Sermon Outline Title: Writing the Book of Your Life With Christ Like Actions
Bible Text: 1 Peter 2:21-25, Matthew 12:36
Theme: Following Jesus’ example in character, conduct, conviction, compassion, and consistency
Big Idea: Jesus set the perfect example for believers to follow in five key areas of life, and though we cannot live perfectly, we should strive daily to follow His example knowing that our lives are being recorded in heaven.
1. Follow His Example in Character (1 Peter 2:21-25)
a. Jesus lived by the highest moral standards of anyone who ever walked the earth
b. True character is revealed in what you do when no one is watching
c. Jesus is always watching and taking notes for the judgment seat of Christ
2. Follow His Example in Christian Conduct (Heavenly Citizenship)
a. Jesus was always about the Father’s business with heaven on His mind
b. He conducted Himself as a citizen of heaven, not this world
c. Believers should dress, speak, and carry themselves differently than the world
3. Follow His Example in Conviction (Standing for What’s Right)
a. Jesus stood for what is good and right even though it cost Him everything
b. The cross was waiting for Him, yet He stood firm on His convictions
c. Christ asks us to stand on our convictions—not an unreasonable request from One who died for us
4. Follow His Example in Compassion (Action, Not Just Words)
a. Jesus showed compassion by loving the world and giving us a Savior
b. True compassion is acting on what you care about, not just talking about it
c. Followers of Christ demonstrate compassion through service and sacrifice
5. Follow His Example in Consistency (Trustworthy and Dependable)
a. Jesus was the same on Monday morning as He was on Saturday night
b. He didn’t change based on circumstances or how people treated Him
c. Being a follower of Christ means being consistent every day—there is no off switch
Illustration
Imagine someone writing a book about your life. What would it say? Would it tell of a good spouse and parent, a person with a good heart who treated everyone well? Or would it reveal someone who lived selfishly, using others to get what they wanted? The greatest book ever written about a life is the Bible—the story of Jesus Christ. He set the standard of goodness, righteousness, holiness, and love that can make any person a saint if they follow His example, whether they come from the jailhouse or the White House. His life is the example that gets your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Alliterated Main Points
• Character (What you do when no one is watching)
• Conduct (Living as a citizen of heaven)
• Conviction (Standing firm no matter the cost)
• Compassion (Acting on what you care about)
• Consistency (Trustworthy every day)
Conclusion / Invitation
If someone wanted to write a book on your life, what would be the theme of that book? Good, righteous, loving, faithful, or totally sold out to God? You may not know it, but there is someone writing a book on you—it is the Lord Jesus Christ, and one day we will be judged from that book. The Bible says in Matthew 12:36 that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account for in the day of judgment. If every idle word is kept in a book, don’t you think every idle action is as well? Your example that the world sees is what’s being written down in that most important book in heaven. So you can help yourself today by being a good example of Christ-likeness to everyone you come across, and one day when it’s all said and done, you will hear those words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”