First Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Henecke's Sermon Outlines

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Pastor Henecke's Sermon Outlines

The Woodland Street Pulpit

Nashville's First Church of the Nazarene

March 11, 2001 A.M.

The work of God.



Please open your Bibles to John 6:28-29 page # 1210

John 6:28 -29

Then they asked him,"What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you may believe in him whom he has sent."



SETTING:

In Capernaum - a large town, one of the centers of Galilean political and commercial life, a fishing mart, to which many Gentiles came. The Gospel of the Kingdom was to have a better chance here than in Jerusalem with all of its ecclesiastical prejudices. So Jesus "made his home" in Peter's home. This fisher village became the place of the revealing of the living God.

Now it was Holy Sabbath. The day of synagogue: Yom-ha-Keneseth(Day of Assembly). The shophar sounded from the roof of the Rosh ha Keneseth(Ruler of the Assembly). They moved in silence; which was theopneustic (Divine breathing-inspiration). The Synagogue was the cradle of the Church.

I THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS.

A. John 6:1 must be interpreted in harmony with 6:23. Jesus leaves the new city of Tiberias and crosses the sea. At EnGev he feeds the 5000.

  • The testing of the disciples is the key to the event.

John 6:6

This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.

  • The response of the crowd, followed by our Lord's, is the setting of the great truth of Kingdom to be given in the synagogue.

John 6:15

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

  • That night Jesus confirms his knowledge of everything and his eternal presence and care for his own by the miracle of walking on the sea. The disciples remain in misunderstanding:

Mark 6:51

Then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind ceased. At this they were utterly astounded, for they had not gained insight from the miracle of the loaves, for their heart was hardened.

  • The next day seems to be Friday for the day will end in the synagogue. John 6:59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
  • The crowd continues to seek the Lord (6:22) and to be confounded by how he arrived in Capernaum (6:24-25).
  • This sets up the Passover ( John 6:4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. ) confrontation of 6:26-59).

II THE PEOPLE OF THE STORY

(wherever he is there is a story):

  • MEN:
    • The Centurion & His Servant
    • The Nobleman & His Son
    • The Paralytic & a Demonic
    • Matthew Levi
    • Jairus

B. WOMEN:

    • The Silent Woman of the Night

2. Jairus' Daughter

  • The Woman with a Timid Heart
  • Peter's Mother-in-law

C. THE SERVICE

They Came to the Passage of the Service:

{We may not eat, joke, laugh or dress lightly.}

1. The blesseds

  • The Shema
  • Prayer
  • The holy chest (Ark) opened
  • Eulogies and Benedictions

D. PREACHING

  • The Chazzan takes from the Ark
  • The Law'.
  • Seven read 'the Law.'
  • Benedictions
  • The Prophets {Haphtarah}
  • The preacher in Moses' Seat.


III. THE CHALLENGE.

A. Amen Amen, I tell you, you are not looking for me, because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of (were satisfied)the loaves. 6:26

1. Motives

a. Not because you saw miracles.

b. Sensual self-gratification.

2 Peter 1:4

He has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.

      • The Realm of Getting = A Kingdom of Becoming.

James 4:3

You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your lusts.

B. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." John 6:27

1. You have limited time! You have limited energy and life. Acquire That Which Is Lasting!

2. Do not work: (Emphatic position!)

  • THE SEAL:

John 3:31

The one who comes from above is above all. He who comes from the earth not only belongs to the earth but speaks earthly things. He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard he bears witness, yet no one accepts his testimony. Any man who accepts his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks God's words; and God does not give the Spirit in sparing measure.



Ephesians 1:13

In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;

  • THE TEMPORARY
  • Psalm 102:23

He has broken my strength in mid-course; he has shortened my days. "O my God," I say, "do not take me away at the mid-point of my life, you whose years endure throughout all generations." Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; but you are the same, and your years have no end.



1. The Son of Man shall Give

Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

  • A clear reference to Manna.


IV. THE TWO WORLDS\WORKS: OURS HIS

A. "What must we do to perform the works of God?"

What must we do? (Ti poiwmen). Present active deliberative subjunctive "What are we to do as a habit?

So That we may work the works of God (i`na ergazwmeqa ta erga tou qeou). i`na and the present middle subjunctive, "that we may go on working the works of God."

The work of God so that you would be able to believe (to ergon tou qeou i`na pisteuhte). Note the present active subjunctive "that you may keep on believing."

1. (Present active subjunctive)

"What are we to do as a habit?"

(linear) Literally, "What are we doing?"

2. He is active and we are idle.

a. Diversity / multiplicity.

b. i[na present middle subjunctive

so that (results) we will be able to

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

B. This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

1. Singular. Luke 10:40

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me. But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." 2. What is our role - show us how?

No! Accept the work of God.

3. Everything fragmentary and partial is within.



GOD ALONE WORKS -

YOU ARE INVITED TO HIS WORK

4. i[na pisteu,hte eivj o]n subj pres act 2nd pl ,



John 10:37-38

If I am not doing my Father's works, then do not believe in me. If I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."





Pastor Henecke's PM Sermon Outline

The Woodland Street Pulpit

Nashville First Church of the Nazarene

March 11, 2001 P.M.

When we pray

Please open your Bibles to Acts 12:16 page # 1255

Peter continued knocking until they saw him and, in amazement, opened.

INTRODUCTION:

It was the year 44 A.D., the month was March, and it was the first week following the great Passover. Jerusalem's streets were swelled with pilgrims. The city of 420 synagogues was literally Pilgrims International. Only now it was also the home of 30,000 Christians.

The new king, Herod Agrippa I, was being given by the emperor Claudius all the lands of Herod the Great to control. Agrippa differed from the other Herods in that he embraced the Jewish customs (being a descendant of both the Maccabees and the Herods, he was the hero of the Jewish people). Before he is finished he will think himself to be the messiah, for Herod had been born in Bethlehem. During the great Passover he arrested the apostles and executed James Ben Zebedee, the brother of the beloved disciple.

The overwhelming excitement caused among the chief priests encouraged Agrippa to execute the chief of Christians - Peter.

James was in town.

Paul and Barnabas were in conference.

The great revival of Antioch was not the chief subject of conversation.

Peter was the next to die.

The church was devastated.

The seven years of relative calm were at an end.

I. PETER=S SEVEN CRISES

Have you ever heard of Richard Nixon=s famous book, which he authored, entitled The Six Crises? In each of them he deals with a turning point in his career, beginning with The Checker Speech until his losing the gubernatorial election in California. The book was written before Watergate.

A. "Lord bid me to come." Matt 14:28

1. Peter would have never dared to walk on water.

2. He actually did walk on the lake.

3. The crisis occurred when he turned his eyes from his Lord

B. "Far be it from you, Lord." Matt 16:22

1. Jesus declared his goal to die in Jerusalem.

2. Peter knew Jesus was the Christ.

3. Peter could not accept Christ’s view.

C. "Not me, Lord." Mark 14:31

1. Jesus said all disciples would forsake him.

2. Peter denied not once, but thrice.

3. Jesus personally corrects Peter.

D. "Just listen to me cuss." Mark 14:71

1. The final betrayal in Caiaphas= courtyard.

Luke 5:8

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

2. Peter=s inherent egocentric opinion allowed him to fall through self-survival.

E. "What about him." John 21:21

1. Beside the lake he was confronted again.

2. The issue was, "Peter, do you love me?"

      1. For Peter the issue was comparative love

        2. F. "Let’s have an election." Acts 1

        1. In Acts 1 he forced an election to fill a vacancy.

      2. He had a plan with the follow-up, "Now, Lord you bless this!"

      G. Galatians 2:11-21

      II. THE UNSPOKEN CRISIS

      A. While the church slept, God kept vigil.

    1. He never sleeps, nor is he weary.

      2. Psalm 127:2 it is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.

      Psalm 121:4

      Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

      Acts 12:5

      While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.

      2. Paul sang hymns in prison - and Peter slept.

      3. When the angel opened the way:

        1. Peter walked out in a daze.

        2. Antonia gave up its reputation.

        3. Through 16 guards the apostle walked.

        4. The executioners would have no prey.

B. The early church was in prayer.

    1. God answered prayer.

    2. Their unexpectedness testifies to their faith.

      3. James 1:6

      But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

        1. Peter is at the gate.

        2. But look at verse 15. Who believed?

        3. Rhoda!

III WHAT IS THE PRAYER OF GOD?

A. God is always able to do more than we can comprehend.

  1. Why would the disciples ask Jesus, ALord, teach us to pray?@

  2. The truth of Christian prayer.

      1. We pray with our whole life.

James 5:16

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

2. The mind must believe what the mouth speaks.

Matthew 21:21

Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done.

    1. Nothing is impossible with God.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

    1. The principles of faith

1. The majority of the church is not needed for God to act.

2. Even at the giving of the Great Commission, many doubted the resurrected Christ while they were listening to him.

Matt 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

3. Faith is a gift of God to those who would have faith.

1 Corinthians 12:8-9

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit.

4. The distance between Christ and the church is the distance of expecting.

a. When Christ prayed he expected without doubting.

b. Too many believers pray with hope and not with faith.

C. Jesus taught:

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

When you pray:

    1. PRAY SIMPLY.

    2. PRAY PRIVATELY TO GOD.

    3. PRAY HONESTLY.

    4. PRAY REVERENTLY.

    5. PRAY FAITHFULLY.

    6. PRAY CONFIDENTLY.

      7.

CONCLUSION:

James 1:5-6

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;







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Last updated: March 15, 2001