Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 2351 to 2375 of 5000 results

2351. Parables of the Kingdom

Mark 4:1-20

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: Jesus has sown his kingdom truths among the crowds, the leaders, and his disciples. They are the soil in which his gospel seed is placed, and God holds them responsible for their receptivity to the message of the kingdom. Understanding the Text This parable discourse (chap. 4) is one of two extensive teaching sections (with chap. 13) in Mark, and it interprets the action and mission of Jesus in chapters 1–3. These are “kingdom parables” describing the implications of the arrival of the kingdom in ...

2352. The Exorcism of a Child Develops a Humble Model for Faith

Mark 9:14-32

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: This event is another fulcrum in the book, as three primary Markan themes coalesce: (1) the power and compassion of Christ, (2) demonic conflict, and (3) discipleship failure. Understanding the Text This is a classic example of the mountaintop/valley experience. The innermost circle of disciples experienced the glory of God in Jesus, as great a spiritual “high” as anyone in history has known. Now they are about to join the rest of the Twelve as they descend into the valley and face one of the ...

2353. Jesus Is Crucified

Mark 15:21-32

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: The central purpose of Jesus’s incarnation is his death on the cross (Phil. 2:6–8). All takes place in accordance with God’s will and plan, so divine sovereignty, not Jewish hatred or Roman might, controls the action. Jesus dies as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Understanding the Text There are four parts to the crucifixion narrative in an A-B-A-B pattern: the mockery by the soldiers (15:16–20), the crucifixion of Jesus (15:21–27), the mockery by the Jewish spectators and leaders and the two ...

2354. The Baby Messiah Recognized

Luke 2:21-40

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The baby Jesus is recognized as the Messiah, and two holy people speak of his role in God’s plan of salvation. Understanding the Text This scene completes the account of Jesus’s infancy. His circumcision and naming echo those of John in 1:59–63, but, as with the account of his birth, the subsequent incidents are unique, and they lift the reader’s expectations and theological understanding to a higher level. This scene provides the setting for the third of Luke’s canticles in chapters 1–2, Simeon’ ...

2355. Sabbath in Capernaum

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: A typical day in Jesus’s ministry in Capernaum reveals his power over both spiritual and physical oppression. Understanding the Text Luke has characterized Jesus’s Galilean ministry as one of teaching (4:14–15), though his words in Nazareth presuppose that he has also been healing (4:23). Now, by setting out the events of a typical day in Capernaum, Luke fills out the picture. The resultant portrait of an authoritative exorcist and healer as well as an impressive teacher will provide the backdrop ...

2356. True and False Discipleship

Luke 6:46-49, Luke 6:43-45, Luke 6:37-42

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: It is not enough to hear and approve Jesus’s teaching; it must also be lived out. Understanding the Text The sermon that began at 6:20 concludes with a series of parables and pithy sayings that together challenge those who heard the sermon to model their lives on what they have heard. The following chapters will contain several shorter sections of Jesus’s teaching as well as many examples of his dealings with other people, and so a fuller picture will be built up of what it means to be a disciple ...

2357. “Unless You Repent . . .”

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: God requires repentance before it is too late, but people are more concerned with keeping the rules than with God’s agenda. Understanding the Text These are two separate pericopes, brought together here simply for the convenience of this commentary. First, repentance has been at the heart of the message of both John (3:3, 8) and Jesus (5:32), and Jesus has rebuked his contemporaries for their failure to repent in response to his preaching (10:13–15; 11:32). In chapter 15 he will illustrate God’s ...

2358. Affluence and the Afterlife

Luke 16:19-31

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Material wealth can go with spiritual poverty; in the end it is spiritual wealth that matters. Understanding the Text There has been no change of audience since 16:14: Jesus is still speaking primarily to the Pharisees. (He will return to teaching the disciples in 17:1.) Luke has characterized the Pharisees as lovers of money (16:14), so this parable is a warning to the affluent. It is thus the culmination of a theme, already set out in the blessings and woes of 6:20–26, that has run strongly ...

2359. The Coming of the King

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

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, his disciples hail him as king, but he weeps over the city’s failure to grasp its opportunity for salvation. Understanding the Text At last the journey that began in 9:51 has reached its goal. From here on the story will be set in and around Jerusalem. At its heart will be the confrontation between Jesus, the expected Messiah, and the Jerusalem authorities, who reject his claim, and that confrontation is already symbolized here by the contrasting reactions of the ...

2360. Jesus Takes the Initiative

Luke 21:5-38, Luke 21:1-4, Luke 20:41-47

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The pretentious religiousness of scribes and wealthy worshipers and of the magnificent temple buildings contrasts with the simple devotion of a poor widow. Understanding the Text In place of the question-and-answer scenario of the first part of Jesus’s public ministry in the temple (20:1–40), we now have a series of pronouncements by Jesus that bring that phase of the Jerusalem story to an end. They begin with a response to the leaders’ hostile questioning, in which Jesus raises the question of ...

2361. Getting Ready for the Passover

Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: It is at Passover time that Jesus is to die, and he is determined to have a last Passover meal with his disciples before his death occurrs. Understanding the Text In 21:37–38 Luke rounds off the account of Jesus’s teaching in the temple courtyard, which began at 20:1. With the mention of the Passover in 22:1 the long-anticipated climax of the story (see 9:22, 31, 44, 51; 13:31–35; 18:31–33) begins, as these verses relate the plotting of the Jerusalem authorities, the fateful decision of Judas ...

2362. The Roman Verdict

Luke 22:66--23:25

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The Roman governor, under pressure from the Jewish leaders and crowd, reluctantly condemns Jesus to death. Understanding the Text In 18:32–33 Jesus predicted that he would be handed over to “the Gentiles” for execution, and that prediction also now comes true. Hitherto, the whole move against Jesus has come from the Jewish leaders and has taken place within Jewish circles, but now the political reality demands that, in order to have Jesus executed, they must involve the Roman governor. But while ...

2363. Being Wronged versus Claiming One’s Right

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: The church must be vigilant in protecting its identity as a Christ-empowered community and recognize that it is more Christlike to accept being wronged than to pursue retaliation through means that contradict Christ’s teaching. In the community of Christ, no interpersonal differences should be irreconcilable. Understanding the Text In a second practical example of the troubles arising from the behavior and wrongheaded allegiances discussed in chapters 1–4, Paul confronts a situation where one ...

2364. Unity and Community (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: God empowers his people by his Spirit for the common good of his community, not as a personal favor to the individual. When individuals use their God-granted power for personal gain, they act like pagans attempting to manipulate their idol god. Understanding the Text Moving to the next question posed by the Corinthians (see 7:1, 25; 8:1), Paul continues his discussion on worship and ecclesiology. Distinguishing the Christian assembly from the pagan proves exceedingly significant not only for the ...

2365. The Four Horsemen

Revelation 6:1-17

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: As Christ opens the first four seals, God allows human sinfulness to run its course, resulting in warfare, violence, bloodshed, economic hardship, and death. Understanding the Text Just as the vision of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1 leads into the messages to the seven churches in chapters 2–3, so the throne-room vision of Revelation 4–5 prepares the way for God’s righteous judgments that commence in chapter 6. Jesus, the worthy one (5:2–5), now begins to open the scroll by breaking the ...

2366. The Protective Sealing of God’s People on Earth

Revelation 7:1-8

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Before God pours out his wrath on a wicked world, he will give his people spiritual protection. Understanding the Text The interlude of Revelation 7 stands between the sixth and seventh seal judgments. (There is another dramatic interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets in Revelation 10:1–11:14, but no interlude at the end of the bowl judgments.) Interludes in Revelation often shed light on the current situation of God’s people and offer insight into their present responsibilities and ...

2367. The First Four Trumpet Judgments

Revelation 8:6--9:21, Revelation 8:1-5

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God responds to the prayers of his people by pouring out the first four trumpet judgments on an unbelieving world. Understanding the Text We see three sets of judgments in Revelation: seals, trumpets, and bowls. In both the seal and the trumpet judgments, we find a 4 + 2 + 1 pattern with an interlude coming before the last element: Pattern…Judgments…Revelation Text 4…Seals 1-4…6:1-8 2…Seals 5-6…6:9-17 --…Interlude…7:1-17 1…Seal 7…8:1 4…Trumpets 1-4…8:2-12 2…Trumpets 5-6 (Woes 1-2)…8:13—9:21 --… ...

2368. The Fifth Trumpet (First Woe)

Revelation 8:6--9:21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God sometimes allows evil powers to serve his purposes of judging wicked human beings. Understanding the Text The fourth trumpet ends with a plague of darkness, a regular symbol of judgment and destruction in the Bible (e.g., Isa. 13:10–11; Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Mark 13:24). Now we see how dense and thick that spiritual darkness can be with the final trumpet judgments. After the first four trumpets, where God’s judgments are poured out primarily on creation (8:7–12), now an eagle warns of three ...

2369. The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

Leviticus 8:1-36

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Ordination to ministry conveys dignity to a vital profession. Understanding the Text The description of the various kinds of sacrifices in Leviticus 1–7 assumes the existence of the Aaronic priesthood as anticipated in Exodus 29. But these sacrifices cannot be performed until the priesthood is actually established. Leviticus 8–10 concerns the establishing of the Aaronic priesthood. Leviticus 8 describes the ordination of the Aaronic priests, as God commanded Moses in Exodus 29 and 40. Leviticus 9 ...

2370. Uncleanness Due to Childbirth

Leviticus 12:1-8

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God provides for people’s health, cleansing, and restoration regardless of social standing. Understanding the Text This chapter continues the laws of purity for all Israel that specify what can cause ceremonial uncleanness (Lev. 11–15). Uncleanness is caused by eating or touching unclean animals (Lev. 11), by childbirth (Lev. 12), by certain skin diseases and molds (Lev. 13–14), and by sexual emissions (Lev. 15). The discussion thus moves from external uncleanness (animals) to uncleanness related ...

2371. Blood: Right and Wrong Uses

Leviticus 17:1-16

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Blood and sacrifice are important, though they can be abused. Understanding the Text Leviticus 17–27 forms a major unit in Leviticus in which “holiness” is emphasized, for which reason it has come to be labeled the “laws of holiness.” Leviticus 17 introduces this unit by emphasizing the holiness of proper sacrifice, the prohibition of idolatry (sacrifice to goat-demons), and the proper use of blood. John Walton describes this chapter as “maintaining holiness from outside the camp” (see “ ...

2372. Punishments for Sin

Leviticus 20:1-27

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God holds people accountable for their sins. Understanding the Text Leviticus 20 is another chapter in the laws of holiness (Lev. 17–27), making its own explicit call to holiness (vv. 7–8) and, near the end of the chapter, issuing a concluding call to holiness (v. 26). Holiness in this chapter revolves around idolatry and sexuality. The chapter overlaps considerably in content with Leviticus 18 (sexual offenses, Molek worship) and to some degree with Leviticus 19 between the two. Leviticus 20 ...

2373. Failure to Enter the Land

Num 13:1–14:9

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Trust that God can overcome great difficulties. Understanding the Text The people had begun complaining at Taberah and Kibroth Hattaavah (Num. 11). At Hazeroth Moses’s own sister and brother had expressed resentment against Moses and undermined his spiritual authority (Num. 12). In each of these cases God had intervened with a mixture of punishment and grace. Now they come to Kadesh (or Kadesh Barnea) in the Desert of Paran (Num. 13:26) just south of the land of Canaan. Israel has not learned its ...

2374. Moses’s and Aaron’s Sin at Meribah

Numbers 20:1-13

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Leaders of God’s people are fallible. Understanding the Text Numbers here skips to the fortieth year after the Israelites left Egypt (see comments at Num. 20:1). Evidently, not much worth mentioning has happened in the intervening years. The Israelites had been condemned to forty years of wilderness wandering when they refused to enter the land of Canaan (Num. 14:33–34). By now, as predicted, most of those persons twenty years of age and older have died in the wilderness. Even the old leadership ...

2375. The Second Census

Numbers 26:1-65

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God’s plans triumph over human frailties. Understanding the Text Thirty-eight and a half years after Israel had been condemned to wilderness wanderings, and shortly “after the plague” (Num. 26:1) of Numbers 25, Israel takes another census. As a result of the plague, the old generation is now gone (Num. 26:63–65). Only Moses, Caleb, and Joshua have survived to be part of this census. Thus, this genealogy marks the death of the old and the birth of the new generation. The old, rebellious generation ...

Showing results