Sermons on Empty Ritual:

Christmas Beyond The Manger - Why The Birth Of Jesus Was A Divine Invasion, Not A Holiday Tradition

Contributed by Joseph Ondu on Dec 14, 2025

Christmas is far more than a tradition. It is the declaration that God has not abandoned humanity. It is the announcement that darkness does not have the final word. It is the proof that love is stronger than sin and life is stronger than death.

CHRISTMAS BEYOND THE MANGER Why the Birth of Jesus Was a Divine Invasion, Not a Holiday Tradition Introduction For many people, Christmas has become a familiar scene. A manger, soft music, decorations, gifts, and warm family moments. While these are not wrong, they can easily reduce one of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Fire Of The Holy Spirit Series

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on May 23, 2025

In Scripture, fire symbolises God's power to cleanse, consume, and empower. Just as physical fire burns away impurities and provides warmth and light, so also the fire of the Holy Spirit purifies our hearts, energises our spiritual lives, and sets us ablaze for service.

THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: Matthew 3:11 Supporting Texts: Acts 2:1-4, Luke 24:32, Leviticus 6:12-13, Hebrews 12:29, 1 Kings 18:38 INTRODUCTION: The ministry of the Holy Spirit is often associated with symbols such as wind, water, oil, and fire. Among these, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:1-4, Luke 24:32, Leviticus 6:12-13

Denomination: Assembly Of God

He's Not A Baby Anymore!

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 15, 2001

The manger is empty as well as the grave. We are not dealing with a child.

He’s Not A Baby Anymore! We are in the season where everybody gets all mushy. Maybe it is because a baby in a manger brings out the paternal instincts in people. Maybe it is because a baby is not threatening. There is something about the Christ child that gets more attention than the day we ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

First Rock From The Sun

Contributed by Randy Croft on Mar 28, 2005

Because the tomb is empty, our lives can be full.

First Rock from the Son A few years ago, NBC launched a hit television show—a Though you’ll only find it on reruns today, in its heyday, it won the most Emmy Awards for a television series in 1997. It’s about a group of explorers that came to the third rock from the Sun (earth). Here they take ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"The Promise"

Contributed by David Washburn on Dec 29, 2002

To what do we cling, now that the manger is empty?

Christmas Day has past, and it is now four days later. Had Mary been able to give birth to her son in a hospital, she would’ve already been discharged, probably sometime on Friday. She and Joseph would’ve checked out of the hospital and gone home. As such, the manger is now empty, much like the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:10-11

Denomination: Baptist

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

Spiritual Vision PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 25, 2023

Address the issue of spiritual vision loss, emphasizing its importance in our lives, and discussing its causes, consequences, and the cure.

Good morning, brothers and sisters. Today, we're going to unpack a topic that is all too familiar, yet often overlooked in our spiritual lives. It's about what I call spiritual vision loss. Yes, you heard that right. Just as our physical eyes can lose their sharpness over time, so can our spiritual ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:18

Topics: Spiritual Vision Loss

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