Sermons on Empty Ritual: showing 766-780 of 34,597

"Open Eyes And Believing Hearts" Series

Contributed by Marilyn Murphree on Apr 14, 2003

What starts the process of seeing eyes and believing hearts?

Easter Sunday Iliff and Saltillo United Methodist Churches April 23, 2000 “Open Eyes and Believing Hearts” John 20:1-18 INTRODUCTION: ILLUSTRATION: If you were asked to describe this Easter without using any words--just using only punctuation marks, what punctuation mark would you choose? ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Denomination: Methodist

False Faith/Counterfeit Christianity

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Oct 15, 2005

Simon the sorcerer is an illustration of Counterfeit Christianity or false faith. It begins with a false self perception, and foolish pride. Trying to show folks that the rituals we use in the church do not save, instead it is the life changing presence

Intro: Online Encyclopedia, Wikipedia this to say about Counterfits “Today the finest counterfeit banknotes are claimed to be U.S. dollar bills produced in North Korea, which are used to finance the North Korean government, among other uses. The fake North Korean copies are called Superdollars ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:9-25

Denomination: Baptist

Even The Religious Person Cannot Escape

Contributed by Paul Apple on Oct 18, 2000

EVEN THE MOST RELIGIOUS PERSON (DEVOUT JEW) CANNOT ESCAPE GOD'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT--TRUE SPIRITUALITY IS MUCH MORE THAN POSSESSING RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES AND PRACTICING RELIGIOUS RITUALS 1.

EVEN THE MOST RELIGIOUS PERSON (DEVOUT JEW) CANNOT ESCAPE GOD'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT--TRUE SPIRITUALITY IS MUCH MORE THAN POSSESSING RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES AND PRACTICING RELIGIOUS RITUALS 1. True Spirituality is much more than Possessing Religious Privileges (:17-24) a. Religious Privileges can ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:17-29

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Priority Of Justice And Righteousness

Contributed by Leonard Davis on May 29, 2009

The failure of Israel to make a connection between their religion rituals and their daily lives should serve as a warning for us in the church today that justice and righteousness are still priorities with God and judgment results with these are absent.

THE PRIORITY OF JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS Every now and then we come across stories that are both humorous and sad. During World War II in the Pacific Theater our forces set up a base on the island of New Guinea. We built an airport with runways, a tower, lights along the runways, and the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Paul's Focus: Souls Won Not How It's Done Series

Contributed by Bobby Stults on Jul 20, 2014

Paul did NOT believe we should stand on ceremony or ritual when it comes to sharing Christ, but that we should have an attitude of being willing to do ANYTHING to win people to Christ!

Sermon Brief Date Written: July 17, 2014 Date Preached: July 20, 2014 Where Preached: OPBC (AM) Sermon Details: Series Title: A Series in 1 Corinthians Sermon Title: Paul’s FOCUS –Souls Won not How it is done Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 [NLT] 19Even though I am a free ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Denomination: Baptist

Occupying In Prayer And Warfare Series

Contributed by Tesh Njokanma on Apr 27, 2018

Prayer is not a mere routine or ritual. Prayer is actually a spiritual confrontation with the kingdom of darkness. When we pray, we are wrestling; we are engaging in a fight, a battle or warfare with forces and powers of darkness.

Introduction In Luke 19:13, the King of Glory gave us a guideline to follow until Christ returns. This verse tells us what to engage in or spend our time on until we meet with the Lord. We are told to occupy till Jesus comes, to put what God has given us to work, to make profitable divine ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

All My Family Needs Is Church Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 31, 2010

God asks us to build a Memorial to His Word... but is yours a memorial to a living God or a dead faith?

OPEN: During the 1600’s there was an Emperor in India by the name of Shah Jahan (the 5th Emperor during the Mughal Dynasty) and he was believed to have been descended from Tamerlane and Genghis Khan Some time during his reign, a rebel group in the southern portion of India sought to reject his ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Covenant Series

Contributed by Patrick Mead on Feb 20, 2006

The Covenant

The Covenant Genesis 17:1-27 Introduction An overriding theme throughout the scriptures is that of covenant. The term covenant, as it is used in the Bible, describes how God relates to man. The theme of covenant runs from the Genesis to Revelation. In fact, one could say that at the heart ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 17:1-27

Denomination: Baptist

Living Beyond Yourself

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 17, 2004

The widow of 2 Kings 4 found herself with empty vessels but great opportunity, she just did not know it in the beginning.

2 Kings 4:1-7 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her, What ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Denomination: Pentecostal

Whose Son Are You Like?

Contributed by Timm Meyer on Oct 10, 2004

PENTECOST 19(A)- Whose son are you like -- like the one son with empty words or like the son with repentance?

WHICH SON ARE YOU LIKE? - October 10, 2004 - Pentecost 19 MATTHEW 21:28-32 28"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, `Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29" `I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30"Then the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-32

Denomination: Lutheran

Come And See

Contributed by Kyle Meador on Nov 28, 2000

This is the invitation of the post-modern church to a world hungry to experience something and somone beyond the empty promises of this world - Come and See!

“Come and See” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-42

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Easter Sermon With Surprise Ending

Contributed by Spencer Homan on Nov 19, 2009

This sermon has a little fun with the "short" ending of Mark. We stand at the empty tomb... and it is up to us to finish the story.

The Lady or the Lion By Frank Stockton (edited and revised) In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king, whose ideas were indeed semi-barbaric. The king had a daughter, beautiful and fair… the envy of every woman in the nation. She could have any man in the kingdom… but her heart ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-8

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Faith And Works

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Dec 31, 2013

The practical faith of Rahab stands in contrast to the platitudes of the person who sent the hungry empty away, and failed to clothe the naked.

FAITH AND WORKS. James 2:14-26. A person is making what seems to be a credible claim to “faith” - but (as yet) there is no evidence in their lives of their allegiance to Jesus Christ. They seem to have all the right words, but (so far) “works” are lacking. James 2:14. What is the profit in the ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tekel: You Have Been Weighed

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 27, 2017

There is a hole in your heart? Have you ever dreaded facing the scales? how shall we fill this loneliness and emptiness?

TEKEL? CAN WE READ THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL? WHEN I AM IN THE HOLE OF DARKNESS? By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com I take a scale and lay it before the altar? THE WEIGH IN ALWAYS OCCURS BEFORE THE FIGHT. WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THIS HOLE IN MY HEART? Matthew 12:44 Then he saith, I ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 5:5-23, Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Crisis Of Christian Identity Theft

Contributed by Dr. Craig Nelson on Oct 9, 2020

People who feel a deep emptiness or a great deal of self-doubt can also feel as if their identity is being stolen

I have always been a 'car guy.' I have had a serious interest in them for as long as I can remember. I also worked in the Automobile Industry and wrenched on so many vehicles I owned over the years that I have lost count. Countless years ago, when I was a teenager, I had a car that was ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 17:9, John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 3:12-14, 1 Corinthians 13:11-12  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational