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 1026 to 1050 of 1225 results

1026. Jesus Made Like His Brothers

Hebrews 2:5-18

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... Mark 15:34; Matt. 27:46). Certain details in the psalm correspond strikingly with the Gospel narratives concerning the crucifixion (e.g., the physical agony, vv. 14–17; the mocking, vv. 6–8; the gambling for and dividing of Jesus’ clothes, v. 18); and the evangelists allude to the psalm in this connection. It is obvious that the early church regarded the whole of Psalm 22 as exceptionally appropriate on the lips of Jesus. If Jesus speaks the psalm to God, then—much to the delight of our author—he ...

1027. Concluding Exhortations

Hebrews 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... his knowledge of Hebrews, praises Rahab not only for her faith but also for her hospitality (philoxenia). See 1 Clem. 12:1 (cf. 10:7 and 11:1 for Abraham and Lot respectively). The Didache (chaps. 11 and 12) encourages hospitality to Christian evangelists (who are to be received “as the Lord”), but also recommends measures against the abuse of such hospitality. On the whole subject, see G. Stählin, TDNT, vol. 5, pp. 1–36. 13:3 Visiting the imprisoned was also a virtue in certain Hellenistic ...

1028. A Woman Burdened with Guilt

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... that we are forgiven also allows us to forgive others. If you know yourself to be a sinner made acceptable only by the grace of Jesus Christ, how can you possibly not forgive others for their sins? It is impossible. George Whitefield was one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived. He was a true man of God. But when he saw a condemned man going to the gallows he whispered those famous words, “There but for the grace of God go I.” George Whitefield knew, in Barth’s words, that he lived solely by ...

1029. What On Earth Is the Trinity?

John 14:18-27, John 16:12-16

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... . To show you why, we must go back many years--to a man named St. Patrick. You have heard of St. Patrick, haven't you? Once a year we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick, an Englishman, was sent to Ireland in the fifth century as an evangelist. His most memorable lesson was his explanation to the people of the Holy Trinity. He plucked up a three-leaf-clover and held it up, saying that the Trinity--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--was like the clover--three Divine Personages in one Entity--God ...

1030. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... confession of faith in Jesus as the Son of God in the Fourth Gospel, see 1:34, 49; 11:27. For Jesus’ own teaching about himself as the Son, see 5:19–27; 6:40; 8:36; 10:36; 11:4; 14:13; 17:1; 19:7. For the Fourth Evangelist’s teaching about Jesus as the Son, see 3:16–17, 35–36; 20:31. The title is even more prominent in 1 John: 1:3, 7; 2:22–24; 3:8, 23; 4:9–10, 14–15; and 5:5, 9–13, 20. In 2:23, 3:23, 4 ...

1031. Let Us Love One Another

2 John 1:1-13

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... not stay beyond one day. In case of necessity, however, the next day too. If he stays three days, he is a false prophet.… If he asks for money, he is a false prophet” (Did. 11:1–2, 4–6; cf. also Did. 12:1–5). The days of itinerant evangelists did not end with the apostles, and there was a continuing necessity to guard against charlatans. The test of those who come to you is whether or not they bring this teaching, i.e., the teaching of Christ, that Jesus Christ indeed came in the flesh. If they do ...

1032. Obedience Commanded

Deuteronomy 4:1-14

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... of the Decalogue, powerfully presents the very pillars of Israel’s nationhood in covenant with their God. 4:1 The primary purpose for keeping God’s law is so that you may live. This phrase is repeated frequently in Deuteronomy, climaxing in the veritable evangelistic appeal of 30:15–20. Indeed, the link between law and life is an authentic OT vision (cf. Lev. 18:5; Pss. 1; 19; 119; Ezek. 18) that Jesus himself endorsed in conversation with the rich young man (Matt. 19:16ff.). It is a perspective ...

1033. Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... to the opening chapters of Deuteronomy for the resources that would undergird the orientation of his life to doing the will of his Father God, for that, as we have seen, is the whole thrust of these great sermons. There is no doubt that the evangelists intend us to notice the significance of Jesus, the Son of God, spending forty days in the wilderness suffering hunger and thirst, just as Israel, the child of Yahweh, spent forty years in the wilderness facing similar privation. No doubt Satan’s repeated ...

1034. Renewal of the Covenant

Deuteronomy 29:1-29

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... not been simply stuck together mechanically, but have been woven into a speech that, precisely because it condenses the message of the whole book into such a short space, generates great rhetorical power and spiritual challenge. It concludes with almost evangelistic fervor, and it is not surprising that the second half of chapter 30 finds echoes in the teaching of Jesus and Paul. 29:1–9 The fundamental covenant history. Thespeech begins characteristically with a historical review, condensing the longer ...

1035. Jesus Adopted by Joseph

Matthew 1:18-25

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... the messianic importance of various Old Testament roles and figures. King, prophet, and priest are developed in the Old Testament and other Jewish writings as potential messianic categories, and Matthew draws especially on the first two for his Christology. The evangelist will also make clear an important analogy between Jesus and Israel in these early chapters (e.g., 2:15; 4:1–11). Another significant christological category is the Servant of the Lord from Isaiah’s Servant Songs (Isa. 42–53), which ...

1036. Jesus as Isaianic Messiah and Wisdom Embodied

Matthew 11:1-19

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... that Jesus’ identity is not transparent to the majority of those who have experienced his ministry. Matthew indicates that Jesus’ deeds should be sufficient to vindicate him (the christological connection to “wisdom is proved right by her deeds” [11:2, 19]). Yet the evangelist also implies that there is an opacity to Jesus’ identity, enough so that it is easy for people to stumble over him (11:6). The hiddenness of the kingdom emerges as a prominent theme in 11:2–16:20. This might also prove ...

1037. Sabbath Controversies with the Pharisees

Matthew 12:1-14

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... grain from a field on the Sabbath (12:1–2). Given that the Pharisees had a reputation among the Jewish people for their careful and scrupulous adherence to the Torah, it is not surprising that they are Jesus’ primary opponents in Matthew. The evangelist frequently compares Jesus’ interpretation and adherence to the law with that of the Pharisees to show Jesus as the consummate Torah interpreter (12:1–14; 15:1–20; 19:1–12; 22:34–40). Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath ...

1038. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Do the Miraculous

Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 14:22-36

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... the sick, feeding the five thousand, and walking on the water to demonstrate Jesus’ authority over sickness and even the natural elements. Through these miracles Matthew reaffirms Jesus’ identity as the Messiah (“Son of God” [14:33]). The evangelist has already emphasized Jesus’ authority and compassion through healings and miracles in chapters 8–9. In chapters 11–16 he makes more explicit Jesus’ messianic identity demonstrated through these actions (see 11:2–5). The feeding of a large ...

1039. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

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

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... :9–10, one of Matthew’s ten fulfillment quotations). Continuing with the trial before Pilate (27:11–26), Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ kingly identity (27:11, 17, 22), a theme that will pervade the crucifixion scene that follows (27:27–44). Matthew alone of the evangelists narrates the role of Pilate’s wife in advocating for Jesus’ innocence; this plot element fits the theme of Gentile inclusion in Matthew (e.g., 2:1; 8:5–13; 15:21–28; 28:19). Interpretive Insights 27:1 made their plans how ...

1040. The Resurrected Jesus Is Vindicated by God and Given All Authority

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15, Matthew 28:16-20

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... body to a plot hatched by his disciples. 28:15 And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. With this comment, Matthew steps outside the story world of the narrative and speaks more directly to his audience. The evangelist’s use of “Jews” distinct from his own community finds precedent in Josephus’s use of the same term for part of the Jewish people.1 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. The eleven disciples respond ambivalently to ...

1041. Jesus’s Ministry and Popularity Continue to Grow

Mark 1:40-45, Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... describe the man’s failure to comply as an act of disobedience; rather, it is the natural result of the joy he felt when Jesus healed him and he could return home. When we are excited, we cannot keep quiet. This is the best basis for evangelistic outreach. Far better than putting guilt on people for failing to witness to Christ, we need to get them excited about what Christ (and our church) is doing in their lives. Then witnessing will be natural rather than forced. Illustrating the Text To follow Jesus ...

1042. Mission and Rejection in Galilee

Mark 6:14-29, Mark 6:7-13

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... , for Thee alone. God longs that we give ourselves fully and completely to continue the work of Jesus in this world in and through the Holy Spirit. Depending on God and not on ourselves Biography: George Mueller. Mueller was a highly effective evangelist and philanthropist in nineteenth-century England. He is credited not only with founding a number of orphanages but also with being an amazing example of trusting in God. He never asked anyone, except God, for anything, and yet the orphans always had what ...

1043. The Christian Shema: Loving God and Neighbor

Mark 12:28-34

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters, by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett. The authors argue that Christians should not shy away from teaching the truth about the Trinity, identifying this as a key evangelistic tool. There are religions (for example, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam) for which the doctrine of the Trinity forms a key point of contrast with Christianity. In fact, Muslims maintain that belief in the Trinity leads Christians to practice polytheism ...

1044. Jesus Is Tested in Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-42

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... only pouring our heart out to God but also an act of surrendering our will to the will of God. Are we willing to surrender so fully to God in prayer that we actually want God’s purpose more than our own? The cry of agony in prayer Testimony: Evangelist Billy Graham is thought to have said, “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or, ‘Help me.’” Have someone from your ...

1045. The Birth of God’s Son Announced

Luke 1:26-38

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... Luke’s birth narrative (he will be mentioned by name again only in 2:4, 16; note also “his parents” in 2:41–51 and “they” in 2:22, 39 [which the NIV translates “Joseph and Mary”]) compared with his centrality in Matthew 1–2, but neither evangelist mentions him in the period of Jesus’s adulthood, hence the common supposition that he had died by then. The Davidic descent mentioned by Luke is the dominant theme of Matthew 1:16–25: it is because he is adopted and named by “Joseph, son of ...

1046. The Boy Jesus in the Temple

Luke 2:41-52

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... Infancy Gospel of Thomas has been irreverently described as the “Gospel of the Superbrat.” By contrast, Luke’s one brief glimpse into Jesus’s childhood is reassuringly “normal,” despite the theological tension outlined above. Consider why Luke, alone among the evangelists, decided to lift this corner of the curtain, and what his inclusion of this story has contributed to our understanding of who Jesus really was. Illustrating the Text Jesus’s full humanity required that he live out an ordinary ...

1047. The First Disciples

Luke 5:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... version (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012) could be used. Fishing for people, the dominant metaphor of this passage, encapsulates the missionary nature of Christian faith, which can take many forms. Christian Ministry: Rebecca Manley Pippert. Pippert, who trains evangelists, is the head of Salt Shaker Ministries. She tells about people who have “fished” for others in remarkably different ways and in different places. In one article, Pippert tells the story of the late Ruth Siemens, who pioneered ...

1048. Two Memorable Healings

Luke 5:17-26, Luke 5:12-16

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... to Jesus on the part of priests; his opponents in 5:17–26 will be Pharisees and scribes, not priests. 5:16 Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke tells us more about the priority of prayer in Jesus’s ministry than do the other evangelists (see 3:21; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1). Because of popular pressure he often needed to retreat to a “solitary place,” as in 4:42, and this general statement is deliberately placed alongside the mention of persistent crowds in 5:15. 5:17 Pharisees ...

1049. Hearing and Responding

Luke 8:19-21, Luke 8:16-18, Luke 8:1-15

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... allusion to Isaiah 6:9 reminds us that this has already been the experience of the Old Testament prophets. The immediate reference here is probably to Jesus’s own preaching, but the parable will apply equally to the disciples’ subsequent mission and to all evangelists and preachers who come after them. 8:16 No one lights a lamp and hides it. This little parable (used again in 11:33) counteracts any defeatism that the preceding parable might have engendered: the fact that not all will respond is no ...

1050. Interpreting the Times

Luke 12:54-59, Luke 12:49-53, Luke 12:35-48

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... already finished, buying time. Because of Penelope’s perseverance, her name has come to be associated with faithfulness in marriage. Jesus’s mission will leave people seriously divided. Biography: Billy Sunday. Sunday was a baseball player who became a celebrated evangelist. His biographer, Elijah Brown, writes, “No one can doubt the absolute sincerity of the man. He is a Daniel come to judgment, a Savonarola denouncing the sins of the people, an Isaiah pointing to God as the solution of great public ...

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