Sermon and Worship Resources

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... tenure that Yahwism sanctioned for the sake of equity among the whole population and unscrupulously using Israel’s own legal rules (regarding witnesses and capital crimes) to pervert Yahweh’s justice for their own ends (1 Kgs. 21). If that ... Rom. 7:7). James recognized the insidious and far-reaching effects of covetousness in producing behavior that breaks the other commandments (Jas. 4:1ff.). So serious, indeed, is covetousness in its stranglehold on human minds and intentions that Paul twice equated it ...

2. Solomon's Adversaries

1 Kings 11:14-25

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... on the throne, God must forgive; a throne must be restored upon which he may sit; and a people must be reconstituted over which he may rule. The idea of an eternal throne for the son of David is, of course, very much an idea that the NT picks up and develops. Here ... and empty philosophy, if not as outright apostasy and “freedom” from God’s law (e.g., Rom. 1:21–25; Col. 2:8; Jas. 3:13–18). And there is a very strong line of thought running throughout the NT that concerns the inability of the “wise ...

3. Jeroboam Rebels Against Solomon

1 Kings 11:26-40

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... on the throne, God must forgive; a throne must be restored upon which he may sit; and a people must be reconstituted over which he may rule. The idea of an eternal throne for the son of David is, of course, very much an idea that the NT picks up and develops. Here ... and empty philosophy, if not as outright apostasy and “freedom” from God’s law (e.g., Rom. 1:21–25; Col. 2:8; Jas. 3:13–18). And there is a very strong line of thought running throughout the NT that concerns the inability of the “wise ...

4. Solomon's Death

1 Kings 11:41-43

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... on the throne, God must forgive; a throne must be restored upon which he may sit; and a people must be reconstituted over which he may rule. The idea of an eternal throne for the son of David is, of course, very much an idea that the NT picks up and develops. Here ... and empty philosophy, if not as outright apostasy and “freedom” from God’s law (e.g., Rom. 1:21–25; Col. 2:8; Jas. 3:13–18). And there is a very strong line of thought running throughout the NT that concerns the inability of the “wise ...

5. Freedom In Christ

Galatians 5:1-15, Galatians 5:16-26

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... extant texts tell us, the ancient world sought freedom within the law rather than freedom as the opposite of law. Judaism thought of law abiding as the road to freedom, as did Jewish Christianity (cf. Jas. 1:25; 2:8–13). This was also true of non-Jewish ancients. Aristotle wrote: “it is preferable for the law to rule than any one of the citizens” (Pol. 3.11.2 [Rackham, LCL]); and “the law is wisdom without desire” (Pol. 3.11.5; ibid.). Freedom was to be found in the context of law. Dio Chrysostom ...

6. Miscellaneous Laws

Deut 23:15–25:19

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... fail to pay workers properly (Jer. 22:13f.; Isa. 58:3b), and a NT apostle can do the same with equal vehemence (Jas. 5:4). The moral force and necessity of the OT’s laws on workers’ rights is undiminished today. It is not only ... in general. The GNB is thus close to the breadth of the phrase in translating, “Do not deprive foreigners and orphans of their rights.” The rules that follow are thus a matter of rights, not charity. In God’s sight, a widow has a right not to be robbed of essential clothing ...

7. Let Us Love One Another

2 John 1:1-13

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... generally, for an authoritative teacher and leader, usually, though not always (1 Pet. 5:1), distinguished from an apostle (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22–23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; Jas. 5:14). Since he was well known to his readers, he did not need to use his name. The elder’s loving yet commanding tone reveals him as the ruling teacher of a region which included many congregations or house churches. He sent his emissaries to visit them (3 John 5–10), and he himself planned to do so (2 John 12, 3 John ...

8. The Only Place of Worship

Deuteronomy 12:1-32

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... consign the majority of the population to a vegetarian diet supplemented by game birds or animals caught by hunting. Thus, the rules laid down here allow animals from the herds and flocks (v. 21—i.e., animals eligible for sacrifice) to be slaughtered ... not only in the practice of the NT church but also in the sharp words of Paul (1 Cor. 11:17–22) and of James (Jas. 2). Additional Notes The comparison McConville draws between Deut. 12 and Deut. 7 is as follows. 12:1–4 – Command to destroy the peoples ...

9. Who is That Crouching at Your Door?

Genesis 4:1-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“If thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.” — Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Envy is perhaps the deepest root of all evils. Envy is the desire to have what someone else has, to be like someone else, to be given what someone else has received, to obtain what one perceives one deserves. Envy is the opposite of satisfaction in and surrender to God. And it’s at the core of human nature. It’s stimulated by the eye, and desires of the gaze. The gaze here is not the feminist concept of ...

10. Marketplace Christianity

John 2:13-22

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Do you employ a “market mentality” or a “relational mentality”? What does this mean? Put simply, a market mentality sees things in terms of transactions and commodities, resources, and dispensability. A relational mentality however sees things in terms of developing partnerships, relationships, long-term collaborations that benefit both parties and share a vision. The former can easily fluctuate. The latter, however, requires time and effort to develop and cultivates trust, loyalty, and commitment over ...

11. Walking in the Light

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... to the sin problem. Confession was likely not only in private to God but publicly to the community (cf. Matt. 3:6; Acts 19:18; Jas. 5:16; and Didache 4:14 and 14:1, an early Christian document written about the same time as the letters of John). There are ( ... found in a form closest to the Gospel and letters of John in the Manual of Discipline (or Community Rule, 1QS) and the War Scroll (or War Rule, 1QM) of the Dead Sea Scrolls. See G. Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1975 ...

12. Jehoahaz King of Judah

2 Kings 23:31-35

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... rulers govern for hardly any time at all (“three months,” 23:31; 24:8). The kings with whom foreign powers replace them rule for only a little longer (eleven years, 23:36; 24:18), before they rebel (Hb. mrḏ, vv. 1, 20) and bring disaster. Jehoiachin ... Luke 21:34–36; John 14:13–14; Acts 4:23–31; 16:25–34; Rom. 15:30–33; Eph. 6:10–18; Phil. 4:6–7; Jas. 5:13–16). They remind us of the importance of ongoing reform in worship, of the importance of ensuring that God alone is the focus of ...

13. Walking in the Light and the Problem of Sin

1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 1:5--2:14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... to the sin problem. Confession was likely not only in private to God but publicly to the community (cf. Matt. 3:6; Acts 19:18; Jas. 5:16; and Didache 4:14 and 14:1, an early Christian document written about the same time as the letters of John). There are ( ... found in a form closest to the Gospel and letters of John in the Manual of Discipline (or Community Rule, 1QS) and the War Scroll (or War Rule, 1QM) of the Dead Sea Scrolls. See G. Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1975 ...

14. Jehoiakim King of Judah

2 Kings 23:36--24:7

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... rulers govern for hardly any time at all (“three months,” 23:31; 24:8). The kings with whom foreign powers replace them rule for only a little longer (eleven years, 23:36; 24:18), before they rebel (Hb. mrḏ, vv. 1, 20) and bring disaster. Jehoiachin ... Luke 21:34–36; John 14:13–14; Acts 4:23–31; 16:25–34; Rom. 15:30–33; Eph. 6:10–18; Phil. 4:6–7; Jas. 5:13–16). They remind us of the importance of ongoing reform in worship, of the importance of ensuring that God alone is the focus of ...

15. Jehoiachin King of Judah

2 Kings 24:8-17

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... rulers govern for hardly any time at all (“three months,” 23:31; 24:8). The kings with whom foreign powers replace them rule for only a little longer (eleven years, 23:36; 24:18), before they rebel (Hb. mrḏ, vv. 1, 20) and bring disaster. Jehoiachin ... Luke 21:34–36; John 14:13–14; Acts 4:23–31; 16:25–34; Rom. 15:30–33; Eph. 6:10–18; Phil. 4:6–7; Jas. 5:13–16). They remind us of the importance of ongoing reform in worship, of the importance of ensuring that God alone is the focus of ...

16. Zedekiah King of Judah

2 Kings 24:18-20a

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... rulers govern for hardly any time at all (“three months,” 23:31; 24:8). The kings with whom foreign powers replace them rule for only a little longer (eleven years, 23:36; 24:18), before they rebel (Hb. mrḏ, vv. 1, 20) and bring disaster. Jehoiachin ... Luke 21:34–36; John 14:13–14; Acts 4:23–31; 16:25–34; Rom. 15:30–33; Eph. 6:10–18; Phil. 4:6–7; Jas. 5:13–16). They remind us of the importance of ongoing reform in worship, of the importance of ensuring that God alone is the focus of ...

17. The Fall of Jerusalem

2 Kings 24:20b--25:26

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... rulers govern for hardly any time at all (“three months,” 23:31; 24:8). The kings with whom foreign powers replace them rule for only a little longer (eleven years, 23:36; 24:18), before they rebel (Hb. mrḏ, vv. 1, 20) and bring disaster. Jehoiachin ... Luke 21:34–36; John 14:13–14; Acts 4:23–31; 16:25–34; Rom. 15:30–33; Eph. 6:10–18; Phil. 4:6–7; Jas. 5:13–16). They remind us of the importance of ongoing reform in worship, of the importance of ensuring that God alone is the focus of ...

18. Put Your Best Foot Forward

Isaiah 52:7

Sermon

James Merritt

... Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." Rev. 12:5 – "And she bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and to His throne." Rev. 15:4 – "Who shall not fear ... the laborers are few…" (Matt. 9:37) "…the night is coming…" (John 9:4) "…the coming of the Lord is at hand." (Jas. 5:8) I was reading the other day about skydiving, and I came across an interesting phenomenon about skydiving called "ground rush." When ...

19. Paul’s Second Visit to the Jerusalem Church

Galatians 2:1-10

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English [New York: Penguin, 1984], p. 117). See also Commentary on Habakkuk 12.3, 6, 10; Rule of the Blessings 5.21. The Jerusalem Jewish Christians may have been appropriating for themselves such a connection between poverty and ... holiness. There is evidence elsewhere within Jewish Christianity for regarding the poor as those who are closest to the kingdom of God (Jas. 2:5). And in speaking of his collection project (see Rom. 15:25–27; 1 Cor. 16:1–4), Paul refers to ...

20. The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

Most people have some awareness of the Ten Commandments as a set of rules or laws but are less familiar with the significance of their relational context. Interpreters have also ... is replete with admonitions against the wrongful and destructive use of the tongue. The NT carries this trajectory forward, reinforcing the necessity of telling the truth in every case (Jas. 3:1–18; 4:11–12; 1 Pet. 3:10). 20:17 The tenth commandment is, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your ...

21. Assured by the Certainties of Faith

1 John 5:13-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... for us. This is the uniform testimony of the New Testament (e.g., Matt. 7:7; 18:19; 21:22; John 14:13–14; 15:7; 16:23–24; Jas. 1:5–8; 4:2–3; 5:16b; 1 John 3:22). 5:16 The theme of prayer continues in vv. 16–17, but now the author treats a ... the reflexive pronoun; see Metzger, Commentary, p. 619). The practice of sin as a way of life (hamartanei, present tense) is ruled out, because the Son of God protects Christians or keeps them safe. That is, as the remainder of the verse explains, Christ ...

22. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... early Christianity as a title for authoritative leaders and teachers (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; Jas. 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1, 5). No further name was necessary since his readers already knew his identity well, as the tradition-bearer who connected ... controversy in which the Johannine literature was written. It also points to the Fourth Gospel’s Jewish setting in which rules about valid testimony were an important issue (cf. John 5:31–40; 8:12–18). Additional Notes 11 This verse ...

23. An Unholy History

Ezekiel 20:1-29, Ezekiel 20:30-49

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... for this reason Gehenna (that is, the valley of Hinnom) becomes another name for hell (see Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:34, and Jas. 3:6). Isaac, after all, was not slain (though Abraham’s willingness to carry out this act is seen as evidence of his ... But what you have in mind will never happen, the Lord declares (v. 32). God swears that God will take them out of the nations, and rule over them, whether they like it or not. This exodus has judgment as its object: “I will bring you into the desert of the nations ...

24. Job's Reply to Bildad

Job 9:1–10:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... verdict. Contrary to our traditional western image of a goddess of justice who is blindfolded in order to be able to rule without prejudice, Job’s blindfolds render the magistrates incapable of seeing the truth of the matter. As God mocks the innocent ... surrounding the fall of Jericho and who becomes the ancestor of David (Josh. 2:1, 3; 6:17, 23, 25; Matt. 1:5; Heb. 11:31; Jas. 2:25). 9:21 I have no concern for myself. See the discussion in Clines, Job 1–20, p. 237, who opts for the translation, “I do ...

25. Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

2 Kings 2:1-18

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... 15–17). In this case it is not land that he has in mind, but spirit, for Elisha has already left normal life and normal rules of inheritance behind (cf. 1 Kgs. 19:19–21). Elijah promises that Elisha will indeed receive this gift if he sees his departure—which Elisha ... . 11:1ff.; the remnant theme will remain an important one throughout Kings); or about faith (Heb. 11:32–39); or about prayer (Jas. 5:13–18). On the basis of my own reading of the Elijah story, I may also suggest that there are things to ...