DIY Sermon Outlines

Text: Acts 18:19-19:41

Interest in the Gospel (Acts 18:20; 19:10)

Recognition of the Need for a Savior – John’s disciples, waiting for the Savior (Acts 19:1)

Honest Hearers – Willing to change when presented with the truth (Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7)

Committed Disciples – Continued with Paul despite the opposition (Acts 19:9)

Reasoned Preaching – Paul appealed to people’s reason from the Scriptures (Acts 18:19; 19:9)

Preaching Impostors – Claimed to do things in the name of Christ (Acts 19:13-16); just as people do today

True Repentance – Christians in Ephesus were committed to giving up everything for Christ (Acts 19:18-19)

The Gospel at Odds with Man’s Religion – Demetrius recognized that the gospel is inherently opposed to man’s religions (Acts 19:26-27)

Text: 2 Corinthians 13:5

Why We Ought to Examine Ourselves – to prepare ourselves for Christ’s judgment

What Are We Trying to Determine? – whether or not we are in the faith

How We Will Know if we Pass the Test – we have Christ living in us

Text: Hebrews 3:12-13

We can be deceived into thinking sin is…

Not Sin – change the definition of what sin is

Right in Certain Situations – situation ethics

Not a Problem – God’s grace covers us

Excusable – “we’re only human” or “others are doing it”

Without Consequences – pleasure is temporary, consequences are eternal

Text: 2 Timothy 2:22

Flee Youthful Lusts:

• Sexual Immorality
• Desire for Material Things
• Desire for Fame
• Desire for Acceptance
• Desire to Do Your Own Thing

Pursue:

• Righteousness
• Faith
• Love
• Peace

The Desire by Some for Power & Control – 3 John 9-10

Christians Putting their Trust in Men – 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4-5; 4:6

Unity on Some Other Standard than God’s Word – John 17:17

Practices/Customs that are Wrongly Bound upon Others – Matthew 15:1-9

Misused Passages:

• Mark 16:16 – baptism not in second clause (but if one does not believe, they naturally will not obey)
• Luke 23:39-43 – the thief on the cross was saved without baptism (also before Jesus’ death, we live under a different law – Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 9:17)
• Acts 2:38 – we are baptized for (because of) the remission of sins (only if Jesus died because our sins were already remitted – Matthew 26:28)
• Acts 10:44-45 – they received the Holy Spirit so they were saved before baptism (baptism of Holy Spirit never connected with salvation)
• Acts 16:30-31 – jailer was simply told to believe to be saved (when taught what to believe, he was baptized immediately)
• Romans 10:13 – we just call on the name of the Lord to be saved (right, but let the Bible define what it means to call on the name of the Lord – Acts 22:16)

What the Bible Teaches about Baptism

• For the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16)
• Puts one into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27)
• Puts one into His body (1 Corinthians 12:13)
• Puts us into the church (Acts 2:41,47)
• Saves us (1 Peter 3:21)

The desire by some for power and control (3 John 9-10)

Christians putting their trust in men (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4-5; 4:6)

Unity on some other standard than God’s word (John 17:20-21; 2 John 9-11)

Practices/customs that are bound upon others (Matthew 15:1-9)

Text: Ecclesiastes 12:13

Fear God

• To fear, we must first believe in Him (Romans 1:20)
• Recognize our place before Him (Psalm 8:3-4)
• Understand that we are accountable to Him (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
• He is willing and able to destroy us for our sin (Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 10:29; Romans 2:4-6)

Keep His Commandments

• Our purpose from creation is to obey God (Ephesians 2:10)
• We are to be zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:14)
• Faith and obedience are inseparable (James 2:17-18,26; Romans 1:5)

The Lord’s Invitation (Matthew 11:28-30)

Those Who Help Extend the Invitation (Revelation 22:17)

• The Spirit – through the word (Ephesians 6:17)
• The bride, church (1 Thessalonians 1:8)
• The one who hears, Christians (1 Peter 3:15)

Misunderstanding Grace Leads to Error

• More sin leads to more grace (Romans 6:1-2)
• Grace is a license to sin (Jude 4)
• With the grace-unity movement, grace is the basis for unity

What is Grace?

• God’s gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8)
• The gospel is the message of God’s grace (Acts 20:24)
• Grace is not without works (Ephesians 2:9-10)

What is the Basis for Unity?

• Not grace – or else we would have unity with all men (Titus 2:11)
• Agreement (Amos 3:3)
• Our agreement must be upon the word of God (John 17:20-21)

Characteristics of the Grace-Unity Movement

• Tolerance of sin (Luke 17:3)
• Support of false teachers (2 John 10-11)
• Fellowship with those outside the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:11)