Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1026 to 1050 of 1182 results

Daniel 5:1-31

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... of the larger context, structure, and comparisons of this chapter, as well as a comparison of chapters 4 and 5. Against this backdrop, the third and last section of Daniel 5 provides the theological climax for the chapter. Daniel appears here again as a classical Old Testament prophet, as he did in chapter 4—the only two places this occurs in the book. This final narrative concerning Babylon signals the transition to the third of the four kingdoms seen in Daniel’s vision of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in 2 ...

1027. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... we face. Actions speak louder than words. Literature: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. Though words are critical expressions of devotion, sometimes circumstances arise in which actions are the ultimate demonstrations of one’s commitment. In the classic novel Pride and Prejudice, the principal characters Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have a number of uncomfortable encounters and misunderstandings that result in an honestly meant marriage proposal by Mr. Darcy being pointedly turned down by Elizabeth ...

1028. Ancient of Days and Son of Man

Daniel 7:1-14

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... his eternal kingdom. Moreover, as believers, we will be part of that kingdom forever. God’s power and majesty as judge are beautiful and praiseworthy. Literature: Paradise Lost, by John Milton. Though it deviates from Scripture’s narrative, Milton’s classic Paradise Lost depicts Satan’s fall and judgment before creation, amply illustrating the glorious and terrible majesty of the Ancient of Days, while at the same time not losing sight of God’s love and grace: . . . Him the Almighty Power ...

1029. Triumph of God’s People and Kingdom

Daniel 7:15-28

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... s heavenly army. Lyrics: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” by Julia Ward Howe. Howe (1819–1910) was a New York City abolitionist, social activist, and poet during the tumultuous American Civil War in the 1860s. She also penned the patriotic classic “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” an anthem proclaiming the victory of God’s kingdom in the style of a Union Army hymn. Apart from a purely nationalist misuse, its repeating chorus, “Glory, glory, hallelujah!” and these familiar verses capture ...

1030. Spiritual Warfare and Jewish Suffering

Daniel 8:1-14

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... , lying about two hundred miles east of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar brought it under Babylonian control in his early conquests, and Darius I (522–486 BC) later made it Persia’s administrative capital. The Ulai Canal is closely associated with Susa in Akkadian and classical sources.3 The host of heaven in the ancient Near East was commonly understood as the assembly of the gods, often represented as planets or stars. In the Akkadian myth Erra and Ishum, the starry host represents one side of a cosmic battle ...

1031. Daniel's Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... laws he gave us through . . . the prophets. Torah (usually translated “law”) is better understood as “instruction.” Moses began Israel’s prophetic tradition (Deut. 34:10–12), followed by schools of prophets under Samuel (1 Sam. 19:20), and later classical literary prophets like Isaiah. Here, Daniel has Jeremiah in mind (9:2).7 9:11b Therefore the curses and sworn judgments. The NIV’s “therefore” is interpretive, as the Masoretic Text has only the conjunction waw (“and”). The Hebrew ...

1032. Our Most Common Sin

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... deadly disease of pride into our prayer life and makes our praying ineffective. The battle between humility and pride is as old as the battle between heaven and hell, and that battle is often fought in our prayer life. In C. S. Lewis’ classic volume, The Screwtape Letters, Lewis offers 31 imaginary letters from Screwtape, the primary personality of Hell, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior devil just starting his first assignment on earth. The purpose of the correspondence is to show—and it’s done very ...

1033. Joseph’s Reassurance

Genesis 50:15-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in 2 Sam. 15:8). Their apprehension is all for naught. They fail to see that Joseph is different, that he is compassionate and forgiving, that he is unlike his brothers. “Am I in the place of God?” (50:19) he asks. Then Joseph follows with the classic line: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (50:20). The best evidence of spiritual maturity in Joseph’s life is his ability to relate all the experiences of his life, good and bad, to the sovereign will of God. The Hebrew behind ...

1034. The Lord Rejects Saul as King

1 Samuel 15:1-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Lord. Even if the army had a spiritual purpose in mind, Samuel asserts that it was wrong to spare the animals. Saul protests vigorously, arguing that he did in fact carry out the assigned mission. Samuel’s response to Saul gives the classic position about the relationship between sacrifice and obedience (15:22–31). Stated bluntly, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (15:22). Without question, the offering of sacrifices was an integral part of worship in ancient Israel and was valued highly, but it ...

1035. The Account of Manasseh

2 Chronicles 33:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to God’s eternal choice of Jerusalem (33:4, 7) is a poignant reminder that ultimately it is not God who has failed Israel, but Israel who has failed God and so experiences exile (33:8). What follows in 33:10–17 is a classic depiction of repentance. After rejecting God’s gracious warning through his prophetic word (33:10), Manasseh is severely punished by Yahweh through the Assyrians, who take him off to Babylon, a region under their control (33:11). There, however, Manasseh has a change of heart ...

1036. Trouble from the North

Jeremiah 4:5-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The story now shifts from marital language to military language. In his capacity as a watchman, Jeremiah sees a God-appointed nation from the north about to invade Palestine. In earlier prophets a judgment speech classically included an accusation followed by an announcement. In Jeremiah both elements appear, but not in the usual order. In broad strokes, however, one can identify the sequence: announcement (4:5–31); accusation (5:1–13); threat and further accusation (5:14–31); warning (6:1–9); ...

1037. Babylon

Jeremiah 50:1--51:64

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... takes over their case. His sword will cut into the political, religious, military, and economic segments of society. The picture of a depopulated city inhabited by desert creatures is traditional (50:39; cf. Isa. 34:13–14). Sodom and Gomorrah are the classic instances of cities in ruin. “An army from the north” (50:41) is also standardized language. In addition to the primary foe, a distant alliance and an army of archers are arrayed against Babylon. Besides, God is the ultimate agent. Any resistance ...

1038. The Great Day of the Lord

Zephaniah 1:14--2:3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Zephaniah’s classic and moving poetic description of the day of Yahweh (1:14–18) is not original with him (Amos 5:18–20). Israel had expected that day to be victorious, marked by victory over enemies, with national glory reminiscent of the era of David and Solomon. God’s judgment was thought ...

1039. Prologue: A Reliable Account of Salvation History

Luke 1:1-4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Luke’s prologue is distinctive among the Gospel texts because it is written in excellent classical Greek, showing that Luke is consciously writing a literary work. Many have preceded Luke in composing Gospels, relying on the oral testimony of eyewitnesses who handed down the tradition. Luke has also decided to compose a Gospel; one cannot demonstrate from the text that he has decided to do this ...

1040. The Prologue

John 1:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in the ancient church by the eagle is the lofty heights attained by its prologue. With skill and delicacy John handles issues of profound importance. It comes as no surprise, then, that this prologue has been foundational to the classic Christian formulation of the doctrine of Christ. Here divinity and humanity, preexistence and incarnation, revelation and sacrifice are each discussed with deceptive simplicity. This prologue may well have been an ancient Christian hymn. We know of other hymns from ...

1041. Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles

John 7:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... “did not believe in him” (7:5). Does Jesus deceive them when he says that he will not go to the feast (7:8) and then he does (7:10)? (See the note in the NIV.) The earliest interpreters of John viewed this as a classic case of Jesus’s symbolism and its attendant misunderstanding. Jesus’s brothers lack belief and do not have divine insight; not just anyone can fully comprehend the Son (cf. 6:44). “Going up” (Greek anabainō) elsewhere for Jesus means death, resurrection, and ascension (cf. 20 ...

1042. Jesus Comforts the Sisters

John 11:17-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :39), Martha pursues a conversation. “Even now” in 11:22 implies faith—even now in death Jesus may be able to do something. But is the only comfort in the last days, the future resurrection? Ironic misunderstanding (11:23–24) gives the conversation its classic Johannine form and allows Jesus to elevate his meaning. The resurrection life is a present experience! Eternal life begins now for the person who trusts in Christ (11:25–26). The horror of death is gone (11:26a; cf. 3:16–21). When pressed ...

1043. In Athens

Acts 17:16-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... these two schools diverged in their understanding of the world and the place of humans in such a universe, they both wrestled with a way to explain reality. These attempts were deemed necessary in light of the diminishing influences of the classical Olympian deities and of the mythologies that sought to explain the cultic practices attached to the worship of these deities. When Paul preaches “the good news about Jesus and the resurrection” (17:18), these philosophers naturally find the need to question ...

1044. Death through Adam, Life through Christ

Romans 5:12-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... eph’ hō to the law (all have sinned on the basis of the law), to death (death was the result of all sinning), or to “one man” (“in Adam all sinned”; interpreted in this manner by Augustine and the Latin Vulgate, this is the classical text for the doctrine of original sin). Most interpret the phrase as a causal conjunction (all people die “because all people have sinned”), some as consecutive (“with the result that all people have sinned”). Paul’s concern is with original death. Adam’s ...

1045. The Babylonian Whore

Revelation 17:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... with fire (17:16–17). So gruesome is this scene that feminist commentators have called Revelation 17 the “ultimate misogynist fantasy” because this woman becomes the scapegoat for all that is evil in the world. (See Pippin, 57–58, for a now classic feminist reading of Revelation 17.) However, the Babylonian whore is a corporate personality and represents both men and women. The prostitute as a symbol of vice and moral decadence was familiar among Greco-Roman moralists (Seneca, On the Good Life 7.3 ...

1046. No Greater Love

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... that I have three or four hundred other awards; that's not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.' "[2] In the wonderful classic movie Spartacus, which retells the historical account of the great Roman slave rebellion in 71 BC, Spartacus (played by Kirk Douglas) was a highly trained gladiator who escaped and led other slaves to freedom. As news of his rebellion grew, thousands of slaves joined ...

1047. Weeping at Christmastime

Matthew 2:13-23, Hebrews 2:10-18

Sermon

James L. Killen

... at the right hand of the throne of God, participating with God in ruling all reality. He also pictures Jesus acting as a great high priest in a great temple in heaven, representing us before God and making sacrifices to atone for our sins. These are the kinds of classical images we can't take literally anymore. But we can try to look behind them and ask "What do they really mean?" As if to help us do that, the writer says: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but ...

1048. I Wonder Why My Prayers Go Unanswered?

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... us want what we need.” How true that is. You see, prayer is not designed to change or persuade God; it is designed by God to change us! Prayer is a spiritual discipline through which we are formed into disciples of Jesus Christ. In his classic book, The Meaning of Prayer, Harry Emerson Fosdick put it this way: “Some things God cannot give to a person until he has prepared and proved his spirit by persistent prayer. Such praying cleans the house, cleanses the windows, hangs the curtains, sets the table ...

1049. Face-to-Face with the Kingdom

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Sermon

Tom Garrison

... do not like themselves or their parents or their place in history or anything — they want it all changed and waste no time and effort in setting about to do this. For example, at the beginning of the parable of the prodigal son there is a classic example of a person who makes individual desire the beginning point and proceeds to deal with reality accordingly. This person is not pleased with anything they see, and sets out to reorder the world in the likeness of their wishes. When we do not take anything ...

1050. A Love Triangle

Matthew 22:34-46

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... Caesar wrote a good-sized book titled On the Gallic War. It is still used as a textbook by students of Latin. However, Caesar was also able to cut through all the details and get to the nub of a matter. He wrote a sentence that has become a classic in condensation: "Veni, Vidi, Vici" — "I came, I saw, I conquered." That sums it all up. In Jesus' day there was a group of people who pored over the ancient writings of Moses to look for every law in the book. They were called Pharisees and they were very ...

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