Classic Sermon Outlines
Temples of the Living God
Such devotion, as expressed through prayer and praise should be habitual _and universal among the children of God. tl. DWELLING OF GOD.
A. In Relation to the Jewish Temple.
The Jewish temple was also a place where the great Jehovah was _ pleased to reside. Hence, He is said to place and record His name there and to sit or dwell between the cherubims. When Solomon first dedicated it, we are told, "the house was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house."
B. In Relation to Christians.
Wherefore all this manifestation of the divine glory in the Jewish temple? To show how the high and lofty One makes His abode in all those who tremble at His Word.
1. The testimony of the inspired apostle Paul. To this the apostle more particularly alludes in the words immediately following our text; for having called the Corinthians "the temple of the living God," he adds, "as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Strange and strong expressions are these words! Strange and strong as they are, they must be experienced by all who are indeed "the temple of the living God"
2. The testimony of Christ. The testimony of the apostle Paul declares nothing more or less than the prayer of our Lord which He prayed for His people a short time before His bitter passion, "that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one." The truth of this glorious passage is not only for the apostles, but for all of God's children. The time would fail to mention all the Scriptures that speak of this blessing.
3. The testimony of the church universal. In asserting this doctrine we do not give utterance to the fancies of a disordered brain and uncontrolled imagination; neither do we broach any new doctrines or set up the peculiar opinions of any particular sect or denomination of Christians; but we speak the words of truth, we show you the right and good way, even that
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield which all the articles of all the protestant churches and all sincere Christians, however differing in other aspects, do universally agree.
CONCLUSION
When Jehovah filled the temple with His glory, King Solomon burst forth into the pathetic exclamation, "Will God dwell with men on the earth?" With greater astonishment we ought to say, "Will the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity dwell in us?" Are you not ready to say, "Not unto us, but unto Thy. free, unmerited, sovereign, distinguishing love and mercy, O Lord, be all the glory." We have nothing but what is freely given us from above.
CO KIENGE Whitefield
SERMON THIRTY-ONE
THE POWER OF CHRIST'S
RESURRECTION
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.
—PHILIPPIANS 3:10 'THE APOSTLE in the context cautions the Philippians to beware of the Judaizing teachers. And that they might not think he spoke out of prejudice or ignorance he acquaints them of his life as a Pharisee. However, when it pleased God to reveal His Son in him, the privileges he had for_ merly boasted in he counted loss for Christ." He shows the sincerity of this conversion from Pharisaism when he says, "I count them but dung, so that I may win Christ, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection."
I. THE FACT OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
A. The Precautions to Prevent Dishonesty.
He was buried in a sepulcher hewn out of a rock, so that it could not be said that any digged under and conveyed Him away. It was a sepulcher wherein never man before was laid, so that if anybody did rise from thence, it must be the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Besides, the sepulcher was sealed; a great stone rolled over the mouth of it; and a band of soldiers (consisting not of friends, but of His professed enemies) was set to guard it.
B. The Postresurrection Appearances of Christ.
Our blessed Lord's postresurrection appearances at different times and various ways to His disciples, as when they were assembled together,
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield when they were walking to Emmaus, when they were fishing; nay, and condescending to show them His hands and feet, and His appearing to over five hundred brethren at once, put the truth of His resurrection out of all dispute.
C. The Qualification of the Writers of the Gospel Records.
They were eyewitnesses of what they related; they ate and drank with Him after His resurrection. They were plain men, therefore less suspected of telling a lie, particularly since they laid down their lives for a testimony of the truth of it. The wonderful success God gave to their ministry when three thousand were converted by one sermon, and twelve poor fishermen in a very short time enabled to be more than conquerors over all the opposition of men or demons was a plain demonstration that Christ was risen.
II. THE NECESSITY FOR'CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
A. In Order to Fulfill Christ's Teaching.
Christ had often appealed to His resurrection as the most convincing proof He would give them that He was the true Messiah (Matthew
12:39-40). He also said, "Destroy this temple of My body, and in three days *I will build it up" (John 2:19-21). These words His enemies remembered and urged as an argument to induce Pilate to grant them a guard to prevent His being stolen from the grave (Matthew 27:63). Had He not risen — ned , Dur on Se hanes a! hey might have justly said, "We know that this man was an imposter."
St 124 3 B. In Order to Give Believers Assurance of Salvation. ae bomabL
It had pleased the Father to wound His only Son for our transgresions and to confine Him in the grave as our surety for our guilt. Had Christ continued in the grave, we could have had no more assurance of salvation than any debtor can have of his creditor's satisfaction while his urety is kept confined. But by Christ being released from the power of
2 ae QGlon +S dacd 2 boned | aces are Vrouw 2 ave ens Ven eS ACSOS eath, we are thereby assured that with His sacrifice God was well pleased and that our atonement was finished upon the cross.
C. In Order to Give Assurance of the Resurrection of Our Bodies.
'It was necessary that our Lord should rise again from the dead to assure us of the certainty of the resurrection of our bodies. The doctrine of
The Power of Christ's Resurrection the resurrection of the body was set at naught by the Gentiles, as appears from the Athenians' mockingly calling Paul a babbler and a setter forth of strange doctrines when he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection (Acts 17:18). Although it was believed by most of the Jews, nevertheless, the whole sect of the Sadducees denied it. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ put it out of dispute.
Ill. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
A. The Explanation of the Power of the Resurrection.
It is to be raised from the death of sin to a life of righteousness and true holiness by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The resurrection of Christ's body Paul was satisfied would avail him nothing unless he experienced its power in raising his dead soul. One of the chief ends of our Lord's rising from the dead was to enter heaven as our representative and to send down the Holy Spirit to apply that redemption He had finished on the cross to our hearts by working an entire change in them.
B. The Appropriation of the Power of the Resurrection.
"He that li i in Me shall live" John 11:25). "By grace
Says the apostle, "being made conformable to His death" (verse 11); thereby implying that we cannot know the power of Christ's resurrection im in His death. If we can reconcile
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CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield
CONCLUSION
KSEWGE Wess
INTERCESSION, THE DUTY
OF EVERY CHRISTIAN
I. THE CHRISTIAN'S RESPONSIBILITY IN RELATION TO INTERCESSORY PRAYER.
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield the Kehvy silitien of government ana have nee the welfare ar any people deepee on huss zeal and see conduct of the rulers, t
Intercession, the Duty of Every Christian to their particular circumstances. We have many instances in Scripture of the success of such intercessory prayer; but none more remarkable than that of Abraham's servant who prayed in a most particular manner in behalf of Isaac, and his intercession was answered (Genesis 24).
As we ought to intercede for our friends, so in like manner must we also pray for our enemies. "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them
6 f the Holy Spirit. He will rejoice with those who do rejoice i O weep. eek, ee asl ay eRe ie of the sete ee Cod had sent amongst them. When Daniel interceded for the Lord's inherihim that his prayer was heard.
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield
C. It Is Probably the Frequent Employment of Glorified Saints.
Although the glorified saints are delivered from the burden of the flesh and restored to the glorious liberty of the sons of God, yet their happiness cannot be perfectly consummated until the resurrection. Therefore we cannot but think they are often importunate in beseeching our Heavenly Father shortly to accomplish the number of His elect and to hasten His kingdom. Shall not also we who are on earth be often exercised in this divine employ?
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SERMON THIRTY-THREE
PERSECUTION, EVERY
CHRISTIAN'S LOT
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. eee ENV Eas ly
WHEN our Lord Jesus was pleased to take upon Himself the form ofa servant and go about preaching the kingdom of God, He took all opportunities to forewarn His disciples of the many distresses, afflictions, and persecutions they must expect to endure for His name's sake. The apostle Paul, the author of the epistle, following the steps of His Master, takes particular care to warn young Timothy of the difficulties he must expect to meet within the course of his ministry. another world.
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield
B. Such Persons Must Submit to God's Will II. THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF PERSECUTION TO WHICH THE GODLY ARE EXPOSED.
A. The Persecution of the Heart.
Q : Trsecu pai ORES presen oe in he Old ee is iene Genstcukiriy him in the New _ Testament. It isa breach of the sixth commandment to slander anyone; but SO tLe Songer jab: Fe Encl A conta
actions; as when wicked men separate the children of God from their company, or expose them to church censures, or threaten and prohibit them from making an open profession of Christianity, or interdict ministers for preaching the Word; or when they call them into courts; or when they fine, imprison, or punish them by confiscation of goods, scouring, or death.
Persecution, Every Christian's Lot
II]. THE REASON WHY THE GODLY MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION.
A. Because Our Lord Taught It.
DS We are not blesed with an interest in the kingdom of heaven unless we are or have been persecuted for righteousness's sake. Our Lord employs three verses in this beatitude and only one in each of the others; not only to show that men are unwilling to believe it, but also the necessary consequence of it upon our being Christians.
How was he prea by wicked men! How was He oe ree en called a blasphemer, a wine bibber, a Samaritan, a devil! How was He stoned, thrust out of the synagogues, arraigned a deceiver of the people, a seditious and pestilent fellow, an enemy of Caesar and as such scourged, spit upon, condemned, and nailed to an accursed tree!
C. Because the Saints of All Ages Experience It.
How soon was Abel made a martyr for his religion and Isaac mocked by the son of the bond woman! Read the Acts of the Apostles and see how the Christians were threatened, stoned, imprisoned, scourged, and martyred! Examine church history in after ages and the experiences of saints a en > now living and I am persuaded that everyone will concur with the apostles statement, that "all who wi ive FOd y in Chris US, SNall sulfer persecu-
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — George Whitefield
E. Because the Godly Need It.
If we have not all manner of evil Lae of us, how can we know whether we love contempt and see ; | ymes fr above? If we have not Ee how can our bas Bice be kept in in Not all who are persecuted are real Christians; for many sometimes suffer and are persecuted on other accounts than for righteousness's sake. The great question is, whether you are ever presecuted for living godly. If not, let the text sound an alarm in your ears and sink deep into your hearts.
AIONGE VW ofielal
SOUL PROSPERITY
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper, and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
—III JOHN 2
I AM SURE that there are some that if it were put to their choice had rather know that their soul prospers than to have $50,000 bequeathed to them. The great question is how shall I know that my soul prospers. Therefore, it will not be unprofitable to lay down some marks whereby we may know whether our souls are prospering or not.
I. PRAYER IS A MARK OF SOUL PROSPERITY.
A. Its Necessity. lth _we are Christless. None of God's people come into the world stillborn. The commentator Burket agrees: "Come into the world stillborn! What language is that in a preacher's mouth?"