Sermon and Worship Resources

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2 Chronicles 35:20--36:1

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... assembly of textual material from 2 Kings 23:28 and 23:30. In the usual reference to other sources, the Chronicler adds that these sources provide more information on his acts of devotion, according to what is written in the Law of the LORD (instead of the version in Kings: “all he did”). The Chronicler’s emphasis on Josiah’s adherence to “the Law of the LORD” is clear. The people of the land took the lead again and made Jehoahaz, Josiah’s son, king in his stead (36:1). In conclusion, in the ...

77. Fish Tales

Luke 24:36b-48

Sermon

John Jamison

... whom he was trying to talk. Luke, however, was trying to tell the story to a different type of reader. That was the main problem he was having. His audience was a tough one. While Mark wrote to the common folks, Luke had the task of telling his version of the story to the upper-crust folks of the cities of Antioch and Rome. These were not only more educated people, who asked lots of questions the common folks just didn’t care about. Luke was writing to people who were already very religious, and who were ...

78. Investing God's Gift

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... of the parable of the talents rather than to Luke's. But perhaps, for that reason, we need to take a closer look at how Luke uses this familiar parable of Jesus to give it his own special twist. Luke's version appears to be a conflation of two stories. One is a parable about a master who goes away after distributing money to some servants and charging them with investing it in his absence. The other is a story about a nobleman who went away to receive a royal commission, but ...

79. Passion Sunday

Mk 14:1 - 15:47 · Isa 50:4-9 · Phil 2:5-11 · Ps 31:9-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... his self-abandonment by making him the sovereign of the universe, who would eventually receive the worship and praise of all that inhabit the universe. Gospel: Mark 14:1--15:47 On Passion Sunday we have two options for the Gospel, a long or abbreviated version of the sufferings and death of our Lord. Since so few Christians attend Good Friday services, a strong argument can be made for employing the long form. However, to keep the interest of the congregation, I would highly recommend doing so in the form ...

80. The Road To The Cross

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... (and Mark) says that Pilate realized that the chief priests, the Jewish authorities, were envious of Jesus (Matthew 27:18; cf. Mark 15:10). In response, Pilate tried to spare Jesus by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and (according to Matthew's version) a "notable (or notorious) prisoner" named Barabbas (who may also have been named Jesus - Jesus Barabbas) (Matthew 27:15-17). Yet, the chief priests and the Jewish elders tried to stir up the crowd, to get the crowd to select Barabbas as the one ...

81. A Reason For All To Be Thankful

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Work In Everything I like the way the Scottish scholar William Barclay translated this verse: "We know that God intermingles all things for good for those who love him..." Here is one of those places where the Revised Standard Version of the Bible is much superior to the old King James Version. The King James Version translated this verse as follows: "All things work together for good..." as if there were some kind of impersonal system in the universe that made everything work for good. The Revised Standard ...

82. What’s In It For Me?

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... to suffering service. That’s what’s in it for us! And now we are faced with a temptation similar to that which Jesus faced. We hear two voices. One voice promises that following Jesus will bring an end of our human suffering. One voice promises us a crossless version of the Christian faith where all our needs are met now. The other voice, the voice of Jesus, calls us to take up the cross. The voice of Jesus calls us to a life of suffering for the sake of the gospel and for other people. Which voice will ...

83. Christmas and the Condensed Bible

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... find to take its place. My purpose in this sermon is not to criticize Reader’s Digest, but to say a good word for it on another unrelated matter. A few years back they upset the fundamentalists because they came out with a “Condensed Version” of the Holy Bible. At least one evangelical Christian labeled their Condensed Bible a “godless work” and said that it would “lead millions to burn in the fires of hell.” I haven’t heard very much about their “Condensed Bible” in recent years, and ...

84. Have We Kept Our Contract with God?

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... an agreement that was basis of a relationship between the Lord and the Hebrew people. The book of Genesis actually presents two versions of the covenant (as we recall it does with the creation story), written by two of what scripture scholars call the four ... Scriptures, written about 500 B.C. and emphasizing the Hebrew tradition in well-ordered prose. Abram, as in the earlier covenant version, is promised multiple generations as a unilateral pact between God and God's people. Here God extends the promise to ...

85. Loving Close-up

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails." A lot of that has to do with good old-fashioned manners. In fact, Today's English Version begins verse 5 with this word: "Love is not ill-mannered"; and again, Philipps says, "Love has good manners." It's not in good taste to boast. Arrogance is tacky. To be rude reveals a lack of self-confidence and a woeful lack of appreciation for others. What ...

86. The Dayspring From On High

Luke 1:5-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... story a moment ago. Before we are finished we will go to another story of Zachariah -- his prophecy about Jesus which closes the first chapter of Luke's Gospel. In that prophecy he refers to Jesus as the "Dayspring from on high". That's the King James version. The New English Bible has that verse, verse 78, "The morning sun from Heaven will rise upon us." The Jerusalem Bible has it, God from on high "will bring the rising Sun to visit us." "If the birth of Christ, to borrow Zachariah's metaphor, was "the ...

87. What Do You Call Success?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... its worshipers, has Starbucks‑trained workers serving lattes in its café, has ten X‑Boxes in its classroom for fifth and sixth graders, and a plant that they hope people will confuse with a shopping mall. The pastor says the sermons are a Christian version of Oprah or Dr. Phil, heavy on successful principles for living--how to discipline your children, how to reach your professional goals, how to invest your money, how to reduce your debt . . . The theory is to give the people what they want; and what ...

88. Can You Smell the Perfume?

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... remember John. Not, when you tell the gospel story, remember James. Not, when you tell the gospel story, remember Andrew. But, when you tell the gospel story, remember me and her. But go ahead and read the story for yourself. We've already read John's version. Let's now read Mark's version of the story. While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his ...

89. The Scarlet Letter

Exodus 20:14

Sermon

James Merritt

... wrote the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. In that book shame and guilt are rampant, both with the preacher and with the heroine who commit this terrible sin. In fact, in the end the guilt and shame finally kills the minister. But in Hollywood's version, the adulterer and the adulteress ride off into the sunset to live happily after. A few years ago there was another movie that came out, and, according to the newspaper, this was the plot: A romantic quadrangle set in the Australian countryside in 1939. A ...

90. Only Matthew…Only Joseph

Matthew 1:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... of carrying the Christ into the world of corrupt rulers and down the road of struggling refugees. You are entrusted with the task... ...of preserving the gift ...of nurturing the message ...of caring for the good news." And maybe that's why we prefer Luke's version. Perhaps we prefer an Advent focused on looking back across the ages to the warm memories of shepherds in the fields and silent nights, a baby in a barn and adoring angels. Perhaps we prefer a Hallmark Christmas by Currier and Ives or the Thomas ...

91. Transformation to the Light

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... diamonds in the rough, but we need to be transformed to radiate the light of Christ to others. Additionally, as disciples of Christ we are called to do our share to bring the light to others. Today's Gospel Reading presents Saint Mark's version of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. As we know, Mark provides no infancy narrative, describing instead the ministry of John the Baptist, the Lord's baptism, and his temptation in the desert. We hear that after John's arrest Jesus appeared preaching the good ...

92. Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... reader why he keeps this company. Jesus describes himself as a "physician" and sinners as those who are "sick" and thus the ones in need of the physician's healing presence. Matthew, unlike Mark and Luke, adds a text from Hosea 6:6 to his version "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice" further reminding his readers that God's nature is to be merciful. It is this mercy Jesus embodies when he associates with these sinners and thus offers them healing. In conclusion, Jesus maintains that he came to "call ...

93. Luke 24:36b-48

Luke 24:36b-48

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 's plan and promise. The first verse claims a unique pedigree shared by only a small number of other texts in Luke's works. Luke 24:36, along with Luke 24:40, are among nine verses that until fairly recently had been thought to be "short versions" in their most original Greek form. First elaborated in 1881 by B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort in their two-volume work The New Testament in the Original Greek, their judgment influenced biblical translations for decades to come. Only in more recent years has there ...

94. Digging Deeper

Philippians 3:12-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... ." A second student said, "I like the Message. It's easy to read and it's pithy and to the point. I can use it in my daily prayer." The third student surprised them all and said, "I like my mother's version the best. She translated the Bible into action I can use in my daily life." I really like that. Somebody once said, "You may be the only Bible someone else reads." Having said that, as we continue our series titled "Reaching Out Without Passing Out" the only way we can ...

95. Luke 6:20-31

Luke 6:17-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... insist that his listeners offer a second cheek, coat and a shirt, giving to all without exception and expecting nothing back in return (vv.29-30). Jesus’ final directive in today’s text repeats the familiar words of the “Golden Rule,” a version of the injunction found in Leviticus 19:18, “love your neighbor as yourself.” While this “rule” was known and accepted to a degree within both ancient Jewish and Hellenistic societies, the Golden Rule had always been tempered by the Silver Rule (an ...

96. The Apostles' Creed

Matthew 28:16-20

Illustration

Staff

... living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh (the life everlasting) The Apostles' Creed (100 A.D.) is the oldest and shortest creed with only 109 words in the traditional version. Only the New Testament creed, "Jesus is Lord," is older. It is also the most often used -- practically every Sunday, except for festivals and seasons when the Nicene Creed is confessed. Undoubtedly, it is the most universal statement of the Christian faith. By ...

97. Athaliah and Joash

2 Chron 22:10–23:21

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... is formed in Hebrew with the familiar verb chazaq. Second Kings 11:4 mentions that Jehoiada sent for “the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards” and that he gathered them at “the temple of the LORD.” The Chronicler’s version mentions only the commanders of units of a hundred but then specifies them by name. He furthermore adds to his source text that these commanders were sent throughout Judah and had to gather the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the ...

98. Ahaz King of Judah

2 Chronicles 28:1-27

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... section (28:6–15) that describes an encounter with the northern kingdom, Israel. Second, the Chronicler omits the episode of Ahaz’s installation of a copy of the Damascus altar in Jerusalem (in 2 Kgs. 16:10–16), replacing it with an abbreviated version of the encounter with Syria. The order of events in the Chronicler’s text seems illogical. Whether this is the result of textual transmission or the Chronicler’s deliberate literary artistry to portray the chaotic state of King Ahaz’s reign cannot ...

99. Praying for Endurance and Healing

James 4:13-17, James 5:1-6, James 5:7-12, James 5:13-20

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... in Pss. 57:7; 90:17; Rom. 1:11; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 2:17; Heb. 13:9. The idea of internal stamina and strengthening must somehow be included, even if the more literal “strengthen” or “establish your hearts” is unacceptable in a modern English version. See further G. Harder, Sterizō, TDNT, vol. 7, pp. 655–57. The is near formula occurs frequently outside the Gospels for the coming of the Lord: Rom. 13:12; Heb. 10:25; 1 Pet. 4:7. These are not so much time references as indications of immanence ...

100. Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:1-9

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... The OG combines fragments from two verses as a sentence: “and the killer shall not be put to death (not in the MT) until he can stand before the community for judgment” (Josh. 20:3c, 6a; Nelson, Joshua, pp. 227–30). In this case, the shorter OG version represents an unrevised text rather than the Hebrew one. Vv. 7 and 8 in the OG attribute the selection of the cities to Joshua alone as outlined in Num. 35:13–14. The OG sentences use the third-person masculine singular pronoun. The revised verses (MT ...

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