Sermons on Pagan Ritual:

Worship Today

Contributed by Timothy Darling on Jan 4, 2007

Jesus introduces a shift in worship, focusing worship on the spiritual instead of the physical. The future of worship as Jesus was describing it would be a spiritual more than a ritual activity.

Worship today John 4:19-24 The original worship must have been amazing. Eve and Adam, surrounded by the Garden of Eden, something between a botanical garden and an orchard. Discussions at dusk of keeping trees, naming animals, new things they tried, and gratitude for the bounty and beauty they ...read more

Scripture: John 4:19-24

Denomination: Mennonite

Lord Teach Us To Pray Series

Contributed by John Hamby on Aug 6, 2002

The Lord’s Prayer was not given to be just be recited as a ritual. It is actually given to us as the Lord’s blueprint for prayer that is acceptable to God.

A Study of the Book of Luke Sermon # 28 “Lord Teach Us to Pray” Luke 11:1-4 Almost all of our prayers begin by rushing into a series of request in which we pour out to God our problems, our needs, our irritations. This only tends ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-4, Joshua 16:4-7

Denomination: Baptist

Sign 1 - Turning The Water To Wine Series

Contributed by Mark Holdcroft on Jun 1, 2003

A look at the first sign in the book of john and how Jesus can take useless rituals and replace them with His sacrifice and Spirit.

Water into Wine In the Gospel of John, he makes no secret of why he write his account of Jesus’ life. John 20:31 ... that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John wrote the Gospel so that people may know who Jesus is, ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: Pentecostal

Presumption

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 9, 2007

Religion does not create a relationship with God, nor does ritual. It is refinement born of repentance that shapes that relationship. Repent, relate, and receive.

“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Famous words supposedly spoken by journalist Henry Morton Stanley somewhere in Tanganyika at the end of his expedition to find the missing explorer. “I presume”. It means, “I think I know what I am doing. Would you please confirm it for me? You look like what I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12

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

Jesus - Faithful And True

Contributed by Brian Buriff on Jun 14, 2006

Tending to the ruins of life. Prayers of wretched truthful passion, not ritual trendy pretense, connect us and keep us faithful to God.

I. INTRODUCTION - Jesus Is Referred To Many Names In OT & NT A. Rev. 3:14 - He Is Also Called “Faithful And True” 1. Imagine being in 1st century persecuted church – Nero’s persecution •Matthew - executed by sword in Ethiopia. •Mark - cruelly dragged through an Egyptian city street. •Luke - ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14

Denomination: Church Of God

Naaman (2 Kings 5)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 16, 2025

Do we demand certain rituals or a simple word from God? Let's look at 2 Kings 5.

Do we see God in simplicity or do we demand complicated rituals? Do we misuse church funds or are we scrupulously honest? Let’s look at 2 Kings 5. What happened when a Syrian army commander had a skin disease and wanted to be healed? Did Elisha perform a lot of mumbo jumbo, or give a simple ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Good Friday: Holy Communion Guide

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Apr 7, 2025

Holy Communion, especially on Good Friday, is a sacred act of remembrance and worship. It is not a ritual but a powerful proclamation of the death of Christ and all it accomplished.

GOOD FRIDAY: HOLY COMMUNION GUIDE By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text:. Luke 22:19-20 (KJV) “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:19-20

Denomination: Assembly Of God

It's Time To Face Hard Reality, Not Fantasy PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 26, 2023

God desires genuine worship from our hearts, not just rituals, and we must align ourselves with His divine will and justice.

Good morning, beloved family. Today, we're going to dive deep into a passage from the book of Amos that's as challenging as it is enlightening. We're going to take a good, hard look at the hard reality of God's justice, the fantasy of false worship, and the mighty hand of God. Now, before we read ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:18-27

Topics: Justice, Supreme

What God Desires PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Nov 9, 2023

Explores God's desire for justice and righteousness over rituals, and how we can live out these values in our daily lives.

Hey there, folks. I'm glad you could join us today. We're going to spend some time in the book of Amos today. Yeah, that's right, Amos. It's a little book tucked away in the Old Testament, but it's got a big message for us. Before we get into it, let's read the passage together. Amos 5:23-24 says, ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:23-24

Topics: God's Desire

Micah - True Worship Series

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Feb 4, 2013

True worships relates, it is a relationship, not rituals. True worship obeys. To obey is better than sacrifices. True worship impacts. It changes your life and influences others.

God has chosen to bless His people Israel and through them, the world. • They were set apart to worship God and be His witnesses to the nations. • But sadly, the people have gone astray. God was pleading His case, calling the mountains and hills to be His witnesses. • 6:3 ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:1-8

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Name Above All Names - Jesus Is Stronger Than The Occult Series

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Feb 16, 2010

Many desire spiritual power, so they fall into the occult. This passage is about the conflict of spiritual powers. Includes discussion of neo-pagans which many church members having unknowingly dabbled.

What if you came upon something that was so powerful, it could alter your own personal destiny or alter the destiny of others at your will? Would you desire that power? What if this power could make you the most important person in the state, perhaps the nation? How much would something like ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jonah

Contributed by Ewen Huffman on Sep 5, 2003

Summary: "It’s easier for God to get 120,000 pagans to do His will than one believer". A sermon preached at Winchester Cathedral.

Jonah. Jonah 3:10- 4:25. Winchester Cathedral 6/9/3 3.30pm Everyone loves a story with a twist. An unexpected ending. A sting in the tale - that’s what Jonah is - the story is surprising to us- but even more so to it’s original audience: Jews. Because of who the heroes and ‘bad guys’ are in ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Jonah - A Case Study In Anger And Suicide

Contributed by Bruce Morrison on Oct 27, 2003

The Book of Jonah is the story of a man whose greatest struggles were not with a big fish or a pagan city - they were battles within his own heart.

We are first introduced to Jonah the prophet in the Book of Second Kings. "In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:1-3, 2 Kings 14:23-27

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Gospel Is Preached At The Areopagus Series

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Oct 25, 2005

Paul takes the context of a pagan city and uses their apparent spiritual thirst to tell them about Jesus and his rescue from the judgement to come.

Here’s Paul, left alone in Athens, the cultural capital of the world. How do you think he’d be feeling? Overwhelmed? Excited? Fascinated? Imagine this is you, not in Athens, but in New York or Paris or Rome or Berlin? How would you be feeling? Like you couldn’t wait to get out and start exploring? ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34

Denomination: Anglican