Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2426 to 2450 of 3099 results

2426. The Story of Israel and the Story of Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

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C. Marvin Pate

... the true God. The audience could be asked: Is this a form of natural theology? If so, do you agree or disagree with Lewis’s perspective? To fill out Lewis’s perspective, it would be useful to refer to The Abolition of Man, in which Lewis takes up the same subject.

2427. God’s Saving Righteousness and the Restoration of Israel

Romans 3:21-31

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C. Marvin Pate

... new perspectives toward Paul is the challenge of explaining the relationship between faith and law in Romans 3:27–31 (cf. 3:21) and, indeed, in all of Paul’s letters. The question is this: are they positively related or not? The literature on the subject is vast and vexing, but we can identify some six constructs regarding the relationship between faith and law. Space permits only, in table form, a list of the options and my own view (see below).1 Six Constructs on the Relationship between Faith and Law ...

2428. The Christian’s New Dominion: Dedicated to Righteousness

Romans 6:15-23

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C. Marvin Pate

... status of a slave was that of a “thing.” Aristotle defined a slave as “living property” (Pol. 1.2.4–5) and said “a slave is a living tool and the tool a lifeless slave” (Eth. nic. 8.2). In short, the slave was subject to the absolute power of the master. Although early Christianity did not officially challenge slavery (to do so would be to invoke the wrath of mighty Rome against Christians), the gospel did sow the seeds that have contributed toward the overthrow of that hideous institution ...

2429. The Holy Spirit and the Blessings of the New Covenant

Romans 8:1-17

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C. Marvin Pate

... between: either one has the Spirit and is therefore a Christian or one does not have the Spirit and is therefore not a Christian (8:9). Verse 10 should be translated as a concessive: “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (NIV mg.). The body here is the vehicle of sin that will culminate in death. Nevertheless, Christians will live eternally in a resurrection body (see 8:11) because they possess the Holy ...

2430. The Reversal of the Deuteronomic Curses and Blessings: Replacing Law with Faith

Romans 9:30--10:21

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C. Marvin Pate

... proper response to the good news is to accept it or obey/believe (hyp?kousan/episteusen) it. This combination of obedience/faith brings to mind the obedience of faith of the Gentiles mentioned in Romans 1:5 and developed in Romans thereafter. Paul will turn to that subject again in 10:19–20. Verse 17 specifies the object of the believer’s faith: the word, or the gospel, of Christ. In 10:18 Paul uses the language of natural revelation to say that the gospel has gone all over the world (the Roman Empire ...

2431. Exile for National Israel, Restoration for Spiritual Israel

Romans 11:1-10

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C. Marvin Pate

... :5; 16:1). The nuance here is that Jesus, the true Davidic king, has been betrayed by his people Israel. Consequently, God has cast a spiritual spell of unbelief upon national Israel that has resulted in the heaping upon them of the covenant curses—subjection to the Roman Empire and spiritual exile from God.3 Theological Insights Several theological insights open to us in Romans 11:1–10. First, salvation is by God’s grace, not human effort. Second, God’s sovereign choice to dull Israel to the things ...

2432. “Weak and Strong” Should Get Along

Romans 14:1--15:13

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C. Marvin Pate

... but the kingdom of God. We saw earlier that Paul taps into the Jesus tradition to speak of the dawning of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is God’s reign in the hearts of his people. He is their king, and they are his subjects. So the kingdom of God involves service to God and others, in this case service to the weak in faith by placing limits on one’s own liberty. This is what pleases God and others (14:18). Paul uses three nouns—“righteousness,” “peace,” and “joy”—to characterize ...

2433. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

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C. Marvin Pate

... that the monarchial episcopate (a bishop presiding over several churches in a region) emerged in the later notion of apostolic succession. It is debated whether or not women served as elders in the early church, though Romans 16:7 may shed light on that subject, as we will see later. 4. In 16:1 Paul uses the word “church” for the first time in Romans. The New Testament word for “church” is ekklēsia, which means “gathering, congregation, assembly.” In classical Greek the term was used almost ...

2434. Marriage, Sexual Intimacy, and Spiritual Devotion

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

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Preben Vang

... . Social distinction mattered for a “good marriage,” and financially and politically helpful arrangements made much sense in Roman Corinth. Gaius, a Roman jurist writing approximately seventy-five to a hundred years later than Paul, states: “In marriage by coemption, women become subject to their husbands by mancipation, that is to say by a kind of fictitious sale; for the man purchases the woman who comes into his hand in the presence of not less than five witnesses, who must be Roman citizens over ...

2435. Imitation and Role Modeling

1 Corinthians 10:23--11:1, 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

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Preben Vang

... people could condemn my faith [10:30] rather than finding it for themselves [10:33]?” 10:31–33 do it all for the glory of God. Paul’s argument has come full circle. Those claiming personal rights must recognize that their personal freedom is subject to the rights of God, who is their patron. Believers remain clients of God, whom they are called to serve in faith (see “Grace and Patronage” in the introduction). Paul’s use of God’s glory (doxa theou) often stresses the salvific nature of God ...

2436. Worship and Proper Attire

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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Preben Vang

... -custom appeal is aimed at those challenging Paul’s argument, letting them and others in the congregation know that they are opposing not only Paul but also a practice common to all God’s assemblies. Theological Insights The Triune God is both the subject and the object of Christian worship. For worship to be Christian, worshipers must focus on revealing the God who has made himself known through Christ. Anything that stands in the way of that points to idolatry. Teaching the Text 1. The problem of ...

2437. The Focus of Christian Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25

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Preben Vang

... to share their gifts must submit to the greater purpose of portraying Christ. Understanding the Text Having dealt generally with the matter of tongue speaking (the exercise of private devotion) in a public gathering, Paul now turns to the more specific subject of how several of the questions he addressed in the previous sections relate to a public worship gathering. Since a primary objective of a Christian worship service is to honor Christ, Christ followers must make sure their gathering bears witness to ...

2438. Resurrection and Transformation (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

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Preben Vang

... . sown is perishable . . . raised imperishable. Paul’s first contrastive pair speaks to the end of decay—biological breakdown. The body that is put in the ground is phthora (“corruptible,” “decomposing”; NIV: “perishable”); what is raised is aphtharsia (“not subject to decay,” “imperishable”). Aging, ailments, and the struggles of flesh and blood will become unknown. sown in dishonor . . . raised in glory. The second pair takes up the issue of honor and shame. What is sown in atimia ...

2439. Message to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13

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J. Scott Duvall

... two brothers who were influential in founding the city: Eumenes II and his younger brother, Attalus II. The younger brother resisted pressure from Rome to turn against his older sibling, earning him the nickname “Philadelphus” (“brotherly love”). Like Sardis, Philadelphia was subject to earthquakes, and in AD 17 the city was devastated by the major quake that hit the region. Because of lingering aftershocks, many of the residents lived outside the city for a time and farmed the fertile volcanic soil ...

2440. The Seventh Trumpet (Third Woe)

Revelation 11:15-19

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J. Scott Duvall

... the glorious presence of God, for which we were created. Illustrating the Text Our hearts long for God to establish his eternal kingdom and reign over creation. Quote: Kingdom Come, by Sam Storms. There are many and considerable disagreements among Christians on the subject of biblical eschatology. But none of them is of sufficient urgency or importance that we who trust and treasure Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior cannot unite in our common cry: Even so, come Lord Jesus!5 We should live faithfully, aware ...

2441. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

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

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J. Scott Duvall

... . 3:4; 6:11; 7:9, 13–14; 19:14; Isa. 61:10) stand in contrast to the purple and scarlet linen worn by the harlot (17:4; 18:12, 16). Beale argues persuasively that the fine linen represents both the righteous acts performed by God’s people (subjective genitive) and God’s righteous acts presented to them (objective genitive) through judging their oppressors.2 Even here, the righteous acts done by the saints come as a result of their redemption by Christ (cf. 22:11; Eph. 2:8–10; Phil. 2:12–13). 19:9 ...

2442. The Final Judgment

Revelation 20:11-15

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J. Scott Duvall

... the dead” signifies the wicked or unrepentant (19:21; 20:5) and reinforces the life/death contrast that runs throughout the entire section. Verses 12–13 should be seen as parallel statements emphasizing the same point: The resurrected saints are not subject to the great white throne judgment because only “the dead” are judged. Destiny judgment for believers occurred at their resurrection on the basis of their genuine faith in Christ’s faithfulness (Eph. 2:8–10: by grace, through faith, to do ...

2443. The New Heaven and New Earth

Revelation 21:1-27

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J. Scott Duvall

... . When positive images appear, they are relational: God as the faithful husband (v. 2), God’s tender hand wiping away tears from our face (v. 4), God giving a drink of water to a parched traveler (v. 6), God, the King, giving the kingdom inheritance not to his subjects but to his children (v. 7). On a clear day, spiritually speaking, when we see God as our very life, we are still looking through a dirty window (1 Cor. 13:12). It’s like seeing a fuzzy, black-and-white photo of a friend compared to seeing ...

2444. Grain Offerings

Leviticus 2:1-16

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... cf. Lev. 23:17) or in conjunction with a fellowship offering (Lev. 7:13). “Honey” (debash) is not limited to bee’s honey but includes other sweets such as date or grape syrup (Deut. 8:8 probably refers to date syrup). Like yeast, honey is subject to fermentation and decay (note mead, a honey wine). Perhaps that is why it is prohibited from the altar. Salt, on the other hand, is a symbol of preservation, used to keep meat from decaying. Accordingly, it is required for grain offerings. It symbolizes the ...

2445. The Sin Offering

Leviticus 4:1--5:13

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... sanctuary itself were not purged, the equilibrium between God and the people would be disrupted and divine wrath would occur. For more details, see “Theological Insights” at Leviticus 16:15–34. Teaching the Text 1. Sin is a pollution that offends God. Sin is a distasteful subject. People do not like to admit that they are sinners. Leviticus 4 reminds us that we are. It deals with the problem of human sin and the need of its cleansing before the holy God. Sin is doing “what is forbidden in any of the ...

2446. Sexual Discharges

Leviticus 15:1-33

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... —at least to me as a man—so are human sin and hypocrisy to God. But the analogy can be pressed further. When people become unclean, they are excluded from the tabernacle, the dwelling place of God. If they ignore these purity rules, they are subject to sudden death (Lev. 15:31). Returning to a state of cleanness so that one can approach God requires cleansing and atonement. Similarly, human sin separates people from God. Sin unaddressed leads to (eternal) death (John 3:16; Rom. 6:23; 2 Pet. 3:9 ...

2447. The Day of Atonement: Preparation

Leviticus 16:1-34

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... humbling himself, and he must offer a bull as a sin offering to purify the sanctuary of his personal impurities (vv. 6–14). Only then can he conduct the main ritual, involving the goats. All human beings, including the holy high priest, are subject to contamination by sin and impurity. He cannot offer purification rites for Israel until he does so for himself. The writer of Hebrews uses this ritual to show the superiority of Christ’s priesthood. Aaron, as a sinner, must sacrifice for himself before ...

2448. Living by God’s Sexual Standards

Leviticus 18:1-30

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... . He discovered that an otherwise rational person could be induced to provide wrong answers to questions if all the other participants, at the instruction of the examiner, provided the wrong answer. His experiments showed that more than a third of people subjected to this experience would cave to peer pressure rather than providing the obviously correct response. We must beware of the powerful pull of the crowd. We must be prepared to speak the truth in love. Scenario: What if a doctor valued patients ...

2449. Lamps, Cakes, and the Blasphemer

Lev 24:1-23

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... overlaid with gold (Lev. 24:6) were found in the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb. Gold was befitting of royalty, in Israel’s case their divine King. Stoning (Lev. 24:14) was a special kind of punishment. Whereas simple homicide is subject to execution by the sword, stoning is sanctioned for cases of a different sort: worship of a foreign god, rebellious and disobedient sons, newly wed brides found not to be virgins, child sacrifice, sorcery, necromancy, blasphemy against Yahweh’s name, violation ...

2450. Impurity, Repentance, and Jealousy

Num 5:1-31

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Joe M. Sprinkle

... seized lying with another male, she shall swear (to her innocence by) an oath by the god, and return to her house” (Laws of Hammurabi 131).1If the person taking the oath swore falsely, he or she was under a self-curse and subject to punishment from the deity. Interpretive Insights 5:2 send away from the camp. Anyone contracting serious ceremonial uncleanness is to move away from the sanctuary (see v. 3). defiling skin disease. Traditionally, “leprosy.” See Leviticus 13–14. discharge of any kind ...

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