Sermon Central
-
A Minor Detail, A Major Distraction
Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011 (message contributor)
A MINOR DETAIL, A MAJOR DISTRACTION
Anything that hinders the worship of God incites the anger of God, and should be abandoned immediately.
"It was a majestic evening. On Friday, October 18th, 1991, the world-class Chicago Symphony presented the final concert in its year-long celebration of the symphony's one hundredth year. For the first time in United States symphony history, the present conductor and two former conductors of an orchestra stood on the same stage...At a centenary celebration dinner before the concert, patrons had received souvenir clocks as gifts. As Daniel Barenboim sat down at the piano and Georg Solti lifted his baton to begin Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, a great sense of drama filled Chicago's historic Orchestra Hall. And the beauty of the music took over.
"A few minutes later, however, at 9:15 PM, the music began to unravel. Out in the auditorium a little beep sounded. Then another, and another. Little beeps were sounding everywhere. Barenboim and the symphony plowed ahead, but everyone was distracted and the music suffered.
"Finally, after the first movement ended, Henry Fogel, the executive director of the symphony, walked on stage to explain what happened. The manufacturer of the souvenir clocks presented at the pre-concert dinner had set the alarms to go off at 9:15.
"Now there was only one way to get on with the concert. Fogel asked everyone who had one of the clocks to check them in with an usher."
Trivial things have terrible power to disrupt what is important. And this is what was happening there in the Temple. Something that was seemingly a common-day occurrence had become a major distraction to worship for those in the court of the Gentiles.
(From a sermon by Eric Lenhart, Monday -- "Jesus Clears the Temple" 8/13/2010)
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
(Seinfeld Re-Run)jerry Was Asking ...
Contributed by David Kirkner on Aug 22, 2005
Illustration: (Seinfeld re-run)Jerry was asking George if he told his female friend the truth when he (George) was describing himself (George) to the girl. George responded: "Yes, I did" and Jerry replied "As you see it" ... Later in the diner Jerry was leaving to tell his female friend some ...read more
-
A.b. Simpson Says In His Book "A Larger Than ... PRO
Contributed by Richard Wafford on Apr 13, 2005
A.B. Simpson says in his book "A Larger than Christian life" and I quote: “It is all connected with a living person. We are not filled with an influence; we are not filled with a sensation; we are not filled with a set of ideas and truths; we are not filled with a blessing, but we are filled with a ...read more
-
President Nixon Once Told About Talking To ...
Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Nov 8, 2004
President Nixon once told about talking to Winston Churchill’s son; he told him how much he admired the prime minister’s great ability at giving “extemporaneous” speeches. Churchill’s son replied, “Oh, yes. I’ve watched my father work for hours preparing those ...read more
-
A.w Tozer: "Faith Is The Gaze Of The Heart At ...
Contributed by Richard Wafford on Apr 13, 2005
A.W Tozer: "faith is the gaze of the heart at God it is but the raising of our inward eyes to ...read more
Related Sermons
-
True Worship, A Call To Worship
Contributed by Horace Wimpey on Apr 25, 2013
In Nehemiah 8, we see true worship by the people. We see a longing for God's word; Listening to God's word and we see that we must let God speak to us through His word.
-
The Shortest Chapter
Contributed by Davon Huss on May 21, 2007
A sermon on Psalm 117. (Outline based on K. Edward Skidmore’s sermon "Who, What , and Why" on Sermon Central. Took the outline and used different material under the main points)
-
A Consuming Fire
Contributed by Chris Surber on Aug 22, 2010
God has called us to a life of accountability and worship.
-
What Is Man? Series
Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 7, 2012
Psalm 8 asks a probing question and indirectly answers some basic ones -- Who Am I?; Why Am I Here?; Who Is God?
-
The God Of Awe And Wonder Part 4 Worship Series
Contributed by C Vincent on Apr 6, 2010
Last in the series on worship in the church
