First Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Henecke's Sermon Outlines

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Pastor Henecke's Sermon Outlines

The Woodland Street Pulpit

August 01, 2004 AM

Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ

Titus 2:11-3:7

God’s grace has dawned upon the world with healing for all mankind; and by it we are disciplined to renounce godlessness and worldly desires, and to live a life of self-mastery, integrity, and godliness in the present age, awaiting eagerly the blessed hope when the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus will appear. He sacrificed himself for us, to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people to be his very own who are zealous for good. These are your themes; urge them and argue them with an authority, which no one can disregard.

Remind everyone to be submissive to leaders and authorities, be obedient to them and ready for any honorable work; slander no one, and avoid quarrels; be conciliatory, displaying a gentle disposition to all. There was a time when we too were lost in senselessness and disobedience and were in bondage to lusts and pleasures. Our days were passed in malice and envy; we were hateful, and we hated others. But when the kindness and generosity of God our Savior dawned, not for any good deeds of our own, but because he is compassionate, he saved us through the water of rebirth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he lavished upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, justified by his grace, we might hope to become heirs to eternal life. This teaching you may trust.

1 John 5:19-21

We know that we are of God, but all creation exists in evil. We also know that God’s Son has come to grant us a mind to discern the true One; and we exist in him who is true (his Son Jesus Christ). This is the true God and life for all time. Little children, guard yourselves from false gods.

  1. Introduction

    1. The whole of the Christian faith is built on one single truth

      1. God was in Christ reconciling the age to himself

      2. Simply – the center of Christian faith is Christology

        1. Jesus is Lord!

        2. If you will permit – the incarnation

      2 Peter 1:1

      Simeon Peter, Jesus Christ’s servant and apostle, to those who have received faith equally with us through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

    2. This great truth was the theme of the apostles

      1. This is the confession preserved for us

      2. We must ask ourselves, "Is Thomas correct?"

      John 20:28 Thomas responded to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"

    3. Whenever someone of another faith says to you, "We worship the same God," you should respond, "Praise God, I didn’t realize that you worshipped Jesus, my Lord."

  2. When God came to us

    1. In our greatest imagination we would never have created the truth of the incarnation!

      2. John 1:18

      No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father has made him known.

      1. Here is the mystery of our faith

        1. God was in Christ

          1. God – the only true God

          2. Invisible become comprehendible

        2. This is Incarnation – God in flesh is of God

        2 Corinthians 5:18-21

        All of this is of God. He reconciled us to himself in Christ, not holding anyone's misdeeds against them, but entrusting us with the message of reconciliation we are Christ’s representatives! God is making his appeal through us. We appeal to you to be reconciled to God in Christ. For our sake he made the sinless One to be sin, so that in him we might become one with the righteousness of God

      2. This great act of God determines all other reality

    2. We, in oneness with all ages, confess since Nicene:

      3. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, the eternally begotten of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father. Through him all things were made. Who, for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate through the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

    3. Simply – he is the center of reality (history)

      1. In him is TRUTH and meaning

      2. This great salvation is a god act

    4. God in Christ descended and ascended

      1. This was the furtherance of creation

        1. Not a reaction to sin

        2. God knew before he created – the great cost

        1 Peter 1:20

        He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.

        Ephesians 1:3-4

        Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bestowed on us every spiritual blessing in Christ in the heavenly realms. He predetermined to elect us in Christ before creation to be holy and full of love in his presence

      2. Understand this for it is vital: God elected Christ - he is both elect and elector

        3. 1 Peter 2:6

        Scripture says: Now I am laying a stone in Zion, precious cornerstone the chosen, and whoever puts faith in him will not be disappointed.

        1. In Jesus is the predestined goal of God

        2. We (and all) are for him and to him

      Colossians 1:15-17

      He is the image of the invisible God, the primacy over all creation. In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, not only the visible, but also the invisible orders of thrones, sovereignties, authorities, and powers –the whole universe was created through him and for him. He exists before all things, and all things are held together in him.

    5. If God in all of his wisdom could see all evil

      1. If he could see the pain and hatred

      2. How much more must be the blessing - yet to be

      Hebrews 9:13

      If the sprinkling of the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer cleanses defiled persons and restores them to purity, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from the deadness of our works to serve the living God.

      1 Corinthians 2:9

      "What no eye has seen (things beyond our sight), nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived (things beyond our imaginations), God has prepared for those who love him,"

    6. This is all in the incarnation

      1. God in Jesus becomes human

      2. Mankind is elevated and called into him

        3. Philippians 2:5-11

        Have this mind in you, which is yours in Christ Jesus. He existed in the nature of God, yet he did not cling to oneness with God, but made himself nothing and assumed the nature of a slave. Being born in the likeness of a man and seen in human form he humbled himself and was obedient even into death, and that death on a cross. Therefore God raised him to the highest and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow - in heaven and on earth and the depths - and every tongue will acclaim, "Jesus Christ is Lord", to the glory of God the Father.

        1. Humanity is animal – but more

        2. We are capable of great evil and good – beyond that of any animal

    7. In Jesus humanity is brought to full realization in him

      1. We will all be measured by him

      2. He is the new standard of the Creator

Ephesians 4:10-13

He who descended is none other than he who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all creation. It is he who gifts us with some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip God’s people in the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God’s Son, to maturity to the measure by nothing less than the stature of the fulness of Christ -

  1. The meaning of it all – So What?

    1. Jesus is not just another religious figure

      1. He is the design of the nations

      2. If you value life at all you must come to him

    2. Being alive you are confronted by him

      1. The question that faced those who saw him faces you:

        2. Matthew 16:15 Jesus asked them, "But who do you say that I am?"

      2. The question of his trial is one you must face:

Matthew 27:22

Pilate asked them, "What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"

    1. What are you doing? Do you really believe?








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