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SERMON SEEDS FOR AUGUST 31, 2008

www.sermonseeds.org

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A PRAYER REQUEST FROM PASTOR JACK PETERS

 

Dear Friends – After 10 ½ years at our current church, the Lord has made it clear that it is time for us to consider another pastorate. Please pray for us as we seek the Lord’s leading in this matter. Many thanks for your interest and support of Sermon Seeds.

 

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Ezra 1:1-11

GREAT ADVENTURE

 

King Cyrus was going to permit the Jews who had been in captivity to return to their homeland.  It was a great adventure for those who went and those who supported the work.

 

A REQUEST FOR PILGRIMS AND PATRONS – Vss. 1-4

A RESPONSE BY PILGRIMS AND PATRONS – Vss. 5-6

A RELEASE TO PILGRIMS AND PATRONS – Vss. 7-11

 

 

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Psalm 1:1-3

THE SUCCESSFUL MAN

 

HIS WALK - Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

 

HIS WAY - …nor standeth in the way of sinners…

 

HIS WORDS - … nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

 

HIS WONDER - But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 

HIS WORTH - And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also

                        shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

 

 

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Proverbs 6:16-19

WATCH!

 

Proverbs 6:16-19 - These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

These are the things that God hates and considers an abomination. Let’s watch that we don’t do them!

 

WATCH WHAT YOU SEE! – A proud look

 

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY! – A lying tongue, A false witness that speaks lies

WATCH WHAT YOU THINK! – An heart that devises wicked imaginations

 

WATCH WHERE YOU GO! – Feet that are swift in running to mischief

 

WATCH WHAT YOU DO! – Hands that shed innocent blood, he that sows discord among brethren

 

 

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Mark 12:13-34

ON THE FIRING LINE

 

During World War II just about everyone in the United States was involved in the war effort. Food and other materials, necessary for the war effort, were rationed. There were air raids. War bonds were sold to finance the military effort. Many civilians worked at jobs which helped feed, clothe, and equip the fighting men.

 

In the military itself there were many support personnel. Those who cooked, repaired equipment, drove trucks and flew planes in order to keep our troops supplied.  Many were involved in planning and supervision so that our fighting men would be successful.  My father strung phone wire so that communication could be restored to areas that had been conquered by the allied forces.

 

All of the support was necessary, but there still had to be soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors on the firing line. They were directly involved in the battles which won the war.

 

Today, as Christians, there are times when we are support personnel.

We pray for missionaries and pastors. We contribute to the Lord's work, including missions, and we help out around the church.  But, there are times when we are on the firing line.  We either face opposition, persecution, or direct confrontation with the enemy, Satan.

Sometimes, because we witness, preach, teach, or pray, we find ourselves in the middle of a Spiritual battle.

 

One of the times that Jesus was on the firing line was just before his death.  The Sanhedran, the counsel of 70 religious leaders in Israel, was opposed to the Lord Jesus, and sought to destroy Him. They sent representatives to try and discredit him.  In this passage we see:

 

RESPONSIBILITIES - Vss. 13-17

The Pharisees and Herodians, who would usually oppose each other, joined together to trip Jesus up in his words.  After using what they thought was flattery (But was actually the truth.), they asked Him about paying tribute, a poll tax to Caesar.  They figured that however Jesus answered the question, they could accuse Him.  Jesus' answer was very simple, yet profound.  We are to be responsible to government for the things that belong to government, such as taxes. We are to responsible to God for the things that are God's, such as our love, faith, and service. When the two principles clash, we are to honor God above government (Acts 5:29).

 

RESURRECTION - Vss. 18-27

The Saducees did not believe in the resurrection. "So, they were sad, you see."  🙂

In Israel, if a man died without being a father, his brother was to go in to the widow and father children in the name of his brother.  The Saducees' story gives the example of a woman who ended up having no children in spite of the fact that she married all seven brothers. The question was, whose wife would she be in the resurrection?

 

Jesus pointed out that the Saducees' error was a result of not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God (Vs. 24). Many still make the same mistakes today. Jesus gives answer to their questions in Verses 25-27.

 

REQUIREMENTS - Vss. 28-34

A scribe sincerely asks Jesus about the most important law of all.  Jesus answers with a summary of the law which gives two requirements. We are to love God totally, and our neighbors as ourselves. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18)

The Scribe agrees with Jesus, and He states that the scribe was not far from the kingdom of God. Of course, all the scribe needed to do was place his faith in Christ.

 

Sermon Seeds B28, 9/14/98

 

 

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Luke 7

TOUCHED BY JESUS

 

·        Listen to the poem, “The Touch of the Master’s Hand”. (If you need a copy, just ask! jpeters@alltel.net)

·        What lessons do you get out of this poem?

·        In what ways have you been “touched by Jesus”?

·        How have you seen others touched by Jesus?

·        Is Jesus’ touch always gentle?

 

The Lord Jesus touched the people mentioned in this chapter in some way. Each received something with his "touch".

 

A CONFIDENT CENTURION WAS GIVEN HONOR Vss. 1-10

Vs. 9 - I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

·        Vs. 2 - What indication is there here that this centurion is special?

·        Vss. 3-5 – What do you think of the evaluation given here of the centurion?

·        Vss. 6-7 – What do you think of the centurion’s self evaluation?

·        Vs. 8 – Where did the centurion get such faith?  How can we obtain such faith?

·        Vs. 9 – Why did Jesus marvel?

·        Vs. 9 – How would the statement of Jesus cause uneasiness among the hearers?

·        Vs. 10 – The centurion received a great compliment, but most important to him, his servant was healed.

 

A CONCERNED WIDOW WAS GIVEN HELP - Vss. 11-17

·        Vss. 11-12 – What concerns would have been running through this woman’s mind?

·        Vs. 13 – What does this verse teach about Jesus and our sorrows?

·        Vss. 14-15 – Imagine the emotions of this woman, as she has experienced “the impossible”.

·        Vss. 16-17 – State the good and the bad found in the responses to this miracle.

 

A CONFUSED PROPHET WAS GIVEN HOPE - Vss. 18-23

·        Vss. 18-19 – John was in prison at this time. Luke 3:19-20

·        John 1:29-34 – What happened to John’s faith and why?

·        Vss. 20-22 – What was Jesus’ point to John?

·        Vs. 23 – Why did John need this word of encouragement?  What does it teach us?

·        How can we help a person whose faith has weakened?

A CONTRITE SINNER WAS GIVEN (SPIRITUAL) HEALTH - Vss. 36-50

·        Vss. 36-39 – What do we learn about this woman?

·         In what ways was this woman more spiritually mature than the Pharisee?

·        Vs. 47 – What did the woman’s actions indicate?

·        Vs. 48-49 – What do we need to remember about the authority of Jesus?

·        Vs. 50 – On what basis was the woman’s sin healed?

 

A CRITICAL PHARISEE WAS GIVEN HONESTY - Vss. 36-50

·        Vs. 39 – What was the Pharisee’s problem?

·        Vss. 40-42 – Notice how Jesus skillfully handles this Pharisee.

·        Vss. 43-46 – The common courtesies of hospitality had been neglected, probably indicating the Pharisee’s attitude towards Jesus.

·        Vs. 47 – What does this statement tell you about the sins of the Pharisee?

·        How is this a touching story?

·        How is this a sad story?

 

This is an expansion on a previously shared outline.

 

 

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2 Corinthians 8:1-5

THOSE GENEROUS MACEDONIANS

 

GENEROSITY THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER PRESSURE – Vss. 1-2

GENEROSITY THAT WAS POWERFUL – Vs. 3

GENEROSITY THAT WAS PERSISTENT – Vs. 4

GENEROSITY THAT WAS PRIORITIZED – Vs. 5

 

Sermon Seeds G15, 6/16/03

 

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1 Thessalonians 2:1-6

A SACRED TRUST

 

The Apostle Paul viewed his ministry of preaching and teaching God’s Word as a sacred trust, because God had given it to Him.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 - But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Paul took his responsibility of having a sacred trust seriously. Those of us who are pastors and teachers need to do the same.  But so do each of us who have been saved.  If we take the Great Commission seriously, we each have a sacred trust to share the Gospel message with others. Matthew 28:18-20

The Apostle Paul was called by the Lord Jesus Christ to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.  He did this especially through three missionary journeys.  On the second journey he visited Thessalonica, and in a brief time there, won many people to Christ, especially Gentiles.

As we shared previously, Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica because of persecution. He had sent Timothy back to check and see how the Thessalonians were doing.

Although the Thessalonians were standing firm in their new faith in spite of persecution, there were those around who were continually discrediting Paul.  These attackers wanted the Thessalonians to go back or away from the faith that Paul had taught them.

As much as Paul did not like defending himself, he did find it necessary at times.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 Paul is not only defending himself but showing us how he treated his ministry as a sacred trust from God.

You and I need to realize that we should also be careful to treat our sharing of the Gospel, and/or our preaching and teaching as a sacred trust from God.  Let’s learn from Paul how to treat our sacred trust.

HE WAS FRUITFUL – Vs. 1

1 Thessalonians 2:1 - For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

When Paul, Silas, and Timothy arrived in Thessalonica to preach the Gospel, their work, as some were accusing, was not in vain.

The word “vain” here means “empty”.  Their ministry was not without results. Lives were changed and a whole region ended up being impacted with the Gospel. The Thessalonians should have known this, because they were the ones who were the fruit of Paul’s ministry. 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10

Paul’s ministry was a fruitful one, because of the way he carried out his sacred trust. It is because of the way Paul conducted his ministry that God blessed it with fruit.

If you want a fruitful ministry of sharing the Gospel, teaching, or even preaching, you need to handle your sacred trust well.

HE WAS FORCEFUL – Vs. 2

1 Thessalonians 2:2 - But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

When God called Paul to salvation and to reach the Gentiles, God knew that Paul was going to be sorely mistreated.

Referring to Paul in Acts 9:15-16 Jesus said to Ananias, But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Just before coming to Thessalonica Paul had a ministry of preaching the Gospel in Philippi.

Paul and Silas ended up being falsely accused and dragged before magistrates, flogged, and thrown in jail. They were shamefully entreated especially because Paul was a Roman citizen. Roman citizens were not allowed to be treated in such a way.

Paul and Silas were able to sing praises to God at midnight in spite of their ordeal. They experienced an earthquake, and saw the Philippian jailer and his family saved. The remembrance of suffering in Philippi would have been fresh in Paul’s mind when he arrived just down the road at Thessalonica. They would have still been very sore from the wounds that had been inflicted on them, just a few days old.

In spite of their problems at Philippi, Paul and his team again preached the Gospel at Thessalonica. They did not let the persecution in Philippi stop them from preaching in Thessalonica.  And they were forceful in Thessalonica, speaking boldly even though they again faced opposition or contention.

Notice that Paul was forceful to preach the “Gospel of God”.

They had God’s good news of forgiveness and eternal life that comes through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My friend, whether you are a teacher, a preacher, or a Christian who is to share his faith, it will not always be easy.

There will be times when we teach, preach, or share that there will be opposition to our message. Some people will just not like it. But we are called to be bold.

HE WAS FORTHRIGHT – Vss. 3, 5

1 Thessalonians 2:3 - For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

The message and the messenger were not at all corrupt or deceitful.

First of all, Paul says that the message they brought was not of deceit.  That is, there was no error in the message.

Paul was forthright in sharing the Gospel accurately.

Paul was forthright to teach the Word of God accurately.

Paul was forthright to live the Christian Life accurately.

It is important that each one of us as Christians understands the Gospel and can communicate it accurately.

It is important that each one of us who teach and preach communicate the truths of the Word of god accurately.

Even if you will not have a class or a pulpit to preach or teach from, you should be studying the Word of God so you know the truth and can communicate it accurately! 2 Timothy 2:15

Paul, in being forthright, also stated that there was no uncleanness in his ministry.  Much religion centered on idols and temples.  Many temples used sex as a part of the worship.

Paul was pointing out that there was no sexual misconduct in his ministry.

Paul also says that there was no deception. There was no guile, that is, no deceit or trickery.  There was nothing dishonest.

Just as Paul had an honest ministry we need to as well.

There is no need for Christians to deceive.  We will have the best success in communicating the truth of the Gospel when we are honest in our talking and living. Titus 2:11-12

Paul has more to say about being forthright in verse 5.

1 Thessalonians 2:5 - For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

Paul did not use flattery. 

We should never build people up with false compliments in order to take advantage of them.  This is not what a person having a sacred trust should do.

Paul did not use flattery, nor did he use a “cloak of covetousness”.  In other words, Paul wasn’t in it for the money. He was not hiding covetousness like someone would hide something under a coat.

Paul makes it very clear elsewhere that the love of money has no place in the Gospel ministry. 1Timothy 6:10-11

Paul often worked to support his own ministry. He did not try to take financial advantage of his hearers.

Paul was forthright in his dealings with others. He was not deceitful or dishonest in any way. Let’s make sure we do the same.

 

HE WAS FAITHFUL – Vs. 4

1 Thessalonians 2:4 - But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

The word “allowed” here means “approved”.  The word approved means ‘tested and found valid’.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were approved of God to be put in trust with the Gospel.

If you are a Christian, a teacher or a preacher, you have in some way been approved by God to be put in trust with the Gospel.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simply stated in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and Acts 16:31.

If you have believed the Gospel, it is now yours. Christ has changed your life and has given you the responsibility of sharing your faith. 1 Peter 3:15

Paul spoke because he was put in trust with the Gospel. Do you? Remember there are people you come in contact with every day who need to hear the Gospel. Are you sharing it when you can?

Also remember that some people will not be happy when you share your faith. But who are you trying to please?               Galatians 1:10

HE WAS FOCUSED – Vs 6.

1 Thessalonians 2:6 - Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Paul did not preach to receive the praise of men.

Paul did not preach to get special favors and attention as a noted theologian.

Paul did not preach for applause.

As apostles they could have asserted their authority, but they did not.

Paul and the others were only seeking the glory of God.

They were focused on giving God glory, and not receiving glory themselves.

Galatians 6:14 - But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

It’s amazing what can happen when we seek God’s glory and not our own.

We have a sacred trust – the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

BE FRUITFUL

BE FORCEFUL

BE FORTHRIGHT

BE FAITHFUL

BE FOCUSED

 

 

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PASTOR MAIL is a mailing list for male pastors.  The purpose of the list is to share sermons, outlines, illustrations and prayer requests.  To subscribe send a blank email to pastormail-subscribe@welovegod.org

 

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ABOUT SERMON SEEDS:

 

Sermon Seeds is a weekly e-mailing of free brief sermon outlines from Pastor Jack Peters. These outlines are meant to help other pastors and Bible Teachers in their own preparations.

 

In most cases these outlines are only "seeds". They are not sermons ready for you to preach. Feel free to improve on these outlines anyway the Lord leads you.

 

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