Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

MY GOD IS ABLE

1. The words of our text are both inspiring and reassuring to God's people:
   1. They express complete confidence in the great cause in which the apostle was engaged.
   2. Such implicit faith in the ultimate triumph of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of Christian witnessing.
2. That is why Peter writes, "we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." 2 Pet. 1:16
3. John adds his testimony in these words, "we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life." 1 John 1:1

1. This testimony, by Paul, about God being able, is based upon his threefold knowledge about God:
   1. By what the Bible teaches about God - Deut. 33:27; That the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength - Isa. 40:28-30
   2. By what God did for him.
   3. And by what God did for His people - Eph. 3:20, 21; Phil. 2:12; 4:13; Gal. 2:20; 1 Tim. 1:15
2. The untold numbers of transformed lives of God's people confirm the testimony of the apostle in a glorious way:
   1. How he cared for ancient Israel - Deut. 5:15; 7:19; 26:8
   2. How he cared for his persecuted church in its infancy and throughout its history - Rev. 12
3. That God is able is demonstrated over and over:
   1. In the uniformity of His laws that govern the universe - Ps. 19:1-6; Heb. 1:1-3
   2. He, at whose word the universe keeps in motion, is able to make good His word to His people - Heb. 6:17-20

1. To save sinners to the uttermost: Heb. 7:25
   1. By recreating them into the likeness of the image of His dear Son - Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 5:14-17
   2. By preserving those who come to Him through Jesus Christ our Lord - John 17:1-26; 2 Tim. 1:12
   3. By presenting the saints unto Himself without spot and without wrinkles - Eph. 5:27; 1 John 3:1-3; Rev. 19:7
2. To translate them into His glorious kingdom:
   1. He promised this to the penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42, 43
   2. Our Lord assured the sorrowing disciples that He would prepare mansions for them - John 14:1-3
   3. He promised to raise the dead and give them immortality - John 5:28, 29; Luke 14:14
3. Let us take a brief look at God's agents used in fulfilling His promises to His people:
   1. His Holy Spirit - Zech 4:6; Isa. 59:19
   2. His word of promise - Heb. 1:3; 4:12; 2 Cor. 1:20
   3. The power of faith in His wonderful name - 1 John 5:4, 5; John 17:11. Think of what living faith in the name of the Lord Jesus did for all who exercised it -
      1. The lame man at the gate of the temple - Acts 3:16
      2. The woman with the issue of blood - Matt. 9:20-22
      3. The centurion and his servant - Matt. 8:8
4. The blood of the Lord Jesus takes care of all our sins: 1 John 1:7-9; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
5. What more need we to know that MY GOD IS ABLE!