Untitled Sermon (2)

Main Point/Theme:

Bible Text:

Introduction

John 17:1–8 NIV

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

1 – Explain the Biblical Principle:

What does the bible teach us in this passage?

- What is the central idea of this text in relation to the original audience?

- How can I express the central idea practically and memorably?

How can I express the central idea of the sermon so that people remember it, and so that it applies to people today? How can I structure the sermon so that it has one main point, with (when necessary) supporting points, rather than many different points?

- How does this apply to us in our lives?

(Dig into what the bible teaches regarding this topic)

2 – Consider objections:

What objections will my hearers raise? How can I express these objections well, and answer them?

- Is this a sensitive topic to your audience?

- How can you reveal God’s love through these objections?

- How can you share the gospel truth even if they do not agree?

- How can I answer objections before they are thought of? (i.e As Christians, we trust that God makes clear the true essentials of our faith, a principle called the perspicuity of Scripture. We also humbly admit that sometimes the Bible feels challenging because we don’t like what it says. Our problem often is less that we don’t understand what it says and more that we don’t agree or don’t want to obey.)

- How will this speak to young people specifically?

- What does this mean for them right now?

3 – Offer a defense to those objections:

What does the passage reveal about God?

- How can I articulate what the passage is saying about God?

- How can I share the good news through this passage?

- Are there any outside sources/commentaries that can help bring this passage to light?

4 - Why we can’t do it alone:

- This moral imperative always presents a crisis, for when properly understood, the practical and moral obligations of the Scripture is impossible for human beings to meet.

- Reminded of our sinful nature and who we are through the world without Jesus Christ in our lives.

5 – How Jesus changed this for us:

How does this passage reveal Jesus Christ in our lives?

- What does the passage reveal about humanity?

- How does this passage change the way we should live?

- How through faith in Jesus you should live now?

In every text of the Scripture there are imperatives, moral norms for how we should live. That norm may be seen in what we learn about the character of God or Christ, or in the good or bad example of characters in the text, or in explicit commands, warnings, and summonses.

- What does this passage look like in our world today?

- What are the implications for how we love (desires), think (mind), and live (actions) through a life with Jesus Christ through this passage?

Important: don’t overemphasize actions at the expense of desires and thoughts.

- How do I clarify what Jesus has done through this passage? (savior/rescuer/died for your sins)

6 - Provide Practical Application:

What does all of this mean for my audience?

- How does the central idea, as well as what’s revealed about God and about us, intersect with our condition today?

The more the world throws our way, the more distracted we are for what is right in front of us. The Word of God, the example of Jesus Christ are all things we have the ability to know, but the world throws things to get in our way and very successfully distracts us.

- How can I raise the need?

The sermon will address a need. If the listener is already aware of that need, how can I hook them? If they aren’t aware of the need, how can I make them aware? It’s good to show sympathy in how we raise the need. It’s not their need; it’s our need.

- How does the gospel answer this need?

- What is there in Jesus that answers this need?

- How does he become more beautiful and desirable in this passage?

7 – Closing:

Tie it all together:

- How can you sum this up for a way for the audience to leave with a “if you don’t hear anything else, hear this” type of statement?

- Is there an opportunity for repentance and acceptance in this passage?

Let’s Pray