Sermon Outlines

Sermon Outlines
 By: Minister R. Lail Sr.

STAND SOLID WITH GOD
ECCLESIASTES   5:1-8

Opening  Statement:
         Reasoning of life is the main subject of  "Ecclesiastes" is Vanity. That which is empty, without permanent value, and leads to frustration. It is a never ending cycle; Like a breath it formulated and than just disappears, King Solomon is not referring to foolish pride, but to the emptiness in final result of a life apart from God.  Yes we toil, suffer and experience some transitory, joy which is nothing in view of eternity.
        All of us have been on the search for that perfect life. A lot of times we end up no were with a feeling of failure and frustration.  "We are lead away by worldly society."
(Read:  Eccl.  5:1-8 )

(1). Family Stand Solid in Gods Word: 
(Colossians 3:18-21)
(2). Individual Christians Stand Solid in Church: 
(Colossians: 31-4,10,13,14)
(3). Church Stand Solid in the community: 
(Colossians 3:17,23; 4:5-6)

        Solomon laid out for us that there is vanity in all things apart from God. There is vanity in, Wisdom, Learning, Pleasure, Honor, Power and Business:
        We can learn from Ecclesiastes how to maintain our self as Christians in this ungodly world:
        He draws us to the house of God, the place of public worship:
        He charges us to behave oneself, and do the work we are called to do:
         Proverbs tells us to look well to thy goings, ponder the path of thy feet, least they take a false step: We should be like Solomon, with the worship of God. Take time to compose thyself, don't go about it with unsureity.  Keep your thoughts from wonder and your affections from running toward wrong objects. When we give to others and make sacrifices for them, we must regard the sense and meaning of it. Without regard of God in the sacrifice it is a useless, empty sacrifice.
        That is why there is, people doing evil when they don't even know it, or consider it. Wicked minds can not choose but to sin, even in the act's of devotions. We must be ready to hear and diligently attend to the word of God. If we go to God without a purpose; we shall go away without an advantage. All things offered to God must come from the heart. We must not let our tongue out run our thoughts in our devotions. Our thoughts are words to God.  That brings us to the subject of vows to God.
        A vow is a bond upon the soul and we must be conscientious when making and paying our vows:
        When under the sense of some affliction or in the pursuit of mercy, you have must likely made a deal with God, or promise that you would return the favor when the time comes. First we know God don't make deals. We go to God and make the vow with him. Now we know that a vow made is got to be payed. How many vows have you made with God; and how many of those vows did you pay back. Well if you are like most people and myself the pay back is less than the vows made. Not paying our vows to God, is telling God our faith is only based on what we need at the time we made the vow. All we are doing is lying to God.
        We must be careful not to make a vow that is sinful, or that may be an occasion to sin. In verse of our Scripture, Herod vowed for the head of John the Baptist, now that was a sinful vow. Even though Herod did not do the job he still committed a sin. We can not say; I have second thoughts, and I want to change my mind, and be released from that obligation. Once a vow is made to God ,it is a bond between your soul and God.  So don't look for a hole to creep out of. God is most high on all earth and his glory is above the heavens.

"A Composed Heart Shall

Be Focused On God"

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 
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Go Forward In

Christian Fellowship

Colossians 4:2-6

Opening Statement:
        If we would slow down just long enough to take a good look at our self and our actions,we might very well be of some help to others. We should ask our self this question; Am I a nice person to know? All too often the Christian has a problem of relating to his neighbors. He may be afraid, perhaps, of getting involved in something worldly. Perhaps he is confused by what it means by "separation" for the Christian. We know that in the Bible separation is never isolation; it is insulation. We as Christians should be like live power currents, well insulated by his position "in Christ" in touch with the power source at one end and, in touch with the need of power at the other.
 
In Christian Witness:
        Paul was in prisoner in Rome, but it did not stop him from bearing witness for Christ. He tells believers how to witness for Christ:
         A. Watch and Pray.  "Watch" carries the idea of being alert, praying with your eyes open.  The truth first appears back in Neh. 4:9 when the enemy was threatening the Jews as they tried to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  "We made our prayer..... and set a watch,"  that was Nehemiah's solution; and it worked!  Prayer is not a substitute for our own alertness.  Christ teaches us that to watch and pray is the way to victory over temptation (MK. 14:38).  We should watch and pray when it comes to opportunities for witness and service.  If each believer would pray for the lost, than watch for God's open doors of opportunity, we would all win more people to Christ.
        B. Walk in Wisdom. "Them that are without" refers, of course, to the lost who do not belong to the Christian family. What a sad thing to be without Christ, without hope, without peace, without forgiveness! It is important that the Christian live a life of wisdom, because unsaved people look at our lives and try to find things to criticize. 1. These. 4:12 admonishes us to walk honestly toward them that are without. What a terrible testimony it is for a Christian to be dishonest with an unbeliever! Far better for the be liver to suffer loss than to ruin his testimony and bring reproach on the name of Christ.
        C. Have godly Speech.  No believer should ever have to say,  "Take this with a grain of salt." There must  always be the salt of holiness in our speech. The OT Jew used salt in his sacrifices, symbolical of purity and the preservation of that which is good.  The Greeks called salt charitas.....grace.....because it gave flavor to things. Our speech must not be corrupt. (Eph. 4:29), and salt (God's Grace) holds back corruption. How important that the Christian guard his speech when unbelievers are listening! A thoughtless word of criticism, a "shady"  remark, an angry word; any of these could tear down in a minute whatever Christian testimony others have tried to build up.
        Redeeming the time "means" buying up the opportunity.   As Christians, we must be  alert to seize every opportunity to witness for Christ and win others. 

 "Let Us All Be; 
Good and Faithful Christian Neighbors."

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

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The Way
 TRUTH And The LIFE  
John 14:6

Opening Statement:                                    

        Thomas must have been daydreaming!  Jesus had just told them He was going to heaven.  Then Thomas caught the tail end of a paragraph.  "Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."  He woke up with a start.  "We don't know were you're going,"  he blurred out,  "How can we know the way?" 

        In answer, the  Lord Jesus gave us one of His very greatest gospel texts.

He is the Way!   That's for lost people.  He is the TRUTH!  That's for learned people.  For, as we can so clearly see today, divorce social truth from Christ and the result will be Communism; divorce scientific truth from Christ and the result will be a cult.  He is the LIFE!  That's for longing people.

Jesus answers the question:

  1.  How Can I Be Saved?
      ( "I am the way" )
2.  How Can I Be Sure?
     ( "I am....the truth" )
3. How Can I Be Satisfied?
    ( "I am.....the life." )

Below is an Illustration:

         In the grounds of Hampton Court Palace there is a maze built of hedges. In the middle of the maze is a seat where those who are tired of finding their way back out can rest, and think it over.  There is also a bell there. By ringing the bell the lost person can summon aid. A man will appear,"a man who knows the way."  Follow him and soon the perplexing paths will resolve into an orderly way. How you ask?  The solution lies in the man!  "That Man Is Jesus Christ"

 "Jesus is The Way"

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

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       As He Is, So

  Are We In This World
  1 John 4:17

Opening Statement: 

        Nine monosyllables! Just nine little words in the simplest possible form of speech. It is part of the genius of the Bible that the profoundest concepts are often conveyed in the simplest of ways.  Pick them up, these translucent pearls of wisdom all strung out in a row, turn them this way and that, examine them, prize them, wear them. Let them adorn with their beauty the robe of righteousness Christ gives.

HE PLAN:  AS HE IS! A transformed life:
 Christ's incarnation changed the mode of His life. He is now, forever, the man Christ Jesus.
A triumphant life:
Trace the Lord's constant victories.

The pledge: So are we!
 A transformed life:
As Christ took our kind of life, so we take His.
A triumphant life:
We can be victorious too.

THE PLACE:  IN THE WORLD!

                 God wants us to live the Christ life here and now.

       Read the story of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2.  Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah's spirit.  He fulfilled the conditions and obtained what He desired.  Then we have a man in glory and a man on earth.  The man on earth is living the life of the man in glory, and as a result He does greater works than the man now in glory had done when He had been on earth. Just think about it for a moment; what power do we have as Christians?  The power of all mighty   "God" 

As He Is So Are We

 Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

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           MARKS OF

 SPIRITUAL BABYHOOD

1 CORINTHIANS 3:1

 Opening Statement: 

          "Babes!"   There is a note of holy scorn in Paul's use of the word on this occasion.  Babies are beautiful and charming in their place.  But babes when they should be adults?  What a heartache that must be.  The Christian life demands constant growth towards maturity.  Here are some of the basic characteristics of a babe.  None of them is attractive when considered as being a mark of believers who should have grown up long since.

        A Baby:

 
           1.  Always Wants Its Own Way
           2.  Cannot Learn Difficult Lessons
           3.  Is Apt To Quarrel
           4.  Is Taken Up With Personalities
           5.  Is Possessive
           6.  Always Needs To  Be Taught
           7.  Plays While Big Things Are Happening
           8.  Has No Proper Sense Of Values
           9.  Frequently Says The Wrong Thing
        10.  Is Easily Upset

        A baby is a delightful thing.  But a baby thirty years old is a tragedy.  It would be like being old in years and being trapped in a child's body.  Once you are saved you will start to grow in God.  But first you start with milk of the word, and as you grow you begin getting the meat of the word of God.  But remember; you will always be a child of God, once you accept Jesus Christ into your heart.

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.
The Cross life Ministry

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     THE MAN WHO
 CRUCIFIED CHRIST

MATTHEW  27 : 33 -54

Opening Statement: 

          He was a Roman soldier, a centurion.  Beyond that he is a stranger to us.  His age, his appearance, his nationality, his personality, his career, his abilities, his family; and  with these we know at all.  He was a soldier charged with the execution of a death sentence in Jerusalem.

       He is one of the men who actually crucified Christ.  His voice, however, rings down through the centuries.  In the face of the overwhelming and mounting evidence, in the teeth of Pilate and the priest, he proclaimed his dawning faith.  Jesus was the Son of God!

        1.  CRUCIFYING  CHRIST:

               He endorsed the word's verdict.

         2.  CONSIDERING  CHRIST

              Never before had he seen such:

             a.  Personality

 b.  Pain

             c.  Power ( the Calvary miracles )

        3.  CONFESSING  CHRIST

              "This was the Son of God"

        The Calvary miracles were impressive.  There was darkness over all the land.  "Give us a sign from heaven,"  Christ's enemies had demanded.  When He was born He put a new star in the sky, when He died He put out the sun.  The rocks were rent.  When the Pharisees objected to the multitudes hailing Jesus with their hosannas, He said,  "If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." ( Luke 19 : 40 ).  And so the rocks did when they were rent. 

         The graves burst open.  Most impressive of all, from the Jewish point of view, the Temple veil was rent asunder, signifying the end of Judaism as a meaningful religion.  The centurion was awed by these signs.

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry 

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God Calls Us To 

 Connection and Community
  Micah 2:23 

        When we lose our sense of purpose and meaning, we lose our sense of connection to others and God; we lose our sense of community.  Without a sense of purpose, other people mean little to us because we no longer value ourselves.

        As a 21 year  Veteran  and  a disabled Veteran from the Persian Gulf War, I did not realize how much I had lost my identity. I am talking losing it from God, My Family, the Community; well let's just say my entire surroundings. This is what I heard from listen to other ptsd outpatient veterans.

        What they were saying I didn't see in myself. But I guess everyone else did. Things like this: No one can understand what I am going through. I gave up on life, I didn't want to be around people. I can't get any mental rest. Now just add drugs and alcohol to that and you would most likely have disaster.

    WHAT CAUSES US TO BREAK OUR CONNECTION:

       1.  With God
       2.  With Our Self
       3.  With Our Family
      4.  With Our Community

Closing Statement:

         Confession is, most simply, telling our innermost story, honestly.  Confession is getting real with ourselves, without defense, just telling it like it is.  Confession is a radical act of faith; for to confess is to hope that there is another who will understand, forgive, and bless us into healing.  Confession is one of the greatest gifts we can give God, because God does not ask us to be perfect; rather; God asks us to give all of ourselves to God,  "the good, the bad, and the ugly." It is only in this gift of giving our whole selves to God that we can hope to be restored to a life giving purpose, to a life filled with rich, deep, connected meaning. The need for confession, to restore a sense of purpose, is as old as the Scriptures themselves.  We stand in a long line of all human beings who have missed the mark of God's will for their lives. My friends, Let's form a new line! Let's call it, " This is the line of Christians that found the mark of God's will for our lives! Amen!

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry

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