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 201 to 225 of 715 results

201. When is Patriotism An Idol?

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

George Johnson

... bridesmaids without oil and the goats on the left hearing the words "Depart from me." - When servants made light of the invitation to the marriage feast, the king was angry and destroyed them all. He then turned to harlots and tax collectors. This kind of talk sets the stage for the "taxes to Caesar" story. What Jesus had been saying challenged the listeners' thinking, their belief system, their traditions, their allegiances, their positions of privilege, their patriotism. Attention was on edge. Jesus Is ...

202. Lent 4

Psalm 32:1-11, Joshua 5:1-12, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Luke 15:1-7

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... now reconciled with God. They are then charged to be ambassadors for Christ with a ministry of reconciliation. Gospel. (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32) The reading first gives the setting for telling of three parables which explain why Jesus was willing to associate with tax collectors and sinners. It then skips over the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin to the parable of the aggrieved father and his two sons. Psalm. (Psalm 32) The psalmist starts with the blessing for those whose sins are forgiven. He then ...

203. Advent 3

James 5:7-12, Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... . At one point, they thought he was a little crazy and sought to spirit him away. He offended the rich young ruler by requesting that he sell all his goods and give the proceeds to the poor. He offended the religious leaders by associating with tax collectors and sinners. And in our gospel lesson he appears to have offended John the Baptist as he languished in prison. Jesus' actions were raising questions in his mind about whether or not Jesus was really the Messiah (vv. 2-3). What actions? Perhaps it was ...

204. Table Manners

Mark 2:18-22, Mark 2:13-17

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

... Jesus' table manners. Table fellowship was a sacred matter in most of the ancient world. Table fellowship was the most intimate form of public fellowship imaginable. And here is Jesus transgressing boundaries again! He eats with tax collectors and sinners. He accepts Levi, a tax collector, an outcast in Jewish society, into his inner circle! The Pharisees were the keepers of the laws which established proper boundaries for the community of the religious. Jesus is clearly not very interested in this kind ...

205. The Return Of The Lost

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

Donald Dotterer

... . Such behavior would religiously defile any upstanding, law-abiding Jewish citizen. And so in order to address social rejection of the common people, Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep. He tells this story in defense of his ministry to the sinners and tax collectors. In Jesus' time, the work of a shepherd was difficult and dangerous. Good grazing areas were scarce, and the steep cliffs which dropped off the region's central plateau were a constant threat to the well-being of the sheep. There were no ...

206. Encounters With Christ V: Jesus and James and John

Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

James W. Moore

... Jesus once told a parable about two men who went up to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, a religious leader, who prayed loudly, pompously, arrogantly… The other man was a Publican, a tax collector, who prayed humbly, penitently, contritely. The parable ends by telling us that the humble tax collector went home justified rather than the arrogant Pharisee. Recently, I ran across a contemporary “take-off” on this parable. Listen closely. It goes like this: Two men went to church to pray. One was a ...

207. Let God Be God

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

... to "call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord." Jesus’ parable in the lesson read from Luke’s record of the Gospel deals with the problem of self-righteousness. Jesus saw a fundamental difference in the way a Pharisee and a tax collector prayed. The focus in both these lessons, as you can see, is on the God problem. Who or what is being worshiped? They point up the sad consequences of displacing allegiance to the living Lord, the one true God, with idolatry and anomie: idolatry being ...

208. A Protecting Grace

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

Glenn L. Borreson

... , deliberateness and care, however, it is a way that is full of hope. It has a chance to restore what was once broken, which is, after all, the intention of the four steps given by Jesus. Even that fourth step - regarding the other "as a Gentile and tax collector" when he or she doesn't listen - may not mean "having nothing to do with a person." Rather, it may very well mean "having the attitude of Jesus toward them." That is, never give up on them! The goal is restoration, not punishment or exclusion from ...

209. Beyond the Ordinary

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Joe Pennel

... differ from us. We become more and more loving as we try to love those who hurt us and strike back at us. As I learn to love my enemy, I find that I have a healthier self-love. Jesus loved sinners and lepers and tax collectors, not only to save sinners and lepers and tax collectors, but also to save the Pharisees. Paul loved the Gentiles, not only to save the Gentiles, but also to save Israel. We are called upon to love our enemies that we might be saved. I grew up in a neighborhood that had a nickname. The ...

210. It's Not All That Bad

Luke 18:9-14, Mark 4:1-20

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

... in our culture. (1) Jesus message of good news always began with the word "repent." "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17) Jesus bragged on a notorious sinner, a tax collector, because he uttered this simple prayer, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." A prayer of repentance always rings bells in heaven. (Luke 18:10-14) The greatness of this tax collector was that he knew how to repent, how to say, "I'm sorry." All of us can be forgiven, if we are humble enough to say, "I'm sorry."

211. I ... Oh ... U

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

... thank thee that ‘I’ am not like other men." And he continued on in this vein: " 'I' fast twice a week, ‘I’ give tithes of all that ‘I’ get." The most bothersome part of his whole prayer, though, was his giving thanks that he wasn’t like this tax collector. I kept wishing he hadn’t said that, but fortunately the man in back didn’t seem to hear. He seemed very engrossed in his own meditation and it was very difficult to hear his words. All we could hear him say was "God, be merciful to me ...

212. The Importance of Unity

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... called them, James and John (Mark 3:17). Evidently they were men of strong opinion and vehemence about what they considered right and wrong. There is Peter, so headstrong and impetuous. There is Levi, named Matthew, the tax collector, and one must remember how hated the tax collectors were among the Jews, for they were considered collaborators with the Romans. Alongside him was Simon "who was called the Zealot" (Luke 6:15), and assuming the name signifies his political position, he had been dedicated to ...

213. A Higher Form of Love: The Good Neighbor

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... to give to the poor. True love, in the eyes of the Christ, is affirming other people, restoring their sense of worth both as individuals and as human beings. Jesus looked at people who were despised by the pious. He would look at the tax collectors, prostitutes, and Gentiles. He looked at them not only with compassion but with appreciation. He pitied them. But he also honored them. He skififully affirmed the very people who had been put down by the religious community. Perhaps the most astounding of all the ...

214. Some Rules Need to be Broken

Mark 2:13-17

Illustration

Larry Powell

... guild. He seeks out the diseased, actually associates with them, and proceeds to cure their ailments. Immediately, the professional guild begins to question his credentials and stirs up public opinion against him. Now read Mark 2:15-17. Jesus has invited certain tax collectors and "sinners" to dinner in his own home. The scribes and Pharisees, no doubt chaffed because Jesus had not invited them instead, raised a question which is, in fact, unintelligible for men of their profession: "Why does he eat with ...

215. Ready or Not, Here He Comes!

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... you hear that? Listen again: "It is easier to walk your way into a new way of thinking, than to think your way into a new way of walking." John would say Amen! "Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them." This was new. Tax collectors were a hated bunch for two reasons: 1) they were seen as traitors, having gone to work for the enemy - Rome, and 2) because they made their money by extorting as much as ...

216. How Can I Know It's Real?

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... as it can be. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit and a good tree will not bear bad fruit. You can always tell. Consider this little man Zaccheus. ZACCHEUS WAS DETERMINED THAT HE WAS GOING TO SEE A MIRACLE TAKE PLACE IN HIS OWN LIFE. A chief tax collector does not climb trees unless he is desperate. It’s hard to maintain your dignity while shimmying up a sycamore. But there Zaccheus was. Small of stature, there was no other way he could behold the Master passing by. And he was determined that if there was ...

217. Did You Leave the the Door Open? (I am the gate)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... struggles we carry--when we don''t open the right door and carry everything to God in prayer. Ask and it shall be given to you. One day a rich tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus'' home. During dinner Zacchaeus opened his heart to Jesus and Jesus opened the doors to his kingdom to this hated tax collector. One day a demonic who had every door in life closed to him approaches Jesus. He knows Jesus to be the door of life before the disciples do--and ...

218. The Process of Love

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... with me!" Problem Solving Now Jesus takes the third step in love. He begins to deal with Zacchaeus' problems. And we've all got them. He was short, probably never chosen to be on a playground team as a kid. He'd been hurt. So now he was a tax collector with a big government stick. And he could hit back. Besides that, he was rich. He could prove he was somebody now. But when he went home alone at night, his life was all rather hollow. Do you remember from your childhood the fairy tale about a wicked witch ...

219. Proper 18

Psalm 149:1-9, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20, Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon Aid

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

... recalcitrant member refuses the urgings of the church, he or she is to be regarded as one outside the church. Jesus' words here seem harsh, "let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." Yet, if we ponder the words for a moment, we will recall two things: (1) Gentiles and tax collectors were recognizably outside the Church, but (2) they were the very ones whom God pursued in order to bring them into the Church. The offending member is not being simply dismissed, but rather the matter has run ...

220. With Malice toward None, With Charity for All

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

James Merritt

... we ought to say, "God is good—all the time—to everybody." That's why Jesus goes on to say in vv.46-47, "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" That is, if you only love people who love you back; if you're only kind to people who are kind to you; if you only treat people the way they treat you, you're no better ...

221. Building Relationships

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” IN OTHER WORDS, SAYS JESUS, THERE MAY COME A TIME WHEN YOU HAVE TO END A RELATIONSHIP. Now I have to be careful here. Some relationships are sacred. Particularly the marriage relationship, and I don’t want to give anyone the idea that I’m advocating ...

222. God’s Wisdom or the World?

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... God. Jesus, in his ministry, also provided many examples of the need to choose God over the world. We recall the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The former thought himself important because of his perceived righteousness, while the latter only beat his breast and admitted his sinfulness. Jesus is clear, "I tell you this man [the tax collector] went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke ...

223. Accepting the Unconventional in Life

Mark 2:13-22

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... as such, the Messiah was to be unconventional. Jesus took the less conventional role as his model for ministry to the Jews. Today's Gospel Reading provides some good examples of this truth. Mark reports that Jesus called Levi, a tax collector, to be a member of his inner circle. Tax collectors served the Roman occupation force in Israel and were thus hated by the Jews. Yet, Jesus not only calls him to join his band of followers but then immediately goes to Levi's home, freely associating with him and other ...

224. Are You a Crazy Dog?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to get nudged into shape and, perhaps, to speak other and better ideas. It is easy to listen to a new idea and say 'Why?' It is more exciting to listen and say, 'Why not?"' (251-52). Jesus was always saying "why not" - why not associate with tax collectors? Why not heal the Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter? Why not ride "triumphally" into Jerusalem on the back of a scrawny ass instead of on a magnificent war-horse? "Why not" is a response that opens the door for change. Jesus called his twelve disciples and ...

225. Matthew 18:15-20

Matthew 18:15-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... those who refuse to practice repentance of their sins when properly confronted by the community. Yet it is also true that Jesus himself spent much of his ministry associating with those despised and rejected as unclean by Jewish law, specifically Gentiles and tax collectors. It becomes part of the church's call to continue Jesus' mission of outreach to these and all outcasts. Verse 17 could then be both a pronouncement of judgment by the church and a call to renewed missionary effort toward those it has ...

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