Sermon Outlines for Busy Pastors: Volume 1

By Rob Westbrook

Sermon Outlines for Today's Busy Pastor

Today, pastors are busier than ever, with more time spent in ministry activities and less time spent in sermon preparation. Sermon Outlines for Busy Pastors: Volume 1 gives the busy pastor a head start on sermon preparation. With 52 complete sermon outlines, pastors can save hundreds of hours a year, with the base research and layout for a year's worth of sermons already in place.

Here's some advantages Sermon Outlines for Busy Pastors: Volume 1 provides:

* These are complete sermon outlines. Each sermon outline is much more than a basic three point outline requiring a lot of time and research to flesh out. These outlines go much deeper, with each main point completely developed with sub-points and more.

* Each sermon outline has a wealth of detail, great for spurring your own thoughts and allowing you to take the sermon in another direction as you feel led.

* Sermon illustrations include enough detail to suggest your own personal or applicable illustrations.

* A complete sermon series is included, providing a map for the next several Sundays, saving many hours of advance planning and preparation.

All sermons are based completely in Scripture. Here's a complete list of the sermons and the Scripture passages they are based upon:

1. You've Been Here Long Enough - Deut. 2:1-7
2. He is God - Mark 14:55-65
3. World History - Gen. 1:1
4. Meeting the Challenge - Rom. 10:13-17
5. The Way It Really Is - Isa. 6:1-9
6. Why? - John 9:1-5
7. Lessons from Ephesus - Eph. 1:1-3
8. Stairway to Heaven - Gen. 28:10-19
9. What is Your Definition of Success? - Luke 12:13-21
10. Real Faith - 1 Sam. 13:23-14:14
11. He's Still Jesus - Matt. 11:1-6
12. Jesus, Our Reconcilliation - Rom. 5:6-11
13. What If There Had Been No Resurrection? - 1 Cor. 15:1-20
14. The Lord's Supper - Luke 22:14-20
15. Commitment Requirements - Matt. 26:36-46
16. Law and Grace - John 8:2-12
17. Your Biography - James 4:14
18. Be Single-Minded - Matt. 6:19-24
19. Come Back to God - Hos. 11:1-11
20. The Influence of Mothers - 2 Tim 1:1-6
21. The Message of Jesus - Mark 1:14-15
22. The Rule of the Temporary and the Eternal - Phil. 4:4
23. Be Encouraged - Rom. 8:31-39
24. Skeletons in the Closet - Matt. 1:1-17
25. Men on Fire - Dan. 3:1-30
26. Judas - Luke 6:12-16
27. Forgiveness - Matthew 18:21-22
28. Repentance Toward Revival - 2 Sam. 11:1-5
29. Revival Conditions - 2 Chron. 7:13-15
30. A Revival for God's Army - 1 Sam 17:4-11
31. The Work Required - John 6:28-29
32. Five Steps to Spiritual Maturity - Heb. 5:11-6:3
33. A New Creation - 2 Cor. 5:16-17
34. Where Are You Going? - Gal. 1:13-17
35. Holy Ground - Ex. 3:1-6
36. What Will You Do with Jesus? - Matt. 27:11-22
37. Walk of Faith - John 4:46-54
38. Grace - 2 Sam. 9:1-13
39. Directions - 2 Kings 5:1-15
40. Community Callings - 1 Thes. 5:14
41. Tried and True Faith - 1 Pet. 1:6-7
42. What Are You Doing Here? - 1 Kings 19:1-16
43. Thanksgiving - Psalm 103:1-5
44. Reminders - 1 Cor. 1:1-9
45. Time to Rejoice - Phil. 4:4
46. A Church God Can Use - Col. 1:1-14
47. He Was Born to Be - 1 John 1:1-3
48. Turning the World Upside Down - Acts 17:1-6
49. Turning the World Upside Down, Question 1 - Acts 17:6
50. Turning the World Upside Down, Question 2 - Acts 17:6
51. Turning the World Upside Down, Question 3 - Acts 17:6
52. Turning the World Upside Down, Question 4 - Acts 17:6

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rob Westbrook
• Release date: Jun 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476498874

Rob Westbrook

Rob Westbrook became a follower of Jesus Christ at the later age of thirty. Called into the preaching ministry at thirty-two, Rob attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Bachelors of Arts degree in Pastoral Ministry. He later earned forty-six hours toward a Masters of Divinity degree.Rob became pastor of his first church, Hebron Baptist Church, in Amite County, Mississippi, in 1998, while attending seminary. By 2002 the time commitments to both seminary and the church became strained, and Rob chose to leave seminary behind for the church. Around 2005, God began preparing him for planting a new church. He left his first church pastorate in 2006 to become a church planter in his hometown of Amory, Mississippi. LifePointe Church had its first service in January 2008. Rob currently serves there, at LifePointe Church.Rob has been married to Teresa for almost 23 years. He and Teresa have one daughter, Lauren, who is engaged to Brandon Britt. They will be married in March 2013.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. You’ve Been Here Long Enough – Deuteronomy 2:1–7

2. He Is God – Mark 14:55–65

3. World History – Genesis 1:1

4. Meeting the Challenge – Romans 10:13–17

5. The Way It Really Is – Isaiah 6:1–9

6. Why? – John 9:1–5

7. Lessons from Ephesus – Ephesians 1:1–3

8. Stairway to Heaven – Genesis 28:10–19

9. What is Your Definition of Success? – Luke 12:13–21

10. Real Faith – 1 Samuel 13:23–14:14

11. He’s Still Jesus – Matthew 11:1–6

12. Jesus – Our Reconciliation – Romans 5:6–11

13. What If There Had Been No Resurrection – 1 Corinthians 15:1–20

14. The Lord’s Supper – Luke 22:14–20

15. Commitment Requirements – Matthew 26:36–46

16. Law and Grace – John 8:2–12

17. Your Biography – James 4:14

18. Be Single Minded – Matthew 6:19–24

19. Come Back to God – Hosea 11:1–11

20. The Influence of Mothers – 2 Timothy 1:1–6

21. The Message of Jesus – Mark 1:14–15107

22. The Rules of the Temporary and the Eternal – Philippians 4:4

23. Be Encouraged – Romans 8:31–39

24. Skeletons in the Closet – Matthew 1:1–17

25. Men On Fire – Daniel 3:1–30

26. Judas – Luke 6:12–16

27. Forgiveness – Matthew 18:21–22

28. Repentance Toward Revival – 2 Samuel 11:1–5

29. Revival Conditions – 2 Chronicles 7:13–15

30. A Revival for God’s Army – 1 Samuel 17:4–11

31. The Work Required – John 6:28–29

32. Five Steps to Spiritual Maturity – Hebrews 5:11–6:3

33. A New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5:16–17

34. Where Are You Going? – Galatians 1:13–17

35. Holy Ground – Exodus 3:1–6

36. What Will You Do With Jesus? – Matthew 27:11–22

37. Walk of Faith – John 4:46–54

38. Grace – 2 Samuel 9:1–13

39. Directions – 2 Kings 5:1–15

40. Community Callings – 1 Thessalonians 5:14

41. Tried and True Faith – 1 Peter 1:6–7

42. What Are You Doing Here? – 1 Kings 19:1–16

43. Thanksgiving – Psalm 103:1–5

44. Reminders – 1 Corinthians 1:1–9

45. Time to Rejoice – Philippians 4:4

46. A Church God Can Use – Colossians 1:1–14

47. He Was Born to Be – 1 John 1:1–3

48. Turning the World Upside Down – Acts 17:1–6

49. Turning the World Upside Down – Question 1 – Acts 17:6

50. Turning the World Upside Down – Question 2 – Acts 17:6

51. Turning the World Upside Down – Question 3 – Acts 17:6

52. Turning the World Upside Down – Question 4 – Acts 17:6

Busy Pastor Sermons Newsletter

Free Sermon Outlines Book

Sermon Outlines for Busy Pastors: Volume 1-4

Sermon Outlines for Busy Pastors: Sermon Series

Bible Study and Apologetic Books

About the Author

Dedication

To Teresa and Lauren, who have given so much of themselves to Jesus and the ministry He has called us to. You both know the joy and pain of ministry much greater than I. Thank you for your love for me and for Jesus.

Introduction

Pastors are the busiest people in our country.

According to my research, that statement is a fact. Of course, my research is not scientific, but I believe it to be accurate. My most trusted research data comes from my wife. She says we’re the busiest people in our country, and I always listen to my wife!

I know, firsthand, all the many different directions we are pulled, every single day. There are hospitals to visit, weddings to officiate, and funerals to preach. There are families to counsel, new believers to disciple, and leaders to train. There are worship services to plan, toilets to unclog, and light bulbs to be replaced. And some of us have these things to do WHILE working another job – doing the bi–vocational thing. There’s enough stuff going on to keep us busy twenty–five hours a day, eight days a week.

Oh yeah, and there are sermons to prepare. We’ve got to work that in with all the other things vying for our attention. The one thing most of us feel to be our primary purpose, our calling – preaching the Word of God – has to compete with everything else for the one finite element in all of this. Time.

As a seminary student, I remember hearing someone say a pastor should dedicate an hour of preparation to every minute of his sermon. At the time, I thought that was an unreal amount of time to spend in sermon prep. Now, years and sermons later, I can’t even grasp the thought. If our average sermon length is thirty minutes, that equates to thirty hours of prep! For those who have a Sunday night message to prepare, and maybe one for Wednesday night, well, that doesn’t exactly leave time for much else.

There may be some of you who have that luxury of time, but for most of us, that amount of time is simply not there. So we do the best we can with the time we’ve got, and trust God to make something useful from our efforts. And our gracious and merciful Lord often does.

But we want to do better. We want to present our people with well–prepared messages. Messages that will not only fill a thirty-minute time slot, but will also feed them spiritually, lift their hearts, convict them of their sin, and call them into a new or deeper walk with the Lord.

That’s why I’ve put this series together. These Sermon Outlines for Busy Pastors books are for those of you who can identify with any of the above. I want to give you something to build on. Something that’s been studied through, that gives you a head–start for your messages this Sunday. Something that will help you make the most of your limited time.

I don’t make any claims these are the best sermon outlines you’ll ever see. They may not be on par with anything you’ve prepared yourself. But they have all been studied over, prayed over, and preached. The outlines are complete, compiled from the sermon notes I take into the pulpit each week. Take them as a whole, or use them to spur your thoughts in other directions.

Another thing I remember hearing in seminary is: The Bible, the Word of God, has been preached by many, many preachers for two thousand years. You’re probably not going to preach anything that hasn’t been preached before. I would say that is an accurate statement. We’re influenced by the preachers and sermons we hear. God speaks to us through them. And He may speak those same words through us in our messages to others. I know that’s true sometimes in my case and I’m fairly certain that’s true for most pastors. And I’m sure many sermons you’ll find here bear the marks of those preachers I’ve heard or read.

Nevertheless, I offer these sermon outlines to you. Use them for your benefit and for the glory of our Lord. I pray this book, and the entire series, provides you with a tool to help you make the most of your time. And to make much of Jesus Christ.

Preach the Word!

You’ve Been Here Long Enough

Deuteronomy 2:1–7

I. Intro

A. Read Deuteronomy 2:1–7.

1. The Israelites were wandering around in circles.

2. They had no direction, and no faith.

3. And God had a blunt message for them.

B. We’re all entering into a new year.

1. For many of us, we’ve been wandering around in a funk, in circles, for a long time.

2. We lack direction and we lack faith.

3. In this passage God has a blunt message for us, too.

II. A Closer Look at Deuteronomy 2:1–7.

A. The Israelites were still in the wilderness.

1. The original bunch delivered from Egypt had all died in the wilderness.

2. Deuteronomy 1:2 tells us it was an eleven day journey from Mt. Horeb to the Promised Land.

3. But because of their disobedience, they had been in the wilderness forty years.

4. So God is now talking to the second generation.

B. The second generation was not much better.

1. They had been walking around the same mountain for many days.

2. They were basically just walking around in circles.

3. They had no direction, no vision, just wasting the days of their lives walking in circles.

C. The Lord has His fill with these drifters.

1. He says, You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward. (2:3)

2. The Lord is telling them, You’ve been wandering around out here long enough.

3. You’ve spent your whole lives walking around in circles.

4. It’s time to take some initiative, it’s time to find direction, to find vision.

5. It’s time to quit wasting your lives.

D. God gives them direction.

1. He says move north.

2. Quit walking in circles and move toward the Promised Land, My promise to you.

3. Quit dwelling on the past – didn’t I take care of you there?

4. Didn’t I bless you even when you didn’t listen to Me?

5. I’ve been with you all the way.

6. Get up and get going.

7. I’m still with you and I’ll always be with you.

III. We’re beginning a new year.

A. We have no idea what’s to come in the new year ahead.

1. Some will say it’s just another year, just like last year, and the year before that.

2. There’s no use getting excited; there’s no reason to change anything.

3. I’m just going to stay where I’m at.

4. It’s not exciting and it’s not demanding but I’m comfortable here, so I’ll just camp out here.

5. I’ve heard there’s a Promised Land, a place where God wants me to be.

6. But the way’s too hard, there’s too much expected, so I’m going to keep circling this mountain, spend another year out here in the wilderness.

B. But God’s got a word for you.

1. You’ve been here long enough.

2. It’s time to get up and get going.

IV. It’s time to let go of the past.

A. The Israelites may have been holding on to their past.

1. They may have been told stories of all the good things the Israelites had in Egypt before God led them into the wilderness.

2. They may have felt guilty over their sins and the sins of their forefathers, thinking it was hopeless.

3. God said, Let go of all that.

4. It’s time to move forward.

B. Are you still holding on to your past?

1. Are you still trying to recapture or relive the glory days of the past?

2. Are you still haunted by the sins and mistakes of yesterday?

3. Whatever happened in the past, good or bad, it’s still back there, in the past.

4. You will never recreate the past.

5. And you can’t ever go back and redo anything.

C. The future starts today.

1. Praise God for the goodness of the past.

2. Repent and accept God’s forgiveness for the mistakes of the past.

3. Let go of the past and grab hold of God, the God of today and tomorrow.

4. Leave the past in the past, and enjoy the today that God offers you.

5. It’s now a new year, a new future, with new opportunities.

6. Keep your eye on the Promised Land that God has promised for you in the future.

V. It’s time to quit walking around in circles.

A. The Israelites were walking around in circles.

1. They’d spent almost forty years in an area they could walk across in eleven days.

2. They had no drive to do anything else.

3. They were comfortable being uncomfortable.

4. They had resigned themselves to a life with no purpose, no direction, and no vision.

B. Are you walking around in circles?

1. Is your life missing purpose?

2. Are you stuck in a rut, with no direction and no vision?

3. That’s not God’s plan for you.

4. If you’re there, it’s because you want to be there.

5. A life lived for God always has purpose, always has direction.

6. This year, commit yourself to following the ways and the direction of the Lord.

7. Quit walking in circles and follow the Lord.

VI. It’s time to get going.

A. God had had enough of the Israelites’ lack of direction.

1. So He gave them direction – again.

2. And this time He wanted some action.

B. Isn’t it time you followed God’s direction?

1. Where has your wandering through life got you?

2. You’re still passing through the same places you’ve been before.

3. It’s time to get going with the Lord.

4. It’s time to put some action to the words we keep repeating.

5. It’s time to get going.

6. Let this new year be the year you get up and start following the Lord.

VII. It’s time to trust in the Lord.

A. The Israelites’ problem was a lack of trust, a lack of faith.

1. They were in the wilderness because they failed to place their faith in the Lord.

2. And they continued in the wilderness because of that lack of faith.

3. They had rather waste their lives going in circles than trust the Lord.

4. The Lord was giving them the Promised Land and they just walked in circles, not trusting anybody but themselves.

5. And all they had gotten for themselves was forty years walking in circles, dropping like flies.

B. Isn’t it time you put your faith in the Lord?

1. God offers you everything.

2. He offers you forgiveness.

3. He offers you eternal life.

4. He offers you real life in this world, a life full of blessing and joy and contentment.

5. He just calls on you to quit trusting in yourself and trust in Him.

6. Where have you gotten without the Lord?

7. Why continue on the same on treadmill, walking, running, searching, but never getting anywhere?

C. Put your faith in the Lord.

1. Let this new year be the year that you take that leap of faith in Jesus Christ.

2. Let this new year be the year you surrender control of your life to the Lord.

3. Let this new year be the year you enjoy the purpose and direction of the Creator of all the World.

He Is God

Mark 14:55–65

I. Intro

A. Sometimes I have fun with people who don’t know I’m a pastor.

1. They’ll be talking up a storm, saying all kinds of things.

2. Sometimes its good and other times, well…

3. I just sit there and listen to them and agree or disagree with what they’re saying.

4. Invariably the conversation always turns to what I do.

5. They tell me what they do and then they ask me, What do you do?

6. I smile and say, I’m a pastor.

B. My response has some implications for the ones asking me the question.

1. They have to decide how they’ll handle the situation.

2. For some, they could care less. It doesn’t bother them a bit.

3. But it tells me a lot about them.

4. For others, they get embarrassed and try to smooth out the situation.

5. My answer has implications for them.

C. Read Mark 14:55–65.

1. In this passage of Scripture we have an answer that has implications, as well.

2. Once we hear this answer, it puts us in a position where we have to respond, one way or another.

II. The Story

A. The Events

1. Jesus has been betrayed by Judas.

2. The arresting party has carried Jesus to the Sanhedrin.

3. They’ve tried everything they can to get a legitimate charge against Jesus.

4. They hate Him so bad they even get people to lie about what they’ve heard Jesus say.

5. But they couldn’t even get the liars to get their stories straight.

6. So the high priest turns to Jesus and asks Him a direct question.

7.Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?

B. The Answer

1. Jesus says, I am.

2. Right here, Jesus answers Yes.

3.Yes, I am the Messiah. Yes, I am the Son of God.

4.I will sit at the right hand and come back one day in power.

5. With this statement, Jesus equates Himself with God.

6. With His answer, He is saying, Yes, I am God.

C. What an Answer!

1. This answer weighs a million tons.

2. This answer changes everything.

3. Jesus has just admitted that He is God.

D. That answer had implications for the ones wanting to kill Him.

1. They dismissed Jesus’ answer.

2. They flatly rejected what Jesus said.

3. But the implications reach further than that group of men blinded by hatred.

4. The implications reach right to this very second.

5. What are the implications of this Statement?

III. All that we see in Jesus is a revelation of God.

A. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:18)

1. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9)

2. You want to see God, look at Jesus.

3. You want to see how God walks, how God talks, how God reacts, just look at Jesus.

B. What does seeing Jesus show us about God?

1.When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36; see also Matt 14:14; 20:33)

a. Jesus shows us that God is a compassionate God.

b. He had compassion for those who were weary and worn out.

c. He had compassion for people who were wandering around without any real purpose.

2.He began to be sorrowful and troubled. (Matthew 26:37)

a. Jesus shows us that God can be distressed by the events He sees going on.

3.And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, Why do you question these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8)

a. Jesus shows us that God knows our hearts.

b. God knows what we’re thinking.

c. He knows our motives and goals.

4.And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart …(Mark 3:5)

a. Jesus shows us that God gets angry with hard hearts.

b. Hard hearts are those that refuse to turn to Him and accept Him.

c. Hard hearts reject Jesus.

5."And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ’Why does this generation seek