Sunday Sermon Outline: John 12:20-50

“Becoming Sons of Light”
John 12:20-50

Introduction: John 11:7-8, 16; 20:31


I. Becoming sons of light requires death. vs. 20-26
     “Now there were certain Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; 21 these therefore came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came, and they told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."”

Matthew 10:5-6; John 10:10; 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:31


II. Becoming sons of light requires submission. vs. 27-30
     “27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Thy name." There came therefore a voice out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." 30 Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.”

Matthew 3:17; 17:5; James 4:6-10; Matthew 7:21


III. Becoming sons of light requires belief. vs. 31-46
     “31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34 The multitude therefore answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" 35 Jesus therefore said to them, "For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and He departed and hid Himself from them.”
     “37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?" 39 For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES, AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART; LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED, AND I HEAL THEM." 41 These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.”
     “42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. 44 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me. 46 I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.”

Matthew 10:33


IV. Becoming sons of light requires obedience. vs. 47-50
     “47 And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."”

Luke 13:3, 5; John 3:36


LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 27

Jeremiah 27
“A Message of Submission”

I.  A Demonstration of Ownership vs. 1-4
     “In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying— [2] thus says the LORD to me—“Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck, [3] and send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. [4] “Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters,'”


II. A Message of Submission vs. 5-15

     A. Surrender or Die vs. 5-11
     “[5] “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight. [6] “Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. [7] “All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. [8] “It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine and with pestilence,” declares the LORD, “until I have destroyed it by his hand.”

     B. Repent to Remain vs. 9-11
     “[9] “But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ [10] “For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish. [11] “But the nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let remain on its land,” declares the LORD, “and they will till it and dwell in it.”’””

     C. Listen and Live vs. 12-15
     “[12] I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! [13] “Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon? [14] “So do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you; [15] for I have not sent them,” declares the LORD, “but they prophesy falsely in My name, in order that I may drive you out and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.””

     D. Watch and Learn vs. 16-22
     “[16] Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD's house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon’; for they are prophesying a lie to you. [17] “Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin? [18] “But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now entreat the LORD of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. [19] “For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, [20] which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. [21] “Yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem, [22] ‘They will be carried to Babylon and they will be there until the day I visit them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’”” 


LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Sunday Sermon Outline: Ecclesiastes 8

“Life from a Divine Perspective”
Ecclesiastes 8

Introduction: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. [14] For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”


I.  The wise man will submit to the Lord. vs. 1-8
     “Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam. [2] I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. [3] Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.” [4] Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?” [5] He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. [6] For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him. [7] If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? [8] No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it.”

2 Kings 11:17-18; Hebrews 13:7; Luke 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 6:12


II. The wicked man will be judged by the Lord. vs. 9-13
     “[9] All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt. [10] So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility. [11] Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. [12] Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. [13] But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.”

Matthew 25:41, 46


III. Every man should prepare for the Lord. vs. 14-17
     “[14] There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. [15] So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun. [16] When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night), [17] and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun. Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, “I know,” he cannot discover.”

Revelation 14:10-12; Hebrews 10:30; 13:5; Galatians 6:7-9


LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Sunday Sermon Outline: Hebrews 13:15-21

“Continuous Christianity”
Hebrews 13:15-21

Introduction: Hebrews 13:12-14 


I. Continual Sacrifices vs. 15-16
“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. [16] And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Matthew 12:34; 1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 11:4; Romans 12:1-2; Romans 2:6-8; Matthew 25:21; Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 10:24-25


II. Continual Submission vs. 17-19
“[17] Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. [18] Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. [19] And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.”

Hebrews 13:7; Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 4:11-12; Ezekiel 3:17-21; Jeremiah 3:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 


III. Continual Service vs. 20-21
“[20] Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, [21] equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 1:9-10; 1 John 3:21 – 4:1; Hebrews 13:8; 1 Corinthians 3:19; 4:2


LISTEN TO SERMON AUDIO HERE

Sunday Sermon Outline: Hebrews 4:14 - 5:9

“An Effective High Priest”
Hebrews 4:14 – 5:9

I.  A Great High Priest  4:14-16
     “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15] For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. [16] Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Ephesians 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12);  Hebrews 5:8; Matthew 16:23


II. A Perfect High Priest  5:1-9
     Hebrews 5:1-6, “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; [2] he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; [3] and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. [4] And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. [5] So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”; [6] just as He says also in another passage , “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.””

Colossians 1:13-14

     Hebrews 5:7-9, “[7] In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. [8] Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. [9] And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”

Isaiah 53:12; John 3:16; Matthew 3:17; Luke 9:35; John 1:12-14; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 2:3


LISTEN TO SERMON AUDIO HERE