Bible-Centered Sermon Starters 10. Life’s Imperatives

LIFE’S IMPERATIVES

INTRODUCTION: The ideal life is eternal life, life that is divine in quality and eternal in duration. It is the gift of our Lord (see John 10:28). It is the abundant life. It entails some fruitful imperatives.

I. Imperatives for Christ.

A. “I must be in my Father’s house (about my Father’s business—KJV)” (Luke 2:49).

B. “He had to pass through (must needs go through—KJV) Samaria” (John 4:4).

C. “He must go to Jerusalem … and suffer … and be killed and on the third day be raised” (Matt. 16:21).

D. The Son of man must be lifted up (John 3:14, 15).

E. “The Scriptures must be fulfilled” (Luke 22:37; 24:44).

II. Imperatives for Christians.

A. We must be born again (John 3:7).

B. We must obey God (Acts 5:29).

C. We must stand at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).

CONCLUSION: A kite’s mission is to fly; to do so, it must be held by a strong cord in the wind. A locomotive, to perform its work, must remain on the rails. For us to fulfill our mission, we must “seek first” the kingdom of God.

11. RE

John 10:28 KJV 1900

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

LIFE’S IMPERATIVES

INTRODUCTION: The ideal life is eternal life, life that is divine in quality and eternal in duration. It is the gift of our Lord. It is the abundant life. It entails some fruitful imperatives.

John 10:28 KJV 1900

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Imperative - a vital importance; crucial.

John

I. Imperatives for Christ.

A. “I must be in my Father’s house (about my Father’s business—KJV)” ().

Luke 2:49 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

B. “He had to pass through (must needs go through—KJV) Samaria” ().

John 4:4 KJV 1900

And he must needs go through Samaria.

C. “He must go to Jerusalem … and suffer … and be killed and on the third day be raised” ().

Matthew 16:21 KJV 1900

From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

D. The Son of man must be lifted up (, ).

John 3:14–15 KJV 1900

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

E. “The Scriptures must be fulfilled” (; ).

Luke 22:37 KJV 1900

For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

Luke 24:44 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

II. Imperatives for Christians.

A. We must be born again ().

John 3:7 KJV 1900

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

B. We must obey God ().

Acts 5:29 KJV 1900

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

C. We must stand at the judgment seat of Christ ().

2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV 1900

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

CONCLUSION: A kite’s mission is to fly; to do so, it must be held by a strong cord in the wind. A locomotive, to perform its work, must remain on the rails. For us to fulfill our mission, we must “seek first” the kingdom of God.

11. RE

Hallock, E. F. (1974). Bible-Centered Sermon Starters (pp. 23–25). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.