1000 Sermon Outlines

1000 Sermon Outlines

Volume Seven

"Our Hearts"

1. The Gospel Target—2 Cor. 4:6.

2. The Spirit's Abode—2 Cor. 1:22.

3. The Lord's Residence—Rom. 5:5.

4. God's Testing House—1 Thess. 2:4.

5. Faith's Concern—Heb. 10:22.

6. The Believer's Assurer—1 John 3:19.

7. The Spirit's Tablet—2 Cor. 3:2.

602. "Our Sins"

1. Confession. "If we confess our sins" 1 John 1:9

2. Propitiation. "He is the Propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:2).

3. Substitution. "Who His own self bare our sins" (1 Peter 2:24).

4. Cancellation. "He was manifested to take away our sins" (1 John 3:5).

5. Emancipation. "Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us," etc. (Gal. 1:4).

6. Supplication. "Purge away our sins, for Thy Name sake" (Psa. 79:9).

7. Absolution. "Washed us from our sins in His own Blood" (Rev. 1:5).

603. "Our Sins"

There are three things to remember about "our sins"

1. We Have Sinned. There are sins called "transgressions," which are goings beyond God's law—Num. 14:41; there are sins of trespass, which mean unfaithfulness to a trust, and slipping away from God's requirement—Matt. 6:14; there arc sins of iniquity, which denote the perversion of that which is good, and making it bad; hence, being unrighteous—Rom. 6:13; there are sins of rebellion, which signify the act of self-will and the clenched fists of opposition—Job 34:37; there are sins of treachery, which signify an under-current of hypocrisy—Hosea 6:7, R.V.; there are sins of omission, that is, neglecting to do what we ought to do, and very often through ignorance—Lev. 4:13; there are sins of debt, failing to do our duty, and paying what we owe—Matt. 6:12; there are sins of disobedience, failing to respond to God's word of direction, and generally through unbelief—Col. 3:6; and there are sins of failure, that is, missing the mark of God's Word; hence, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

2. We Deserve to be Punished Because of our Sins—Lev. 26:18, 21, 24, 28. Anyone who breaks the law has to bear the consequence. Frequently we are reminded that the one who sins has to "bear his sin" (Lev. 20:20; 24:15; Num. 9:13; 18:22).

3. All Sin is Against God. David's confession—Psa. 51:4; the publican's cry—Luke 18:13; the prodigal's lament—Luke 15:18; and Saul's exclamation, all recognize sin is against God—1 Sam. 15:24.

There are several passages in the New Testament where the words "our sins" occur.

604. Outlook

Dr. Mullins, of America, in speaking at a meeting in Spurgeon's Tabernacle, referred to the uncertain explanations and definitions which are given of philosophy; and gave a definition of it, as "A blind man in a dark room, looking for a black cat which is not there!"

Some might think the definition over defined, but there is no ambiguousness when we are bidden to think of the future. This is seen if we ponder what we are taught by the Word of God to look for.

1. We are looking for the "Blessed Hope" and the glorious appearing of the Lord's return—Titus 2:13.

2. We are "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 21).

3. We are "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:12).

4. We are "looking for the Savior" to give us a glorified body (Phil. 3:20, 21).

5. We are looking for Himself to "appear" (Heb. 9:28).

6. We are looking for "new Heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13).

7. Then we are also reminded of this outlook in its practical power, when the Spirit says: "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14).

605. "Outers"

We read of those who "went out," "came out," and who are told to "get out" and "come out." The greek word, exerkomai, in each of the following instances means to get right out.

1. Separation. "Get out of thy country" (Acts 7:3; Heb. 11:8).

2. Redemption. "Came out of Egypt" (Heb. 3:16).

3. Consecration. "Come out" (2 Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4).

4. Persecution. "Then... Jesus... went out" (John 8:59).

5. Intercession. "He went out into a mountain to pray" (Luke 6:12; 21:37).

6. Restoration. "He went out and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:62).

7. Evangelization. "They went out and preached" (Mark 6:12).

606. "Out of the Eater Cometh Forth Meat"

1. There is life and honey in every carcass of death and danger—Judges 14:8.

2. There is a bow of promise in every dark cloud of providence—Gen. 9:13.

3. There is a rose of blessing in every thorn of adversity—2 Cor. 12:7-10.

4. There is an open Heaven near every pillow of trial—Gen. 28:11-16.

5. There is a lifting up in every letting down—2 Cor. 11:33; 12:2.

6. There is a Paradise found in the Patmos of banishment—Rev. 1:3.

7. A "good cheer" in every night of affliction—Acts 23:11. Out of weakness we are still made strong. He giveth songs in the night, and but for the night we should not have the songs to sing. Refreshment is still found in many a hollow place in life, and but for the hollowness the supply would never have been secured—Judges 15:19.

607. Outlook in the Epistle to the Hebrews

The future things mentioned in the above Epistle are of moment.

1. "A World to Come" (1:6; 2:5).

2. A Salvation to Come—1:14; 9:28.

3. A Coming Subjection—2:9.

4. A Sabbath Rest—4:9-11.

5. "An Age to Come" (6:5).

6. A Covenant to be Made with Israel and Judah—v. 8.

7. Good Things to Come—9:11; 10:1.

8. The Coming One Himself—10:37.

9. A Shaking of Heaven and Earth—12:25-27.

10. An ImmovableKingdom—12:28.

11. A City that will Abide—13:14.

12. "Them that must Give Account" (13:17).

"Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen" (13:21).

608. Patience

1. A Needed Grace. "Ye have need of patience" (Heb. 10:36).

2. A Bestowed Power. "Strengthened with all might... unto all patience" (Col. 1:11).

3. A Fruitful Outcome. "Bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).

4. A Forming Agent. "Tribulation worketh patience" (Rom. 5:3).

5. An Evidencing Witness. "The ministers of God in much patience" (2 Cor. 6:4).

6. A Communicative Blessing. "Patience, experience" (Rom. 5:4).

7. A Noble Race. "Let us run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus" (Heb. 12:1, 2).

609. "Outside the Camp"

1. Place of Judgment. "Without the camp... shall he be burnt" (Lev. 4:12).

2. Place of Memorial. "Burnt offering... ashes without the camp" (Lev. 6:9-11).

3. Place of Uncleanness. Unclean. "Without the camp shall ye put them" (Num. 5:3).

4. Place of Separation. "He shall dwell alone: without the camp" (Lev. 13:46).

5. Place of Reproach. "Shut out from the camp" (Num. 12:15).

6. Place of Punishment. "Brought him without the camp... stoned... he died" (Num. 15:36).

7. Place of Death. "Without the camp, and one shall slay her" (Num. 19:3).

8. Place of Fellowship. "Suffered without the camp... let us go forth therefore unto Him, without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Heb. 13:11-13).

610. Parasites

"My Familiar Friend... Which Did Eat of My Bread"Psa. 41:9

Captain Cecil Rawling, in describing his explorations in New Guinea, among many other things says: "It is quite impossible for anyone who has not visited these parts of New Guinea to realize the density of the forest growth. The vegetation, through which only the scantiest glimpses of the sky can be obtained, appears to form, as it were, two great horizontal strata. The first comprises the giant trees, whose topmost boughs are 150 feet or more above the ground; the other, the bushes, shrubs, and trees of lesser growth, which never attain a greater height than thirty to forty feet. Such is the richness of the soil that not one square foot remains untenanted, and the never-ending struggle to reach upwards towards the longed-for light goes on silently and relentlessly. Creepers and parasites in endless variety cling to every stem, slowly but surely throttling their hosts. From tree to tree their tentacles stretch out, seeming such a close and tangled mass that the dead and dying giants of the forest are prevented from falling to the ground."

There are moral and spiritual parasites which throttle, kill, injure, or retard the growth of the spiritual life.

1. The parasite of sloth will hinder the grace of watchfulness as it did the virgins—Matt. 25:5.

2. The parasite of worldliness will kill the grace of devotion, as it did in Demas—2 Tim. 4:10.

3. The parasite of pride will devastate the grace of humility, as it did with the Devil—1 Tim. 3:6.

4. The parasite of unbelief will keep down the grace of faith, as is seen in the children of Israel—Heb. 3:17-19.

5. The parasite of self-elation will kill the grace of self-denial, as is stated of Diotrephes—3 John 9.

6. The parasite of avarice will stifle the grace of reality, as is evidenced in Achan—Joshua 7:21.

7. The parasite of covetousness will strangle the grace of generosity, as is manifest in Balaam—2 Peter 2:15.

611. Patience

1. Patience—Its Meaning: Endurance—2 Cor. 1:6.

2. Patience—Its Need—Heb. 10:36.

3. Patience—Its Accompaniment—Luke 8:15.

4. Patience—Its Power—Col. 1:11.

5. Patience—Its Attitude—Heb. 12:1.

6. Patience—Its School—Rom. 5:3.

7. Patience—Its Bestowment—Rom. 5:3.

612. Paul's Confidence

2 Tim. 1:12

"I know Him whom I have believed" (R.V.). Christ to Paul was a personal Saviour and Friend. He had more than the knowledge of perception; he had the knowledge of experience. To know by seeing that oranges are oranges is good, but to taste the lusciousness of the orange by eating it is to know it is sweet. What do we know of Christ?

1. Is He our Savior to save?—Luke 1:47.

2. Our Power to keep?—1 Peter 1:5.

3. Our Victor to overcome?—Rev. 12:11.

4. Our Satisfier to fill?—Deut. 33:23.

5. Our Holiness to sanctify?—1 Peter 1:16.

6. Our Lord to govern?—1 Peter 3:15, R.V.

7. Our Hope to attract?—Titus 2:13.

613. Paul's Deposit

2 Tim. 1:12

"He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him." He says He can keep us, for He is our Keeper—Psa. 121:5-8. But if He is to keep us we must deposit ourselves with Him, for the meaning of the word "committed" is "deposited." To deposit ourselves with the Lord is like placing money in the bank on deposit for the bank to keep it. Paul committed to the Lord—

1. The Reputation of his character—1 Cor. 4:13.

2. The Temple of His body—2 Cor. 4:10, 11.

3. The Life of his service—Acts 20:24.

4. The Work of his labor—1 Cor. 15:10.

5. The Trial of his infirmity—2 Cor. 12:9.

6. The Consecration of his being—Gal. 2:20.

7. The Success of his service—Eph. 3:7, 8.

614. Paul's Exhortations and Testimony

Philippians 4

1. The "I beseech" of exhortation (v. 2).

2. The "I entreat" of affection (v. 3).

3. The "I say" of exalting (v. 4).

4. The "I rejoiced" of appreciation (v. 10).

5. The "I speak," "I have," and "I am," of contentment (v. 11).

6. The "I know," the "I know," and the "I am" of initiation (v. 12, R.V.).

7. The "I can" of ability (v. 13).

8. The "I departed" of itineration (v. 15).

9. The "I desire" of fruitfulness (v. 17).

10. The "I have" and the "I am" of sufficiency (v. 18).

615. Paul's Message

Acts 19 and 20

Paul had a message from his Master, and was faithful in giving it. His message was sixfold in its substance.

1. "The Kingdom of God" (19:8). The laws of the realm of grace are "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17), and this realm is entered by the new birth—John 3:5, 8. Life to live is obtained by receiving Christ.

"Righteousness" is doing right because it is the right thing to do. "Peace" is the calm of God which comes as the result of obedience, and "joy" is the plant that grows in the soil of holiness.

2. "That Way" (19:9, 23) indicates God's method of doing things. His way is away from sin, according to His Word, personal faith in Christ, obeying His commands, following Christ, ceasing from self, and consecration to God.

3. "The Word of the Lord Jesus" (19:10). This is a concrete sentence denoting the sum total of His teaching. Ponder seven of those words: the "come" of invitation (Matt. 11:28), the "take" of identification (Matt. 11:29), the "ministered" of substitution (Matt. 20:28), the "love" of compassion (John 15:9), the "whatsoever" of prayer (John 14:13), the "peace" of bestowment (John 14:27), the promise of "power" (Acts 1:8), and the "again" of return (John 14:3).

4. "Repentance towards God" (20:21). Repentance is a change of mind wrought by the Holy Spirit and shown in the action. The Prodigal not only said "I will arise," but he did it. We may be sorry because we suffer the consequence of sin, and not be sorry for the sin which brought the consequences.

5. "Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (20:21). Faith is the act of the will in receiving Christ—John 1:12, the attitude of the life in resting in Christ—Rom. 1. 5, R.V., and the response of the heart to the commands of the Lord. The trend of the will leads to the track in which we walk.

6. "The Gospel of the Grace of God" (20:24). A coloured preacher once defined grace as "Receiving everything for nothing when we don't deserve anything." This is good news. See what a beautiful illustration is found in the parable of the prodigal son.

616. Paul's Manner

As Described in Acts 19 and 20

His manner was bold or confident in tone, he spoke "boldly."

1. Persistent in Repetition. "Three months" and "two years" (v. 8, 10).

2. Intolerant to Error. "Disputing" (v. 8).

3. Persuasive in Utterance. "Persuading" (19:8-10).

4. Convincing in Argument. "Turned away" (19:26).

5. Provocative in Declaration—19:26-28.

6. Consistent in Testimony. "No cause whereby we may give account of this concourse" (19:40).

7. Humble in Service. "With all humility" (20:19).

8. Determined in Purpose—20:24. Knowing how to do anything is half the service in doing it.

617. Paul's Molestations

As Seen in the Acts

Paul was molested in many ways.

1. He was disturbed by the "hardened" hearts of unbelief, and the "evil" speaking against "that way" (19:9).

2. A "stir" (19:23) which developed into a storm of opposition which was "full of wrath" (19:28), and aimless "confusion" was caused by his witness (19:29-32). The town clerk of Ephesus charged the crowd with doing things "rashly" (19:37), and were in danger of being called to give an account for the created "uproar" (19:38-41).

3. Paul had "tears" and "temptations" because of the "lying in wait of the Jews," who were like cruel beasts waiting for their prey (20:19).

4. The outlook was dark with further storms of "bonds and afflictions," which caused him to be "bound in spirit"

(20:22, 23); and yet amid it all he was careless of his comfort, and buoyantly declared he was not moved by "these things," or even of life itself (20:24). His one ambition was to "finish his course with joy," like the mariner, who knows he must face the storms ere he reaches the port of safety.

There are some things we need to remember. If we do right we are sure to meet with opposition. Difficulties are opportunities for God's deliverances. Temptations prove our metal. Trials sharpen our faith. Seeking the welfare of others will often bring woes to ourselves.

618. Paul's Personal Experience

Every reader of Paul's epistles will be impressed with his personal sense of responsibility. We have only to recall seven of the most familiar sayings to illustrate.

1. The "I know" of personal faith in Christ (2 Tim. 1:12).

2. The "I am" of personal crucifixion (Gal. 2:20).

3. The "I serve" of personal service (Acts 27:23).

4. The "I can" of personal empowerment (Phil. 4:13).

5. The "I do" of personal consecration (Phil. 3:13).

6. The "I keep" of personal mastery (1 Cor. 9:27).

7. The "I have" of personal testimony (2 Tim. 4:7) demonstrate Paul's sense of personal responsibility.

619. Paul's Personal Injunctions to Timothy

1. A Becoming Behavior. "Mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself" (1 Tim. 3:15). A becoming behavior becomes every one.

2. An Active Athlete. "Exercise thyself unto godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7). The exercise of the soul in godliness is the sure way to avoid gracelessness.

3. A Meditative Student. "Give thyself wholly to them" (1 Tim. 4:15). A concentrated mind is sure to reach a commendable end.

4. A Careful Custodian. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine" (1 Tim. 4:16). To apply the Word wholly to oneself, it is necessary to apply oneself wholly to the Word.

5. A Saved Servant. "Doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee" (1 Tim. 4:16). To practice the Word fully is the only way to preserve oneself from defeat entirely.

6. A Clean Man. "Keep thyself pure" (1 Tim. 5:22). The cleansing from sin's pollution is only possible by the Savior’s presence. We keep as we are kept.

7. A Separate Saint. "From such withdraw thyself" (1 Tim. 6:5). The place of separation is the place of power.

8. An Approved Worker. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God" (2 Tim. 2:15). To please the Lord is the secret of true pleasure.

620. Paul's Prayer

"I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day" (2 Tim. 1:3). Prayer was the power that throbbed through the life and labors of Paul.

1. It was the oil to lubricate his spiritual nature—Phil. 1:4.

2. The wind that moved the vessel of his service—Philemon 4.

3. The sap that made him fruitful to his Lord—Col. 1:9.

4. The outbreathing of his spirit in petition for others—Acts 16:13.

5. The empty hand that received that for which he prayed—Phil. 1:9.

6. The lips of request that moved in asking for other things—2 Cor. 1:11.

7. The live wire that kept him in touch with the supply house of the Spirit's power—1 Thess. 5:23.

621. Paul's Regard for His Brethren

It is an interesting study to ponder Paul's regard for those with whom he labored.

1. He was solicitous of Trophimus, who was sick—2 Tim. 4:20.

2. He writes of prayerful Epaphras—Col. 4:12.

3. The Women who helped in the Gospel—Phil. 4:3.

4. The beloved Timothy—2 Tim. 1:2.

5. Profitable Mark—2 Tim. 4:11.

6. Refreshing Onesiphorus—2 Tim. 1. 16.

7. And Others—Rom. 16.

622. Paul's Sevenfold Character

2 Tim. 4:6, 7, 17

1. The Ready Servant. "I am now ready to be offered."

2. The Commissioned Mariner. "The time of my departure is at hand."

3. The Victorious Warrior. "I have fought a good fight."

4. The Successful Athlete. "I have finished my course."

5. The Faithful Steward. "I have kept the faith."

6. The Rewarded Laborer. "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."

7. The Strengthened Sufferer. "The Lord stood with me and strengthened me."

623. Paul's Sevenfold Boasting

The Apostle frequently uses the word for boasting, and its co-relative, which means to glory in, make a boast of, and to speak loudly about anything or anyone. Sometimes the word is rendered "rejoice," "glory," and "boast."

1. Boasting in Christ. "Rejoice ("glory," R.V.) in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:3). When we make our boast in the Lord we have some One who is worthy in whom to glory. If we glory in what we are, in what we can do, or in anything we have, we are missing the mark, and dishonoring the Lord.