Five-Part Sermon Series Outlines

Stepping through God’s Open Door

When Compassion Meets Action

Introduction

General Notes

A church-wide, small-group campaign based on this series will have significantly greater impact if it is accompanied by weekly messages that prepare participants for what is to come and provide another opportunity for response to open-door living.

We have titled these five sermon outlines to match the session titles from the curricu-lum. In your preparation, you may decide to use a different title, depending on the em-phasis in your message.

We have suggested a session video clip for each message that serves as a connector with the topic or presenters in the sessions.

We strongly urge you to watch each of the video sessions in their entirety as part of your sermon preparation. You may well decide to adapt the suggested message outline as a re-sult of your own responses to the challenges presented.

Introduce the three presenters who will take part in each of the five video presentations: Ann Voskamp, author and speaker; Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, president and CEO of Compassion International; and John Ortberg, pastor and author. John Ortberg’s book All the Places to Go . . . How Will You Know? is a key resource for this series.

You may also want to plan some kind of concluding gathering at the end of the five-week campaign to allow people to share personally what they have discovered during those weeks. As encouraging as the stories are in the videos, there will be even more impact on your congregation from seeing and hearing people they know moved to walk through open doors.

Sermon outline 1:

Decisions, Decisions

Sermon in a Sentence: Many of life’s choices are actually opportunities God gives us to decide to live for him.

introduction: As a result of the next five weeks, I hope none of us looks at doors and doorways quite the same way ever again. Think with me for a minute about the doorways in your life and what they represent. Does the door of your home offer you security from the hard world outside, or is it the opening through which you launch each day to face the world? Maybe it’s both. What different thoughts, memories, and actions are connected with the doorways to certain rooms in your house? Does the doorway to your workplace represent challenges or opportunities?

You may have noticed that doors and doorways are featured prominently in the Bible. In the New Testament, the same word is used for door and gate. The emphasis is always on the open or closed passageway and represents some kind of opportunity. So, at the end of the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas came back to the church, and according to Acts 14:27, “upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.” That last little phrase ought to thrill us, since the majority of us are probably Gentiles, because it reminds us that at one point, the “door of faith” seemed shut to us, but God made sure that the gospel was proclaimed to our ancestors, too. Later in this series, we will look at the statement Jesus made about himself when he declared, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep” (John 10:7). And this brings us to another statement Jesus made to the apostle John as a message for the church in Philadelphia that includes the theme of this entire series: Revelation 3:7-13 [read or have someone read].

title: Decisions, Decisionstext: Revelation 3:7-13 theme: Welcome to open-door living!

tranSition Sentence: When we understand the “open door” Jesus puts before us, we have some important decisions to make.

1. The open door reveals God’s guidance. a. Jesus guides us corporately and individually; he supplies and withholds opportunities (verse 7). b. Jesus guides attentively (verse 8); he knows what we are doing. c. Jesus guides proactively (verse 8); he opens the next doors.

2. The open door reveals our willingness to obey. a. Where does Jesus see you obeying (verse 8)? b. What statement most closely describes your attitude: “Lord, I want to obey you; show me where” or “Lord, show me where; then I’ll decide whether or not to obey you”?

3. The open door reveals Jesus’ help as we obey. a. Obedience does not depend on our ability to visualize or accomplish the task (verse 8). b. Obedience acknowledges weakness (verse 8). c. Obedience takes Jesus’ lordship seriously (not denying who he is or his right to direct our living) (verse 8). d. Obedience means Jesus will overcome or use any obstacle or opposition in our way to accomplish his purposes (verse 9 and Romans 8:28). Note: The word synagogue has more to do with a group/system than with a building/Jewish organization, so “Satan’s synagogue” represents those who might even claim to serve God against us, but are really serving the world’s values. e. Obedience means taking a step and relying on Jesus for results.

4. The open door reveals a way of living until we arrive at eternity. a. Open-door living is a renewed daily decision to live in obedience even when we fail (perseverance) (verse 10). b. Open-door living expects God to provide opportunities to practice obedience until he comes (verses 10-11). c. Open-door living anticipates God’s protection from (what would destroy us) and God’s protection in (tests that allow our faith, trust, and obedience to grow— James 1:2-5) (verse 10). d. Open-door living sees eternity beyond every opportunity (verses 10-11).

5. Conclusion/application (verse 13): We have decisions to make. a. Open-door living begins with deciding to trust Christ as Lord. Are you trusting him today? b. Open-door living involves deciding to obey even before you know what opportunities the open door will present. Have you made that decision today, and are you willing to make it each day? [This might be a good place to show the video clip about Linda Wilson Allen from session 1.]

c. Open-door living means deciding to step forward in faith. Every walk begins with a single step—what will be your first step? Will you walk through that open door expecting God to surprise you along the way? Part of the open door before us today is full participation in the study we are about to do together.

Sermon outline 2:

The Real Reason You’re Here

Sermon in a Sentence: Open-door living includes seizing our daily opportunities to love God and our neighbors.

introduction: I’ve been hearing good reports on last week’s small-group discussion on When Compassion Meets Action. I can understand if some of us are already looking at doorways differently. We learned that open doors are opportunities to do good for people and to be used by God. Let’s practice thinking about open-door living during this study.

Before now, you may never have heard of Jimmy Mellado, the CEO of Compassion International. So I’m going to begin with a video clip that gives a glimpse of his life. [Show the session 2 video].

In the weeks to come we will learn much more about Jimmy’s large vision for the needs of 400 million children in the world.

And speaking of “millions,” I’m still thinking about John Ortberg’s comment that we make about 1.8 million significant decisions and that one way to describe life is the sum total of our decisions! After that bit of news, I was glad to hear him encourage us not to become obsessed with choices but to focus on making good ones!

That brings us to this week’s study, today’s passage from God’s Word, and the question we all ask in one way or another: What does God really expect of me? What’s the real reason I’m even here? What is the central purpose, the bottom line of life? Or as one man asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

Let’s hear that question in context. [Read or have someone read Mark 12:28-34.]

title: The Real Reason You’re Heretext: Mark 12:28-34 theme: God’s will for you is written on the doorways of life.

tranSition Sentence: When we wonder why we’re really here, Jesus gives us a straight answer—to love God and our neighbors—and that means we have actions to take.

1. Like us, others wonder about the purpose of living (verse 28). a. This teacher of religious law was curious enough to ask a real rather than contrived question (such as the previous three or four). He really wanted to know from someone who seemed to know. b. With so many decisions to make and limited time, we need to know how to decide on the choices that should get our attention. c. No authority is more qualified than our Creator to answer our purpose question (see Colossians 1:15-20 on Jesus as our Designer).

2. Jesus answered the honest question with an honest answer (verses 29-31). a. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18. God has not hidden from us the ultimate reason for our existence. b. The two parts of the Great Commandment are inseparable (1 John 4:7-21). We can’t hate our neighbor and claim to love God. c. Heart, soul, mind, and strength are all the levels of action that compassion can exercise. Love isn’t just about having warm feelings.

3. The teacher recognized and agreed with the truth of Jesus’ answer (verses 32-33). 4. Just knowing the right answer to life’s purpose isn’t enough (verse 34). a. Being “not far from the Kingdom” is not the same thing as being “in the Kingdom.” b. Citizenship depends on our relationship with the King. c. Citizenship is exercised by carrying out the Great Commandment through open doors God provides.

5. Conclusion/application: Here are the actions to take. a. Evaluate your attitudes and make sure the “not my neighbor” category in your life is empty. b. Pray about specific “neighbors” and their needs and for the 400 million needy children in the world who are also your neighbors. c. Give to individuals (for example, child sponsorships) or ministries who care for the world’s needy children. d. Live like someone who is “in the Kingdom” rather than just “near the Kingdom.”

Sermon outline 3:

The Power of “Your People”

Sermon in a Sentence: Open-door living means living by grace and without regrets.

introduction: Ann Voskamp opened and closed last week’s video session with some challenging thoughts about grace. Thinking about her words, I’ve been struck by the truth that some of us have lived by grace for a long time with little in our lives to show for it. By grace we are not only saved but also given doors through which to walk.

John Ortberg has observed that our earlier regrets are usually about what we did that we shouldn’t have done and our later regrets are about what we didn’t do but should have done. Hearing that made me wonder if fear of regret is keeping me from walking through the open doors God gives me. But authentic compassion flows not from fear, regret, or guilt but from gratitude and from awareness that I’m never alone walking through God’s doors of opportunity. Jesus walks with me, and I can welcome others to walk alongside me. I don’t have to bring a lot to the table. The little boy who offered Jesus five loaves and two fish wasn’t going to provide much of a meal for five thousand people, but Jesus transformed that boy’s gesture into a miraculous meal. I believe that Jesus still loves to multiply what we offer to him. But we can’t discover the miracle until we walk through the door. Every time we make that choice, we’re moving from death toward life. Open-door living is living by grace.

That’s why our Bible passage for today is Ephesians 2:1-10 [read or have someone read].

title: The Power of “Your People”text: Ephesians 2:1-10theme: God’s compassion results in his grace to us (to save us) and through us (to draw others)

tranSition Sentence: We are motivated to put compassion into action when we truly understand God’s grace toward us, and we can take specific steps to do this.

1. We begin to understand grace when we realize our condition without it: dead (verses 1-3). a. Death is a universal condition (verse 2: “You . . . just like the rest of the world”; verse 3: “All of us . . . by our very nature”). b. Death is not a condition we can grow out of—we have to receive life from the outside. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). c. When we refuse to obey God, the devil helps us stay dead (verse 2).

2. We begin to appreciate grace when we discover what God did for us through Christ (verses 4-7). a. Grace began with mercy, withholding the punishment we deserved. b. Grace applied love, giving us worth despite our unworthiness. c. Grace allowed Jesus to take our place under our death sentence.

3. We experience salvation by grace when we believe in Christ (verses 8-9). a. Because faith connects what God supplies, we bring nothing but acceptance of this gracious gift. b. Because faith is a gift we in no way earned, we can’t take credit for salvation. c. Because salvation is not a reward, we can’t boast of it as an achievement.

4. We exercise grace when we engage in the “good things” God planned for his masterpieces to do (verse 10). a. “Good things” doesn’t mean easy things. The open doors will often involve issues that only God will be able to resolve. b. Jimmy will share a brief story with us this week in our small groups, and I want to show you a preview [Play the video clip from session 3]. c. “Good things” planned by God for us to do is another way of saying “open doors that no one can close” (see Revelation 3:8).

5. Conclusion/application: Here are the steps for knowing, believing, and living in God’s grace. a. Start small, even though a small “good thing” may seem impossible for you today. Start there and ask God to show you that small and large issues are equally easy for him. b. Tell someone what God’s grace means to you, and what it moves you to do in gratitude. c. Thank God every day for his amazing grace. Let’s do that now.

Sermon outline 4:

The Church at Its Best

Sermon in a Sentence: In order to walk through any door of discipleship, we will need the help of others.

introduction: Our culture highly values and sometimes even worships individualism: we like to do it our way. One of the odd things about our world, however, is that despite claiming to do things on our own, we are notorious for avoiding responsibility. We insist on our way until things go wrong, and then we immediately blame someone else. The picture of life God presents us in his Word is a combination of personal responsibility and decision making alongside an emphasis on recognizing our need for others. This is particularly significant in the New Testament use of “body of Christ” language to describe the church. All believers are individually connected to Christ as Savior and Lord, but we are also called to relate to one another in unity. Jesus said it best: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).

In this last week’s small-group session, we learned from John and Jimmy that discipleship is a community process. We need the challenge and encouragement of others as we grow in Christ. And we need to reciprocate. [Show the video clip from session 4.]

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul has a crucial three-verse transition that we want to think about today. The first three chapters of Ephesians describe the profile of a follower of Christ (what we have in Christ); the last three chapters describe the practical lifestyle of a follower of Christ (how we live in Christ). Ephesians 4:1-3 serves as the bridge between the weighty instruction of Ephesians 1–3 and the wise application of 4–6. Let’s hear what Paul wrote. [Read or have someone read Ephesians 4:1-3.]

title: The Church at Its Besttext: Ephesians 4:1-3theme: No one can do church or the Christian life alone

tranSition Sentence: The more we accept all that Christ has done for us, the more we will apply his commandment to treat others with his love—this means having Christlike attitudes.

1. The word therefore makes our responsibility unavoidable (verse 1). Paul is saying, “If the amazing message you have been reading in the last three chapters is really true, certain effects must be evident in your lives.” a. In Christ we move from what we know and who we know to the persons we are becoming. Open-door living regularly prays, “Since you have done so much for me, Jesus, how can I live for you today?” b. In Christ, we even make use of limitations to see Jesus glorified (verse 1). Although Paul was imprisoned, he not only used his constraints to encourage others, but he also produced a significant part of the New Testament from jail. All the things we think we can’t do are also places where we can see God, “who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20), actually amaze us!

Note: How is the “therefore” of this series having an effect on your decision-making? Can you identify at least one new choice you have made as a result?

2. Accepting all that Christ has done involves accepting his call to live differently than we otherwise would (verse 1). a. When we read “called” and “calling,” we are hearing Jesus say again, “I have opened a door for you that no one can close” (Revelation 3:8). b. We are also hearing Jesus say, “Follow me.” c. “Worthy” isn’t about the quality of our following but the persistence of our following. Intentional living (or walking) is most of the battle. d. Open-door living is simply living “worthy of your calling.”

3. Accepting all that Christ has done involves applying at least five guidelines in our relationships (verses 2-3). a. Humility. b. Gentleness. c. Patience. d. Persistence. e. Peace (We may experience troubles, but they will not rise because we were trying to create them—see Romans 12:18.)

4. We need these loving attitudes. In obeying Christ, we need to treat others in the following way: a. Humbly: Who can you lift today? b. Gently: How will you lift him or her? c. Patiently: How much time and effort are you willing to take? d. Persistently: How are you expressing persistent love (see 1 Corinthians 16:14)? What do others need that love can provide? e. Peacefully: How can you be a peacemaker?

The church is at its best with each of us believers thinking beyond ourselves. What each of those discipleship traits have in common is that we develop them only in relationship. We can’t become more humble, gentle, patient, persistent, and peaceful without the help of others on whom we practice (and they get to practice with us!).

This week, again ask each day, “Lord, what open doors can I step through that will allow me to participate in your church at its best?”

If he shows you one, are you ready to take the next step?

Sermon outline 5:

Contagious Compassion

Sermon in a Sentence: Jesus saw Zacchaeus’s desperate needs and met them.

introduction: What immediately comes to mind when you hear the name Zacchaeus? I realize that some may ask, “Who?” Today you will learn about one of the most unlikely people to become a follower of Jesus that we find in the New Testament.

Many characteristics of Zacchaeus could cause us to overlook him. First, he was short, which means he was, literally, easy to overlook. As such, he represents many people (particularly children) whom we might not even “see.”

Second, he was rich, which might provoke jealousy on our part or create the assumption that he could buy whatever he needed.

Third, he was a cultural sellout, collecting taxes from his fellow Jews for the Romans, which certainly earned him disdain from others in Jericho. But notice what happened when Jesus came to town. [Read or have someone read Luke 19:1-10.]

title: Contagious Compassiontext: Luke 19:1-10theme: We can learn from how Jesus showed compassion to a secretly needy person

tranSition Sentence: We can bring hope to the marginalized by following Jesus’ example with Zacchaeus—taking the initiative in meeting needs.

1. Zacchaeus, the marginalized, came curious to see Jesus (verses 1-4), perhaps not even realizing what he needed. a. If you are short, don’t show up late to a parade. Zacchaeus’s customers displayed their disdain by closing ranks. b. If you are seriously desperate, your actions will reveal it (picture a middle-aged, out- of-shape man climbing a tree overhanging the road). Remember the story Jimmy told of the little boy peeking over the wall to see the party? c. Some people (like Zacchaeus) hide their real needs; others and their needs are hidden by circumstances or are ignored by those who could help. We can pray for compassion that sees and takes action toward those who have any kind of need.

2. Jesus, the sensitized, noticed Zacchaeus (verse 5). Jesus said he had come “to seek and save those who are lost” (verse 10). a. Jesus called Zacchaeus by name when others thought of him only as a “notorious sinner.” Jimmy pointed out in one of the video sessions the amazing power of using a child’s name, giving that child the dignity of simple recognition. b. Jesus entered Zacchaeus’s home (and world), unlike most who had rejected him. Before someone can hear our message or even receive our compassion, they need to see us in their situation.

3. Zacchaeus, the recognized, jumped at the unexpected opportunity (verse 6). a. Zacchaeus responded quickly, but he expended time and effort to climb down. Some take longer to climb down than others, even when they want to respond. Compassion waits. b. Verses 6-7 indicate a significant time lapse while Zacchaeus entertained Jesus. We don’t know the details of their extended conversation, but we know the results. Jesus accepted hospitality in exchange for a changed life. c. Change in each of our lives is needed but unpredictable. Our specific encounter with Jesus involves recognition of unworthiness and acceptance of grace; yet it is our personal experience. We’re all Zacchaeus but each with a unique story.

4. Jesus, the criticized, ignored the obstacles (verse 7). a. Jesus moves toward those everyone else seems to reject or despise (such as Zacchaeus and, sometimes, us). b. Just when we, like the crowd following Jesus, think we own him, he surprises us by showing compassion to someone we have rejected.

5. Zacchaeus, the changed, put his new priorities into action (verse 8). a. His first action was compassion and generosity—simply giving. b. His second action was restitution—returning with interest what he had taken from others. c. Real change makes our former treasure and security expendable. Having made peace with God, we are anxious to make peace with others.

6. Jesus, the Savior, acknowledged the real change (just as he did with the thief on the cross) (verses 9-10). [Show the video clip from session 5, in which John Ortberg quotes Dallas Willard: “Hope is the joyous anticipation of good.”]

7. Conclusion/application: To bring hope to hurting people, we need to take these Christlike initiatives: a. Jesus noticed Zacchaeus. Ask God to open your eyes to see the real needs of marginalized and hidden people. b. Jesus named Zacchaeus. Work on ways to build relationship, to get personally involved. c. Jesus ignored the obstacles between him and Zacchaeus. Don’t allow excuses, social stigma, and other obstacles to keep you from getting involved.

d. Jesus waited for Zacchaeus. As I mentioned last week, we need patience. Don’t expect instant response, but wait for God’s timing. e. Jesus entered Zacchaeus’s world. Yes, you can help from a distance, but look for ways to understand those in need and to identify with them. f. Jesus gave Zacchaeus what he needed. He wants us to give and keep giving, and lives will be changed. Think of what you need to give to meet the deepest needs of hurting people.

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