Sermon and Worship Resources

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Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 13:17--14:31, Psalm 114:1-8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... sorry." It had to be a sincere change of attitude toward the one who had done the wrong. CONTEMPLATION Issues and Insights 1. Unlimited forgiveness · It has been proposed that the biblical understanding of retaliation and forgiveness developed progressively. In the original impulse toward wrongdoing, retaliation was unlimited. In the cases of the violation by Achan at Ai, the people not only stoned him, but also his sons and daughters and his oxen, donkeys, and sheep (Joshua 7). And the same was also done ...

1077. Service And Reward

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... by many factors. Some of these may be given by birth, genetics, or for reasons other than the achievement of the person. These include such things as color of skin and eyes, kind of hair, height, body build, gender, national origin, family's social position, inherited wealth, and age. Other factors may be determined by achievements through a person's efforts. These include such factors as level of education, employment, development of skills, hard work, wise investment, or initiatives taken. People ...

1078. The King's Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... of those who were invited will taste my dinner." In the Matthean form we really have two parables (The Wedding Feast in 22:1-10 and The Wedding Robe in 22:11-14), whereas in Luke we have only one. If, as is generally assumed, parables in their original form had a single message, then the form recorded in Matthew has added features which allow for more than one message. One message deals with the rejection of the invitation to be part of the kingdom of heaven. The other is the rejection of those who are in ...

1079. The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... and hides the money so he will be sure to have it when the boss returns. Eventually the businessman completes his travels and returns. He calls together his three subordinates and asks them to give an accounting. The first two report that they have doubled the original capital. He commends each of them and assures them of tenure in partnership with him. The third comes forward in a fawning manner. He relates how he knows the success of the boss so he played it safe. He hid the money to be sure he would ...

1080. Christ the King

Psalm 100:1-5, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... is in disrepute, persons may have trouble with the portrayal of God as a king with his retinue in all their splendor. A god who holds court and dispenses summary judgment would be much more familiar to the people who heard the parable originally. They would readily understand that such actions were the prerogative of the highest authority. The prophets had portrayed God as a judge over Israel and the nations around it. Nevertheless, the message of Jesus is clear. Actions display the true character of ...

1081. Toward A More Sensuous Christianity

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... the "spiritually elite" present the pastor? 6. Describe early Methodism as an enthusiastic lay movement with emphasis on personal experience. 7. Describe the meaning of the statement, "O Lord, either enlarge the vessel or withdraw thy Spirit." Permission to photoc_esermonsopy Reflection and Study questions for local congregational use granted to original purchaser by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.

1082. The Promise Of The Spirit

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... . the promise of power b. the promise of guidance c. the promise to lead to the future. 5. What do you think about the statement that religious experience is uncommon in the church today? Define "religious experience." Permission to photoc_esermonsopy Reflection and Study questions for local congregational use granted to original purchaser by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.

1083. The Scope Of The Spirit

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... that "There is no thing that God cannot turn into good. God may not be the author of all things, but God is the master of all things"? 5. Where is the Holy Spirit now at work? Permission to photoc_esermonsopy Reflection and Study questions for local congregational use granted to original purchaser by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.

1084. The Holy Spirit As The Dove Of Peace

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... . What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and non-violence? 8. How diligently do you think the Christian Church is working toward world peace with justice? Is the church part of the solution or the problem? Permission to photoc_esermonsopy Reflection and Study questions for local congregational use granted to original purchaser by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.

1085. Two-and-a-Half Cheers For Hypocrites

Matthew 6:1-2, Matthew 6:5-6, Matthew 6:16

Sermon

Thomas Long

... front of an audience of perfect strangers, hypocrites seem, by contrast, emotionally stunted. They are guarded and deceptive; they put on false and pretty faces, hiding their true selves behind the cloak of pseudo-respectability. Indeed, "hypocrite" was originally a theatrical term, describing actors, who concealed their real countenances behind dramatic masks. The sin of hypocrisy, then, is wearing a mask, and in our time no transgression is more contemptible. Hypocrites conceal sadness with a smile; they ...

1086. The Breath Of God

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... do not do so, if they (we) retain the sins of some, those people will not be forgiven. Heavy words. A lot like, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Some Christian groups have applied these words about our forgiving sins only to the original twelve disciples or (more commonly) only to ordained ministers. But neither here in John's gospel nor in other places (for example, Matthew 18:18, Luke 24:33, 47) is it clear that only some Christians are to speak words of forgiveness. John commonly distinguishes ...

1087. A New Command

Sermon

Lee Griess

... Pan first premiered on the London stage in 1904, author Sir James Barrie began to hear complaints from parents who were upset with his play. They even got together and petitioned him to make a change in the script. It seems that in the original version, Peter Pan told the Darling children that if they simply believed strongly enough, they could fly. And apparently there were children who had seen that play who tried to do just that, who took Peter Pan literally at his word, and hurt themselves attempting ...

1088. The Sure Foundation

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... no longer slave or free, no longer male and female, we hear this passage in a different way than if a man reads it. The one who speaks the words of our gospel passage today is the one who has called us to follow him, just as he called the original disciples, and who began this Sermon on the Mount with a series of blessings that we call the Beatitudes. More than that, the Jesus who speaks these words is the one whom scripture calls "Emmanuel," God with us, the one who was sent to save his people, not to cast ...

1089. Welcoming Christ

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... for certain values and principles may also communicate who your Lord is. Discipleship and evangelism are much wider than we usually think ... if Christ is in us and meets people who meet us. "Welcoming Christ" refers first of all to welcoming his original disciples and receiving Christ through their word. Second, it refers to the way in which Christ is communicated through believers' words and lives today; in this sense, we Christians are both givers and receivers of Christ, which is an awesome and joyful ...

1090. The Promising Invitation

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... s also a promise: "You will find rest for your souls; my yoke is easy." The words themselves can ease our situation and enliven hope. It is strange, then, that though we know these words so well, if you're like me you probably have little sense of their original setting in Matthew's gospel. The danger in this is that if we do not know their setting, we may misappropriate them and take them to mean things that Jeesus could not have meant or - worse -- we may not see where they really do apply most profoundly ...

1091. Professor Of Paradox

Matthew 13:47-52, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... pearl. In other words, the kingdom of heaven comes looking for us, and gives everything for our sake. On the one hand, said Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that catches every kind of fish in the sea. The kingdom of heaven has the original policy of nondiscrimination. On the other hand, Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven will be like the angels sorting the fish. The good ones will be kept and the bad ones will be thrown away. In other words, the kingdom of heaven is highly discriminating -- a very ...

1092. Demon-Possessed Child

Matthew 15:1-20, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... as "a Canaanite woman from that region" (Matthew 15:22a). Mark writes that Jesus "went away to the region of Tyre" (Mark 7:24). Two verses later, he gives a whole sentence to reporting directly that "[n]ow the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin" (Mark 7:26). Jesus' Reluctance: In Mark, Jesus physically hides: "He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there" (Mark 7:24). In Matthew's telling, he psychologically hides: "But he did not answer her at all" (Matthew 15:23). Reaction ...

1093. Seeing The Whole Person

John 4:1-26

Sermon

David Belgum

... rushed back into Sychar and exclaimed, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" The people must have been amazed that she did not flee from one who knew all this bad stuff about her. Here was the original "tough love," acceptance in spite of blemishes, handicaps, mistakes, failures, and sin. She experienced grace, the grace of God, and knew it. It was good news for her, the good news she wanted to share with others. The Samaritans also sensed the blessing of Jesus' presence ...

1094. Brainstorms

Sermon

John R. Bodo

... that it was he who stole her money, she exclaims: "Blessed be my son to the Lord!" Now this might sound noble and forgiving, but next thing Micah's mother makes an offering of just 200 pieces of silver, instead of the 1,100 she had originally pledged. Thus between spoiling her boy and offering a shoddy role model, it is no wonder that she produces an unattractive son! Our parents powerfully influence our formation as persons. But does that entitle us to use them as alibis the rest of our adult life? Safely ...

1095. How Not To Throw A Party

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... on Martha's Vineyard. America's "First Lady of Etiquette" died about forty years ago. But I did consult the twelfth edition of Emily Post's Etiquette. Luke 14 focuses on etiquette for guests and hosts at dinner parties. I thought I should see what the original "Miss Manners" had to say on that subject. I uncovered a lot while browsing through Emily Post's Etiquette (Funk and Wagnalls, 1969). I learned to kneel, kiss his ring, and address him as "Your Holiness" when having a private audience with the Pope. I ...

1096. Wedding: Building A Marriage (for a couple fixing up a house)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... a house that already has a history behind it. There are probably things that you really like about its design. There are probably other little aspects of your new home that you wouldn't have chosen to include if you had been in on the original planning and building. But you will learn to work around those things, because you appreciate having a house to make into a home. Just so, the two of you come into this new marriage relationship with different histories, different ways of being in families, different ...

1097. Take Some Lessons

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... to myself, "Everybody in here is messed up." Then it hit me! "If everybody in here is messed up," I reasoned, "then I must be messed up too." It was an apocalyptic moment. Everybody -- including me -- was messed up. Everybody -- including me -- remains messed up. It's that original sin thing. We don't need any help to do things badly. It comes to us naturally. But we need help to do things the right way. We need instructions. While none of us is as bad as some suggest, none of us is as good as our moms ...

1098. Every Shot I Ever Hit

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... of our good shots but the quality of our bad shots that determine good from bad scores. Lee Trevino likes to say, "If you're not driving for show, you're not putting for dough." Or as legend Bobby Jones assessed the situation, "It is nothing new or original to say that golf is played one stroke at a time. But it took me years to realize it." I remember every shot I ever hit because they all counted in the final score. John Freeman is a Methodist pastor who is currently a professor of practical theology ...

1099. The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

... , but how could they grasp the full meaning of what this Suffering Servant would come to mean to the world? In the Old Testament people offered animals as sacrifices for their sins. Now God was offering not an animal but a lamb of human origin. But how could these people in Isaiah's time understand the full meaning of what God was getting ready to bring to pass? Throughout history God has given us previews of coming attractions. He has directed our paths, spoken through his prophets, revealed through ...

1100. Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

... left unresolved might turn into guilt or resentment. Little do we sometimes realize that the person we made the commitment to has forgotten the promise and we have been suffering for what appears to be no reason at all. The ability to forgive and forget originates in our redemptive relationship with God in Christ. The root meaning of the word "redeem" is "to set free." The Bible deals with redemption in two different ways: it can mean what humankind does for itself or for one another to bring about release ...

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