Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1826 to 1850 of 4957 results

1826. Paul Reinterprets the Story of Israel

Romans 2:17-29

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C. Marvin Pate

... , it was a commonplace expectation within Second Temple Judaism that Jews would judge the unrighteous nations at the final day of reckoning (Wis. 3:8; 1 En. 91.12; 98.12; Apoc. Ab. 29.19–21), but Paul stands that expectation on its head, claiming instead that righteous Gentiles (made so by faith in Christ) will judge non-Christian Jews on the last day. Fifth, and flowing from the previous contrast, non-Christian Jews will suffer the curses of the covenant on judgment day, whereas Christian Gentiles will ...

1827. Freedom from the Law through Christ, Enslavement to the Law through Adam

Romans 7:7-25, Romans 7:1-6

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C. Marvin Pate

... sure of their virtue and their spiritual standing. One night a stranger, seeking revenge for an offense by the town, drops off a sack at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Richards, claiming that it is filled with gold. He directs that the sack be given to the man who purportedly gave him some good advice and twenty dollars in a time of need. Anyone claiming to know what that advice was should write it down, he tells the couple, and hand it to Reverend Burgess, who will open the sack at a public meeting and find the ...

1828. Witnesses of the New Covenant

Romans 12:1-8

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C. Marvin Pate

... to worship Aslan. Literature: Paradise Lost, by John Milton. In book 1 of this epic poem Milton (1608–74) provides a vivid view of the pride that led to Satan being cast out from heaven, and drove him to deceive “the mother of mankind” and even to claim that it is “better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.” It serves as a warning and illustrates what this passage in Romans calls the Christian to be. Service in the New-Covenant Community Big Idea: Paul’s challenge to believers in 12:1–2 to ...

1829. Unity of Life and Faith

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

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Preben Vang

... body as the residence/temple of God’s Spirit is at stake. As pagan temples reveal their gods through images to everyone who enters, Christ’s body must evidence God through the presence of his Holy Spirit. 6:20 you were bought at a price. The claim of the elite that no one has any rights over them and that therefore “all things are permissible” to them does not apply to the Christ followers. They are not their own but servants of Christ, bought at a price. Paul’s logic cannot be missed. Slaves ...

1830. Worship and Proper Attire

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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Preben Vang

... . Anything that stands in the way of that points to idolatry. Teaching the Text 1. The problem of form versus content in a worship service is not a new one. Paul can take for granted that the Corinthians know the life and message of Christ. They claim the traditions he delivered (11:2). Yet when they meet to worship, the service takes the form of a pagan worship service. When the men who actively participate in the worship service employ the very form used by the pagan priests (pulling the toga over their ...

1831. Message to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13

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J. Scott Duvall

... the Roman emperor himself—will be able to keep them from entering (note the contrast with 3:9). 3:9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars . . . fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Jesus now challenges the hypocrisy of those who claim to be God’s holy people but are in fact “liars” and members of the “synagogue of Satan” (cf. the similar language in Rev. 2:9). Those who consider themselves Jews in ...

1832. The Vision of the Great Prostitute

Revelation 17:1-18

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J. Scott Duvall

... sea in 13:1 and represents political, military, and economic power used in the service of Satan to oppose God and his people. The beast is described as (1) “scarlet” or red, linking it to the red dragon of 12:3, (2) covered with blasphemous names or claims to deity (13:1), and (3) having seven heads and ten horns, pointing to its worldwide power and authority (17:9–14; cf. 12:3). 17:4–5 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held ...

1833. The Day of Atonement: Preparation

Leviticus 16:1-34

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... ensure that the person who purchases a home will, in fact, be the legal owner. The company guarantees the purchaser that the property really belongs to him or her—free from outstanding claims or unpaid debt. In the end, it is important for the person who purchases the property to know that all other parties have renounced any claim on the property. Part of preparing our hearts for worship involves renouncing. We must renounce our interest in the things of the world. We must settle our debts with the Lord ...

1834. Priesthood Confirmed and Its Mediation Duties Specified

Num 17:1–8:7

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... nation” (Exod. 19:6). The nation functions as a priest in the sense that Israel is to mediate God to the other nations. But only Aaron and his descendants have been chosen to serve individually as priests. Thus, the Reubenites have it wrong when they claim, “The whole community is holy, every one of them” (Num. 16:3). Not every Israelite is a holy priest. A call to ministry is something that comes from God. There are many examples of such calls to ministry in Scripture: Moses (Exod. 3–4), Isaiah ...

1835. The Lord Is My Rock

2 Samuel 22:1-51

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... 17, 25) and Sheba (2 Sam. 20:1). While the term is used here as an epithet for Death, it may echo the incidents in which these individuals opposed David. These hostile opponents (cf. v. 1) were agents of Death, which was determined to overwhelm David and claim him as its victim. 22:6 the snares of death. David personifies Death as a hunter who uses snares to trap his victims. The metaphor is appropriate since the psalms sometimes use such imagery to describe the evil plots of enemies (see Pss. 140:5; 141 ...

1836. Barren No More

1 Sam 1:1-20–2:11

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... of the central themes in 1–2 Samuel is David’s God-given right to rule as Israel’s king. The narrator demonstrates that God rejects Saul and chooses David. Though he does exhibit some political ambition, David does not usurp the throne and then claim divine authority to justify his power play. He respects Saul as God’s anointed ruler and waits for God to remove Saul from the throne, rather than taking matters into his own hands. Samuel has an important role to play in this regard: after anointing ...

1837. Israel Demands a King

1 Samuel 8:1-22

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... in granting their request: in refusing to listen, the people incriminate themselves.5 what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights. The Hebrew text refers to the “custom [mishpat] of the king.” Here mishpat refers to the royal custom of ... From Israel’s perspective, the people do not view the request for a king as a rejection of the Lord. Like other nations, which claim that a god gives victory to their king, Israel wants a king who is supported by God and represents God in battle. So ...

1838. The “Nine Lives” of David

1 Samuel 19:1-24

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... 22 in Saul’s message to David, sent via his servants. Of course, in that case Saul is lying and attempting to deceive David into seeking marriage to Michal, at the peril of his life (vv. 21, 23–25). In contrast to Saul’s deceptive claim, the narrator here affirms Jonathan’s genuine fondness for David.3The contrast contributes to the narrator’s presentation of Jonathan as a literary foil to his father. Jonathan fully supports David, while Saul tries to murder him.4Jonathan’s loyalty to David also ...

1839. David on the Run

1 Sam 21:1–22:5

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... is no one with you? By quoting the priest, the narrator highlights David’s vulnerability and introduces even more tension into the developing plot. How will David now respond, given that he is a wanted man? 21:2 As for my men. David makes up a story, claiming the king has sent him on a secret mission and that his soldiers are waiting for him in another location. But it is not until he reaches the cave of Adullam that any companions join him (22:1–2).2 21:4 consecrated bread. According to priestly ...

1840. David Flees to Gath—Again

1 Samuel 27:1-12

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Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... temporarily. Moving to Philistine territory does bring relief from the immediate threat (Saul, 27:4), but it also forces David to compromise his identity. Though the narrator makes it clear that David never really turns traitor and attacks his own people, David does claim and pretend to be Israel’s enemy and Achish’s loyal servant. One wonders if he feels any pangs of conscience when the words “your servant” come from his mouth as he stands before Achish (27:5; 28:2). Does he remember that this ...

1841. Job Presents Evidence against the Retribution Principle

Job 12:1--14:22

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Daniel J. Estes

... a mere joke. Even though he is righteous and blameless (see Yahweh’s assessment of Job in 1:8; 2:3), others have derided him. What makes this especially humiliating is that his friends are the chief offenders (cf. Ps. 55:12–15). Instead of taking Job’s claim seriously, they have scoffed at his cries to God (cf. Ps. 22:6–8). Clearly, this betrayal by his friends is painful and traumatic for Job. 12:6 those who provoke God are secure. In 11:15–20 Zophar declared that only those who are right with ...

1842. Job Destroys the Friends’ Major Argument

Job 21:1-34

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Daniel J. Estes

... wicked and disavowing all they stand for. 21:17–21 Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? In 18:5–6, Bildad asserted that the light of the wicked goes out. By asking this question, Job now inquires rhetorically if Bildad’s claim is well founded on evidence. Job goes on to use observation, the typical means for acquiring knowledge in traditional wisdom (cf. Prov. 6:6–8), to counter what Bildad has said. Similarly, Zophar in 20:23 contended that God sends his anger against the wicked ...

1843. “Their Violence Comes Down on Their Own Heads”

Psalm 7:1-17

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the deity, and he concludes the poem with the identification that rises to the patriarchal summit of confession, that Yahweh is sovereign over all local deities. David confesses “the Lord Most High” (7:17), a claim from which the generic “god” (’el) is removed (see below). All hypothetical deities have yielded their claims and identity to the sovereignty of the one and only God, Yahweh (see the sidebar “Yahweh and Other Gods in the Psalter”). The use of the divine names in this psalm is quite ...

1844. “May the Net They Hid Entangle Them”

Psalm 35:1-28

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C. Hassell Bullock

... the psalmist insists on his innocence. To “wink the eye” is a metaphor that suggests insidious intentions (Prov. 6:13; 10:10; 16:30). 35:21–22 With our own eyes we have seen it. Here we have a wordplay on the idea of seeing. The enemies claim they have seen with their own eyes (ra’atah) the false deeds that they have accused David of, and then the psalmist turns immediately to exclaim that it is the Lord who has seen (v. 22, ra’itah) the falsity of their vision (implied). 35:26–27 exalt ...

1845. “Your Love, Lord, Reaches to the Heavens, Your Faithfulness to the Skies”

Psalm 36:1-12

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C. Hassell Bullock

... of God’s love. Illustrating the Text Compared to what? Popular Culture: In the United States today, the majority of people claim to be Christian. The reality is that Christians often compare their lives to the norms of our culture rather than to the standard of biblical truth ... . An example of this is the divorce rate in America. We often hear the claim that Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as non-Christians. Actually, this is misleading. According to Bradley Wright, a ...

1846. “Ride Forth Victoriously in the Cause of Truth, Humility and Justice”

Psalm 45:1-17

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C. Hassell Bullock

... (45:2–9) 3. Praise of the royal bride/queen (45:10–15) 4. Promise of the king’s progeny (45:16) 5. The poet’s purpose / the poet’s signature (45:17) Historical and Cultural Background As we have observed above, this psalm, by its own claim, is recited on the occasion of the king’s wedding to a foreign princess. Since Solomon capitalized on the practice of diplomatic marriages, it was only natural to identify him as the unnamed king, and the queen as the princess of Egypt who became his bride (1 ...

1847. “Be Exalted, O God, above the Heavens; Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth”

Psalm 57:1-11

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C. Hassell Bullock

... metaphor.18In our world, and in David’s too, one country sends its ambassadors to another country to represent the sending country’s interests. In that world and in ours, the ambassadors must be received by the host country. The host country could claim, of course, that the credentials of the ambassador are not in order and refuse to receive him or her. That is precisely what some branches of the mainline church have done in recent years. They have decided that the credentials of God’s ambassador ...

1848. “May All the Peoples Praise You”

Psalm 67:1-7

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C. Hassell Bullock

... not the Holy Trinity or the Jewish God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Instead, it resides in the concepts of home and community, and a transcendence of the human spirit.”11Some polls are saying that America is becoming less religious. A WIN-Gallup International poll claims that the number of people who are “religious” (an interesting term in itself) dropped from 73 percent in 2005 to 60 percent in 2012. The poll also found that 5 percent of Americans say they are atheists, which is up from 1 percent in ...

1849. The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5:1-31

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Ronald W. Pierce

... to third century BC. They all attribute the conquest to Cyrus II of Persia, and some suggest it was without a fight (as was the case with the city of Sippar two days prior to Babylon’s fall). Herodotus (Hist. 1.188–92, fifth century BC) claims that the Euphrates was diverted to allow access to the city through the canals. Xenophon (Cyr. 7.5.1–34) mentions a wicked Babylonian king, which may refer to Belshazzar. The exact fate of Nabonidus is unclear, although he was most likely either exiled or killed ...

1850. Security Clearance

1 Kings 2:1-46

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... arrest at the end of chapter 1, Adonijah takes a risk in deciding to confer with Bathsheba—but not nearly as great a risk as in requesting Abishag. The reader has already seen that any play on a member of the royal harem is tantamount to a claim on the throne itself, as the actions of Abner (2 Sam. 3:7) and Absalom (2 Sam. 16:22) grimly illustrate. Whether Adonijah is motivated by love or power, this must be perceived as a bizarre strategy that underestimates his younger brother: why would Solomon consent ...

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