Help Me Pick My Next Sermon or show what a jerk you are.

reply to post by AQuestion


Dear Aquestion,

I agree that Disraeli has the number sermon idea, for this particular opportunity. However, I think your OP exposes the sermon that YOU really want to preach, and that is the concept of "There is no God." But, maybe that one needs a little fleshing out before you actually present it, seeing how offended you are by those who are mocking your faith.

Maybe a better sermon, again something that still needs a little fleshing out, would be a talk on the pit falls of seeking input and validation from non-believers.

reply to post by AQuestion


Explain how the pastor is away tending to a sick woman, and talk about sickness in the Bible. Try and work it around that that you end up discussing love and understanding for your fellow man. That's the best thing you can do.

reply to post by AQuestion


Any time I see your posts about love, I'm very impressed with you putting your god's love in a context that can be understood even by heathens like me.

You may never convert some of us but you will go far in sewing peace into the world when it comes to misconceptions between your faith and other faiths. There are a handful of people like you (some on ATS) who I truly believe are the saving grace of your religion and will be the element that secures, at the very least, a remnant of survival for your religion in the coming centuries.

How about a sermon on the evils of usury? The New Testament, the Torah, and the Koran all speak against usury, yet this evil sin has become part of the fabric of our society. If usury got half the religious backlash that abortion or gay marriage did, we would be well on our way to freeing ourselves from the shackles of debt slavery.

Be sure to mention that the only time Jesus became physically violent was when he was kicking the money changers out of the temple.

reply to post by VictorVonDoom


Amen to that! Furthermore, the benefit of "usury" comes directly from the breaking of and the encouragement of breaking the commandment that states "Thou Shalt Not Covet............", through people going into debt to have what their "neighbor" has.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
reply to post by AQuestion

 

That women talking in church is an abomination, it's right there in your book.

Teach those women they don't deserve to speak in church, I'd hate for them to go against god's word.

What a massive context fail.

Care to explain how? Or are you just going to say so?

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1

Originally posted by NOTurTypical

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
reply to post by AQuestion

 

That women talking in church is an abomination, it's right there in your book.

Teach those women they don't deserve to speak in church, I'd hate for them to go against god's word.

What a massive context fail.

Care to explain how? Or are you just going to say so?

Were you aware of the cultural situations and the architectural layouts of 1st century synagogues when you posted? Did you even consider those things when reading Paul's pastoral advice?

reply to post by NOTurTypical

Were you aware of the cultural situations and the architectural layouts of 1st century synagogues when you posted? Did you even consider those things when reading Paul's pastoral advice?

Is this one of the reasons some people disregard Paul as a spiritual authority? Because Paul (Leviticus) seems to have had a lot of unsavory opinions regarding spiritual standard.

If you have read Christ's seething attacks at mockers then you realize how silly your attempt at ridicule was for using the word "jerk" towards no one in particular.

reply to post by NOTurTypical

I didn't use the word Jerk the OP did

If you stop alienating the world from Christ and hijacking threads(yes I've read through your profile) and preaching your own form of poison I think Christ would be a happy being.

May even forgive you for your enthusiasm

Cody

reply to post by AQuestion


did you really ask me, "what a jerk i am"?

römpsänaama! good luck,

reply to post by AfterInfinity


I think the real answer lies closer to this, but this is just my opinion....

A second common objection is that Paul only restricted the women of Ephesus from teaching (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, who was the pastor of the church in Ephesus). The city of Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, a false Greek/Roman goddess. Women were the authority in the worship of Artemis. However, the book of 1 Timothy nowhere mentions Artemis, nor does Paul mention Artemis worship as a reason for the restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.

Read more: www.gotquestions.org...

This particular link addresses many of the different thoughts and opinions in this matter.

Considering that the Israelites had a history of worshiping false gods and even Solomon was led astray by his many foreign wives to pay homage to one of these gods, which was also a female deity, might have something to do with it.

I think it's funny that one of the issues in the link is about women being easily deceived as the reason for not being in ministry, but I think we should take a look at the history of the men who were deceived by the women. Men have their weaknesses and women have theirs. I think men's biggest weaknesses have to do with women. One of the more popular female goddesses that they followed led a lot of them into prostitution.

I apologize to the OP for being off topic, but thought it was a question that deserved an answer.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


I fail to see how this answered my question.

Obviously I am unaware of what you're talking about, so please continue.....

Originally posted by AQuestion
Dear ATS,

Okay, my lead pastor's mother is dying, she has a 30% chance of living and he is going to visit her, I lent him the money for the trip and he by the way he hates ATS.

He told me that he needs me to give the sermons while he is gone and I obviously have not prepared as I did not know his mother was going to be so sick. So, tell me what you think I should preach on, show your love or how much of an idiot you are. Tell me to preach on why there is no God and prove that you are a idiot and cannot understand what I am asking. Obviously I will not preach that there is no God so to ask me to do so would just be trolling and stupid.

I have said this before so it should be in may profile. I preach to primarily gay foreigners. I am straight, only speak English, have to be translated and harder on Christians than Atheists or Satanists for that matter. I will not be speaking to Atheist or people who are non-Christians. Give me suggestions on what might help them to be better Christians. Here is your chance to help write a sermon and I might ignore you all. If you are a non-believer, give me a question that you think is your best and I will ask and answer it to them. Have fun.

To be perfectly honest, the fact that you're requesting people to tell you to preach a sermon regarding gods non-existence solely so you can see "how much of an idiot" they are, well, tells me that you're not the right person to be preaching any sermon period.

I pity the people you're preaching to, with such anger in you. I think your lead pastor chose wrong.

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by NOTurTypical

 

Were you aware of the cultural situations and the architectural layouts of 1st century synagogues when you posted? Did you even consider those things when reading Paul's pastoral advice?

Is this one of the reasons some people disregard Paul as a spiritual authority? Because Paul (Leviticus) seems to have had a lot of unsavory opinions regarding spiritual standard.

I think most people misunderstand Paul. Even Peter said Paul was hard to understand by those unlearned. Many Christians misunderstand Paul. An example would be the denominations that don't allow women to teach.

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
reply to post by NOTurTypical

 

I fail to see how this answered my question.

Obviously I am unaware of what you're talking about, so please continue.....

Women sat on one side of the room and the men on the other. What do you think was happening with this completely new Christianity stuff was being taught and people had questions of their spouse during the service?

All Paul said was to save the questions for home after the service. Today that's irrelevant because husbands and wives sit next to one another and can whisper any questions without disrupting the speaker/teacher.

See how that verse and it's implications completely change with context?

Originally posted by AQuestion
I lent him the money for the trip ... So, tell me what you think I should preach on,

IMMEDIATELY the scripture that came to mind was the one about the brides having their lamps full of oil so that when the bridegrooms came they'd be prepared. This guy didn't have enough money for a trip and had to borrow it. So he wasn't prepared.

and he by the way he hates ATS.

Have him open an account. I wouldn't mind having a knock down drag'em out fight in the fight forum on the topic of religion. If he actually believes what he preaches about, he should welcome the chance to attempt to convert me. (I know I'd welcome the chance to convert him ... )

reply to post by NOTurTypical


So women weren't allowed to whisper among themselves? Why were men allowed to talk but not women?

It didn't really change anything because Paul still singled out women and not men. Were women only allowed to talk to their spouses back then? I find that hard to believe.

reply to post by Deetermined

I think the real answer lies closer to this, but this is just my opinion.... A second common objection is that Paul only restricted the women of Ephesus from teaching (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, who was the pastor of the church in Ephesus). The city of Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, a false Greek/Roman goddess. Women were the authority in the worship of Artemis. However, the book of 1 Timothy nowhere mentions Artemis, nor does Paul mention Artemis worship as a reason for the restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.

Interesting observation given Paul's distain for the Essenes, ie., Ebonites. The Essenes were the high priests of the Roman temples of Artemis because of their talent for bee keeping and the ability to harvest healing honey. Artemis was known as the"Queen of the bees" in Roman mythology, so it is no wonder that the Essenes, (Ebonites) were known as the "King Bees,"

It's interesting to note Paul's disapproval of long hair on men, as the Essenes wore their hair long in compliance with their "Nazarene Oath." Curious how Jesus is almost always depicted wearing long hair and a white robe, also a trait of the Essenes.

Paul's distrust of women is epic. His admonition to women not to wear braids or flowers in their hair, lest the angels .......(?) can only be interpreted, in my opinion, that Paul was concerned that women could be seduced by angels, and perhaps conceive an angelic child....(?).....like Mary is said to supposedly have been a vessel chosen by "the angel of the Lord."

Originally posted by 3NL1GHT3N3D1
Were women only allowed to talk to their spouses back then? I find that hard to believe.

There are certain religious folks on the planet now that are in religious that are abrahamic in origin - but that do not allow the women to talk to men outside their family. Yes, it's 2013 and yet it still happens.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Seems like they understand him quite well actually.

1 Timothy 2:12