition and distinction. The second passion prediction is thus followed by a second misunderstanding. “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve” (9:35). In sitting and summoning, Jesus assumes the role and authority of a rabbi. “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (9:35). At no point does the way of Jesus ...

808. The Calling of Matthew

Matthew 9:9-13

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... ceremonially unclean, their involvement with pagan currency and their reputation for dishonesty caused law-abiding Jews to keep their distance. In both Mark (2:14) and Luke (5:27) Matthew is named Levi, although this latter name occurs in none of the listings of the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Either Matthew is the name given to Levi when he became a disciple or both names belonged to the same person from the beginning. When Jesus says to the tax gatherer, Follow ...

809. Seeing is Believing…or Is It?

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... No one comes to the Father except through me.” Thomas was devoted to Jesus, protective of him even. His faith was strong, and he believed wholeheartedly in Jesus’ mission. But his mind was one of practicality, strategy, analysis, reason. His role as a disciple among the twelve was to ask the hard questions. And it’s because of Thomas’ questions that our belief is confirmed in the witness of this scripture and that our faith is assured. Doubt is not a lack of faith but a confirmation of what the mind ...

810. Questions about the Resurrection and Life in the Age to Come

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a death for our sins, burial (which meant he had actually died [Mark 15:44–46]), resurrection (which took place when God raised his Son in accordance with the Scriptures [Acts 2:24–32]), and appearance after death (“to Peter” [Luke 24:34]; then to the Twelve [as a group, not a number; Luke 24:36]). The creed (whose elements are all joined to one another by the repetition of the word “that”) is now supplemented by additions. They provide evidence for an appearance of the risen Christ to more than ...

811. The Christian's Walking-Stick

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Lord in prayer. This time of reflection, praise, humility, and gratitude experienced in the presence of God is what prepares David for his future. Jesus' mandate to his disciples is to travel lightly and keep moving. Nowhere do we see him sitting down with the twelve and a map, or a snakebite kit, or a store of provisions, or a feasibility study, or a specific set of "goals,""strategies" and "objectives." Jesus gives the disciples (at times as confused and uncomprehending a lot as ever there has been) only ...

812. Make Disciples

Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 2,000 years ago but Jesus is still calling new disciples each and every day to set out on that same mission. Where do all these disciples come from? The list Matthew provides in today's gospel text gives names but not a lot of details about the Twelve that Jesus originally called. We know that four of them were perfectly prepared for a life of active ministry as fishermen. We know that one of them led a morally exemplary lifestyle before his calling the tax collector Matthew. We know that one of them had a ...

813. Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 119:1-8, Matthew 5:21-37, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... our guides through the mazes of decisions that are before us in life. We rejoice in the diversity we find between Peter and Paul, between Elijah and Jesus. We celebrate the concerted service of Aquila and Priscilla, Barnabas and John Mark, and others who, like the twelve, found ways of serving you in a variety of combinations. We are grateful for individuals and couples and groups who have shared their faith with us and helped us to mature in our understanding of your will and supported us in our attempt to ...

814. Mark 9:38-50

Mark 9:38-41

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... us” (v.40). While John was anxious to establish an “us” vs. “them” exclusiveness, Jesus welcomes all who use his name, even if their understanding is limited. This is a good thing for John since at this point in the gospel it is clear that the Twelve are as much in the dark about the true nature of Jesus and the role of discipleship as any unknown exorcist. Jesus’ inclusivity goes even further. It is not just a miraculous “deed of power” done in Jesus’ name that makes someone welcomed. Any ...

815. The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Jesus’s preaching ministry about the kingdom of God in 8:1–3, noting that he visits a number of towns. Contrary to Jewish custom Jesus had women followers, and they supported him financially (8:3). These women are carefully distinguished from the twelve apostles. There is no evidence that Mary Magdalene was the woman in the prior story. The number seven indicates the severity of Mary’s state. The Herod mentioned here is Antipas (8:3). One of Jesus’s distinguishing characteristics was teaching in ...

816. Oaths

Matthew 5:33-37

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

817. Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

John 13:31-38

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ’s prayer (17:1–26), which precedes the arrest (18:1–11). The literary form of this section is called the “farewell speech” and was well known in Judaism at this time. For example, one can turn to the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, an intertestamental extracanonical work that records the final words of Israel’s patriarchs. The Assumption of Moses (first century AD) does the same for Israel’s prophet-leader in Transjordan. Each Jewish farewell speech shows similar elements that are found ...

818. Jesus Again Predicts His Death

Mark 10:32-34

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... was preparing them and of the consequent gulf growing between them and him. The references to the disciples as astonished and afraid (v. 32) are also peculiar to the Markan form of the incident. Those who followed: It is likely that Mark means the Twelve, and not some additional group. 10:33 The Gentiles: This is the first indication in Mark’s account that others besides the Jewish leaders will be involved in Jesus’ death. The reference here is of course to Pilate, the Roman governor, who represented ...

819. Lent 5

Psalm 126:1-6, Isaiah 43:14-28, John 12:1-11, Philippians 3:4b-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... of the sufferings of Christ. Forgive our zeal for honors and our reluctance to accept either unnoticed service or too-conspicuous suffering, through Jesus Christ, who through humiliation came to exaltation. Amen. Declaration of Pardon Pastor: Friends, hear the Good News! With the twelve we are invited to eat and drink at our Lord’s Table in the kingdom of God. People: From east and west, from north and south, we gather together at the Lord’s Table. Pastor: Friends, believe the Good News! People: In ...

820. Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

Mark 14:27-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... leaders of the Christians after Jesus’ crucifixion was based not on some courage or virtue of their own, but solely upon the grace of the risen Jesus, who restored them to his fellowship and to places of leadership. Peter, as the traditional leader of the Twelve, is singled out in the narrative for particular emphasis, both here and in the later part of the chapter where he fulfills the prediction that he will deny Christ (14:66–72). Peter’s brave talk, set against his later cowardice, only makes more ...

821. What Happened to the Leftovers?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... leftovers be squandered. God's gifts are not to be left spoiling on the ground. God's gifts are to be used and reused, distributed to all and then gathered up to be redistributed when need resurfaced. There are no directives given about how the twelve baskets of leftovers gathered from the satisfied crowd were to stored or saved. There is no suggestion that the Jesus and his disciples will take these leftovers with them as they continue on their journey. No special group receives this bread. It is a open ...

822. Proper 10

2 Samuel 7:18-29, Ephesians 1:1-14, Mark 6:7-13

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... continually to live as though we truly were one in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 6:7-13 Theme: A mission modeled on the Master’s message and ministry Exegetical Note Mark’s version of the commissioning of the Twelve underscores the continuity between what their mission is to be and what Jesus’ has been: they are to preach, exorcise, heal, and withal suffer rejection. Remarkable here is the eschatological urgency implied in Jesus’ instructions to "travel light," which makes for quite ...

823. Do Not Worry

Matthew 6:25-34

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... : each day provides its own share of anxieties; why add tomorrow’s problems to those we already have today? Things are bad enough as they are. The American essayist and critic Joseph Wood Krutch observes, “Anxiety and distress, interrupted occasionally by pleasure, is the normal course of man’s existence” (The Twelve Seasons).

824. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:12–15 · Purpose Statement: The purpose of the letter is testamental (similar to the purpose of other biblical [e.g., Gen. 49:1–28; Deut. 33:1–29] and extrabiblical testaments [e.g., the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs])—namely, that after his death the addressees will have a written record of Peter’s teaching and so always be able to remember it. The reason this is necessary is that (1) Peter is mortal (he refers to his mortal body as a tent, as Paul does in 2 ...

825. The Request of James and John

Mark 10:35-45

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... but because they wish to be with Jesus—wherever he leads. The other disciples are “indignant” with James and John for their request of special honor, perhaps because they secretly have hoped for it themselves (10:41). The dissension among the Twelve becomes the pretext for one of Jesus’s most important lessons and self-revelations. Earthly rulers and officials, says Jesus, “exercise authority” (10:42)—and usually with severity. The beginning of verse 43 reads in Greek: “It is not this ...

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