Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1576 to 1600 of 5000 results

Luke 4:14-30

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... of hope. Anecdote: Leighton Ford tells of visiting Mother Teresa and her Sisters of Mercy, who ministered to the poor of Calcutta, India. They sought to give the underdog, in this case the dying poor, voice and hope. They found her in “a modest building marked by a simple sign on a brown wood door.” When Mother Teresa finally came to meet them, she apologized for keeping them waiting. Ford and his wife then engaged her in conversation about these “dying poor” in their final days whom she and the ...

1577. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... the effect of elevating the prohibitive element of the Sabbath (“You shall not do any work”) to a primary level of significance. For Jesus, it was overshadowed by the general principle of “doing good,” which for the scribes was infuriatingly vague and open-ended. Mark 2:27 sums up his approach: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus’s claim to be “Lord of the Sabbath,” following after his claim to forgive sins (both under the title “the Son of Man”), adds to the ...

1578. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... Jesus valued women as much as men, and that women were coming to play a more significant role in his movement than the reader might have thought from the choice of twelve male disciples in 6:13–16. Outline/Structure The other three Gospels (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8) tell of a woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany on his final visit to Jerusalem; John identifies her as Mary of Bethany. But beyond the fact of a woman anointing Jesus with perfume in the house of someone called “Simon ...

1579. A Sick Woman and a Dead Girl

Luke 8:40-56

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... .” What matters, as in 8:48, is faith. Jairus has just witnessed Jesus’s healing power, but now the challenge to faith has become even more extreme. 8:51 Peter, John and James. These three formed a sort of “inner circle” of disciples (cf. 9:28; Mark 13:3; 14:33). 8:52 She is not dead but asleep. The derision that greets this pronouncement suggests that the onlookers took it literally: Jesus was disputing the diagnosis and believed that the girl was only in a coma. But the way Luke has told the ...

1580. The Messiah and His Glory

Luke 9:28-36, Luke 9:18-27

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... a typical situation in Luke; compare 11:1, when again the disciples are present. Note that the revelations of 9:18–20, 28–36 both occur in the context of Jesus’s prayer. Luke does not mention the location near Caesarea Philippi, north of Galilee (so Mark and Matthew). 9:19 Some say John the Baptist. The answer echoes the popular opinions mentioned in 9:7–8; see comments there. 9:20 Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” To see Jesus as a prophet, as the people did, placed him on a level with ...

1581. Divided Loyalties

Luke 12:1-12, Luke 12:13-21

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... the place of “fear” in the Christian life. The “unforgivable sin” is often a source of worry to sensitive Christians. Here in 12:10 it lacks a clear context to define what “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” might mean in practice. Consider the parallels in Mark and Matthew, where the context is much more specific, and discuss in what ways such a sin might be committed today. The tension between 12:9 (those who disown Jesus will be disowned) and 12:10 (those who speak against the Son of Man may ...

1582. “Unless You Repent . . .”

Luke 13:10-17, Luke 13:1-9

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... sometimes used the fig tree as a symbol for Israel’s responsibility to God (Jer. 8:13; 24:1–10; Hosea 9:10, 16–17; Mic. 7:1), and most commentators regard Jesus’s cursing of the fruitless fig tree outside Jerusalem (Matt. 21:18–19; Mark 11:12–14, 20–21) as an “acted parable” of the ripeness of the temple establishment for judgment. Luke perhaps omitted that incident because this parable already carried its message. As with many parables, it is unwise to press the details to the point of ...

1583. The Revolutionary Values of the Kingdom of God

Luke 18:31-34, Luke 18:18-30, Luke 18:15-17

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... the command to sell and give and the prospect of “treasure in heaven,” compare 12:33–34 and see the notes there; here “treasure in heaven” picks up the man’s inquiry about eternal life. 18:23 he became very sad. Luke does not say (as do Mark and Matthew) that the man “went away” at this point, so here he remains as the direct target of Jesus’s caustic comment in 18:24. As there is no indication of his continuing presence with the disciple group, however, we are left to assume that his ...

1584. The Coming of the King

Luke 19:45-48, Luke 19:28-44

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... a prearranged password that Jesus had agreed on with known supporters in the village. 19:36 spread their cloaks on the road. For a similar gesture of homage to one proclaimed king, see 2 Kings 9:13. 19:37 the whole crowd of disciples. Matthew and Mark say that the messianic acclamation was uttered by the crowds accompanying Jesus. All three Synoptic writers therefore make clear that it was not the people of Jerusalem who hailed Jesus as king; he will not reach the city until 19:45. Jesus’s words in ...

1585. The Mystery and Mercy of God

Romans 11:25-32

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... ; 14:16; Tob. 13:11; 14:6–7; Pss. Sol. 17.34; Sib. Or. 7.710–20, 772–75; T. Zeb. 9.8; T. Benj. 9.2; cf. Mark 11:17; Isa. 56:17; 12:9). There is a contrast here. Luke 21:24 says that the time of the Gentiles began with the destruction of Jerusalem ( ... was to view Isaiah 6:9–10 as a prophecy of Israel’s future rejection of God and his Messiah (compare Isa. 6:9–10 with Mark 4:11–12). Paul probably taps into that prophecy here in Romans 11:25–27. God’s procedure in all of this is to show mercy ...

1586. Ethics and Eschatology

Romans 13:8-14

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... evil age (13:12b–14) Historical and Cultural Background Several traditions inform Paul’s ethic and eschatology in 13:8–14. 1. Jesus’ reduction of the law to loving God and loving one’s neighbor informs Paul’s command to love others (see Lev. 19:18; Mark 12:29–31; Matt. 22:37–39; Luke 10:27–28). 2. Paul’s language about taking off and putting on clothing is thought by many to allude to early Christian baptism.[1] 3. Romans 13:11–14 is thoroughly immersed in Jewish apocalypticism. Evald ...

1587. Marriage, Sexual Intimacy, and Spiritual Devotion

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... must focus on pleasing God; their present life situation is an avenue to live out this calling. 7:18–19 He should not become uncircumcised. Since the days preceding the Maccabean revolt (second century BC), some Jews had sought to remove their mark of circumcision to find greater acceptance in the Hellenistic world.1 Whether some Corinthians may have used their Christian faith as a spiritual excuse to get an operation that helped them fit in while others sought to find spiritual advantage through being ...

1588. Unity and Community (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... to enable the Christ community to manifest Christ and to continue his ministry of revealing the presence of God’s kingdom (Mark 1:15). Teaching the Text 1. As becomes evident from Paul’s body metaphor in the following section (12:12–27), ... empowerments for the believers to push back on the consequences of the fall (Gen. 3). They reveal the presence of the coming new age (Mark 1:15; Matt. 12:28). In a very real sense, they demonstrate what Jesus pointed to when John the Baptist’s disciples came and ...

1589. Message to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... of God in Revelation 6:10 but used here to demonstrate Christ’s deity. The phrase “the Holy One” is used frequently in the Old Testament to describe Yahweh and also in the Gospels to identify Jesus as one sent from God (e.g., Isa. 1:4; 37:23; Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; John 6:69). Referring to Jesus as the “true one” shows his authenticity and faithfulness. Jesus now holds the “key of David,” an image drawn from Isaiah 22:22, where Eliakim is given the keys to the house of David. Jesus, rather than ...

1590. The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1-17

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... 17–23; 34:4; Ezek. 32:6–8; Joel 2:10, 30–31; 3:15–16; Hab. 3:6–11) and in the teachings of Jesus (e.g., Mark 13:24–27 and par. in Matt. 24:29–31; Luke 21:25–28; cf. Acts 2:19–20; 2 Pet. 3:10). In the Synoptics, the dissolution ... 6:10; 7:21–23). Illustrating the Text Christians have always faced persecution—from the beginning to today! Quote: “Revelation,” by Mark W. Wilson. The martyrdom described in Revelation is being repeated around the world today at an alarming rate. In fact, the ...

1591. The Fifth Trumpet (First Woe)

Revelation 8:6--9:21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... (e.g., Dan. 7:2; 2 Bar. 6:4–5). The four angels appear to lead the demonic horsemen described in 9:16–19, much like the angel of the Abyss leads the army of demonic locusts in the fifth trumpet judgment. Historically, the river Euphrates marked the boundary between Israel and its enemies (e.g., Assyria, Babylonia) and later between Rome and its enemies (e.g., the Parthians). As a result, the Euphrates became a symbol of enemy invasion and anticipates the sixth bowl judgment of 16:12–16. 9:15 And ...

1592. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

Revelation 19:1-10, Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... grind grain by hand (e.g., Matt. 24:41) but a huge stone that weighed several tons and was turned by a donkey or mule (e.g., Mark 9:42). The music . . . No worker of any trade . . . The sound of a millstone . . . The light of a lamp . . . The voice of bridegroom and ... new covenant (e.g., Isa. 62:1–5; Ezek. 16:60–63; Hos. 2:16–20). It makes sense that Jesus portrays himself as the bridegroom (Mark 2:19–20; John 3:29) and the church as the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25–33; Rev. 19:7; 21: ...

1593. The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-27

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... :16; 2 Bar. 44:12; Sib. Or. 3:75–90), as well as the renovation of the old into the new (e.g., Jub. 1:29; 4:26; 23:18; 1 En. 45:4–5; 2 Bar. 32:2–6; 57:1–3). Revelation suggests a radically new creation (cf. Mark 13:31; 2 Pet. 3:10–13; 1 Cor. 7:31; Heb. 12:27; 1 John 2:17), but implies a transformation that fulfills the original creation (e.g., the new Eden; cf. Rom. 8:19–22). There is both continuity and discontinuity, similar to the pattern established with Jesus ...

1594. Unclean Animals

Leviticus 11:1-47

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... locust”)4suggest that all might be locusts. John the Baptist ate locusts/grasshoppers (Greek akris) in accord with this law (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6). 11:24–40 You will make yourselves unclean by these. Touching the carcass of an unclean animal (vv. 24, 28, ... a number of parasitic organisms. From a Christian perspective, it seems inconceivable that Christ would have abolished these laws (Mark 7:19) if health were their primary purpose. Nonetheless, these rules did contribute to Israel’s life and health ...

1595. Lamps, Cakes, and the Blasphemer

Lev 24:1-23

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... When Jesus claims to be equal with God, some Jews want to stone him for blasphemy (John 10:33). And Caiaphas condemns Jesus to death when Jesus claims to be the “one like a son of man” of Daniel 7:13–14, a claim that Caiaphas considers blasphemous (Mark 14:62–64). But these claims are not blasphemous because each of them is true. Although the New Testament does not command that blasphemy be a capital offense under the new covenant, it does condemn speaking ill against God as a sin (1 Tim. 1:13, 20 ...

1596. Recognize that Bad Days Can Bring about Good

Ecclesiastes 7:1--8:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... demonstrate in this first subsection that seemingly “bad” days can bring about good. 6:10–12 · Properly speaking, these verses are transitional, serving to summarize one section and introduce (or frame, with the parallel verses 7:13–14) the next. Ecclesiastes 6:10 marks the middle verse of the book, as indicated by the masoretic editors. Here the author sets forth some basic assertions: (1) The world is unchangeable (6:10a; cf. 1:9; 3:15). (2) The limitations of human beings are well known, namely ...

1597. Edom’s Judgment Pronounced and Reaffirmed

Obadiah 1:1-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... . 1b). The trial contains only the speech by the prosecution (i.e., the indictments), and this merely to underscore Edom’s guilt and the justice of the verdict of Edom’s death warrant. The Day of the Lord 15–16 · Universal judgment:These verses mark the beginning of the second principal section of Obadiah’s oracle. The specific indictment of Edom now gives way to a more general statement of the universal judgment that characterizes the day of the Lord. The shift to the broader themes of judgment on ...

1598. The Great Day of the Lord

Zephaniah 1:14--2:3

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... representative of his presence will appear. The day of the Lord instead will be a period of darkness, judgment, and alienation. Amos explained the day of darkness as a series of catastrophes from which there would be no escape (5:19), a time marked by sheer helplessness. Zephaniah intensifies Amos’s explanation by heaping up words portraying an admixture of cause (war), emotion (the cry of despair), and results (ruin). The intent of the prophet is to so affect his hearers that they will respond with dread ...

1599. The Calling of the First Disciples

Matthew 4:18-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... movement of Matthew’s story. For Matthew, Jesus’s ministry can be summed up as proclamation of the soon-to-arrive kingdom, or reign, of God. Matthew’s “kingdom of heaven” is conceptually the same as Mark’s “kingdom of God” (cf. Mark 1:15 // Matt. 4:17; also Mark 10:14, 23 // Matt. 19:14, 23). Matthew probably follows the Jewish convention of circumlocution—avoiding reference to “God” when another construction can communicate the same idea (heaven as God’s dwelling place). Though the ...

1600. Baptism and Temptation

Mark 1:9-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Old Testament prophets. At the advent of the Messiah, however, the long-awaited Spirit would return and reveal God in an unprecedented manner (Isa. 64:1; Testament of Levi 18:6–8; Testament of Judah 24:1–3). The Greek word for “tear” appears again in Mark only at the tearing of the temple curtain at the crucifixion, where Jesus is again recognized as the Son of God. 2. The descent of the Spirit: The eschatological age would be verified and empowered by the descent of God’s Spirit; here the Spirit ...

Showing results