Sermons on Empty Ritual:

Lost At The Bottom Of The Well

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 21, 2008

Only Christ can fill our inner emptiness.

LOST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL John 4:4-14 (NIV) 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was ...read more

Scripture: John 4:4-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

What The Lord Requires

Contributed by Brian Gordon on Nov 7, 2011

What we learn from the empty religion of the Israelites

I. Introduction A. If you’ve ever taken any time to study the Bible (particularly the Old Testament) you may have noticed that it is not written in chronological order. a. Sometimes that makes Bible Study a little difficult, because it takes a little work to put what you are reading in the ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:1-8

Denomination: Methodist

Gideon’s Guerrillas: A Few Good Men Or One Good Lord? Series

Contributed by Daniel Habben on Sep 27, 2010

God empties us before he fills us.

The 2007 movie 300 was loosely based on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. On a thin strip of land between the mountains and the ocean, 7,000 Greeks led by King Leonidas of Sparta and his 300 crack troops temporarily held off the Persian army and their hundreds of thousands of soldiers (some ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Theology Matters Series

Contributed by Keith Foskey on Apr 15, 2014

The Theology of the Empty Tomb is Foundational to All Christian Theology

Resurrection Sunday 2014 “Theology Matters” 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 QUOTE: RC Sproul “Theology is the queen of the sciences and all other disciplines are her handmaidens.” Throughout history, some of the greatest minds have devoted themselves to the study of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Risen Savior

Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on May 2, 2019

Easter Morning message. Come experience the empty tomb

The risen Savior Easter 2019 Luke 24:1-12 Prayer- Father, on this day of celebration, I am praying that we not forget what you have done for us. May we not miss your resurrection as a way for each of us to experience our own resurrection and freedom from sin and from death. Today would you speak ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12

Denomination: Nazarene

Laboring For The Lord

Contributed by Brian Bill on Sep 5, 2015

Unless our labor is for the Lord our lives will be empty.

Laboring for the Lord Psalm 127 Rev. Brian Bill September 5-6, 2015 With six NBA titles, five MVPs, ten scoring titles, 14 All-Star appearances, and many stellar last-second shots, Michael Jordan’s legacy on the basketball court is unmatched. According to a post by Matt Smethurst called Do ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

"get Up Out Of That Grave" Series

Contributed by Perry Fowler on Mar 28, 2024

What's exciting about the empty tomb?

Last Christmas, our family decided to do something different. We decided to take a vacation together in Orlando. A few of us are runners and my Son wanted to run one of the Disney series of races so we went to Disney, camped out in Ft. Wilderness and had a “running vacation.” I chose to do the ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

An Incomplete Job

Contributed by Tim Patrick on Oct 16, 2006

This sermon encourages listeners to move beyond shallow religious ritualism and to allow God to touch the inner man and deal with the sin in the heart.

Introduction: (To introduce this sermon I played a short video clip showing a man washing his truck. The truck is parked in front of a house in the driveway. As you watch the video the man is meticulous in his washing. He covers every inch of the truck. He polishes the chrome. He washes every wheel ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 7:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Faith On Autopilot – Going Through The Motions Without Heart Series

Contributed by Dr. John D. Wentworth on Sep 27, 2025

There’s comfort in routine. Singing the same hymns, praying the same prayers, sitting in the same pew each Sunday—it all feels safe. But these familiar patterns can lull us into a dangerous place: performing religion instead of pursuing Jesus.

Title: Faith on Autopilot – Going Through the Motions Without Heart Text: Matt. 15:8-9 ‘This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ “When routine replaces relationship” Introduction: “When faith ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:8-9

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Up From The Grave He Arose

Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Apr 19, 2012

Easter celebration! Alot of people witnessed the empty tomb, but not all had a life changing experience from it. What does the empty tomb show you?

Up from the grave He arose Matthew 28:1-10 Introduction- Matthew 28:1-10- (Have them stand for the reading of the Word) We have all watched on TV the devastation of tornadoes in Texas. You see tractor trailers flying through the air like toys. You see it on TV, but have a hard time grasping the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Denomination: Nazarene

Love God, Love Others Series

Contributed by Dan Brown on Nov 22, 2006

Part 2 of the series introducing our mission and vision to the church-

Mt. 22:34-40-A Passionate People Intro: Review Mission & vision A community of believers committed to Christ’s Call Love God, Love Others Impact our Commuity through relevant ministry Family of God-minister to the entire family of God Every member a minister Groups-small group ministry Always ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:34-40

Denomination: *other

The Life Of Faith Series

Contributed by Mike Fogerson on Nov 11, 2014

Jesus is superior to anyone/anything in the Old Testament. He is the fulfillment of all the rituals, symbols & prophecies found there.

Hebrews Sermon Series #15 June, 18, 2014 The Life of Faith A Jesus is superior to anyone/anything in the Old Testament. 1 He is the fulfillment of all the rituals, symbols & prophecies found there. a Hebrews 10:37-38 (NKJV) 37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:37-38

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus Welcomes The Goyim Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 21, 2025

The ritual and judicial commands of Torah encumber us. But we are not encumbered by the Ten Commandments--those words are for all humans

Sixth Sunday of Easter 2025 I suppose if the church at Antioch were magically transported to the twenty-first century, Paul and Barnabas and some of the other Christian leaders might have been accused of anti-Semitism. That’s nonsense, of course, but it is true that when some Jewish Christians ...read more

Scripture: John 14:23-29, Revelation 21:10-14, Revelation 21:22-23, Psalm 67:2-3, Psalm 67:5-6, Acts 15:1-2, Acts 15:22-29  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Why It's So Easy To Shift From Honoring God To Mocking Him

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 22, 2013

A look at the mock "worship" that the soldiers give Jesus and five ways we too often mock Him in our everyday Christian lives.

THE SOLDIERS' MOCKERY: The soldiers’ “worship” was a mockery because their actions and words didn’t match their heart. - Mark 15:16-20. - It’s interesting when you dig down into the passages just how much they mimic a worship experience in their mockery of Jesus: a. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:16-20

Denomination: Baptist

Warfare Prayer And Fasting Series

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Jul 16, 2025

Prayer and fasting are not passive religious rituals; they are mighty weapons in God’s arsenal to demolish strongholds and advance His Kingdom in the unseen realm

Warfare Prayer and Fasting July 20, 2025 Dr. Bradford Reaves Crossway Christian Fellowship Matthew 17:21, James 5:13-18, Ephesians 6:10-20 Introduction Prayer and fasting are not passive religious rituals; they are mighty weapons in God’s arsenal to demolish strongholds and advance His Kingdom ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:21, James 5:13-18, Ephesians 6:10-20

Denomination: Brethren