Sermon Outlines – Page 8

Mar 04:35-41 | In The Eye Of The Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Intro: In early Christian art the church was often depicted as a boat driven upon a perilous sea — very early this incident (text) was understood as a sign of Jesus saving presence in the presence of storms that seek to overwhelm the believer’s life.

1. THE STORM OFTEN COMES IN THE PATH OF OBEDIENCE. This journey was undertaken at the Lord’s command. This made the storm harder to understand the Lord’s attitude inexplicable. the word Mark uses means more than an ordinary storm, it means a furious storm. The disciples had weathered many storms but this one terrified them. Sometimes the storms of obedience are greater than ordinary storms.

2. THE STORM OFTEN MAKES IT APPEAR THAT JESUS DOESN’T CARE. He was asleep. “Carest not that we perish?” Their cry implies a feeling of resentment at Jesus’ apparent indifference to their situation. Notice the contrast between the disciples ” panic” and the Lord’s “peace.” Gideon cried, “If the Lord be with us why have all these things befallen us?”

3. THE STORM REVEALS THE REAL ENEMY. It exposed their weakness: fear and lack of faith. Faithlessness is to be feared more than any storm. The problem that confronted God was not stilling the storm on the sea, but stilling the storm in the disciple’s hearts. It was the disciple’s opinion that they were perishing.

4. THE STORM DRIVES US TO JESUS. They were expert sailors but in this storm, they asked a preacher for help. At the end of their resources, they now threw all their hope on Jesus.

5. THE STORM ALWAYS REVEALS SOMETHING NEW ABOUT JESUS. “They feared exceedingly.” “Who then is this?” this is a different fear than the one produced by the storm ( a cowardly fear). This fear is a deep reverential awe in the presence of the supernatural. And Jesus did not rebuke this kid of fear. Not the fear of terror but of trust. Augustine said, “Fear God and you need fear nothing else.”

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2001

Jer 32:01-27 | Jeremiah’s Bet

Jeremiah 32:1-27

Intro: Jeremiah is in prison for preaching an unpopular message: (v. 2, 3)

1. No matter what, it is predetermined by God that they would be carried off into captivity. (v. 3)

2. One day they will be delivered from captivity and the land restored. (v. 15)

3. The people should go ahead an surrender so that they will be alive to enjoy the promise.

Jeremiah’s cousin Hanamel came to see him in prison to sell Jeremiah a farm located in Anathoth, which is in enemy territory in the hands of the Chaldeans.

JEREMIAH BOUGHT THE FARM because God told him to. (v.7 ,8). He had preached himself into a corner. If he really believed what he had been preaching, He had to put up shut up. JEREMIAH IS BETTING EVERYTHING ON THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

I. TESTING THE REALITY OF OUR FAITH.

A. An untested faith is a worthless faith. You never know if what you are calling faith is really faith or not. If my lifeboat has holes in it, I want to know before my ship sinks.

1. You only learn to trust God by trusting God.

2. Most of us will never trust God until we have to.

3. God sees to it that we have to trust Him.

Illustration: Israel camped by the Red Sea and all the Egyptians in the world are swooping down on them. God told Moses to “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and go forward”, but forward was the Red Sea. THEY WERE FORCED TO TRUST GOD.

B. God is a Refiner, not an Arsonist.

II. THE RELAPSE OF OUR FAITH (v. 16-25)

Jeremiah has signed the deed and then he has been left alone. He is having Buyer’s Remorse. “Ah Lord God” (v. 17). This is the sigh of a man who is worried.

A. Faith is believing in spite of the doubt.

1. Father of demon-possessed boy – “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief’.

2. The church meeting in Mary’s home praying for Peter’s release from prison in Acts.1 1-12 and yet when he was released and knocking at their door they didn’t believe it was him.

B. There are three things you can do with doubt:

1. Publish them – DON’T! Jeremiah waited until he was alone to pray.

2. Keep them to yourself – DON’T! They will fester deep in your soul.

3. Take them to the Lord – DO! (Psalm 73.)

Jeremiah is saying “Lord, everything you‘ve said has come to pass, SO FAR “ (v. 17) and he begins to rehearse all that the Lord has done. A PRAYER OF UNBELIEF

FAITH IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF DOUBT, IT IS THE OVERCOMING OF DOUBT.

III. THE REASSURANCE OUR FAITH.

A. The Word of the Lord came to Him WHEN he prayed and admitted his unbelief to the Lord. (v. 26)

B. When God brought reassurance to Jeremiah, He didn’t tell him anything he didn’t already know. (v. 27), “Is there anything too hard for me”. He simply repeated what Jeremiah had said to Him in verse 17. GOD WILL NOT ABANDON YOU.

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2003

Jer 29:10-14 | Seeking The Lord

Jeremiah 29:10-14

The purpose of God is not achieved in our lives until we find our everything in Him. To seek and find the Lord is to find in Him our joy, delight, fulfillment and success.

I. WE ARE TO SEEK THE LORD EXCLUSIVELY. Vs. 13 – “You shall seek ME.” They were in captivity but they were not told to seek their freedom, or better conditions. 1. Seek for nothing more: Col. 2:9,10 2. Settle for nothing less.

II. WE ARE TO SEEK THE LORD EARNESTLY. Vs. 13 “With all your heart.” An O.T. phrase meaning “to obey all His Word.” Heb. 11:6 1. Because we are desperate: captivity 2. Because we are determined. “With all your heart.”

III. WE ARE TO SEEK THE LORD EXPECTANTLY. Vs. 14. “And I will be found of you.” Heb.11:6 1. God will Reveal Himself. Vs 14 2. God will Release us from Captivity. Vs 14 3. God will Restore Lost Possessions. Vs. 14

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2001

Jer 17:09-10 | Outline

Jeremiah 17:9, 10

I. The Heart Is Deceitful in its Conduct (1) As to the nature of spiritual things (2) As to the tendency of evil things (3) As to the truth of itself

II. The Heart is Diseased in Its Character (1) Utterly wicked—total depravity (2) Universally wicked (3) Unsearchably wicked (4) Incurably Wicked

III. The Heart Is Diagnosed By its Creator, vs.10 (1) The mind (Hebrew, mind) (2) The reins (Hebrew, kidneys, emotions) (3) The reward—to give to every man according to his ways.

©Ron Dunn, LifeStyle Ministries, 2001

Isa 45:01-12 | Striving With Sovereignty

Isaiah 45: 1-12

INTRO: Man has recurring tendency to ANTICIPATE GOD– preconceived idea as to how God should save, deliver, etc. Often those who are longing for God, praying, expecting, miss God altogether when He comes in unexpected ways. We look for a dramatic sign in the sky and He works through the steady course of events; for the fire or earthquake and He speaks in the still small voice We look for a KING ON A THRONE and He comes as a baby in a stable.

WE WANT TO BE DELIVERED OUR WAY… Some had rather say in bondage than accept God’s way of release. The method of deliverance becomes more important than the deliverance itself

WE STRIVE WITH THE LORD–complain, contend, quarrel, find fault, stubborn rebellion.

WE PRAY FOR REVIVAL–then God shows us the way, and we reject it; finances, harmony, marriage saved. If we knew what revival would mean, we’d stop praying for it.

OUR PROBLEM: We’re seeing God from the wrong angle. From where we’re standing we can’t see Him clearly, the vision is blurred. We can’t quite make Him out.

OUR NEED: To stand in the proper place for the right vision of God. WHAT IS THAT PLACE? As Potsherd a piece of clay.

Potsherd: Just one of the millions of fragments of broken earthenware. A vivid expression of human insignificance.

ARE YOU THERE? Then you’re ready to see GOD AS HE IS. WE SEE FROM THIS POSITION THAT HE IS:

I. THE LORD WHO DOES ALL THINGS. vv. 7,8, 12

Here are the list of ordinary things He does. ALL IN A DAY’S WORK! Make the earth, create man upon it; stretch the heavens with His hands; appoint all the hosts their proper place and sphere.. .WHO WOULD EVEN DREAM OF ADVISING ONE WHO IS CAPABLE OF HANDLING ISSUES OF SUCH DIMENSIONS? ANSWER: We Would!

A statement of ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY — the prophet doesn’t shrink from it– even though it is incomprehensible. He didn’t worry about God’s reputation… STAGGERING CONCLUSIONS.

1. He is ALONE in His Sovereignty. With great and repeated emphasis… “I am God.. .no one else.” There is no one else to look to, pray to, blame or criticize. He is the SOURCE, the CAUSE, the ORIGIN, the BEGINNING, the SOLUTION TO EVERY MYSTERY, the ANSWER TO EVERY QUESTION.

2. He is ABSOLUTE in His Sovereignty. vs. 5 Good and evil, light and darkness.. .men want the light but not the darkness.. Even pagan Cyrus is His Anointed–an evil man.

Illustration of Joseph and his brethren. “It was not YOU, BUT GOD…” Isaiah 53: “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. HE hath put Him to grief…”

II. THE LORD WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO DO ALL THINGS. v. 9

God is not just a big buddy!

1. This DEMANDS Our SILENCE. v. 9, 10, 11 Who are we to argue, to find fault… “You’re all thumbs…” We both advise and criticize.

Hab. 2 “I will stand in my watch and see what He will say to me…”

2. This DEMANDS Our SUBMISSION. v. 1lb “And ye shall commit to Me the work of My hand.” NAS

This is brought out by the image of the Potter and the Clay.

(1) We must submit to the Potter’s PURPOSE. He has one. Eph. 2:10

(2) We must submit to the Potter’s PLAN.. .His way of accomplishing that purpose, the shape of the vessel, how fast the wheel spins. Jer. 18 “…He made it again another vessel AS SEEMED GOOD TO THE POTTER TO MAKE IT.”

(3) We must submit to the Potter’s PRESSURE. No other way to shape the clay, to accomplish His purpose and plan.

III. THE LORD WHO DOES ALL THINGS RIGHT. v. 13

Regardless of the route He takes, He always reaches His destination.. .the promise fulfilled. Abraham and Isaac, Gideon, etc.

1. He Does It for Our Good. v. 13, Heb. 11:6, Ultimate, spiritual good.

2. He Does It for His Glory … and there’s never any conflict of interests between our good and His glory. vs. 3, 4, 5, 6– THE ONE GRAND THEME IS “I Am God.. ..no one else.” Other Gods are NO GODS.

To this present hour that is what God is wanting to demonstrate to mankind… He gets glory by making His enemies His servants. HE WILL ALWAYS TAKE THE ROUTE THAT BRINGS HIM THE GREATEST GLORY.

WHY DO WE STRIVE? We are more interested in good than GLORY and we don’t even know what is GOOD!