Saturday, September 6, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, September 7

The Lord and Savior of All
He has been given the name above every name.

Text: Phil. 2:5-11

The Mission of Jesus
Phil. 2:8 “He humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

From the Nicene Creed (320 A.D.)
For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven.
By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin, Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.

He is the Savior of all.

We find salvation in him alone!


The Lordship of Jesus
Phil. 2:11 “Every tongue (shall) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

He is the Lord of all. He must be the ultimate authority in our lives.

Accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord
Acts 2:36-41 36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Repent and be baptized.
The promise is for you.


Following Our Savior and Lord
Phil. 2:5 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”
We must have a humility with a mission. We must have the mindset of salvation.

Matt. 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

His authority must be our motivation.
If we love him, we will follow his command.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, August 31

Living Water
He is able to satisfy our deepest need.

We Are Thirsty
emptiness / broken relationships / fear / despair / anger / worry / resentment / bitterness / sense of worthlessness / lack of direction / violence / dehumanization / injustice / bigotry / search for meaning

Text: John 7:37-39 & John 4:10-14

Jesus is the One Who Satisfies

He Invites:
John 7:37 – “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Come to me and drink.”
John 4:13-14 – “"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.”

He invites us. We must come to him.

He Is Greater:
John 7 – Greater than the feast.
John 4 – Greater than Jacob. Greater than the water in Jacob’s well. Greater than the temple.

His greater than any other thing we are turning to for satisfaction and meaning.
We must turn to him.

We Can Become Wellsprings of Living Water

Christ’s Promise:
John 7:38 – “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
John 4: 14 – “whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Our Witness:
We must live out our satisfaction and transformation.

The Woman at the Well – John 4
“Come and see the Messiah!” / “We believe.”

PRAYER: A. W. TOZER
O God, we have tasted your goodness and it has both satisfied us and made us thirsty for more. We are painfully conscious of our need of further grace. We are ashamed of our lack of desire. O God, the Triune god, we want to want You; We long to be filled with longing; we thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show us Your glory, we pray, so that we may know You indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within us. Say to our souls, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give us grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland where we have wandered so long. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, August 3

The Son of the Father
He came to do his Father’s will.



Text: Luke 2:41-52
49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"



Jesus Understood His Purpose
Luke 2:49 "...I had to be in my Father's house”

Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of Luke demonstrate his understanding of his purpose, he relationship with God, and his relationship with humanity. He understood that he was and is the one ordained to fulfill God’s plan of salvation.
John 6:44-47
46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

Jesus Understood His Deity
Luke 2:49 ”…I had to be in my Father's house”

Jesus counters Mary’s “your father” with the words “my father.” Jesus is making it clear that he understands that his life and calling will take him beyond familial bonds. Jesus’ use of “My Father” for God is striking. Though he encourages his followers to address God as their Father, he clearly understands his own relationship with God to be unique. He understood that he was the divine, son of God, the one who gives eternal life and saves from condemnation.

John 5:22-24
22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Jesus Understood His Humanity
Luke 2:51-52
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Mary may well have been one of Luke’s eyewitnesses. Jesus grew. Jesus was truly a boy becoming a man. This has great meaning for us as we consider Christ’s humanity. He understood his place within humanity and his calling to humanity.

Hebrews 2:9-11 / Hebrews 2:14-15 / Hebrews 2:17-18

It’s Time for Us to Grow Up
1 Cor. 13:11-12
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

In Jesus, we find our purpose and destiny.
In Jesus
, we find our relationship with God.

In Jesus
, we find our humanity renewed and a redemptive relationship with humankind.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, July 27

The Cornerstone
He is the firm foundation for our lives.

Text: 1 Peter 2:4-10
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

THE LIVING STONE
1 Peter 2:4-5
We come to him for life.

1 Peter 1:3-5
We come to him for salvation, truth, and maturity.

1 Peter 2:2-3
We are built together in him.
We find our Holy Purpose in him.

THE FOUNDATION STONE
1 Peter 2:6 / Matthew 7:26-29
We trust in him. We build our lives on him.

THE STUMBLING STONE
1 Peter 2:7-8
He is the one we MUST NOT reject.

Isaiah 8:13-15 / Psalm 118:7-9 / Psalm 118:22-24

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, July 20

The Firstborn Over All Creation
He is the creator, sustainer, and redeemer of all.

Text: Colossians 1:15-23

N.T. Wright—
“…the poem, and its deep roots in the ancient traditions of Jewish wisdom, both highlight the stupendous claim that the God who made the world, with all its parts and pieces, is now active in remaking it, restoring it, healing it, and renewing it; and that the means by which he has done the first and is doing the second is the person, the man, we know as Jesus Christ. He is the mirror in which we discover who the creator really is; he is the one through whom all things were made, and through whom, by his death and resurrection, all things are now being remade.”

The Maker of All
Colossians 1:15-16
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

I need Jesus in order to know my maker and my purpose.

The Sustainer of All
Colossians 1:17
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

I need Jesus to sustain my life and my world.

The Lord of All
Colossians 1:18
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

I need Jesus for direction, new beginning, and the hope of eternal life.

The Savior of All
Colossians 1:19-22
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

I need Jesus to be reconciled with God and to renew my world.

Jesus Redeemer
You are my maker and my sustainer.
You are the Firstborn—Lord over all.
Show me the Father. Show me my purpose.
Raise me to new life. Reconcile all.

Fullness of God, Supreme over all things,
You suffered death to give life and peace;
Cleanse me and free from all accusation,
Renew my mind and sanctify me.

Jesus my Savior, Jesus my Master,
Lord over all things, to You I bow.
Jesus my Leader, Jesus Redeemer,
I pledge, in faith, to follow you now.
To the tune: Morning Has Broken
Based on Col. 1:15-23
Lyric by D. Burkum
© Copyright 2008 by D. Burkum (www.Sonoluma.com).

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, July 13

The Word Made Flesh
He gives us the right to become God’s children.

Text: John 1:1-14

John’s Prologue
John’s gospel begins with a stunning and beautifully poetic expression of who Jesus is!
Mark starts with John the Baptists ministry. Matthew begins with Jesus’ birth. Luke takes us back to the birth of John the Baptist. John goes all the way back fore the creation to introduce the preincarnate Word.

Who Is “The Word”
John’s use of the “The Word” compares and contrasts well with four themes of the Old Testament and Judaism.

1. The Creative Word of God

Genesis 1:1-3
3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Isaiah 55:10-11
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Psalm 33:6
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

2. Wisdom (Prov. 8:12-32)
Prov. 8:12 – Personified. Not merely an attribute.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
Prov. 8:23 – Eternal and Before Creation
23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.
Prov. 8:14 – Understanding and Power
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.
Prov. 8:27, 30, 31 – With God and Active in Creation
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

3. Torah (Law of Moses)
A greater Torah is present.

John 1:17-18
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John Pryor (John: Evangelist of the Covenant People / IVP)
“Jesus Christ, not the Law of Moses, is the key to the meaning of life. Neither was he the first of God’s creation, but is part of God himself, eternal and uncreated. He is thus the true revelation of God, it is he who speaks God’s words, and he is the source of life. … Not the Torah, nor wisdom, but Jesus is the eternal Logos of God.”

4. Memra (Aramaic Targums)
- The presence of God who gives support (targum on Exodus 3:12)
- The one who meets and shows himself to humankind (targum of Exodus 19:17)

John 1:9
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
John 1:18
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Why do we need Him?
He makes it possible for us to become children of God. Because of Jesus, we can be born of God. John 1:12-13
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

He shows us God. He lives among us. He is the source of grace and truth and blessing.
John 1:14, 16-18
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - - - 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

ONE SOLITARY LIFE
He was born in an obscure village, the child of peasant woman.
He grew up in still another villager where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.
He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sermon Sketch for Sunday, June 29

Glory and Grace
God’s grace to us resulting in glory to Him.

Text: Philippians 4:20-23
20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22 All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Our Hope Begins and Ends with Grace

Philippians 4:23
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Philippians 1:2
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace – Charis
God’s good will, loving-kindness, favor as he exerts his holy influence upon souls--turning them to Christ, increasing their faith, and helping them exercise Christian virtue.

We reach out for God’s grace.
We are saved and transformed by God’s grace.
We are sustained by God’s grace.
We are shaped and led by God’s grace.
We become vessels of God’s grace.

Living Out Our Calling Depends on Grace

Philippians 1:9-11
Philippians 2:12-12
Philippians 3:7-9
Philippians 4:6-7

By Grace We Give Glory to God

Philippians 4:20
20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Glory – Doxa
splendor, brightness, majesty, praise, honor

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Ephesians 3:20-21
John 15:7-8