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 4942 results

1126. Proper 19

Exodus 13:17--14:31, Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 15:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 14:19-31 is the account of how God rescued Israel from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21 is a hymn that celebrates this event, and it is sometimes said to be the oldest text in the Bible. Exodus 14:19-31 - "Rescue at the Sea" Setting. Few would disagree with the statement that the Exodus event is the central story of salvation in the Old Testament. Problems of interpretation arise, however, when we ask just what happened in the Exodus event, encompasses a sea ...

1127. The Agony of Defeat

2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Kings 15:5

Sermon

James Merritt

He was elected on his first try as a United States Congressman. He was elected on his first try as a United States Senator. At 39, he became one of the youngest men elected as Vice President of the United States. He went on to be elected as President of the United States, and then re-elected in the third largest landslide in U. S. history. But that is not how you remember him. I can say just one word, and everyone now, and probably for centuries, will know instantly who is being spoken of. The word is ...

1128. Body Building at Its Best

1 Corinthians 12:13-27, Ephesians 4:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

Take a moment and just think about your body. It represents a state of engineering that IBM, Mercedes, and Lockheed combined, could not ever match. Listen to this eloquent description of the magnificence of the human body: The body is a temple, warehouse, laboratory, pharmacy (the brain alone produces more than 50 cycle-active drugs), electric company, farm, mass-transit system, library (the brain stores the equivalent information of 500 sets of the Encyclopedia Britannia, utility company, hospital, and ...

1129. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

In Hebrews chapter 11 we find a well-organized, thematic discussion of faith sandwiched between 10:36's recognition that we need endurance and 12:1's exhortation that we practice endurance. Chapter 11 serves as the author's prescription for nurturing into full maturity the endurance he expects. Endurance, this chapter illustrates, is built upon a firm foundation of faith - a faith foundation that reaches down through the ages from the faithfulness of the patriarchs, matriarchs and martyrs to us today. The ...

1130. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1131. Easter 5

Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 8:26-40 The treasurer of an Ethiopian queen was on his way home after worshiping in Jerusalem. His chariot was on a main road from Jerusalem to Egypt. The Spirit directed Philip, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:1-5), to meet the chariot at Gaza. The eunuch was probably a proselyte or God-fearer of Judaism. Philip found him reading Isaiah 53 but not understanding it. After Philip's explanation, the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. He accepted Christ and according to tradition, he ...

1132. Proper 27

Hebrews 9:11-28, Ruth 3:1-18, Ruth 4:13-22, Mark 12:35-40, Mark 12:41-44

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 With the guidance of Naomi, Ruth gets Boaz as a husband. She puts on her best clothes and waits until Boaz has eaten and drunk. Then she lies down at his feet. When he awakens, he promises to do the work of next of kin. Boaz arranges to buy Naomi's lot which then allows him to marry Ruth. Out of this union comes a son, Obed, the grandfather of David. Epistle: Hebrews 9:24-28 The author of Hebrews uses the cult to explain the atonement and return of Jesus. As ...

1133. All in the Family

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

Howard Rutledge, a United States air force pilot, was shot down over North Vietnam during the early stages of the Vietnamese War. He spent several miserable, terrible years in the hands of the Vietnamese before being released when the war ended. He shares a testimony of something God taught him in that terrible place that really relates to where we are this morning. "During those longer periods of enforced reflection, it became so much easier to separate the important from the trivial, the worthwhile from ...

1134. At Your Service Lord

Ephesians 4:11-12

Sermon

James Merritt

Recently I was flying into Washington, DC, and as always I immediately saw the Washington Monument which towers above the entire city. It is 555 ft. 5 1/8 in. high. From the lobby to the observation level it is 50 stories. To get to the top you could either take the elevator, which is the easy way up, or you can take the stairs, 896 of them in all, which is the harder way to the top. As I was gazing at that monument I remembered my good friend Zig Ziglar telling the story of going to Washington, DC and ...

1135. Focus on the Finish

Hebrews 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

It was Mexico City 1968. John Steven Akhwari of Tanzania had started the Olympic marathon with all the other runners hours before, but he finished it alone. When he finally arrived at the stadium there were only a few spectators remaining in the stands. The winner of the marathon had crossed the finish line over an hour earlier. It was getting dark; his right leg was bandaged and heavily bleeding. He was obviously in great pain, but he crossed the finish line suffering from fatigue, leg cramps, dehydration ...

1136. The Passion of the Christ – The Rest of the Story

Matthew 27:45-56

Sermon

James Merritt

The number one question asked in this country for the last six weeks is - "Have you seen ‘The Passion'?" If the answer is "No" the next question is "Are you going to see it?" If the answer is "Yes" the next question is - "What did you think about it?" There is no question that Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, is as the Spanish put it, en fuego – it is on fire! In Hollywood parlance it is a blockbuster. Geologists would give it a "10" on the Richter scale. Motown would say, "It is off the ...

1137. Finding ‘Comfort’ Instead of ‘Little Hope’

Romans 12:12-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." That's what John 6:35 says Jesus told the crowd. Jesus offered them words of hope which lead to words of Comfort. Some of them didn't get it. But some of them did. They realized that God sent Jesus into the world because for the most part, the world was still living in Little Hope. Let Us Pray I read a story recently about a mother and daughter who had gone to a museum together and were ...

1138. Blasphemy Against the Spirit

Illustration

Staff

This statement (Matt 12:32, par Mk. 3:29, Luke 12:10) has been the subject of much questioning. Obviously the reference here is not to the naming of the Holy Spirit in a blasphemous utterance, for in Matt. 12:32 even blasphemy against the Son of man can be forgiven. Among the many attempts at exegesis, the most convincing is the suggestion that the man who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is he who has recognized that God is working through the Holy Spirit in the actions of Jesus, and who quite ...

1139. Solomon Asks for Wisdom

2 Chronicles 1:1-17

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Solomon, the Man of Peace and Rest: The reign of Solomon is the focus of 2 Chronicles 1–9. The Chronicler has already prepared the reader to expect that the next chapters contain the climax of the royal history that culminates in the accession of Solomon and his building of the temple in Jerusalem. Solomon is explicitly called “a man of peace and rest” in 1 Chronicles 22:8–10, and Yahweh promises to give David’s son “rest from all his enemies on every side.” It therefore comes as no surprise that 2 ...

1140. Jehoshaphat King of Judah

2 Chronicles 17:1-19

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Jehoshaphat: Judged by the length of text that he dedicates to King Jehoshaphat of Judah (17:1–21:1), the Chronicler certainly considered this king of great importance for his historiographical reconstruction. Not only is this one of the longest royal accounts in Chronicles (together with those of Hezekiah and Josiah), but it also contains the most substantial portion of the Chronicler’s own material. Apart from 18:1–34 and 20:31–21:1, which make use of source materials in 1 Kings 22:1–35 and 22:41–50, ...

1141. Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

Acts 4:1-22

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

4:1 It would appear that John as well as Peter spoke to the crowd—the Greek has simply, “as they were speaking”—and that they were still speaking when the authorities intervened, though they had evidently said enough for an effective presentation of the gospel (cf. v. 4). The captain of temple guard, that is, “the chief officer” (cf. 5:24, 26; RSV Neh. 11:11; Jer. 20:1; 2 Macc. 3:3; Josephus, Antiquities 20.125–133; War 6.288–309), was not only a priest, but second only in dignity to the high priest ...

1142. Peter’s Vision

Acts 10:9-23a

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

10:9–16 Now the scene shifts to Joppa and to the events immediately prior to the arrival of Cornelius’ men. About noon, Peter went to the housetop to pray (see notes)—a convenient place away from the activity of the house and often used in this way (cf. 2 Kings 23:12; Neh. 8:16; Jer. 19:13; 32:29; Zeph. 1:5). These roofs were flat and accessible by an exterior stairway. Normally Peter would have eaten before this. Jews did not start the day with a meal, but ate later in the morning (see b. Shabbath 10a). ...

1143. Peter at Cornelius’ House

Acts 10:23b-48

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

10:23b–29 The setting for the third scene of this story is again Caesarea. The journey to the capital seems to have taken the best part of two days (v. 30), probably because the Christians were not mounted. Peter took with him six companions—Jewish Christians like himself (v. 45, lit., “men of the circumcision”; see disc. on 11:2)—who, according to a variant reading of 11:11, had been staying with him in Simon’s house. Their road lay along the coast, and since Apollonia was situated about halfway between ...

1144. Peter Explains His Actions

Acts 11:1-18

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

11:1–3 The final scene in this story of Gentile conversion is played out in Jerusalem, with Peter having to defend what he had done. Apart from the fundamental question of whether Gentiles should be included or not, there were practical issues. How could Jewish Christians who regarded themselves as still bound by the law have fellowship with those who did not? Surely any Gentile who became a believer must also submit to the law? These are the sorts of questions that must have been thrown up to Peter by the ...

1145. In Athens

Acts 17:16-34

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

The great interest of this section lies in Paul’s speech to the council of Areopagus. It provides us with a paradigm of his preaching to pagans, where, rather than “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” (Luke 24:27), that is, with the “revealed theology,” his approach was by way of “natural theology.” An earlier example of this method was seen in 14:15–17. But Paul was here facing a very different audience from the Lystrans. With them he had spoken of God as the one who gave the seasons and the crops ...

1146. On to Jerusalem

Acts 21:1-16

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

As the travelers resume their journey, the narrative shows the same detail as before (see disc. on 20:7–12). The most striking feature of this part of the story is the repeated warning of danger to Paul. 21:1 The opening words of this chapter recreate the closing scene of the last, with the travelers having to “tear themselves away” from their friends (the same verb as in 20:30). From Miletus they sailed due south to Cos (about forty miles). Probably the city is meant on the island of the same name. Here ...

1147. The Supremacy of Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Hymn to Christ Scholars are virtually unanimous in their opinion that verses 15–20 constitute a hymn. Since the existence of hymns in the early church was common (Phil. 2:5–11; Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19), it is not difficult to believe that this is a carefully written poem intended to convey a specific self-contained message about Christ to the readers at Colossae. Paul has already alluded to the work of Christ with respect to deliverance and the forgiveness of sins (1:13, 14). In the hymn he continues to ...

1148. Love of Money

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Paul is about to bring the letter to its close. One more time he exhorts Timothy: These are the things you are to teach and urge on them. But before he concludes, the exhortation to teach and urge these things leads Paul to go back over the two dominant concerns one more time: the false teachers and Timothy’s role. In this section he presents the final exposure and indictment of the false teachers. Much that is said in the first paragraph (vv. 3–5) is reminiscent of the language of chapter 1. But much is ...

1149. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

The Need to Remember 1:12 Peter now comes to the purpose of his letter. So, in view of all that I have outlined and because so much is at stake for your spiritual welfare, I will always remind you of these things. Here speaks the true preacher. Often a preacher is simply reminding listeners of Christian truths of faith and works they already know, as a spur to follow Christ more perfectly. But Peter is well aware, as have been all who have spoken in God’s name down through the ages, of the fallibility of ...

1150. A Call to Persevere

Jude 1:17-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Peril Foretold by Apostles 17 Jude now turns from his series of illustrations provided by OT types and prophecies (vv. 5–16) to remind his readers of a much more contemporary voice. They are urged not only to recall what the inspired writers of earlier centuries have foretold, but to remember that in their own day the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ have warned of the rise of false teachers. The constantly needed admonition to remember is frequently repeated in the Scriptures. Forgetfulness of divine ...

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