Basic Preaching Class Sermon Outline #6

We are going to be taking a mostly finished sermon outline and filling it in, so we will have something that we can preach at a later date. Most of the main parts are there. You may want to change them some, or rearrange them. It definitely needs some illustrations added to help it flow smoothly. More sub-points need to be added and elaborated. I hope we have time to do some of this in class.

Title: Who Is Jesus?

Text: Matthew 16:13-20 especially vs.15&16

Bible Reading: Matthew 16: 13-20

Proposition or Theme: Who did the people of Christ’s time think that He was? Have times changed any today?

Introduction: In the late 1960’s, the rock opera, Jesus Christ, Superstar, asked the question, “..are you really who you say you are?”

That same question has been put forward by people since the days when Jesus walked the earth. In fact, in our text for today, it is Jesus who asks the question.

Transitional sentence: Let us see how this all came about as we read our text for today.

  1. Jesus Said He was the son of Man – His humanity.
  1. Whom Did the People of Jesus Day Say He Was?
  1. John the Baptizer
  1. Elijah (Elias)
  1. Jeremiah
  1. One of the prophets

III. Who Do YOU (the disciples/Apostles) Say That I Am?

  1. Which one was the first to give the reply?
  2. What was Peter’s confession?
  1. What difference does it make if Jesus is the Christ?
  1. Here Peter says that Jesus is the Son of God. – Jesus’ Deity
  1. How does Jesus say that Peter knew the right answer?
  1. Because of giving the right answer, what was Jesus going to do for Peter? Vs18&19
  1. For what are keys used?
  1. What is the Kingdom?
  1. When did Peter first use those keys? (Acts 2:14-47, esp. vs. 38)
  1. What were the keys?
  1. What did they unlock then?
  1. What will they unlock today?
  1. What did Jesus promise to build? Vs. 18 (yet in the future for Pentecost had not yet come)

H. It is not Peter (little stone) on which the church is built, but the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. – See also I Corinthians 3:11

  1. At that time the disciples are told not to tell who Jesus is, but later, in the Great Commission, they are told to go into all the world and tell everyone about Jesus.

Transitional sentences: As Christians, we have also been given the use of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the church. When we use the same keys that the Apostle Peter used on that first Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, we will get the same results. Souls will be saved. The angels of heaven will rejoice.

Conclusion and invitation.: Today, if you have not already done so, the keys of the kingdom need to be used by you. Just like in the early days of the church, you need to hear of Jesus; believe in Him as the Son of God; turn from sins (repentance); confess His name before men, so He can confess you before the Father in heaven; and be baptized, a burial in water, that you might have your sins washed away and be raised from the water grave to walk in newness of life. Do your love Jesus? Do you really believe that He is the Son of God? He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments”. One of His commandments is to believe in Him and be baptized so that you can be saved. (Mark 16:16) Don’t put it off, but come forward and take care of it today as we stand and sing.

(Each of you in class need to be working on one of these outlines to preach from in class one Sunday soon. Due to time shortage, we probably won’t have you each preach a whole sermon in here, but we may have you get up in front of the small group and present part of your sermon to the class. Please be working on this as we only have about 7 weeks left in class)