Sunday Sermon Outline: Jesus the Carpenter

“Jesus the Carpenter”
Mark 6:1-6

Introduction: Mark 6:1-6, “And He went out from there, and He came into His home town; and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and among his own relatives and in his own household." 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.”

I. A carpenter defines the value of honest work.
     “Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”

II. A carpenter demonstrates that he can create something new.

     Matthew 12:20, “A battered reed, He will not break off; and a smoldering wick, He will not put out.”
     John 1:3, “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being.”
     John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” 

III. A carpenter displays the potential in his materials.
     "You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called ‘Cephas.’”

IV. The Carpenter died upon a carpenter’s creation for our sins.


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Sunday Sermon Outline: John 19:17-42

“The Cross”
John 19:17-42

Introduction:  “[17] They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. [18] There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between” (John 19:17-18).


I. The Inscription of His Title vs. 19-22
     “[19] Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” [20] Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. [21] So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” [22] Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.””


II. The Division of His Garments vs. 23-24
     “[23] Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. [24] So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS.””


III. The Provision for His Mother vs. 25-27
     “[25] Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” [27] Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”


IV. The Consummation of His Work vs. 28-30
     “[28] After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” [29] A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. [30] Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Hebrews 2:17-18; John 17:4; Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:38; John 1:11; John 10:18; Philippians 2:7-8;
1 Peter 2:23


V. The Completion of His Crucifixion vs. 31-37
     “[31] Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. [32] So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; [33] but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. [34] But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. [35] And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. [36] For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” [37] And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.””


 VI. The Disposition of His Body vs. 38-42
     “[38] After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. [39] Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. [40] So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. [41] Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. [42] Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”


Conclusion: John 2:5; John 1:14; John 20:31; Galatians 4:4-5; Acts 17:3


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"My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?"

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1).

Just imagine. Jesus, hanging on a cross, slowly and painfully dying. Every sin of the human race was upon Him. All the enmity of Satan was being brought to bear against Him. God the Father – in righteousness and justice – had no choice but to turn His face away from His only Son.

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

What man would not cry out in anguish in the midst of such suffering? How obvious that Jesus fully shared our humanity. As the divine Son of God, Jesus had always been in fellowship with His Father. Yet, because of sin, that eternal fellowship was broken. At that moment on the cross, Jesus was separated from His Father. Is it any wonder He cried out?

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

The entirety of the human race was represented on that cross – Jesus by His presence, and everyone else by their sins. Of that race, only Jesus deserved to live. He was the only One who had completely and thoroughly separated Himself from sin. He alone rejected every facet of that which belonged to the realm of Satan.

I have heard with my own ears men – elders, shepherds, church leaders – pray corporately, “Forgive us our many sins.” I have heard them as they stood before the flock, declaring, “I'm not perfect. I'm just a sinner – like we all are.” I have seen with my own eyes on church websites slogan after slogan stating, “We are just a group of imperfect people.”

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

Jesus said no. He refused. He would not sin. “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). So even though He was hungry and thirsty after forty days of fasting in the wilderness (Luke 4), still Jesus declined Satan's temptations. Even though He knew He would die horribly and bear the sin of the world, “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). He accepted the weight of the world's wickedness and suffered the indignity of a public execution, rather than for one moment submit to sin.

So why has it become so common within the church to make excuses for sin? Why do we gloss over it? Why do we look the other way? When the elder prays, “Forgive us our many sins,” I have to ask what kind of life he has been living that would require such a prayer? According to God's word, an elder is to be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6). So why would such men constantly remind us of what sinners they are? In fact, all Christians – as the bride of Christ – are to be “holy and blameless” (Ephesians 1:4; 5:27; Colossians 1:22). The church is to be “sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10). Those who are called saints are to be “blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15). It is Satan who wants us to be an “imperfect people.” God wants us to be “spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14).

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

I have asked that question, but I have not suffered as Christ did. I hear the word of the Lord, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4). Yes, I have lost friends and family members for the sake of Christ. Yes, I have lost homes and property. Yes, I have lost jobs. Yes, I have been persecuted. Yes, I have had entire congregations of people turn away from me. Yes, I have been run out of town. Yes, I have experienced hatred, lies and the gnashing of teeth. Yes, at times it feels as though the Lord has abandoned me entirely. But I have still not suffered what my Lord suffered. Therefore,“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11). There is no excuse for the so-called people of God to tolerate wickedness, much less advertise it. Jesus turned His back on sin, and gave us an example to follow.

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

When the church gathers her collective voice and declares to the world her “imperfect” status, it is obvious that she has forgotten the presence of Christ's Holy Spirit, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

God was forced by His holiness to turn away from His Son while bearing our stain of sin upon Him. But Jesus – even in such a horrid moment – would not turn away from His Father. The church must be reminded of her King's fortitude. What is so casually accepted in the assembly today ignores completely the warning of Scripture, “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:13).

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

How have we become so callous … so complacent? When temptations are set before us, we must refuse! “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you feel the sting of sin and the attack of Satan, then you must take up “the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). But do not bow to sin … ever! And certainly there should never be a public recognition that imperfection reigns within the body of Christ. The command and promise of God has obviously been forgotten,“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

Thank God that those were not Christ's last words. Yes, He experienced human weakness and suffering. Yes, He experienced anguish and heartache. Yes, He was assaulted by hatred and abandoned to die alone. But His trust in His Father overcame every obstacle that Satan placed in His path.

“And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last” (Luke 23:46).

Jesus' trust was well placed! “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:8-9).

In the face of such dedication, where do we find an excuse for sin? When will the church open her eyes and see the grand deception of Satan? “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

“My God, My God, Why have You forsaken us?” My question, not Christ's. Therefore, I will provide the answer: Because we have believed the lies that we must acclimatize to our communities ... that we must do whatever it takes to attract sinners … that we must be like everyone else … that everyone must like us.

That wasn't the example of our Savior. He refused to sin. He rejected it completely. He preferred death on a cross to fellowship with Satan. He would not bow to peer pressure, and He certainly wasn't worried about social standing.

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

No one wants to suffer, but it is preferable to surrendering to sin.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Paul's response should be our response: “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. [10] Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?”

Jesus did not submit to sin, but He submitted fully to His Father. We must so submit – not to the trials and temptations … not to the world and its works, but to “the author and perfecter of faith.”
“Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Praise God for a real Shepherd ... a great Shepherd who wants to lead us away from sin, even through the valley of the shadow of death, to a permanent place "in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13)!

Making Contact with the Cross

Text: Colossians 2:8-14

Introduction: John 3:16 is a simple verse, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 1 John 3:16 is also a simple verse … and says pretty much the exact same thing, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us …”

Those two verses aren't about the fact that God loves His creations, but the manner in which He has demonstrated love. God SHOWED us love by sacrificing His Son. Jesus SHOWED us love by dying on a cross. But isn’t it interesting that modern churches spend so little time discussing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Oh, there are songs sung about the cross, but usually they are devoid of any real doctrinal content … and those who sing them probably give more thought to the beat of the music than the blood of the cross.

But coming into contact with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is the supreme will of God for mankind. This should be of the utmost concern to the people of God. Making contact with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is how God demonstrated His love and wooed us, how we enter into Christ, and how we stay in fellowship with Jesus. Our text is found in Colossians 2:8-14, and begins with …

I. The Recognition of Divine Authority vs. 8-10

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. [9] For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, [10] and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;”

First, we recognize that this isn't about man. It's not about our troubles. It's not about our achievements. It's not about living a good life. It's about living a very specific life in submission to the One who “is the head over all rule and authority.” As Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

For many people, Christianity is just living the same life that they always lived … only this time with Jesus' blessing. This is why church's are failing. They have not – and will not – submit to Christ.

But according to our text, that's the first step. We must be Captured by Christ, v. 8. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

This is why so many fail. Oh, they do church, but it is about finding one that fits their personal philosophy. Churches are being administered by “pastors” who are sharing their personal philosophies. Congregations are directed by elders leading according to their personal philosophies. According to our text, it's nothing but “empty deception.” It's like a bowl of fake fruit. It may look tasty, but in reality it's hollow. Today's churches have produced a spiritual GMO, if you will. They say it's better, but really it's just going to slowly kill you. According to 1 Timothy 4:6, To “be a good servant of Christ Jesus,” is to be “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of sound doctrine.”

Many are captivated by the charisma of great speakers, whether their words are true or not. Many are captivated by the things of the world and traditions that are comfortable and reassuring. But the real Christian is captivated wholly by Christ … the things of Christ … the words of Christ.

If we have been captured by Christ, we will first and foremost recognize His authority. And if we recognize Him as having all authority, then we will work to subject ourselves totally to His will. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, the apostle Paul says, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” This is the foundation of our allegiance to Christ. It’s the only way we can ever be made Complete in Christ, vs. 9-10. “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, [10] and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;”

You have been given fullness in Christ. You have been made complete in Christ. What Christ has done is not in question. What is in question is our response to Him. How have we responded to His mercy and grace? How have we responded to His generosity? Is gaining Christ worth more than the things of the world? Are we willing to live the kind of life that He lived in order to be resurrected to eternal life? The fact is, we will not be complete until we fully submit to His authority.

Two things then are necessary to become complete in Christ: The recognition of His authority, and the removal of the sin that has corrupted us and caused us to question His judgment.

It all starts with coming into contact with the cross of Christ. It was at that point that the benefit of the work of Christ was bestowed upon man. The cross was the ultimate revelation of Christ’s authority. In John 10:17-18, Jesus says, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. [18] No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” And the cross was also the ultimate rejection of sin – Romans 8:3 says, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.” Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. Therefore, we have to condemn sin in the flesh. So let’s go back to our text. Paul talks specifically about …

II. The Removal of Sin vs. 11-14

“[11] and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; [12] having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. [13] When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, [14] having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Sin is a divider. Sin is never a good thing. For the modern church to spend so much of its time rehashing their sinfulness - “Oh, we're all just sinners.” - shows that they have no idea how devastating sin is nor the lengths that God went to in order to remove us from the bondage of sin.

The prophet Ezekiel understood sin and its effect … and submission to the Lord and its effect. Ezekiel 18:20-21 says, “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. [21] But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Personally, I’m looking to avoid the death penalty. To do that, we must be Associated with Christ, v. 11. “... in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.”

In the OT, the Jews believed that they were directly associated with God based on the physical act of circumcision. Paul corrects such thinking in Romans 4, telling us that Abraham was justified by faith before circumcision was ever practiced.

And we are still saved by faith. The circumcision that Paul speaks of in our text is a spiritual circumcision, “a circumcision made without hands.” The prophet Jeremiah referred to such spiritual circumcision in Jeremiah 4:3-4, “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. [4] Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskins of your heart, ... or else My wrath will go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”

You see, to be associated with Christ the hardness of our heart must be broken up and the sin removed which would condemn us eternally. Church leaders don't need to be standing up talking about what sinners they are, but showing real righteousness. I pulled this quote right off the front page of Southeast Christian Church, which is the largest Christian Church in the United States: “We are just a group of imperfect people striving to live a life for God.”

The Bible never uses such language about the saints of God. Listen to 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! [16] Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” [17] But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.[18] Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. [19] Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? [20] For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

See? This is about doing away with sin, not reveling in it or using it as an excuse for a lack of holiness. So the question is: How do we submit ourselves to the Lord? How do we make contact with the cross? Our text tells us exactly what happened. First, we were Buried with Christ, v. 12a. “… having been buried with Him in baptism …”

In fact, I think a great verse which connects baptism and the removal of sin with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is in 1 Peter 3:21, “Corresponding to that (to the boat which saved Noah and his family), baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” This is what our text is stressing. “Having been buried with Him in baptism,” we were Raised with Christ, v. 12b. “… in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

Paul makes the argument in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “... if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” There is no removal of sin without coming into contact with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:4-7 says, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, [6] knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; [7] for he who has died is freed from sin.”

There's the process by which we became Christians. If we died with Him, if we were buried with Him, then we were raised with Him and freed from our sins. By making contact with the cross, our text tells us that our sins are Forgiven by Christ, v. 13. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.”

In submission to Christ, we obeyed His commands – after all, “He is the Head over all rule and authority.” We have done what He asked us to do. His sacrifice has not been in vain. Our conscience is clean as long as we obey the commands of our King. Because of Him, we are Free in Christ, v. 14. “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

By coming into contact with the cross, we are healed of that which would have destroyed us. Our old life was one of straying in the paths of sin … pleasing ourselves. But now, because we have recognized Christ’s authority and have had our sins removed, we have placed our souls in the hands of the Great Shepherd. Death to sin means now we can live the real life that God intended … a spiritual life in fellowship with Him and His Son. This is a life that will transcend the physical world. It will overcome all physical difficulties and produce eternal life.

Conclusion: But it all goes back to a recognition of Christ’s authority. Let's hit the high points one more time. Rather than letting the world capture our attention, we must allow ourselves to be captured by Christ. He is the only One who can fill us and make us complete.

Then, there must be a removal of sin. It is not an association with Abraham, or with any man that will save us. It is not our association with a particular congregation or denomination that will save us. We must be associated with Christ. “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Remember, this is all about making contact with the cross.

We must be buried with Christ … that’s the association which will bring about the removal of sin. If we are buried with Christ – our text says – we will also be raised with Christ. God makes us alive … with Christ. We are forgiven … by Christ. We are free … in Christ.

In fact, this is all about Christ. There is nothing in this world … in this life … more important than making contact with the cross of Christ. As Paul said in Philippians 3:7-11, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, [9] and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, [10] that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; [11] in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”