Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1826 to 1850 of 3852 results

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... because that was the end result of one’s witnessing during the first centuries of the Christian Era. It was worth one’s life to proclaim one’s faith. Now, martyrdom per se will probably not be required of any of us. But it could be. Originally, the word “martyr” meant simply one who witnessed to one’s faith. It later came to mean one who dies for that faith. The best form of witness is always martyrdom. It has been required, and may be required again. Editor J. Richard Peck of the International ...

1827. Jesus Out of Character

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... for help? The simplest way to deal with the passage is to say that Jesus never said it. If you go this route, you can find some Biblical scholars who agree with you. They will tell you that it was a common proverb of the day, originally spoken by someone else, which accidentally found its way into the Gospels. I don’t find that terribly convincing, but some do. I think that the very awkwardness of the phrase argues for its authenticity. One thing for sure. The event probably actually happened. Otherwise ...

1828. Men Like Trees Walking

Mark 8:22-26

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... wrote about it in the very important hymn: “Love Divine. All loves Excelling.” The 1935 hymnal said: “Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit/Into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit/ Let us find the promised rest.” The present hymnal restored Wesley’s original words; “Let us all in Thee inherit/ Let us find that second rest.” What “second rest?” The reference is to John Wesley’s notion that God can do more with our sin than forgive it. God can move into us by the Holy Spirit ...

1829. God’s Strange Arithmetic

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... away from divorce and toward marriage. The Pharisees were taking divorce seriously, but Jesus asks them instead to take marriage seriously. The Pharisees are focusing on minute, technical parts of the law...but Jesus wants them to focus instead on God’s original intent in the marriage relationship. When Christ was asked about divorce he referred to the law of Moses, which he clearly did not like. “What God has joined together,” said He, “man should not break apart.” But it seems that He recognized ...

1830. Opposite the Treasury

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... our lives in response to that gift?” That was the question he left with them, and I leave with you this morning. What are we doing in response to God’s greatest gift of Himself in Jesus Christ, our Lord? I conclude with a prayer which was published originally by Michael Patison in LUTHERAN STANDARD magazine. In it the writer prays: “Lord, we are a strange people. We bellow aloud the latest pop songs, but we don’t open our mouths to sing hymns of praise. We eagerly sign a note for thirty-six big car ...

1831. Where Is My Guest Room?

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... his own ending to it. We do not know for sure who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews or the Letter to the Ephesians. In the Hebrew Bible, there are at least three authors at work in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. They were undoubtedly students of the original prophet, but we have no record of their names. They were anonymous. So-Brother Anonymous has given us a lot. Somebody (Anonymous, perhaps), once said that there is no limit to the good a person can do, if that person cares not who gets the credit. And it ...

1832. The Unfinished Story

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... gathered from a variety of sources.” (Ibid., p.207) I know, this gives problems to those folks who want an infallible translation of an infallible Bible. But there doesn’t seem to be any. All we have to go on are copies of copies of the original manuscripts, which must then be translated and edited and compiled. To say “I believe the Bible cover to cover” is like saying “I believe the Library, from one wall to the last wall.” The Bible is a Library of books, edited and put together by a ...

1833. Holy Tuesday

Mark 11:27-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... that He would answer their question if they would first answer His. His question was, “In your opinion, was the work of John the Baptist human or divine?” They thought they had Him, but actually, He had them. If they said that John’s work was of divine origin, then why had they not listened to him? And John pointed to Jesus! If they said that John’s work was not divine, then they risked their own popularity with the masses, for the common people liked John. So they said weakly they did not know. And ...

1834. Good Friday

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... of Christ as one who delivers us from bondage. You see, the New Testament writers believed that the world was in the control of evil powers. This world, for them, was “occupied territory,” in the control of Satan, the “Evil One.” In fact, the original Greek of the Lord’s Prayer does not say “Deliver us from evil” but rather, “Deliver us from the Evil One.” The New Testament message is that this world is in the grip of demonic forces, the “principalities and powers” of whom Paul speaks ...

1835. Who Needs a Shepherd? (I am the good shepherd)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , "When our love failed, his love remained steadfast." It sustains us--even when we do not want to be sustained. God provides his presence and power to get through even danger--adversity--trials--testing. He will sustain us with power--courage--and patience that did not originate from us--but comes to live in us. Thirdly, the Good Shepherd sacrificed his life for the sheep. The story is told how Satan one day tried to sneak into heaven as a believer. He told St. Peter that he loved people. St. Peter asks to ...

1836. The Road to Somewhere (I am the way, truth, and life)

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... a road to nowhere! The author Bill Bryson, tells of going to Hannibal, Missouri, to visit the boyhood home of Mark Twain. Mark Twain was one of his heroes. As he visited the home, he was disappointed. The home was supposed to be a faithful reproduction of the original, but it was easy to see that it was not. Far too many items from the 20th century were included in the home. In a sense it was false advertising. Mr. Bryson was further disappointed that he was not able to actually go inside the house. "You ...

1837. The Lord's Prayer: A Surplus of Meaning

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , it is obvious the old legalism was dismantled--a greater way of prayer was ushered into the Divine-human encounter. I no longer get upset when I read and examine the vote on The Lord''s Prayer by the "Jesus Seminar." Now, I simply go back to the original "seminar" Jesus held by request some 2,000 years ago. Then I trace the prayer as it weaves it way through 2,000 years of usage by Christian believers. I have learned anew that: The Words are trustworthy. The Words are true. The Words are Jesus. They came ...

1838. The Lord's Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... with evil and he himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." Dr. George A. Buttrick, in his landmark book PRAYER, writes, "''Lead us not into temptation...'' is obscure in meaning in the original, and in our customary translation, a source of bafflement and misgiving. Does God seduce men? It is clear that the word meant testing rather than evil enticement." (George A. Buttrick, PRAYER, Whitmore & Stone, 1942, p. 34.) I personally believe it would not be ...

1839. Brokenness and Bread

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the floor. It was a destructive act that demonstrated well the broken-ness of humanity. A beautiful work of art, battered by the raging beast inside a man. The Vatican assembled together a team of "experts" to restore as near as possible the statue to its original condition. It was a monumental task. Fortunately, the team was equal to the task. Seven months later the mission was completed. One art critic said, "You can''t even see the fault lines and cracks created by the vicious assault of the man with the ...

1840. The Fifth Commandment: The Value of Family

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... preference to." Honor, according to Webster''s College Dictionary, is "high public esteem; fame; glory; to earn a position of honor." When God commands us to honor our fathers and our mothers, says Denis Rainey, he provides some additional meaning. In the original Hebrew language, the word for honor meant, "I weigh you down with respect and prestige. I place upon you great worth and value." When children honor their parents, they value that relationship more than any other. We have other relationships, but ...

1841. Titles, Credentials, or Resurrection Power

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to Jesus Christ. Paul never wanted any set of circumstances to prevent the Christian believer from drawing strength from the inner happiness they possessed and that possessed them by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit. To "re-joice" means to go back to the original source of that joy, which is Jesus Christ. However, as we approach verse two, we see that the "tone" of the letter changes dramatically. This is our first piece of evidence that Paul is hardly a timid preacher. Something has so angered him to ...

1842. Saintly Citizenship - Earthly Responsibilities

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... family. Someone was quoted as saying, "It was like looking at heaven from the side of glory." All this--because one faith-filled woman offered to God her simple gift of being a mother to the often "mother-less." She listened to a voice from a different origin as she cared for those whom this society had forgotten and wished were invisible. However, the grace of God flowing through her gift of motherhood was the most visible sign of the grace of God that many in New York City would ever be privileged to see ...

1843. The Tender Touch (Part 1)

James 5:13-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... be good for the soul. Third, the concept of healing the soul and the emotions is as old as humankind. Dr. Alvarez of the famed Mayo Clinic in Minnesota stated that over 70% of the stomach problems he encounters as a specialist are not organic but originate in persons allowing circumstances to choke off the benefits that faith in God provides for our well being. He said that faith is as important as eating the right food in controlling stomach problems. Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life; My yoke is easy ...

1844. Going Home for Christmas?

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to their laboratory here in the United States. They observed them, studied them, tagged them, and then let them go. The newspaper article then shared that 15 days and many thousands of miles later, the birds were back home on their island of origin. I have always been moved by this homing instinct, which Norman Rockwell captures so beautifully in many of his paintings. The family is gathered around a table with faces reflecting the special joy of the occasion. There is a beautiful song that is popular ...

1845. Mother's Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Thayer, said in a class in Pastoral Formation, that there is a "mother" in all persons whether male or female. One of the definitions of "mother" found in the Webster''s New World Dictionary of the American Language is as follows: "That which gives birth to something, is the origin or source of something or nurtures in the manner of a mother, has the quality of a mother." I was privileged to have one of the great gifts on earth--a mother who had faith in God and a father as well who taught us by word and ...

1846. A Memorial Forever - Memorial Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... when Larry ran past. They never saw him, and he may even be in one of their pictures. But they were so captivated by the sign they missed the real thing. (3) Some of the most important dreams and longings for freedom can be obtained by reconnecting to the original dream that has propelled us to this moment in history. Let us not allow some of our fondest hopes and dreams to be frozen in the past for our own lives, our church, our nation. Let them help us to distinguish between the real thing and the false ...

1847. The Reality of Fear--The Power of Faith

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... good news of a great joy." And then our Lord tells His flock in Luke''s Gospel, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father''s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Yes, "Fear not." Great words--comforting words--yet ones we tend not to hear with the original power and purpose they were intended to convey. Our first reaction is often: Get real! Take a chill pill! It is my life and I will do as I please. It''s my life, and I''ll be fearful if I want to. Now, turn your thoughts back to the ...

1848. Singing in the Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to his superior. He returned bruised, scratched, and looking like rigor mortis had set in. When asked how he had achieved the objective of his mission, he replied, "When you are up to your armpits in alligators, it is difficult to remember that the original objective was to drain the swamp." Like that young man, often we are bitten, scratched and bruised by the forces of this world which try so hard to strip us of our humanness, dignity, and enthusiasm for life. As Mark, the gospel writer, has written ...

1849. Great Feast or Sad Fast

Luke 14:1-14, Luke 14:15-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... A paradigm is a way of understanding reality. A paradigm is a road map. A paradigm helps us to set boundaries. The Pharisees had one paradigm, and Jesus had another. In a sense, Jesus is returning the nation of Israel and its leaders back to the original paradigm given to them when they were commissioned to be a light to the nations. Unfortunately, they kept the light to themselves rather than sharing it with others who wandered in darkness. They even got to the place where they thought they were the light ...

1850. The Adventure of Discipleship

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Paul E. Flesner

... . Jesus' call to service can be a call that provokes controversy and difficulty. I think of a man named Hans Luther, Martin's father. He had dreams that his illustrious son's practice of law would be the means of pulling their family up from their humble origins. Hans probably had dreams of his son standing before kings. And Martin did stand before kings -- but it was as an outlaw, not as a champion. I think of a prospective member who told me: "I would like to join your church, but I have to live ...

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