Sermon and Worship Resources

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1. The Ideal Congregation

Matthew 13:24-30

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

... spiritual vows each year. Their vows were to tithe, to attend Bible study every week, to pray every day, to be politically active for the poor every week. And they signed on the dotted line every year. These people were committed. That was my ideal community in those younger years. But not anymore. Maybe I have matured. But now, I want a community that is wide open to all people, including the uncommitted, the half committed, the lukewarm, the confused, the puzzled, the materialists, the messed up; the ...

2. Fighting Wars and Keeping a Promise: David Establishes an Ideal of Kingship

2 Sam 8:1–10:19

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... verb as “set up,” for, as far as we know, David has not established his authority in Mesopotamia, so it cannot be said that he is restoring it.3 If indeed David conducts a campaign to the Euphrates, then he is seeking to extend Israel’s authority to the ideal limits of the promised land (Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7; 11:24; Josh. 1:4).4 8:4 He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses. David’s action is reminiscent of what Joshua did to the Canaanites’ chariot horses (Josh. 11:6, 9).5Once more ...

3. Great Men Are Often Broken by Their High Ideals

Matthew 21:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

... Woodrow Wilson, a man who barely a year earlier had been heralded as the new world Messiah, came to the end of his days a broken and defeated man. It's a sad story, but one that is not altogether unfamiliar. The ultimate reward for someone who tries to translate ideals into reality is apt to be frustration and defeat. There are some exceptions, of course, but not too many.

4. The Family Ideal, Not Idol

Genesis 12:1-4a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , it is proposed to reduce federal benefits to mother-children units if the mother is young and poor'" (The Washington Spectator, 1 August 1995, 2). Theologian Janet Fishburn has declared in her book, Confronting the Idolatry of the Family, that we have succeeded in elevating an idealized version of the family, even over God. The Bible is clear: Nothing must come between God and us, or before our faith in God. So as we build a stronger focus on the family, let us not give family first place in life. Let us ...

5. One Plus One Equals One

Matthew 19:1-12

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

... people refer to him as the "silent partner" in every marriage. Certainly, he is a partner, but he definitely should not be kept silent. If only we would listen to him when he speaks, we would realize that he is constantly calling us on to a more ideal marriage. He is continuously guiding us, through his Holy Spirit, to work toward bettering our relationships in the home. He is calling us daily to recommit ourselves in faith to him and in faithfulness to the vows of love we spoke to our spouses at his altar ...

6. First Things First

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

... . Then it is that no moths can get in to the fabric of life and eat away its heart, for the heart rests in Christ. No rust corrupts, for long as monuments may stand, and strong as they may appear, all buildings have their end points. In the ideal -- our Lord Jesus Christ -- we find that which is truly important and eternally real, that which goes beyond the appearance of permanence. To him we give our highest and best. Through him we endure. “Therefore, take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to ...

7. Righteousness Exalts a Nation - The Fourth of July

Sermon

James McCormick

... Is that a word we need to hear? He is suggesting that the future of this or any nation is utterly dependent upon a national character. It is dependent upon the values we decide to pursue together. In our Pledge of Allegiance, there are some noble ideals. We say, “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Notice that it says that the nation is “under God”. Of course, every nation is under God’s providence and judgment whether we acknowledge that our not. But part of the ...

8. The Art of Following

Matthew 4:12-17, Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... two really great huntin’ dogs... JETHRO: Hold on a minute, Homer. I got two huntin’ dogs. Homer and Jethro knew that charity is easy to idealize but hard to practice. I saw a routine like that played out in the area of theology and religion when I was in seminary. The ... like he played; they did not want to pay what he paid. We all want to admire Jesus, to hold him up as an ideal, to idolize him and worship him. We just don’t want to follow him. The problem is that nowhere in the gospel accounts does ...

9. Is Christianity Practical?

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... less a fact of life? Facts can be both tangible and intangible. When we speak of idealists here, we mean the person devoted to an ideal (no matter how fine), that has never been realized. It's up here some place, and we strive for it but never attain it. ... how to rise above the world as most pagan religions try to teach us, but to raise the world. He was not giving us the ideal answers to life. He was living the real answers! Does the system still work? Is Christianity still real and practical? Let's look at ...

10. Teammates in the Cause of the Lord

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... things would be sold and the proceeds laid at the feet of the apostles, he is referring to the Christian community's common effort to serve Jesus and the mission. All was to be laid at the feet of the apostles, who represented Jesus. The Christian ideal articulated in today's lesson from Acts appears to be in direct conflict with our contemporary world. We are accustomed to leaders and followers, to those with great power and those with little, to those with many resources and to those with few, to those ...

11. Advice About Widows, Elders and Slaves

1 Timothy 5:1-6:2

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... ), and it is brought up again at the end (v. 16). But the descriptions of these “real widows” in verses 5–7 and 9–10 stand in sharp contrast to the activities of the younger ones (vv. 11–15). Thus the real widow seems to be set up as an ideal in contrast to the young widows in much the same way that Timothy is in contrast to the false teachers (4:6–16; 6:11–16). We have already suggested (see disc. on 2:8–15) that the probable reason for this concern about the younger widows lies with their ...

12. Ooo Boy!

Matthew 5:33-37, Matthew 5:31-32

Sermon

John Jamison

... to a wife, the Greek husband would have the concubines and the courtesan. It was expected that the Greek husband would be unfaithful to his wife. But it wasn't really unfaithfulness, it was "just the way things were done." The Greeks had the ideal of marriage that every husband would be loyal to one wife. That was the ideal, the way it should be done. But they all knew it just wasn't reality. That was just not the way it was being done, and even if it was the way it ought to be, sometimes reality isn't ...

13. How Is Your Memory?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... institutions in our society. It is not particularly unique to this one corporation. It happens frequently, documenting what is called "institutional racism," the most subtle, insidious kind of racism, that gives lip service to the ideals of the country, but hides behind rules and executive suites to flaunt those ideals. I suggest that one reason that this happens in our time is because of a memory loss. It is a common assumption among many people that what freedom in America means is freedom to make money ...

14. How God Looks at Marriage

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... want the best for me, I must also want the best for my mate and seek his or her highest good. That is God’s ideal. That realization prevents the need for the divorce in the first place. For a man does not treat his own flesh with contempt. He does ... like this to show up the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, who thought themselves very pious and righteous. By holding up God’s ideals, he drove home the point that none of us is righteous before God. We are all sinners. So we come to our situation today ...

15. Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... altar of the Jerusalem temple in 168 B.C. swept them into revolt against the Seleucids. Their stunning success under the Maccabees reminded Jews ever after that it was possible to depose Gentile overlords and establish a rule more faithful to the old Israelite ideal (cf. 1 Macc.; m. ’Abot 1.10; 2.3; 3.5). These sentiments reached their zenith in the Zealot movement of Paul’s day, which combined the orthodox theology of the Pharisees with the militant nationalism of the Maccabees. Within a decade of the ...

16. The Forbidden Anger

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Jesus who called us to be perfect is the same one who paid the penalty on the Cross for the sins of imperfect folks like you and me. The Sermon on the Mount is both absolute ideals and absolute grace, without one compromising the other. Only as we are healed by grace and equipped by the Holy Spirit can we grow toward the ideal of the Sermon on the Mount. Now, let me close with a true story about anger and God's transforming power. There was a pastor who had a chronic problem with anger. His wife and young ...

17. From Father Failure to Divine Father

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... question has to do with the nature of our dependency. What kinds of dependency and independency are there? II Consider, for example, abnormal dependency. As we have seen, discovery of the weakness and failure of the earthly father may lead us then to project an ideal heavenly Father who has no weakness, who never fails, and who takes care of everything for us so our lives will be problem-free. While this might be an apt description of God it may prove an infantile conception on our part, enabling us to ...

18. Living the Word of God

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... , "Truly I tell you, just as you did it for one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it for me" (Matthew 25:40b). Any other approach is self-deception making our religion worthless. Actualizing the precepts, ideals, and beliefs of any ideology, religion, or creed is difficult; it presents a significant challenge. The United States of America's foundational document, the Declaration of Independence, states that all people have the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ...

19. The Knot: Bound

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

James Merritt

... wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24, ESV) There is a divine process here that you can’t afford to miss. God’s ideal idea is for a young boy to grow up being taught to love God first. That boy becomes a man and he begins to wait for ... reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Marriage is to be an exact replica of this trinity (three persons who are one.) God’s ideal idea is for a marriage to be made up of a man, and a woman and God. In totality they are one. This only happens ...

20. The Ark Finds a Resting Place

2 Samuel 6:1-23

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... city, called “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (21:9), will be inhabited by the people of God from all ages (cf. 21:12–14, the symbolism of which alludes to both the tribes of Israel and the church). This extension of the Zion ideal beyond its Old Testament limits illustrates how the full potential of biblical motifs is sometimes realized in the progress of revelation: imagery and motifs are utilized as analogies and symbols. 2. The Lord expects his people to respect his holiness. David and the people ...

21. The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1-24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... love, acting as an antidote against the drive for one gender to dominate the other, casts out all abuse. Having been redeemed by Christ, both marriage partners can love and honor each other responsibly. Together they build a sound family unit that moves toward the ideal of Genesis 2:21–24. God’s goal is for a husband and a wife to have an upbuilding relationship in which they truly become one flesh. The discord between male and female that took place in Eden has continued into today’s gender struggles ...

22. A New Kingdom Coming

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... of fading temporal power. Note first of all, the new kingdom coming is out of the future, not the past. Many Americans are amused at the quaintness of the Amish people. These descendants of Germanic pietism attempt to stop the clock, to idealize a segment of time as the kingdom of God. Almost wholly agricultural, they ride about their farms and towns in horse-drawn vehicles, avoid the modern conveniences of electricity, and disdain any instruction other than that of their own schools. For them, the ...

23. Sermon Opener - You Must Leave the Past

Luke 9:51-56

Illustration

Maurice A. Fetty

... of the kingdom of God seems to be fixed somewhere around mid-19th century. Riding about in modern automobiles with modern dress, many of us are more similar to the Amish than we like to believe. The ideal life, the ideal church, the ideal family was somewhere in the past for some of us. Consequently we keep looking over our shoulders at some period of the past like Adam and Eve looking over their shoulders at the Garden of Eden on their way out. If only we could return to the good old days! ...

24. TRYING IT WITHOUT GOD

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... can never rise up to victorious confidence or pure joy, and that you regard the whole universe as a paradoxical imposter, a homeless home, a discordant order, a lawless abode of law, a systematic incoherence, a wandering without a destination, an ideal-fashioner without an ideal, a reaching with nothing to grasp, links but not a chain, an untelligent basis of all our intelligence, the blind bestowing of all our seeing. If, in sheer mental comfort and accommodation, you find it easier to believe all that ...

25. The Flow of Life

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... are becomes too great. When that happens, we can wind up punishing rather than changing ourselves. But that is not what ideals are for. Our ideals should exist for the purpose of making us responsible, not miserable. If they don’t, we may need to change them ... get right down to it. Our feelings and our emotions flow, and we’re not always in control of that flow, in spite of what our ideals tell us. We do not always need to be so hard on ourselves when we do not measure up to our expectations. If we are, it ...

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