Sermon Central
-
Someone Named J. R. Illingworth Once Said, ...
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008 (message contributor)
Someone named J. R. Illingworth once said, "Prayer has been defined to be a wish referred to God; and, if we could keep this thought before us, it would help us to acquire the habit of prayer by making us refer each wish, as it comes into our minds, to God, for His assistance in furtherance or frustration."
The late great German-American theologian, philosopher, and Christian existentialist, Paul Johannes Tillich (1886 - 1965), once said, "The church is potentially a powerful body with a necessary arsenal at its disposal to change the moral character of the world. The fact that it is not doing so causes us to be painfully aware that its potential is not being realized. That which is possible is not being produced, for while possessing the dynamite of the Gospel, the church has lost the detonator (explosiveness). As a result of this inaction, the church that the world sees is weak, timid, divided, and crawling instead of flying. While it has material resources to convert the world, it is restricted by its stinginess and narrowness of vision."
I am totally convinced that the "detonator" that Paul Johannes Tillich refers to is a lack of prayer on the part of Almighty God’s people for His church - the "Body of Christ!"
(from a sermon by George Dillahunty, "Prayer-A Top Priority!" 7/5/08, SermonCentral.com)
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
John Was A Very Lonely, Wealthy Old Man. He Had ... PRO
Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jun 20, 2005
John was a very lonely, wealthy old man. He had worked hard all his life and built a great business and made loads of money. But, he was all alone. One Sunday evening as he was talking a walk to clear his head, he was drawn to a church where he heard wonderful, joyous music. It was a spiritual ...read more
-
A Wealthy Man Was Taking A Cruise When Suddenly ... PRO
Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jun 20, 2005
A wealthy man was taking a cruise when suddenly the announcement came that the ship was sinking. The man took his sack of gold coins around his waist and jumped overboard trying to swim to safety. Unfortunately, the weight of the coins ...read more
-
People Refuse To Believe That Which They Don't ...
Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Oct 18, 2004
People refuse to believe that which they don’t want to believe, in spite of evidence. When explorers first went to Australia they found a mammal which laid eggs; spent some time in water, some on land; had a broad, flat tail, webbed feet, and a bill similar to a duck. Upon their return to England, ...read more
-
Mamie Adams Always Went To A Branch Post Office ... PRO
Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Oct 18, 2004
Mamie Adams always went to a branch post office in her town because the postal employees there were friendly. She went there to buy stamps just before Christmas one year and the lines were particularly long. Someone pointed out that there was no need to wait in line because there was a stamp ...read more
-
Recently Kgo Talk Radio In San Francisco ... PRO
Contributed by Dr. Randy Croft on Jul 5, 2004
Recently KGO talk radio in San Francisco conducted a call-in poll. Ronn Owens invited listeners to express their opinion. Thirty-five percent said yes, 33 percent said no and 32 percent were undecided. One listener, aghast at the large number of undecideds, protested, "It’s this sort of apathy ...read more
Related Sermons
-
God Will Fix It For You
Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 7, 2017
Using Psalm 107, this sermon explores how God's love is expressed to us in the context of our troubles in life; then, how worship is birthed in our hearts out of these experiences.
-
Set Your Mind On The Lord Series
Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 25, 2017
in Ps 16:8 David said, “I have set the LORD always before me….” Sermon encourages Christians to practice the presence of God in their daily lives and give some instruction on how to do that.
-
Pray For One Another Series
Contributed by David Owens on Dec 1, 2009
Praying for one another fervently and faithfully is our privilege and responsibility.
-
Pray!!! Series
Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 4, 2017
Prayer is easy to neglect due to pressing cares and responsibilities of life. However, prayer is our lifeline to heaven for the resources to effectively discharge those responsibilities and live in the strength of the Holy Spirit.
-
Pentecostal Promises
Contributed by Ernie Arnold on May 18, 2017
Holy Spirit - Pentecost Sunday - The Fulfillment of God's Promise-The Coming of the Holy Spirit! The Power of God's Promise - The Infilling of the Holy Spirit! The Proclamation of God's Promise - New Life through the Holy Spirit
