Sermon Outlines

Unpopular Obedience (Jeremiah 1)
Are we ready and willing to be convicted by God’s word and obey Him no matter what?
   1. Setting: The wicked nation (1-4)
      We are tempted to conform God’s word to what we want to hear, and to what we already agree
      with.
   2. Calling: The young prophet (4-10).
      To obey God, we must avoid using our shortcomings or what other people think as excuses.
   3. Message: The coming judgement (11-19)
        Following and teaching the word of God will often be unpopular, which temps us not to do it.

How’d we get here? (Jeremiah 2-3)
God recounts the good He’s done, where His people went wrong, and what’s next for them.
1. Remember that God has provided everything (2:1-19)
     – We need to know God has always loved and taken care of us (1-3)
     – It’s easy to forget or take for granted all God has given to us (4-8)
     – Recognize how often we forsake our God in pursuit of our desires (9-13)
     – When we rely on other things than God, they eventually fail us (14-19)
2. Realize that life apart from God is miserable (2:20-37)
     – We find things we can’t live without, then wonder why they hurt us (20-25)
     – We rely on many things apart from God, then wonder where He is (26-30)
     – We think highly of worldly success, then wonder why it fails us (31-37)
3. Receive the grace God offers only through faith (3:1-25)
     – We don’t get grace if we’re living apart from faith (1-5)
     – Our idolatry is even worse, because we have all of Scripture (6-11)
     – No matter how bad we get, God offers grace to those who return (12-18)
     – God forgives, heals, and restore us when we repent and follow Him (19-25)

God’s Way or the Highway (Jeremiah 4-5)
God’s people learn the hard way that they’re better off following His word.
1. Trust in the way God works (4:1-18)
     – Growing in the Lord requires letting God weed out the sin in our hearts (1-4)
     – God is always in control, even when it seems like we’re at the mercy of others (5-9)
     – Counting on our expectations makes us complacent to the Lord’s guidance (10-13)
     – God wants us to avoid judgement, but not at the expense of letting evil continue (14-18)
2. Don’t confuse God’s way with ours (4:19-5:6)
     – The foolish ignore God’s wisdom of how to live, thinking they know better (19-22)
     – Sometimes God has to tear things down to build it back better, including us (23-28)
     – We rely on ourselves in the good times, then do it more when things go wrong (29-31)
     – We lack faith in spite of what has happened to us, not because of it (1-6)
3. Stay on track by receiving God’s word (5:7-31)
     – God corrects His people to restore them, not to annihilate them (7-13)
     – God’s word offers us tools we need to avoid correction, if we receive it (14-19)
     – We’re in danger of knowing God’s word, but ignoring how it applies to us (20-25)
     – The desires of the masses persuade us to seek self-gratification instead of the Lord (26-31)

Don’t Ignore the Lord (Jeremiah 6-7)
God tells us what is good for us and what will hurt us, but will we listen?
1. We need God to correct us (6:1-30)
     – We can’t forget to fear God and how He does what is right (1-8)
     – People become offended by God’s word so leaders stop teaching it (9-15)
     – We can’t expect to disobey God and not experience consequences (16-20)
     – It’s God’s job to purify us, which means rejecting our unholiness (21-30)
2. We need to live out repentance (7:1-11)
     – We must be careful to trust in the Lord, not in our Christian traditions (1-4)
     – Obedience to God looks like rejecting idolatry and caring for others (5-7)
     – Asking for God’s forgiveness just to sin again isn’t repentance (8-11)
3. We need to not lie to ourselves (7:12-34)
     – We shouldn’t assume God will support our choices no matter what (12-15)
     – God’s correction is proportional to where and how we go wrong (16-20)
     – We are saved by grace through faith, and faith is obedience to God (21-29)
     – We’re tempted to believe the abominations in our lives are not that bad (30-34)

Who Will Understand the Lord? (Jeremiah 8-9)
God mourns the backslider’s false perspective and leads them to true wisdom.
1. The backslider fakes wisdom (8:1-17)
   – When we fall, we should accept God’s grace and correct it, not make it worse (1-7)
   – Blinded by our pride, we miss how we twist God’s word for our purposes (8-13)
   – It’s hard to face our own failure, so we convince ourselves nothing’s wrong (14-17)
2. The Lord mourns the backslider (8:18-9:11)
   – It breaks God’s heart when we hurt ourselves in disobedience (18-22)
   – Living apart from God turns us into someone that no-one should be around (1-6)
   – We grieve God by pretending to be nice while harboring bad thoughts (7-11)
3. The wise learn from the Lord (9:12-26)
   – God gives us over to our idols to teach us how worthless they are (12-16)
   – Those who know God and listen to His word, mourn the things He mourns (17-22)
   – Acting religious doesn’t make us holy, our hearts need to reflect God. (23-26)

The Best God Ever (Jeremiah 10-11)
Our God is a better option for us to follow than anything apart from Him.
1. Be aware of who you follow (10:1-16)
   – We want to influence the world, not let the world influence us (1-5)
   – We should follow whoever is the greatest, which is our God (6-10)
   – We become like the God or idol we follow and worship (11-16)
2. Be aware of common deceptions (10:17-11:8)
   – The way leaders seek the Lord influences those they lead (17-22)
   – God’s wisdom guides us away from the world’s deception (23-25)
   – Our unhealthy desires persuade us away from God’s word (1-8)
3. Be aware of your commitment (11:9-23)
   – The good times make us feel like we don’t need the Lord (9-13)
   – We can’t follow idols and the Lord at the same time (14-17)
   – Serving and preaching God’s word will make enemies (18-23)
5 reasons that idols are bad for us:
   1. Idols are an abomination to God.
   2. Idols are always far worse than God.
   3. Idols trap us in deception or addiction.
   4. Idols make us more wicked like them.
   5. Idols are degrading to who God made us to be.
5 categories of idols we commonly face:
   1. Sin: pleasures, addiction, judgment, greed, indifference
   2. Self: individualism, appearance, health, comfort, intelligence
   3. Relationships: family, friends, romance, validation, popularity
   4. Materialism: consumerism, career, security, success, politics
   5. Entertainment: technology, media, recreation, celebrity, religion

Believe God is Good (Jeremiah 12-13)
We’re quick to say God is good, but how would we live if we really believed it?
1. Trust that God is fair (Jer. 12)
– We’re encouraged to humbly seek the Lord when we’re struggling with His plan (1-4)
– We become impatient with the Lord when we don’t realize how bad things could be (5-6)
– God will definitely judge evil, so for now we can appreciate His patience with us (7-13)
– God gives grace to anyone who is willing to receive it by submitting to Him (14-17)
2. Come to God in humility (Jer. 13)
– Clinging to the Lord and serving Him is the only way to stay spiritually healthy (1-11)
– We shouldn’t be quick to brush off God’s warnings like we know it all already (12-14)
– If God is calling us to repent, we still have time to repent, but the time will end (15-19)
– God must reveal and convict us of our sin in order for us to turn from it (20-27)

The Lord Knows (Jeremiah 14-15)
We can deceive ourselves but we can’t deceive the Lord.
1. Be honest about your guilt (Jer. 14)
     – There is no favoritism in God’s judgment, no-one earns special privileges (1-6)
     – To only come to God on our terms is to try to control Him, not submit to Him (7-12)
     – Leaders are responsible for what they teach, all are responsible for who they listen to (13-16)
     – Don’t blame God for giving us over to the idols we sought after (17-22)
2. Be receptive of God’s correction (Jer. 15)
     – We only question God’s correction when we don’t recognize how wrong we are (1-4)
     – It’s hard to see when we need God’s correction to get back to where we should be (5-9)
     – Serving the Lord can be difficult, thankless, and against how others think (10-14)
     – When serving the Lord gets tough, it’s tempting to fall back to do what others do (15-21)

In It for the Long Haul (Jeremiah 16-17)
God does what’s best for us forever, even when prioritize what we want right now.
1. Rely on the Lord for correction (Jer. 16)
     – We submit to the Lord over all else, even our families can be blessings or idols (1-4)
     – Serving the Lord is self-sacrificial, we’ll often miss out on what others get to do (5-9)
     – It’s easy to lose perspective on how serious obeying God’s word is to our lives (10-15)
     – God’s work of correction is thorough because His plan for our restoration is great (16-21)
2. Abide in the Lord for stability (Jer. 17)
     – Our disobedience to God’s word has lasting consequences on our lives and others (1-4)
     – Our way may work for a time, but only the Lord can navigate life’s ups and downs (5-13)
     – Living faithful to the Lord may mean living different than everyone around us (14-18)
     – We take time to rest in the Lord out of obedience, trust, and worship (19-27)

The Potter and His Clay (Jeremiah 18-19)
God breaks our old life to make it new, and molds our new life to make it His.
1. God molds our new life (Jer. 18)
     – We want to be open and receptive to God molding us like clay. (1-10)
     – Our obedience to God does matter, because His people obey Him. (11-17)
     – When we’re mistreated, we pray for God’s will to be done. (18-23)
2. God breaks our old life (Jer. 19)
     – God is patient, but will stop us from continuing to disobey Him. (1-5)
     – God knows what we need to be restored, even if it’s extreme. (6-9)
     – We let God break our old life like a jar, to form a new life in Him. (10-15)

Struggling with God’s Calling (Jeremiah 20-22)
Feeling the fire to serve the Lord, even when it isn’t what we thought we wanted.
1. Jeremiah struggles as a persecuted prophet (20:1-18)
     – God calls us to ministries of suffering to help others avoid suffering. (1-6)
     – Those chosen by God can’t help but serve Him, like a fire in our bones. (7-10)
     – The depth of depravity in the world should reinforce our trust in God’s goodness. (11-18)
2. Judah’s kings struggle to lead righteously (21:1-22:9)
     – Don’t ignore the word of God and then wonder where God is. (1-7)
     – Living by faith is sometimes living contrary to how we’ve lived before. (8-14)
     – God works with us when we obey His calling and against us when we don’t. (1-9)
3. Judah’s kings fail to fulfill their calling (22:10-30)
     – When we ignore the Lord, we’re too late to realize we need Him. (10-12, 20-23)
     – Real success isn’t achieved at others’ expense, it’s used to take care of others. (13-19)
     – God easily raises people up and tears them down, based on what’s best. (24-30)

 Condemning False Teachers (Jeremiah 23)
Do not listen to those who falsely claim to teach God’s word or in His name.
1. The responsibility of spiritual leaders (1-15)
     – Leaders have to lead as God calls them to even when it’s unpopular (1-4)
     – Jesus is the only perfect leader, and we only belong to His Kingdom (5-8)
     – Living and teaching the word of God builds reliance on Him (9-12)
     – We need to be aware of how desensitized we’ve become to filthy things (13-15)
2. The deception of false teachers (16-40)
     – False teachers preach what we want to hear or what sounds good to them (16-24)
     – False teachers direct people’s attention away from Him, even “in His name” (23-27)
     – False teachers undermine the conviction of God’s word on people’s lives (28-32)
     – False teachers confuse their opinions with the word of God (33-40)
False teachers…
     1. Lack care for the people (1-4)
     2. Live hypocritically (5-8)
     3. Rely on worldly provision (9-12)
     4. Promote sinful activities (13-15)
     5. Encourage people’s desires (16-24)
     6. Distract attention from God (23-27)
     7. Undermine God’s conviction (28-32)
     8. Preach their opinion as God’s (33-40)
False teachers…
     1. Lack care for the people (1-4)   5. Encourage people’s desires (16-24)
     2. Live hypocritically (5-8)         6. Distract attention from God (23-27)
     3. Rely on worldly provision (9-12) 7. Undermine God’s conviction (28-32)
     4. Promote sinful activities (13-15) 8. Preach their opinion as God’s (33-40)

The Life God Wants for You (Jeremiah 24-25)
God’s plan for us isn’t always what we’d plan, but it has greater purpose.
1. We’re sanctified through hardship (24:1-10)
     – God uses hardship to build upon our redeemable qualities (1-7)
     – God uses hardship to prune out of us what causes harm (8-10)
2. We serve God in His way not ours (25:1-14)
     – Sometimes God calls us to keep ministering to those who keep rejecting Him (1-7)
     – God can both use people’s evil for His purposes and judge their evil fairly (8-14)
3. We obey knowing the alternative (25:15-38)
     – No one can escape God’s wrath, which is why obeying Him is better for us (15-29)
     – God’s wrath is definitive and complete, so we implore people to not chose it (30-38)

Know God, Don’t Limit Him (Jeremiah 26-27)
God is consistent, but we can misunderstand His word and limit how we think He works.
1. Respect what God says (Jer. 26)
     – Appreciate and value God’s word for the guidance and correction it gives (1-6)
     – No promise of God’s grace gives us permission to disobey His word (7-11)
     – Use the word of God to confirm the word of God, and then obey it (12-19)
     – We must preach God’s word without fear, knowing it will cost sacrifices (20-24)
2. Respect what God does (Jer. 27)
     – Don’t be stubborn to only consider the way you think God should work (1-8)
     – Discern what God calls you to do in each situation, don’t just blindly copy the past (9-15)
     – The more we assume without hearing from the Lord, the more we miss out on (16-22)

How to Not Be Wrong (Jeremiah 28-29)
Humble submission to God’s word protects us from becoming false teachers.
1. Be careful what you say (28:1-17)
     – Just because we think we follow God’s word, doesn’t mean we do (1-4)
     – Don’t be defensive about truth, just let God bring it to pass (5-11)
     – Good intentioned false teaching is still false teaching (12-17)
2. Be confident in God’s plan (29:1-14)
     – God preserves His word and gets it to who He wants to hear it (1-3)
     – Make the most of the situation God has allowed you to be in (4-9)
     – No matter where our lives our at, if we seek God, we’ll find Him (10-14)
3. Be open to being wrong (29:15-32)
     – Being slow to admit when we’re wrong extends our suffering (15-19)
     – Living hypocritical in the name of the Lord is an abomination to Him (20-23)
     – We ignore our own fault when we think we’re standing up for what’s right (24-32)

God’s Plan to Save the World (Jeremiah 30-31)
When all hope seems to be lost, God reveals the grand future He’s preparing for us.
1. With the King’s grace (30:1-24)
     – God promises physical and spiritual salvation through the Messiah (1-11)
     – God’s healing addresses the sinful sickness of our souls (12-17)
     – God builds our life back in part now, and completely when Christ returns (18-24)
2. With the Father’s love (31:1-22)
     – God loves us through all our shortcomings, and prepares a place for us (1-6)
     – God gathers the broken to His kingdom to find hope and joy, even in suffering (7-14)
     – God restores His children by disciplining them so they learn goodness (15-22)
3. The the Spirit’s guidance (31:23-40)
     – To replenish our soul, God breaks down our lives to build us up in holiness (23-30)
     – Our new covenant is forgiveness and obedience through our relationship with God (31-34)
     – God’s promise of salvation to us is unbreakable, as is His future kingdom (35-40)

Comfort Before God Fixes It (Jeremiah 32-33)
We might have troubles today, but we follow God toward blessings tomorrow.
1. Trust in what God’s doing (32:1-36)
     – What we want to be true doesn’t change what God says or what His plan is. (1-5)
     – God keeps His promises to us, which means He can use us to serve others. (6-15)
     – When we don’t understand what God is doing or why, we trust in who He is. (16-25)
     – God gives us more grace than we give and ensures more justice than we do. (26-36)
2. Live in God’s New Covenant (32:37-33:26)
     – God’s New Covenant offers forgiveness, relationship, and the blessing of His kingdom. (37-44)
     – To be a part of the New Covenant, we must call out to the Lord in spirit and truth. (1-9)
     – God reveals the New Covenant to give us hope, purpose, and focus on His kingdom. (10-18)
     – Don’t confuse our failures with God, He fulfills His promises through the New Covenant. (19-26)
The promises of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-40
     (1) God’s guidance written on our heart.
     (2) Forgiveness of sins.
     (3) Personal relationship with God.
     (4) Everlasting kingdom.

Our Commitment to God (Jeremiah 34-35)
Loving God looks like obeying His word and keeping ours.
1. Disobedience & broken promises (Jer. 34)
     – There are times the Lord answers our prayers, and times when His decision is final. (1-7)
     – We’re tempted to obey God when we’re scared and ignore Him when we’re confident. (8-11)
     – We’re tempted to receive grace and then deny others the same grace we received. (12-16)
     – We challenge God to give us over to sin when we repeatedly rebel against His word. (17-22)
2. Obedience & kept promises (Jer. 35)
     – God never tempts us, but uses temptation to make us holy and grow our witness (1-5)
     – We’re not only subject to God’s law, but also to authority and to our commitments. (6-11)
     – We don’t compare ourselves to others, because our real standard is God’s perfection. (12-17)
     – It really is possible to follow God’s word and He rewards us when we do. (18-19)

God is Always Right (Jeremiah 36-37)
Our doubts, insecurities, and defensiveness make us act like we don’t believe the Lord.
1. Submit to the Lord (Jer. 36)
     – God’s word gives us an opportunity to learn before we experience consequences (1-10)
     – People are hungry for truth, even the more controversial truths in God’s word (11-19)
     – We’re tempted to get angry and defensive when we’re convicted by God’s word (20-26)
     – God’s word is everlasting and never changing, so we can’t escape it’s truth (27-32)
2. Trust in the Lord (Jer. 37)
     – Only turning to the Lord when we’re desperate or in trouble isn’t real faith (1-4)
     – Convincing ourselves of false hope is worse than trusting God through tough truths (5-10)
     – It’s easy to misunderstand or be misunderstood when sharing God’s truth (11-15)
     – Don’t let other people’s opinions stop you from being fully devoted to the Lord (16-21)

God’s Word Comes to Pass (Jeremiah 38-39)
Life tempts us to doubt the Lord, but doubt leads to disobedience and consequences.
1. Peer pressure vs. righteousness (38:1-13)
     – Don’t fall to peer pressure that ignores God’s word and promotes unrighteousness (1-6)
     – Be aware of your own hypocrisy and live sacrificially for what God says is right (7-13)
2. Human wisdom vs. God’s wisdom (38:14-28)
     – We’re hesitant to trust God’s wisdom when it seems riskier than human wisdom (14-23)
     – We’re often called to speak God’s wisdom to people who aren’t ready to hear it (24-28)
3. Outcome for evildoers vs. the faithful (39:1-18)
     – The consequences that God says will happen, always happen if we don’t listen (1-7)
     – God takes care of and rewards the oppressed and those who serve Him (8-18)
10 commands in Matthew:
     1.Live biblical purity (5:28)
     2.Love your enemies (5:44)
     3.Prioritize God’s kingdom (6:33)
     4.Be family with the church (12:50)
     5.Deny yourself (16:24)
     6.Unlimited forgiveness (18:22)
     7.Give sacrificially (19:21)
     8.Put others first (23:12)
     9.Care for the poor/weak (25:35)
     10. Preach the Gospel (28:20)
5 spiritual disciplines:
     1.Studying scripture (2 Tim 3:16)
     2.Unceasing prayer (1 Thess 5:17)
     3.Exclusive worship (Matt 4:10)
     4.Scheduled rest (Heb 4:10)
     5.Accountability fellowship (Jas 5:16)

Living in an Imperfect World (Jeremiah 40-41)
Making the most of what God gives us when things aren’t what they could be.
1. Appreciate the blessings (Jer. 40)
     – God provides for us as we trust and serve Him. (1-6)
     – God’s provision during correction leads us to restoration. (7-12)
     – Be ready in times of blessing for the trials to come. (13-16)
2. Navigate the brokenness (Jer. 41)
     – It’s challenging to care for others and protect ourself. (1-3)
     – A sinful heart will twist our mind to justify many evil things. (4-10)
     – Seek God’s wisdom to avoid life tossing us to and fro. (11-18)

Why We’re Thankful for Our Building
     1. Believing the Gospel is giving up your whole life to follow Christ (Luke 5:4-11)
     2. Following Christ looks like being a missionary wherever you are (Mark 5:18)
     3. A missionary evangelizes and mentors in the context of a local church (Acts 2:42-47)
     4. This building is the place God gave us to function as a local church (1 Kings 8)

Selective Hearing (Jeremiah 42-43)
We only want to listen to the Lord when He agrees with what we want.
1. Listen to the Lord (Jer. 42)
     – We should turn to the Lord for every decision we make, especially big ones. (1-6)
     – God’s word teaches us how to live, and warns us before we disobey. (7-22)
2. Follow what He says (Jer. 43)
     – If our heart is set on doing what we want, we’ll do that no matter what God says. (1-7)
     – Don’t be surprised when we disobey the Lord and things go wrong. (8-13)

Learn From the Past, Don’t Distort It (Jeremiah 44-45)
Remembering the history of God’s grace moves us to faithfulness and gratitude.
1. A gracious perspective (44:1-14)
     – God reminds us of past sin and consequences to warn us away from future sin and consequences
     (1-6)
     – God’s grace allows us to learn from our mistakes, His correction stops us from committing more.
     (7-14)
2. A rebellious perspective (44:15-30)
     – Don’t misinterpret God’s grace as confirmation that you can keep sinning. (15-23)
     – The proof that God is right is that He predicts what will happen before it does. (24-30)
3. An unsatisfied perspective (45:1-5)
     – If we only serve the Lord to make our own life better, we’re set up for disappointment. (1-3)
     – We serve the Lord out of thankfulness for what He’s already given and for the eternal reward. (4-5)

God’s Sovereign Justice (Jeremiah 46-47)
Understanding how God deals with sinful nations strengthens our faith in Him.
1. God’s judgment teaches trust (46:1-6)
     – God let’s evil happen for His bigger plan and to give time for repentance. (1)
      – Global events that seem chaotic are still under God’s control. (2)
      – Even the most formidable force can’t stop the plans of the Lord. (3-6)
2. God’s vengeance teaches humility (46:7-24)
     – God doesn’t forget unrighteousness, it has to be atoned for in God’s timing. (7-12)
     – God humbles the prideful and chases down those who run to uphold justice. (13-17)
     – Our idols fail us, but the Lord never fails; are we with Him or against Him? (18-24)
3. God’s grace teaches hope (46:25-47:7)
     – At our lowest, God shows us grace, giving us a chance to repent. (46:25-26)
     – God’s gives a real everlasting hope for only His people. (46:27-28)
     – God’s patience runs out for the people who continue to reject Him. (47:1-7)

Everything Fails Us, Except God (Jeremiah 48-49)
We learn we should only trust in God when everything else we trust in fails us.
1. Destruction of Moab: self-centeredness (48)
     – Trust in treasures (1-10)
     – Trust in complacency (11-17)
     – Trust in pride (18-30)
     – Trust in false gods (31-39)
     – Trust in themselves (40-47)
2. Destruction of nations: worldliness (49)
     – Ammon: trust in evil gods and stolen land (1-6)
     – Edom: trust in wisdom, pride, and fortresses (7-22)
     – Damascus: trust in reputation and self-confidence (23-27)
     – Kedar & Hazor: trust in isolation and wealth (28-33)
     – Elam: trust in military power and skill (34-39)

Restorative Judgement (Jeremiah 50-51)
God’s plan is to rescue and restore His people, by humbling and judging His enemies.
1. God restores His people (50:1-20)
     – God will destroy Babylon and restore Israel (1-10)
     – Babylon took joy in Israel’s suffering (11-17)
     – God will pardon Israel’s sins (18-20)
2. God humbles the proud (50:21-46)
     – Babylon suffers embarrassing defeat (21-32)
     – Babylon is guilty of idolatry and oppression (33-40)
     – God’s power is seen in the cruelty of war (41-46)
3. God calls us from the world (51:1-35)
     – Israel is tempted to stay to rebuild Babylon (1-14)
     – Babylon’s weakness pales to God’s greatness (15-26)- God prepares for the destruction of Babylon (27-35)
4. God’s punishment is just (51:36-64)
     – Babylon is drunk on sin leading to death (36-48)
     – God destroys Babylon as they destroyed Judah (49-58)
     – Babylon is warned of the coming destruction (59-64)

Did We Learn Obedience? (Jeremiah 52)
Concluding the book of Jeremiah by learning from God’s judgement of Judah.
1. What happened to Judah?- Judah’s sin and refusal to repent brought God’s judgement (1-11)
     – God’s judgement was fulfilled in war, famine, death, exile (12-23)
     – God maintained a remnant in exile to one day restore (24-34)
2. What will happen to us?
     – Obey God’s Word
     – Be Open to Correction
     – Trust in God’s Plan