Gist of my sermons/sermon outlines...

[jeremiah7]

April 15th 2009...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Those who have accepted Christ as Savior have started running the race towards living in eternity with God.

1)They should have the aim to finish the race.
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. (Acts 20:24)

2)They have to run with perseverance throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7)

3)They have to run with their eyes fixed on Jesus.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Other useful verses
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

[jeremiah7]

April 17th 2009

Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.' Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! (Joshua 14:6-10)

Caleb testifies to the faithfulness of God in keeping him alive for 45 years after giving him a promise that he would enter Canaan. He with Joshua and 10 others had gone out to spy the promised land at the command of Moses 45 years back. 10 of them excluding Joshua and Caleb gave a report that made the hearts of the Israelites melt with fear.

"And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." (Numbers 13:32, 33)

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." (Numbers 14:5-9)

But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. (Numbers 14:10)

God then took a decision and said,

"Not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times - not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 14:22-24)

God does not forget the promises that he makes and now it was time for Caleb to receive his portion in the promised land. He came to Joshua and asked for the same.
"Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said." (Joshua 14:12)

At the age of 85, Caleb is bold as ever.
He tells Joshua:
I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. (Joshua 14:11)

The Bible says,
"Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly." (Joshua 14:13,14)

He still had to defeat the inhabitants of Hebron to take possession of his inheritance. And that's exactly what he did at age 85.

"From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites - Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai - descendants of Anak." (Joshua 15:14)

Other useful verses

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 14:24)

Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (Numbers 14:30)

Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived. (Numbers 14:38)

For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (Numbers 26:65)

[jeremiah7]

April 19th 2009

The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. (Psalm 16:4)

The psalmist takes 2 very important decisions here in this verse. He affirms his faithfulness to God by not doing what he saw others doing. He would not be sacrificing to other gods nor would he be taking their names on his lips.

The facts were there for everyone to see. The Israelites, whom God had redeemed out of Egyptian bondage involved themselves in idol worship and offered sacrifices to other gods who were not gods at all. They rejected the fountain of life and ran after broken cisterns and cisterns without water.

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth.
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:1-4)

The differences between the living God and idols are very distinct in the verses above. The God of the Universe had carried Israel from the time the nation was born while the idols of false gods had to be carried. The idols never could sustain the Israelites whereas God Almighty affirms that he would sustain them till their old age. He affirmed that he had made them and he would carry, sustain and rescue them.

Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.
"Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. (Isaiah 46:6-9)

The truth regarding idols, their creation and their state of helplessness is clearly depicted here. They cannot answer or save. God again reminds the Israelites that there is no God besides him.

In the title verse, the psalmist points out that "The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods." This is true because many believers also fall into satan's traps by still worshipping idols. The suffer in body and mind because of rebelling against the word of God by following traditions and unbiblical practices.

There are more than 100 verses that speak of how God detests idols and idolatry.

Other useful verses
"Do not make cast idols. (Exodus 34:17)

They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.' (Leviticus 17:7)

"'Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:4)

"'Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 26:1)

I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. (Leviticus 26:30)

They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. (Deuteronomy 32:16)

They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. (Deuteronomy 32:21)

Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. (1 Samuel 12:21)

[jeremiah7]

April 24th 2009

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15,16)


Nehemiah had set his heart on rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem and God had given him success. He had gone about the task in a very systematic manner with much prayer and dependance on God. There was much opposition to this project he had undertaken but he succeeded because he fully trusted in God. Whenever there was opposition and ridicule, he immediately turned to God in prayer.

The begining of the whole endeavour was with weeping, prayer and fasting. He had enquired from his fellow Israelites about the state of the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem and the report that he heard sent him into mourning.

They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:3, 4)

He confessed his own sins and the sins of the Israelites and asked for success that he may be granted favor when he dealt with the king in this matter. He was cupbearer to king Artaxerxes.
The king granted him permission to do as he had prayed to the Lord.
Opposition was not far away and it increased as he set about the task of rebuilding the broken walls.

Opposition and Nehemiah's Strategies
1. MOCKERY & RIDICULE- But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" (Nehemiah 2:19)

COURAGE, DEPENDANCE & TRUST IN GOD- I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it." (Nehemiah 2:20)

2. MOCKERY & RIDICULE- When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble - burned as they are?" Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building - if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" (Nehemiah 4:1-3)

PRAYER- Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. (Nehemiah 4:4)

3. THREATS TO FIGHT- But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. (Nehemiah 4:7, 8)

PRAYER & SETTING GUARD- But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. (Nehemiah 4:9)

4. INTERNAL DISCOURAGEMENTS- Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." (Nehemiah 4:10, 12)

SETTING GUARD & ENCOURAGING WORDS- Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." (Nehemiah 4:13, 14)

5. CUNNING PLANS- When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it - though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates -
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were scheming to harm me; (Nehemiah 6:1, 2)

CAREFUL ATTITUDE- so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. (Nehemiah 6:3, 4)

6. INTIMIDATION BY FALSE PROPHETS- One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you - by night they are coming to kill you." (Nehemiah 6:10)

COURAGEOUS ATTITUDE, PRAYER & DEPENDANCE ON GOD- But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!"
I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. (Nehemiah 6:11, 12)
Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. (Nehemiah 6:14)

Thus the wall was built in 52 days despite much ridicule, mockery, threats, intimidation and discouragemnets.

WE CAN LEARN FROM NEHEMIAH'S STRATEGIES. HE DEPENDED MUCH ON PRAYER, GODLY WISDOM, COURAGE AND A CAREFUL ATTITUDE WHILE GOING ABOUT DOING HIS TASK AND ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY DEALING WITH HIS ENEMIES.