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 1101 to 1125 of 5000 results

1101. From Emptiness to Fullness

Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die — there will I be buried" (Ruth 1:16, 17a). With that, Naomi relents. When they get to Judah, to the town of Bethlehem, Naomi recognizes the bitterness of their situation. She says, "I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21). In the face of this emptiness, Ruth sets out to keep the two of them alive by gleaning in the fields behind the reapers. It was a custom during harvest not to be so miserly as to gather up every bit of ...

1102. A Resume of Righteousness

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... saying who he is in light of what he has done for them, and that forms the context for the commandments that he gives to them. Likewise here in this episode. God is identifying himself to Abraham in terms of what he has already done for Abraham: "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." But Abraham humanly fixates on one part of that statement of what God had done for him: namely, the part that wasn't done yet. He had not yet possessed the land. Not even an ...

1103. Dust Off The Throne

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Luke 1:26-38, Romans 16:25-27

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... him to achieve such a position of security, but we would not naturally think to attribute the matter to God. David himself, however, would be inclined to give the credit to God. After all, he knew, even as a boy facing his first enemy that “the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:47). Romans 16:25-27 Our New Testament lesson may be viewed as either a very short passage or as a very long sentence. It qualifies as both. The length and convolution of the sentence can be ...

1104. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... see Isa. 41:9; 42:6; 43:1; 44:2; 45:3, 4; Hos. 11:1). Christians, likewise, have a calling from God, as is evident in the Lord’s disciples (Mark 1:20), the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:1), and the Gentiles (Eph. 3:6). In Ephesians, the Gentiles have been told that God ... s unity. “Its unity is of the same order as the unity of Christ and of God; as there cannot be other gods or other lords, so there cannot be other churches” (Beare, p. 686). 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit: The union of body and Spirit is ...

1105. Living as Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... within the context of a larger section (4:17–5:20) and illustrate the apostle’s use of traditional catechetical material. His quotation from an existing baptismal hymn emphasizes that Christ is the source of all spiritual light. Now that Christians are light in the Lord, they are to walk (peripateō) as children of light. This, he goes on to say, includes wisdom (5:15), an understanding of God’s will (5:17), fullness of the Spirit (5:18), as well as joyfulness and thanksgiving (5:19, 20). 5:15 Within ...

1106. Bricks Without Straw

Exodus 5:1-21

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... dictates their decisions in Exodus. They, and the reader of Exodus, will know much more about Yahweh before the end of the book. “Knowing the Lord” is a main theme fleshed out in the book’s rhetorical shape (1:8; 5:2; 6:3, 7; 7:5, 17; 8:10, 22; ... they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ” The one to whom they cry out is the one they serve. The Lord’s poetic response to the beating (nakah) of the foremen will be to strike (nakah) Egypt with wonders (3:20), with blood (7:17, 25 ...

1107. Consecration of the Firstborn

Exodus 13:1-16

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... new ways—on the present and on their future location in the land. It is possible that the final editor was concerned with his situation and looked back at the exodus. The text itself timelessly looks to the present (Today, in the month of Abib), the future (When the LORD brings you into the land), and the past (the land he swore to your forefathers). The exodus is always interpreted in the context of the four-hundred-year-long promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2:24; 3:6, 15–16; 4:5; 6:3, 8; 13:5, 11 ...

1108. A Message About Babylon

Jeremiah 50:1--51:64

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... with men as with a swarm of locusts. Locust swarms imply huge numbers of troops as well as their destructive power. Destructive locusts are often used as a metaphor for a destroying army (Judg. 6:5; 7:12; Jer. 46:23; Nah. 3:15–17; Rev. 9:7). The Lord himself takes an oath that this will happen and that the invaders will be successful (they will shout in triumph over you). 51:15–16 This pair of verses reflects on the nature of the God who will do this destructive work. It reflects on his role as Creator ...

1109. The Nations Judged

Joel 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... own evil devices. Surely that is one of the most terrifying judgments that can befall any individual or nation! To be free of God, the Lord and sustainer, the guide and redeemer of all of life—that is not a situation to be desired! Additional Notes 3:1 In those days ... in the last line of verse 11, the prophet cries to God to bring down those angelic warriors who make up the army of the Lord (cf. Zech. 14:5; Ps. 103:20). The final battle is about to begin in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 3:13–17 God speaks ...

1110. Judgment of Israel's Neighbors

Amos 1:1-2:5

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... after its prey, a figure of speech that Amos repeats in 3:4, 8, and 12, and Hosea uses the same figure some two decades later (Hos. 5:14; 11:10; 13:7). Jeremiah 25:30 then employs the figure in a manner almost identical with that of Amos: the Lord roars from Jerusalem against all peoples and nations of the earth (Jer. 25:30–31; cf. 25:38; Ps. 50:22). Joel 3:16 quotes the first two lines of the oracle, but uses the figure to reassure the people of Israel of God’s protection. Related to these passages ...

1111. Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Micah 1:1-7

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... But when Yahweh comes to judge the earth, the mountains will melt when he treads upon them (Ps. 97:5; Nah. 1:5). The Lord’s intervention in judgment, therefore, will have a devastating effect upon the very structure of the cosmos. The valleys will split apart, and the ... is being worked out through Israel in fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise to the fathers (7:20; cf. Gen. 12:3). The Lord Yahweh is coming down to judge the earth. And that coming will very soon—even in the time of Micah himself—result in ...

1112. The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Zechariah 4:1-14

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... haʾarets) is rare in the OT, but it is always associated with victory over enemies (Josh. 3:11; Ps. 97:5; Mic. 4:13; Zech. 6:5). This vision report ends with a view of the future. The temple lamp stand is a sign of the presence of the Lord, who will bring the promise to fruition. Zechariah’s vision moves the marker of God’s presence in the temple out into public view. Incense burned in the holy place, but there was no ark of the covenant in the holy of holies. On the lamp stand, however, were flame ...

1113. Jacob Loved, Esau Hated

Malachi 1:1-5

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... can also mean “for a lifetime” (1 Sam. 27:12) or “long-enduring” (Gen. 49:26). 1:5 Beyond the borders of Israel: The Heb. phrase also means “over the territory of Israel.” The claims in Mal. 1:11 and 14 about the greatness of the Lord’s name among the nations support the NIV interpretation. This phrase, with its double meaning, may be another allusion to the book of Obadiah. The last 3 verses of that book are concerned with the reestablishment of the old extent of the territory of Israel, over ...

1114. Epilogue to the Law of the Temple: River, Land, City

Ezekiel 47:1-12, Ezekiel 47:13-23, Ezekiel 48:1-29, Ezekiel 48:30-35

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... gate (compare 44:1–2 and 47:2). In the original vision report, the measuring of the river (47:3–8) paralleled the measuring of the temple (40:5–42:20). However, in the temple vision as we have it, the river stands in parallel to the Glory of the Lord (43:1–9) as another means of expressing the power and promise of God’s presence. Together, these two passages set off the Law of the Temple (43:10–46:24) at the heart of chapters 40–48 in their final form. It is in these chapters, further, that we ...

1115. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... true to the gospel. As Paul put it, we should fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). The result for Paul, and for all believers who are faithful to sound biblical doctrine, is a crown of righteousness at the Lord’s return (2 Tim. 4:8). When I think of modern faithful preachers of the gospel, the late W. A. Criswell comes to mind. Criswell will always be remembered as a faithful preacher of the gospel and the Bible. He did expository preaching when biblical exposition was ...

1116. “You Are My Son; Today I Have Become Your Father”

Psalm 2:1-12

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... the city wall. Actually, the kings were not anointed there, but the psalm speaks of Zion as the effective place from which the Lord’s decrees go out, in the same sense as the law goes forth from Zion. “My holy mountain” suggests the presence of ... their sovereign rights apart from the universal rule of the God of Scripture, it is a false premise, one at which the sovereign Lord laughs (see the sidebar). Teaching the Text The key theme of Psalm 2 is God’s sovereignty, or we might phrase the theme more ...

1117. “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God”

Psalm 19:1-14

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... give a picture of God’s appearance, Psalm 18 in terms of the exodus and Sinai (18:7–15), and Psalm 19 in terms of the heavens’ declaration of God’s glory (19:1–6) and the Torah’s enlightenment (19:7–11).[3] When one should have expected the Lord to speak from his heavenly temple in 18:6b, David gave witness to the silent, yet powerful, voice of God that articulated God’s mighty acts in David’s time, akin to the mighty acts of God in the time of the exodus and Sinai (18:7–15). Again, in ...

1118. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... First, Jephthah has apparently allowed pagan religious practices to exert a stronger influence on him than the clear stipulations of the Mosaic law (cf. Deut. 12:31; 18:10). Second, to make such a high-staked vow on the eve of battle, even after the Spirit of the Lord has come upon him, betrays a desperation that points to a lack of faith. And to the extent that he is willing to put at stake a human life, whereas Gideon only asks for signs involving pieces of fleece, one can argue that Jephthah’s lack of ...

1119. Israelites Fight the Benjamites

Judges 20:1-48

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... not so much because Israel’s show of repentance is genuine, but because Benjamin too needs to be disciplined for siding with offenders. The Israelites’ subsequent conduct of war shows that whatever remorse they have shown is soon forgotten after they receive the Lord’s promise of victory, for they go out and do exactly what they have planned to do all along, almost annihilating the entire tribe of Benjamin. The battle strategy Israel adopted was likely inspired by memory of their victory against Ai in ...

1120. The Justice and Patience of God

Malachi 2:17--3:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 5; Hag. 2:9). Yet he is also known as “the messenger of the covenant.” A “messenger” was charged to guard Israel on the way to Canaan (Exod. 23:20–23), and it may well be that the identification of “the messenger” with “the Lord” is an Old Testament revelation anticipating God’s fuller revelation in Jesus the Messiah. The Father sent John the Baptist and his Son to prepare humanity for the great judgment. The purpose of the messenger of the covenant is to “refine” the people of God ...

1121. The Tithe

Malachi 3:6-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... marked a people for himself who will accept his tender care and the rewards of their labors. The greatest reward is to be a member of his “treasured possession” (Hebrew segullah). The word segullah is difficult to translate, since it connotes a people elected and loved by the Lord, who keep his commandments, and who make up a royal priesthood and a holy nation and who will share in a glorious future that God has prepared for his own (cf. Exod. 19:4–5; Deut. 7:6–9; 14:2; 26:17–19; Ps. 135:4). The ...

1122. On Divisions in the Church

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... the fire. These materials are the perishable stuff of human wisdom that finds the gospel foolish. The builders had to evaluate their materials. The testing fire in these lines is an eschatological image of judgment, as one sees from the mention of the Day (the OT “Day of the Lord,” a day of final judgment by God). Paul uses this terminology elsewhere in his letters (e.g., Rom. 2:5, 16; 1 Cor. 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16; 1 Thess. 5:2), and one also encounters such language in prophetic ...

1123. Sexual Immorality

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... second portion of this verse. On the one hand, he uses Scripture to denounce involvement with prostitutes; on the other hand, the citation sets up the following verse (6:17), a crucial statement of the nature of the spiritual union of Christians with the Lord. 6:17 This statement shows clearly that Paul is thinking of the relational nature of interpersonal involvements as he writes concerning the unacceptable behavior of some in Corinth. Yet note that Paul does not say that when the believer unites with the ...

1124. Praise to God for a Living Hope

1 Peter 1:1-12

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... (Ps. 16:11; John 15:9–11; 16:24; Rom. 15:13; Gal. 5:22) and a direct consequence of a living relationship with the Lord (1 Cor. 2:9). As such, it is a witness to others (Luke 15:4–10) of divine care and loving activity in the believer ... him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel”); or Hab. 2:2–3 (“Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it ...

1125. Materials for the Tabernacle

Exodus 35:4-29

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... ’s work. They did not make a demand or make a god. Rather, they gave it to make a place and space for God in their midst. The wave offering was a way of visually presenting their gift to the Lord and using it according to God’s instruction (see comment at 29:27). The phrases everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him form an important refrain for this chapter (vv. 5, 21, 22, 26, 29; see also 36:2). The English translation “everyone who was willing” carries less ...

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