Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1426 to 1450 of 1858 results

1426. Accepting Responsibility

Ezekiel 33:1-20, Ezekiel 33:21-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... are many”) guarantee them possession of the land. They need to subordinate these false crutches to what will really save them, and that is full obedience to God and to his laws. Otherwise, God will turn them over to the treaty curses of sword, wild animals, and plague. Verses 30–33 focus on Ezekiel and the exiles, whereas verses 23–29 focus on Ezekiel and the Jerusalemites. The sequel is probably deliberate. The deportees had best not say a precipitous “amen” to Ezekiel’s words of verses 23–29 ...

1427. Shepherds and Sheep

Ezekiel 34:1-31

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... only about themselves and not about their flocks. Second, they allow the weak and sickly members of their flocks to fend for themselves. Third, they brutalize their sheep. As a result of such irresponsible lapses of duty, the flock has scattered and become prey for wild animals. The Lord’s response to this is twofold. He will relieve the bad shepherds of their duties (34:7–9), and he himself will become the shepherd of the sheep (34:10–16). Note the “I wills” in these seven verses. Not all the ...

1428. Edom

Ezekiel 35:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... of chapter 35 is to demonstrate that no would-be usurpers of Israel’s land will succeed in that enterprise. God will see to that. Here is an explicit illustration of the good shepherd of 34:25–31 looking out for his own. What he does with the wild beasts in chapter 34 he does with Edom in chapter 35. Far from extending her borders by the annexation of Israel, Edom will in fact fall under divine doom. Mount Seir is the chief mountain range of the kingdom of Edom, situated to the southeast of Judah ...

1429. Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-39:29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... that the enemy be defeated but that he be removed and interred as well. Weapons must be not only captured but burned. A further novel point here is the reference to the enormous feast that follows (39:17–20). Even the carrion birds and wild animals are invited. The menu, admittedly gruesome, lists flesh to eat and blood to drink. Such a cannibalistic metaphor is obviously just that—a metaphor. To interpret it literally would force a primitive crudity on the text. Further, we have to reconcile the burial ...

1430. Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

Daniel 4:28-37

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . He begins to look like an animal. He eats grass like a bull and lives outdoors. Nebuchadnezzar may well have suffered from the disease known as boanthropy. During the time he suffers from the disease, he is not cared for and his appearance grows wild. Only when he recognizes God’s sovereignty and dominion is he restored to the throne. The king confesses that God’s rule is far greater than his. The kingdom of God is an everlasting dominion, extends over all creation, and is absolutely sovereign. Though ...

1431. Punishment for Israel

Hosea 9:1--10:15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... king, and its wicked high places. The people will be like twigs floating down the river, unable to resist the flow of captives meandering through the countryside toward Assyria. When the people are taken into captivity, the uncultivated land will revert to wild thistles and useless thornbushes (10:8). Nothing they have trusted in will rescue them; everything they have will be taken away. People will be depressed and hopeless because their false gods will not save them. Some will rather die in a rockslide ...

1432. Punishment of Destruction

Hosea 13:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to them. They became proud and self-sufficient and did not think they needed God’s help. Consequently, God will turn against his people and attack them like a ferocious lion or an angry mother bear who has lost her cubs (13:7–8). Just like a wild beast rips open and tears apart the helpless body of its prey, so will God attack the people of Israel. The people who are primarily responsible for the sins of the nation are the wicked political and religious leaders of the nation (13:9–11). God was their ...

1433. Assyria

Zephaniah 2:13-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... It will be like a “desolate” place, a “desert.” Assyria’s power will be dried up like a brook without water. The presence of animals (2:14) indicates that life is possible in Assyria; its climate is not altered. Flocks, herds, and wild animals will inhabit Assyria’s ruins. The fall of Nineveh is sarcastically portrayed by a hyperbolic description of its greatness (2:15). By exaggerating the greatness of Nineveh, the prophet heightens the effect of its fall. Nineveh represents the Assyrian Empire ...

1434. Second Vision - Gentile Oppressors Judged

Zechariah 1:18-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... hindrances, whereas visions 6 and 7 describe the removal of internal, spiritual hindrances. These are the corresponding b units. In Scripture horns symbolize kings or kingdoms in their exercise of royal might and authority. The horns of cattle, particularly of the wild ox, were used in the ancient world as symbols of invincible strength (cf. Deut. 33:17). The horns here described are kingdoms that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem (1:19). Judah has been at their mercy. But God will raise up craftsmen ...

1435. Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-3:6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... any work that would extend over the Sabbath—from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday—or from doing any work on the Sabbath that was not absolutely necessary (“necessary” work referred to work that preserved life). Thus, a person could be rescued from the mouth of a wild animal or retrieved from under a fallen tree on the Sabbath, but a dislocated foot or hand could not be set on the Sabbath. The preeminence of the Sabbath is signaled by two factors: it is the longest of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 ...

1436. Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Luke 4:14-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... at 4:14–15. Luke emphasizes that Jesus is controlled by the Spirit, for he returns from his temptation “in the power of the Spirit” (4:14). The scene is being set for Jesus’s homecoming that follows. Evidently his teaching in the synagogues was wildly admired, and thus his popularity was spreading. In 4:16–30 Luke has probably changed the chronology of Jesus’s rejection at Nazareth and moved it up to the beginning of his Gospel because of its programmatic character (cf. Mark 6:1–6; Matt. 13 ...

1437. Jesus and John the Baptist

Luke 7:18-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... rejection of God’s purpose leads nicely into the topic of the fickleness of the present generation (7:31). Jesus compares the religious leaders to sulking children, for they think something demonic distinguishes the asceticism of John the Baptist, and something wild and unruly underscores Jesus’s eating and drinking, not to mention his association with the lower class. Jesus’s exaggerated description of John and himself makes the point that nothing will satisfy these people, and yet God’s wisdom (7 ...

1438. The Parable of the Lost Son

Luke 15:11-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... and memorable stories ever told. It was not uncommon for a father to divide the estate before his death. Immediately the younger son cashes in his assets (he would receive one-third of the property since he was the younger son). He goes abroad and lives wildly, ending up bankrupt. When a famine strikes, he desperately needs work and is hired to feed pigs, a shocking job for any Jew since pigs were unclean animals. Nevertheless, his degradation is not yet complete. He is so hungry that he longs to eat the ...

1439. The Resurrection of the Dead

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to repeatedly “endanger” one’s life on behalf of the gospel is foolish (15:30). Why expend the effort that brings him unnecessarily closer to death every day? And what possible benefit could there have been in allowing himself to be put in the arena with “wild beasts” at Ephesus for the cause of Christ (an event otherwise unmentioned in the New Testament)? For if the dead are not raised, then it is much more prudent to enjoy the pleasures of life for as long as possible (15:32; Isa. 22:13). As ...

1440. Leaders and Rebels

Titus 1:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... circle of influence: their children (1:6). Paul wants to ensure that the Cretan leaders’ children “believe” (that is, are pious), and do not leave themselves liable to a charge either of prodigality (the word the NIV translates as “being wild” has to do with personal dissipation, a lack of self-control—it’s an ironic synonym for “idle bellies”) or of being “disobedient” (that is, being “vicious beasts,” the opposite of living justly). 1:10–16 · Silencing rebels:Paul orders ...

1441. The Seven Seals: Where is God When His People Suffer?

Revelation 6:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Death,” and a sinister partner who comes right after him: “Hades” (the place of the dead). The last rider epitomizes the aftereffects of the first three cavaliers: wherever there is empire, violence, and economic crisis, death is sure to follow. The earthly beasts or wild animals, which probably fed off the carrion of bodies left in the wake of previous riders, complete the picture of chaos and divine judgment (cf. Ezek. 14:21; Jer. 15:3). Yet these forces of evil are not allowed to run amok. There is ...

1442. The Beast out of the Earth

Revelation 13:11-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a man’s and that it requires wisdom to decode it (13:18). The best candidate is Emperor Nero, whose name transliterated into the Hebrew Neron Caesar (nrwn qsr) adds up to 666. Nero infamously had Christians crucified, burnt alive, and torn by wild animals (Tacitus, Annals 15.44.2–8; cf. Heb. 11:36–38). Those with Nero’s number would be citizens loyal to Rome who carried on his legacy of corruption, persecution, and vainglory. Alternatively, the number 666 could simply designate sinful humanity. Six ...

1443. The Return of the King

Revelation 19:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... his church to use the same weapons as he. The next scene borrows its savage imagery from the judgment oracles of Ezekiel, who spoke against Gog, Magog, and other enemy nations who mocked Israel during her exile. In Ezekiel 39:17–20, God invites the birds and wild animals to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Gog’s armies. In Revelation 19, we are shown an equally gory feast, when God invites the birds that fly in mid-heaven (either vultures, hawks, or eagles; Rev. 8:13) to consume the flesh of all ...

1444. Today Can Be the First Day of Your New Life!

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... toward Bethlehem, then toward Egypt, and finally toward a little town named Nazareth watches over our lives as well. He can free you from your fears if you will trust him. A familiar parable reminds us of a deep truth: In the jungles of Thailand, once a wild elephant is made captive, hunters tie the end of a long chain around the elephant’s foot, and the other end is tied to a huge banyan tree. The great elephant will pull with all its strength, but it won’t budge the banyan tree. After struggling ...

1445. A Jiffy for Eternity

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." Here is a cow-eyed fellow who telephones his girlfriend and tells her that there is nothing he would not do for her. "Why, I would swim in a sea of sharks or jump into a den of hungry wild lions just to prove how much I love you, my one and only sweetheart!" he exclaims. Then he adds, "And if my buddies don't want to go to tonight's baseball game I will come by and get you so that I don't have to sit alone on ...

1446. Oh Say, Can You See by the Dawn’s Early Light?

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... of the resurrected Jesus are those who spend their lives standing on the edges. They are neither out nor are they in. They remind me of the people Dwight L. Moody once described as having, "Just enough religion to make themselves miserable; they cannot be happy at a wild party and they are uncomfortable at a prayer meeting." They bring back memories of that children's song about the Grand Old Duke of York, do you remember? The Grand old Duke of York He had ten thousand men He marched them up to the top of ...

1447. The Life You've Always Wanted

Acts 5:27-32

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... : CSS Publishing Company, 2001), p. 11. 2. Quoted in David C. Cooper, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (Atlanta: Discover Life Ministries, 2000), p. 19. Exact author and source of poem unknown. 3. Ibid., pp. 5-7. 4. J. Wallace Hamilton, Ride the Wild Horses: The Christian Use of Our Un- tamed Impulses (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1952), pp. 50-51. 5. William L. Self, Defining Moments (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, 1999), p. 119. 6. Charles Wesley, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul ...

1448. Elephants in the Room: Depression

Lamentations 3:17-26

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... prophet ran and ran, and finally collapsed under a tree. And what did Elijah do? Did he celebrate? No. He curled up and screamed, “Oh God I want to die.” Great highs can sometimes lead to great lows. I understand this. Being a local pastor is a wild roller coaster ride with lots of highs and lows. For example, I love Easter, but you don’t want to be anywhere near me on the Monday morning after Easter. There’s a reason why I take Mondays off! Many of us experience an “emotional hang over” after ...

1449. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 10:1-42

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... is to take the “two” (or extra as the NIV has it) with sandals and staff as well as tunic. It would hardly be reasonable to understand Matthew as saying that the Twelve are to travel barefoot and without a staff for protection against snakes and wild animals. They are to travel unencumbered and allow their hearers to take care of their daily needs. 10:11–15 Verses 11–15 instruct the Twelve regarding their entrance into towns. Upon arriving at a town or village they are to find lodging with a family ...

1450. Clean and Unclean

Matthew 15:1-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... ; cf. 1QS 8.5). Not only has allegiance to oral tradition led them to dishonor the law of God, but it has placed them outside his favor as well. Schweizer writes, “Israel and its ruling class of Pharisees is not the vineyard planted by God but a wild thicket” (p. 327). They are blind guides leading the blind. The obvious result of that combination is for both to end up in a pit. Apparently rabbis considered it an honor to be given the title “leader of the blind” (cf. Rom. 2:19). They lead the blind ...

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