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 151 to 175 of 339 results

151. The Millennial Reign, Followed by Satan’s Release, Defeat, and Punishment

Revelation 20:1-7, Revelation 20:8-10

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... were originally created” (Gen. 1:26).5The bodily resurrection of all believers at the return of Christ is now labeled “the first resurrection,” and those who share in it are pronounced “blessed and holy” (beatitude 5—see the sidebar in 1:1–3). The addition of “holy” to the beatitude strongly hints at the inclusion of all of God’s people in this resurrection, since “saints/holy ones” is a frequently used term for Christians throughout the book. They are further identified in three ...

152. Eliphaz

Job 4:1–5:27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... shoes, would certainly make a case to the deity (5:8). Eliphaz offers a doxology (5:9–16) of rather stereotypic language, affirming God as an adjuster of moral and social order, so that, in the end, “injustice shuts its mouth.” 5:17–27 · A beatitude (5:17a)—“blessed is . . .”—begins Eliphaz’s final words to Job in this speech. He has amassed imagery to affirm God as sustainer in the middle of calamity (5:19–23) and in its aftermath (5:24–26). His final exhortation affirms the veracity ...

153. The Three Angels

Revelation 14:6-13

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... s final triumph over the dragon (cf. Matt. 24:13; James 1:12). This eschatological condition frames the following promise of eschatological blessing that John is commissioned to write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” The beatitude and the Spirit’s subsequent confirmation form together the second half of John’s interpretation of the eternal gospel, which is proclaimed by the triad of angels. The relationship of verse 13 to verse 12 is clear: “faithfulness to Christ issues in ...

154. Salt and Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... the earth. Salt was a basic and necessary item in ancient culture. It was used as a preservative, as a purifier, and as a seasoning. In the immediate context Jesus seems to be saying that those who live out the qualities listed in the Beatitudes will permeate the world and retard its moral and ethical decay. As Tasker notes, the most obvious general characteristic of salt is its essential difference from the medium in which it is placed (p. 63). The righteous conduct of believers keeps society from turning ...

155. The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luke 14:15-24

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

14:15–24 Jesus’ advice on inviting the lowly to one’s feast leads one of the guests to pronounce a beatitude (blessed) upon those who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. For Luke this beatitude surely strikes at the very heart of the question with which he is most concerned. Who really are those who will be included in the kingdom of God? To those surrounding Jesus at table the answer probably seemed clear enough. Those virtually guaranteed admission would be those in whose lives ...

156. Suffering for Doing Good

1 Peter 3:8-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... 19). Harm is the verbal form of “evil” in v. 12. The word is used in Acts 12:1 of Herod’s intention to persecute the church. Eager (lit. zealous) to do good: cf. Titus 2:14. 3:14 Blessed (makarioi): This same word occurs in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:10); the term describes a benefit bestowed by a superior on another, but in the Bible always with the spiritual dimension prominent: a gift of the divine favor to human beings. The blessing may not necessarily extend to pleasant feelings at the time! Do not ...

157. Victorious, Victims

Luke 6:20-36

Sermon

Will Willimon

... , mistreated, poor, hungry, sick. If a Roman soldier says, "Hey, Jew, carry my pack one mile," offer to carry it all the way back to town. If the Gestapo S.S. man, shivering in the cold, says, "Give me that coat," offer your shirt as well. Craddock notes that these Beatitudes belong not only to the poor, the hungry, the persecuted, but to us as well because, if you think about it, we're all victims. Yes, I'm a victim, too. I was invited to preach at Disney World this weekend. But no, here I am. I'm a victim ...

158. Proper 25

Psalm 65:1-13, Luke 18:9-14, Joel 2:28-32, 2 Timothy 4:9-18, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... the "good" persons who already think they have it made. Those who are self-satisfied and self-righteous are not open to change or improvement. They have already arrived. The person who can be helped is one who hungers and thirsts after righteousness, as the beatitude states it. People who work in the mental health or social welfare areas recognize this truth at that level. An axiom of therapy is that you cannot help persons unless they want to be helped, at least if the problems are based in personality ...

159. Time Out

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... yet, we modern Americans continue to identify business with busyness and success with feverish haste. We seem to admire the person who is always dashing off to keep an appointment or to close another deal. One observer of the human scene suggests we coin a new beatitude that would go, "Blessed are those that goeth around in circles, for they shall be known as big wheels!" But Jesus understood the need for rest, and for pacing his life so that his ministry could be productive. It was at Bethany that he found ...

160. A Misguided Game of Hide-and-Seek

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... : "... the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." And there it stood, in all its gaudiness, for everyone to see: sapphire-blue river of life; adoring angels, serene as beatitudes, gliding through gilded skies; jewel-laden towers and palaces of pearl rising up from the emerald-lined streets of gold; and hovering above, a cherubic choir of the heavenly host, heralding the entire scene with serenade of trumpet and harp. Although beautiful ...

161. The King's Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... Requirements of citizenship? Once in the kingdom, certain demands are placed upon its members. They live in obedience to the King whom they have accepted as Lord over their lives. Some have suggested, for example, that the Sermon on the Mount, especially the beatitudes, gives the qualifications of citizens in the kingdom. D. The benefits of citizenship. Enjoying the presence of the King and the largess of his grace is a primary benefit. One lives the festive life in the kingdom. 2. Who has been invited? The ...

162. Prepared Or Not?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... our works that provide the fuel for the light of our lamps, then that light cannot wait until the last moment to be recognized. A time comes when it is too late. If we are citizens of the kingdom, then our character should manifest it. The beatitude says that it is the peacemaker who is a child of God, that is, shares the divine characteristic that demonstrates origin. Character is not acquired instantly. It is the result of a process of actions that lead to recognition of our true parentage. Homily Hints 1 ...

163. The Scope Of The Spirit

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... God had the same interest in George Washington and his tattered army who took on England in the struggle for independence as for Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea? Is the Holy Spirit at work in the Bill of Rights as well as the Beatitudes; in Hemingway and Sandburg as well as Henri Nouwen and Frederick Buechner; in Spielberg as well as C.S. Lewis; in the White House as well as in Riverside Church or Pasadena Community Church? The Wind Of The Spirit The Old Testament authors without hesitation compared ...

164. The Sure Foundation

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... if a man reads it. The one who speaks the words of our gospel passage today is the one who has called us to follow him, just as he called the original disciples, and who began this Sermon on the Mount with a series of blessings that we call the Beatitudes. More than that, the Jesus who speaks these words is the one whom scripture calls "Emmanuel," God with us, the one who was sent to save his people, not to cast them out. Jesus' words are far more than only a list of demands or warnings. He came to reclaim ...

165. Stop Being Afraid

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... every hair on our heads and promising to care for us, but also remember some of the others: "Today, you will be with me in paradise." "I go to prepare a place for you." "Lo, I am with you always." "I tell you, your sins are forgiven." And the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12): those who mourn will be comforted, the meek will inherit the earth, the pure in heart will see God, and so forth. But when Jesus was crucified, these promises seemed to be all cancelled out. He had failed. He was just a dreamer, one more ...

166. Blessed Hunger And Thirst

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... and to glory in (Christ) alone ... Such a one, whom God now calls a "saint"... is to experience such an ongoing filling not with wine ... but with the Spirit ... (She or) he is to be filled with the peace of God that passeth all understanding.... (Arthur W. Pink, The Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer, Baker Books, p. 35) How blessed you and I are, every month, to be able to come to the Lord's Table to be set right with God and each other! How blessed you and I are to confess our sins, to acknowledge our need ...

167. The Three Kings--And The King Of Kings

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... " were the twelve beliefs outlined in the Apostles' Creed. "Eleven pipers piping" were the eleven apostles, minus Judas. "Ten lords a-leaping" were the Ten Commandments. "Nine ladies dancing" were the nine choirs of angels. "Eight maids a-milking" were the Beatitudes. "Seven swans a-swimming" were the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. "Six geese a-laying" were the six precepts of the Church. "Five golden rings" were the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch. "Four calling birds" were ...

168. Epiphany 2

Jn 1:29-42 · 1 Cor 1:1-9 · Is 49:1-7 · Ps 27

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... to be, that is the question." All existence falls into two categories: being and doing. Our society judges us by what we do; we are measured by our accomplishments. The Bible indicates that doing flows from being. Who and what we are is primary. In the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches, "Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are the meek," and so forth. Those who are acknowledged by the Lord have met the criteria of being which flows from their being in the Lord. But what is it we are called to be? Saints. Those ...

169. Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany

Sermon

Russell F. Anderson

... judged outwardly; true righteousness emanates from the core of our being. Jesus taught that we must be transformed from within. Thus, to abstain from killing does not absolve one from murder. Murder springs from malignant attitudes that must be replaced with the Beatitudes. "You have heard that it was said ... but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment, whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable ...

170. Epiphany 8

Mt 6:24-34 · 1 Cor 4:1-13 · Is 49:8-18 · Ps 131

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... 's delight to satisfy the needs of his children. God has created our hungers and thirsts together with the provision for their satisfaction. The most basic hunger and thirst which the Lord has placed within us is that yearning for Christ himself. In the Beatitudes, Jesus states: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). When Isaiah states that the people of Israel will hunger and thirst no more, he doesn't mean that their hunger and thirst will be ...

171. The Nativity Of Our Lord

Luke 2:1-20 · Titus 2:11-14 · Isaiah 9:2-7 · Ps 96

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... clear that the Messiah's coming is good news for the poor and those considered to be of little importance. His birth announcement was proclaimed to humble shepherds whose status was only slightly greater than that of prostitutes and tax collectors. Luke's version of the Beatitudes is addressed to the poor, while Matthew speaks to the poor in spirit. Luke has a special concern to show Christ's compassion for the down-and-outers, for he enters the world as one of them; he comes to us as a naked, outcast alien ...

172. Proper 26

Joshua 3:7-17, Amos 5:18-27, Micah 3:1-12, Malachi 2:1-9, Matthew 23:1-39, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... might be seen and praised by others. These are not acts of worship but ostentation and show. They should not seek to be addressed as Rabbi because all are learners, nor Father, because there is just one Father of us all. The truth of the Beatitudes is reaffirmed: the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled. Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 The parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Old Testament: Joshua 3:7-17 Change of command. Moses had died and Joshua took over the ...

173. The Righteous

Sermon

John A. Terry

... many today still feel. Most of us suffer from what Robert Louis Stevenson referred to as "the malady of not wanting." Few of us really know what it is like to live with a life-threatening scarcity of food and water. Like the other beatitudes, this may have seemed like a nonsense statement to the first listeners. Life was lived on the edge of starvation. Bread and water were precious commodities. People would hardly find their hunger and thirst satisfied with something as abstract as "righteousness." In one ...

174. Written On The Heart

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... . That's a tragic characteristic of this decade for which many still search for humane answers. For those of us gathered here, however, we do know what is right. The Bible is fairly clear about that, what with the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and several statements through the rest of the New Testament which call us to live lives of kindness, sacrifice, faithfulness, and integrity. One element is missing in this passage: accountability. A continued reading of the Bible as well as even a quick glance ...

175. Bleak Realities, But Blessed Rewards

Matthew 5:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Notes Matthew's location of Jesus' great Sermon on the Mount is undoubtedly meant to strike a parallel with Moses and the Old Law. Here Jesus begins with the Beatitudes, which are addressed, not to a general audience, but to those -- apparently the lowliest and most oppressed of society -- who have devoted themselves to the inbreaking Reign. For them, the bleak realities of the present will give way to the blessed rewards of God's future. Liturgical Color Green Suggested ...

Showing results