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 1126 to 1150 of 3314 results

1126. Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

John 1:43-51

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... who follow Christ. Now we learn that Jesus has other followers who are not yet apostles and who share a similar intimate discipleship (1:43–51). From Perea Jesus moves to Galilee and calls more followers. Philip, a native of Bethsaida (east of Capernaum), discovers the Messiah, but the focus of the narrative turns to his immediate response. He finds Nathanael and extends to him the ...

1127. Jesus and Peter

John 21:15-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... n, being any gender, has no clear antecedent.)On the one hand, is Peter being asked if his love for Christ exceeds his love for fishing? This is plausible since it was Peter who instigated the trip to sea (21:3), and Jesus will challenge the apostle to recommit his efforts to ministry with the new sheep metaphor. On the other hand, “these” may refer to the other disciples. If Peter’s love for Christ excels generally, then it should be followed by a coordinate care for God’s flock. Either way, Jesus ...

1128. Saul and the Persecution of the Church

Acts 8:1b-3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” (8:1). This persecution then launches the next stage, as announced in 1:8, when believers are to be witnesses in “all Judea and Samaria.” The apostles remained in Jerusalem probably because they felt the need to hold firm to the work that the Holy Spirit had established there. This also allows others to continue their work beyond the confines of the city of Jerusalem while they continue to minister to the Jews (cf. Gal. 2:9). ...

1129. In Lystra and Derbe

Acts 14:8-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ministry in Lystra begins with the healing of a crippled man (14:8–10). In numerous ways, this account recalls the earlier miracle performed by Peter in 3:1–10: both men are crippled “from birth” (14:8; cf. 3:2), and in both accounts the apostle looks directly at the man (14:9; 3:4). After being commanded to stand, both men “jumped” up and “began to walk” (14:10; 3:8). Through this account, the connection between Paul and the original Twelve is reaffirmed. It is perhaps not by accident that ...

1130. The Return to Antioch in Syria

Acts 14:21-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in Derbe; instead, he focuses on their return trip to Antioch of Syria. This is an important trip because what Paul and Barnabas do when they revisit the churches in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch is an important part of their ministry as apostles of Jesus Christ. Moving beyond mere conversion, they strengthen the disciples, encourage them to be faithful to the gospel (14:22a), and appoint leaders for the newly formed communities of believers (14:23). The direct statement, “We must go through many hardships ...

1131. Paul and Silas in Prison

Acts 16:16-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... slave” who is manipulated by her owner (16:16–18). In this first explicit exorcism account in Acts, one finds a surprising confession by the evil spirit through this girl (16:17). While she is a slave of the evil spirit, she recognizes that the apostles are “servants of the Most High God,” a title that points to the supreme authority of God and the risen Lord (cf. Acts 7:48). The word “way” in “way to be saved” also correctly points to the eschatological saving acts of God through Jesus ...

1132. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

Romans 15:14-22, Romans 15:23-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... · Paul’s travel plans:Paul asserts that there are no places left in the regions of the eastern Mediterranean in which pioneer missionary work needs to be done (15:23). Paul’s comment in 1 Corinthians 9:5, on the missionary travels of the other apostles, who take their wives along, and on the churches mentioned in Revelation 1:11, illustrates that there was much more missionary work in progress than Luke describes in the book of Acts. Paul plans to begin pioneer missionary work in Spain (15:24, 28). He ...

1133. One Body, Many Parts

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... on the basis of supposition about the degree of inspiration. Rather, those who are given gifts are to be set in order on the basis of their ability (via God’s appointment) to serve and edify the body (1 Cor. 3:5–15). Thus apostles come first, prophets second, teachers third, then “miracle-workers,” healers, helpers, administrators, and last those “speaking in different kinds of tongues” (12:28). The point is reinforced by questions that treat the gifts in the same order. If all are not appointed ...

1134. Paul’s Reflection on His Ministry

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in general, and the return of Titus to Paul with news of his recent visit to Corinth in particular. But in their breadth and scope Paul’s words within this section describe, perhaps better than any other part of the Pauline correspondence, the apostle’s own sense of mission and ministry. Paul begins his reflections, accordingly, by giving thanks to God, for in its essence his apostolic ministry is simply a part of “Christ’s triumphal procession,” which is directed and guided by God (2:14). The ...

1135. Titus Sent to Corinth

2 Corinthians 8:16--9:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... 9:1–5), and affords him an opportunity to carry further his advice to the church about the way in which contributions should be decided on. Once more Paul seeks to motivate the church by referring to the initial response to his appeal. Indeed, the apostle has been using the example of their readiness as a model in urging the Macedonians to give to the collection (9:2). Consequently, it is in the interest of both Paul’s integrity (“that our boasting about you . . . should not prove hollow” [9:3]) and ...

1136. An Appeal for Full Allegiance to Apostolic Authority

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... confidently proclaim that in offering this observation they “belong to Christ” (10:7). But the claim of allegiance to Christ is not an exclusive possession, and if it legitimately belongs to anyone, it certainly belongs to Paul as much as his detractors. Consequently, though the apostle will admit to a more open use of the authority that the Lord has given to him when writing, he will permit no one to think that he is embarrassed to assert such authority when seeking to build up the body of Christ with ...

1137. Introduction and No Other Gospel

Galatians 1:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... ō (“to send out,” as designating an ambassador), into an official noun of distinction apostolos. Accompanying authority claims would not come simply from the use of the term itself but from the overall understanding of who it was that had commissioned the apostle. Greater authority would be given to one sent out personally by Jesus (as Paul claims for himself) than to one who was sent out by church authorities. Unfortunately for him, his claim to the same apostolic authority as that of the original ...

1138. Therefore Walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... -bearing Christ, the Christ who fills the universe (4:9–10; 1:23). The gifts he has given his people (4:11) promote the unity of the church (4:13). They include apostles and prophets, those specially gifted and authoritative communicators of God’s message to humanity. The category of “apostle” may have been temporary, while that of prophet continues in God’s spokespersons to particular times, cultures, and situations. Evangelists traveled from place to place with the gospel, announcing like royal ...

1139. Paul’s Apostolic Salutation and Prayer

Philippians 1:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... who care for them (see Phil. 2:20). Paul also mentions Timothy and himself because he intends to use both as examples of true gospel workers later in the letter. Unlike in most of his other letters to churches, Paul does not refer to himself as an apostle but as a “servant.” Here Paul presents himself and Timothy as those who are “servants of Christ,” who became a servant for the sake of the church (see Phil. 2:6–11). There is no indication in this letter that there is a dispute over whether Paul ...

1140. Judge Those Who Work among You by the Truth of the Gospel

Philippians 2:19-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Paul as his forerunner, even as Paul hopes that he himself will be able to follow soon. Paul then moves on to the example of Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus, as the messenger the Philippians sent to Paul (2:25), most likely delivered their financial aid to the apostle. Paul also appeals to Epaphroditus as an example because of his humble heart. Epaphroditus had a heart for the Philippians to the degree that he longed for them just as Paul did (1:8). Epaphroditus’s heart was filled with love for the Philippians ...

1141. Jesus Christ Superior to Moses

Hebrews 3:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , mediatorial work, and human sympathy deserve has led to their crisis of faith. The holy direction and management of the heart and its thoughts is fundamental to sturdy faith and holy living (Prov. 4:23; Col. 3:1–2). Only in Hebrews is Jesus called an apostle, though the fact that Jesus was sent by God to act on his behalf is commonplace in the New Testament (cf. John 5:36). The author now compares Jesus with Moses (3:1–6), again perhaps to counter an unhealthy veneration of Moses at the expense ...

1142. The Day of the Lord

2 Peter 3:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , if one is living immorally, one can hardly believe in a judgment in which one will be called to account. These teachers therefore deny that there will be a “coming” of Jesus and that “he will judge the living and the dead” (to quote the later Apostles’ Creed). Perhaps they thought that all judgment had been taken care of on the cross or in the fall of Jerusalem, and so it was past. The world, so they argued, goes on steadily.The author again points to Noah. The earth, pictured as rising in ...

1143. The Prologue of 1 John—from Witness to Fellowship

1 John 1:1-4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... chaps. 6, 15–17, 21). Even the testimony to “what we have seen and heard” (1:3) becomes an explicit Johannine association in Luke’s rendering of the testimony of Peter and John in Acts 4:19–20. Luke connects this Johannine phrase with John the apostle a full century before Irenaeus, and the Johannine elder does the same, independently. Jesus declares what he has seen and heard from the Father (John 3:32), and his apostolic followers (John 20:21–23) do the same. The goal of the elder’s sharing ...

1144. Are You Sorry Enough to Wash Your Face?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... found in the opening line of Jesus' first sermon: "Jesus began to proclaim, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near' " (Matthew 4:17). The same word and the idea it conveys and the action that it calls for were at the heart of the apostle Paul's preaching: "I declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance" (Acts 26:20). That word that Jesus, John ...

1145. When Heartbreak Turns to Heartburn

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... . However, near the end (v. 33) he writes, "That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together." So, we must assume that Luke's use of the term "apostle" is to be understood in a broader sense than merely assuming that it is a pure synonym for the eleven remaining after Judas takes his own life. Three words fit the story. The first of them is doubt. Doubt! We read, "They stood still, looking sad" (v. 17). The following ...

1146. Wounded Healers

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... to give comfort and strength to others. Therefore, we can affirm, “My wounds were not the end of me. God took my wounds, my understanding, my empathy and has used them as a healing balm for the wounded.” And we are able to say with the Apostle Paul, “Oh, yes, I am more than a conqueror!” Being a Wounded Healer Means Healing the Wounds of Christ Some years ago, there was a very popular song sung by Bette Midler titled, “From a Distance.”[6] The chorus said, “God is watching us from a distance ...

1147. Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit

Mark 1:21-28

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... to deal with the issue of Jesus’ authority. The topic surfaces in verse 22 and verse 27, but Mark raises the matter of Jesus’ authority again in 2:10 (authority to forgive sins), in 3:15 and 6:7 (authority given to his apostles to exorcise demons), and in connection with Jesus’ attack upon the money changers in the temple (11:28–33). In these passages cumulatively, Jesus is shown (a) exhibiting authority in his teaching, (b) exercising authority over the demons, (c) demonstrating his authority to ...

1148. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Mark 6:30-44

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... disciples are said to have failed to understand the feedings (6:52; 8:17–21), something peculiar to Mark’s Gospel, the author means that the disciples failed to see the divine sonship of Jesus disclosed in these miracles. Additional Notes 6:30 The apostles: The Twelve are called by their official name here, the name that indicates that they were authorized and sent out by Jesus. They return from the mission described in 6:7–13, and this verse completes the mission story interrupted by the account of ...

1149. Signs of the End of the Age

Mark 13:1-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... breaches of conduct. The floggings were to consist of thirty-nine blows with a whip across the back, based on Deut. 25:1–3 (which calls for forty lashes, thirty-nine being given in practice so as to avoid exceeding the prescribed number); the Apostle Paul mentions receiving such floggings five times (2 Cor. 11:24). Such punishments could be given only to Jews who were willing to submit to them to maintain membership in the Jewish community. As witnesses to them: literally, “for a testimony to [or ...

1150. The Calling of the First Disciples

Luke 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of fish is not the miracle itself, but Jesus’ call to Peter to begin preparation for his ministry as an apostle. Jesus has been teaching throughout Galilee (4:43), has performed healings and exorcisms (4:33–35, 40–41), and ... energies trying to catch fish for a living, has now left his nets behind and has begun his life’s training as one of Christ’s apostles. Additional Notes 5:1 Luke 5:1 contains Luke’s first instance of the expression, the word of God, an expression that occurs frequently in both ...

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