The Lord's Day Bible Message Outlines
October 25,
2009
Pastor Dana Johnson
"...looking unto
Jesus...." -Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, (\
2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of
our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.
1. We are to
continually look, by faith, to Jesus remembering who He
is.
a. He is
Jesus, the One who would save His people from their
sins.
Matthew
1:21 - "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall
call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from
their sins."
b. He is the author
and finisher of our faith meaning He alone has done
everything necessary to secure our salvation.
Hebrews
2:10-13 - For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all
things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect
through sufferings. 11For both He who
sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of
one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them
brethren, 12saying: "I will declare Your name
to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing
praise to You." 13And again: "I will put My
trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children
whom God has given Me."
2. We are to look to
Jesus remembering where He is today: at the right hand of
God.
a. He is the
Son of God.
b. He has finished
His assignment to secure our salvation.
Hebrews
1:3 - Who being the brightness of His glory and the
express image of His person, and upholding all things by
the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our
sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high.
John 6:37-40 - "All that the Father gives Me will come
to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means
cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven,
not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39This is the will of the Father who sent Me,
that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but
should raise it up at the last day. 40And this
is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees
the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life;
and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 17:4 - "I have glorified You on the earth. I have
finished the work which You have given Me to
do."
3. The original
language conveys the idea of looking off or away to Jesus,
implying the tendency of believers and professors to look at
something else.
a. If we look
at our accomplishments we will become proud, conceited
and self-righteous.
Matthew
6:2-5 - "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not
sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory
from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their
reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself
reward you openly. 5And when you pray, you
shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray
standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say
to you, they have their reward."
Philppians 3:7-8 - But what things were gain to me, these
I have counted loss for Christ. 8Yet indeed I
also count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ
b. If we keep
looking at our needs we will be filled anxiety.
Matthew
6:25-34 - "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor
about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more
than food and the body more than clothing?
26Look at the birds of the air, for they
neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value
than they? 27Which of you by worrying can add
one cubit to his stature? 28So why do you
worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Now if God so clothes the grass of the
field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the
oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What
shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall
we wear?' 32For after all these things the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you
need all these things. 33But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble."
c. If we focus on
our troubles we will become depressed and fearful.
Matthew
14:30 - But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he
was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying,
"Lord, save me!"
2 Corinthians 12:9 - And He said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in
my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.
Hebrews 12:5- 6 - And you have forgotten the exhortation
which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise
the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you
are rebuked by Him; 6for whom the LORD loves
He chastens, and scourges every son whom He
receives."
d. If we look
longingly at the dazzling attractions of the world we
will become worldly, not heavenly.
Colossians
3:1-2 - If then you were raised with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the
right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things
above, not on things on the earth.
1 John 2:15 - Do not love the world or the things in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him.
e. If we chase
after supernatural phenomena and experiences we will
become mystical and charismatic but not true followers of
Christ.
Colossians
2:18-19 - Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking
delight in false humility and worship of angels,
intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19and not
holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body,
nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments,
grows with the increase that is from God.
Matthew 16:4 - "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks
after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the
sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and
departed.
f. If we focus our
attention or religious images, art and architecture we
will become like those objects: cultured, yet empty of
spiritual value.
Matthew
23:27-31 - "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which
indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of
dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28Even
so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside
you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in
the blood of the prophets.' 31Therefore you
are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of
those who murdered the prophets."
g. If we look only
at basic Christian values we run the risk of being
conservative, yet not Christ-like.
John
7:40-49 - Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard
this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."
41Others said, "This is the Christ." But some
said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?
42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ
comes from the seed of David and from the town of
Bethlehem, where David was?" 43So there was a
division among the people because of Him.
44Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no
one laid hands on Him. 45Then the officers
came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to
them, "Why have you not brought Him?" 46The
officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"
47Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you
also deceived? 48Have any of the rulers or the
Pharisees believed in Him? 49But this crowd
that does not know the law is accursed."
John 5:39-40 - "You search the Scriptures, for in them
you think you have eternal life; and these are they which
testify of Me. 40But you are not willing to
come to Me that you may have life."
h. If we are too
focused on the Christian social scene the fun will
eventually create factions and fractures with little true
fellowship in Christ.
1
Corinthians
11:17-22 - Now in giving these instructions I do not
praise you, since you come together not for the better
but for the worse. 18For first of all, when
you come together as a church, I hear that there are
divisions among you, and in part I believe it.
19For there must also be factions among you,
that those who are approved may be recognized among you.
20Therefore when you come together in one
place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.
21For in eating, each one takes his own supper
ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
22What! Do you not have houses to eat and
drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame
those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I
praise you in this? I do not praise you.
i. If we are too
preoccupied with policing government and false teachers
we will become negative, harsh and without Christ's
love.
Revelation
2:1-4 - "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His
right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden
lampstands: 2"I know your works, your labor,
your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are
evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles
and are not, and have found them liars; 3and
you have persevered and have patience, and have labored
for My name's sake and have not become weary.
4Nevertheless I have this against you, that
you have left your first love.'"
Jude 8 - Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh,
reject authority, and speak evil of
dignitaries.
j. If we become too
focused on Christian service we can become burned out not
enjoying the presence of Christ.
Luke
10:40-42 - But Martha was distracted with much serving,
and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care
that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell
her to help me." 41And Jesus answered and said
to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled
about many things. 42But one thing is needed,
and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be
taken away from her."
(All
Scripture quoted is from the New King James
Version)
|