Richmond Community Church

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Sermon Audio: Becoming An Effective Witness For Christ
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 23:1-11
Duration: 20:00
Size: 13.7 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Becoming An Effective Witness For Christ
Acts 23:1-11

Jesus wants us to be witnesses for Him, who effectively share the good news of His grace with others.

I. Effective Witnesses Show Respect to Others (Acts 23:1-5)
He really did want to show respect to those in authority, even if they were in the wrong, because he knew it pleased God.

If we want to be effective witnesses for the Lord to other people, we will need to earn the right to be heard.

II. Effective Witnesses Are Innocent, Yet Wise (Acts 23:6-10)
Paul surely knew that it wouldn’t take a whole lot to ignite the hostility that existed between these two groups.

So, in one sense Paul was boiling down all the issues of Christianity to the one central issue–the resurrection.

So, it’s okay to be wise and shrewd in our approach, as long as we are being led by the Lord and not sacrificing our integrity or testimony.

III. Effective Witnesses Need the Encouragement of Christ’s Presence (Acts 23:11)
The more we connect with God, the more we will begin to hear Him speak to our hearts and minds, giving us the courage and reassurance, we need.

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Sermon Audio: The Power of Humble Surrender
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 22:1-30
Duration: 25:04
Size: 17.2 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
The Power of Humble Surrender
Acts 22:1-30

One of the greatest lessons we can ever learn is how to humbly surrender ourselves to the One who created us.

I. Sincerity Does not Produce Truth (Acts 22:1-5)
Many people are sincerely wrong in what they believe about God and in how they live their lives before Him.

II. Christ Takes the Treatment of His Church Personally (Acts 22:6-8)
Are you committed to helping the church become the kind of bride Jesus wants to come back for?

III. Submission Is the Proper Attitude towards Jesus (Acts 22:9-11)
Paul may not have fully comprehended that he was dealing with the Lord of the universe, but he did know that Jesus commanded his respect.

The power of humble obedience is great because it allows us to get in step with God.

IV. Repentance Is the Proper Action towards Jesus (Acts 22:12-16)
When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, no decision can become your decision if you never act on what you know.

V. God’s Plan Is of Greater Importance than our Plans (Acts 22:17-21)
As Paul is addressing this Jewish crowd, part of his defense here is that it was not his idea to leave Jerusalem and go to the Gentiles.

VI. A Religious Spirit Cannot See beyond its own Agenda (Acts 22:22-24)
First and foremost, God told them that He loved them and wanted to be close to them.

Their agenda was to protect their own religious system at all costs, not to love the Lord and to honor Him.

VII. Our Rights Must Come under the Leadership of Jesus (Acts 22:25-30)
We must always surrender our rights to the One who has every right to every area of our lives.

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Sermon Audio: Doing It God’s Way
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 21:27-40
Duration: 21:05
Size: 14.4 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Doing It God’s Way
Acts 21:27-40

If we want to see God’s will done in our lives, then we must commit ourselves to doing things His way.

I. Our Enemy Will Use False Accusations against Us (Acts 21:27-29)
Jesus told His followers that they were blessed when people falsely accused them.

Yes, people will oppose us, but our real enemy is the devil and the dark forces who do his bidding.

II. Our Enemy’s Goal Is to Destroy Us (Acts 21:30-31)
When the devil sees us, it reminds him of our Creator. He hates us and harbors no kind thoughts for any of us.

III. God Will Come to our Rescue (Acts 21:32-34)
While physical safety is not the #1 concern in God’s plan for us, He often does come to our rescue and save us from trouble or even from death.

As His children, it is okay for us to ask for His protection over ourselves and our loved ones.

IV. God Will Accomplish His Purposes through our Lives (Acts 21:35-40)
God was carrying out His plan for Paul and using him to tell others the good news about Jesus.

However, there is a two-fold purpose that we all have in common: to know God and to make Him known.

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Sermon Audio: Keeping the Peace
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 21:16-26
Duration: 23:18
Size: 15.9 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Keeping the Peace
Acts 21:16-26

Our words and actions have a direct impact on the unity of the church.

I. We Keep the Peace by Praising God for His Work among Us (Acts 21:16-20a)
If we have a heart full of praise, then the things that are inconsistent with praise should never come out of our mouths.

So, let’s keep praising the Lord together for His work among us. Not just to keep the peace, but because praise is the right and natural thing for a believer to do.

II. We Keep the Peace by Listening to other Believers (Acts 21:20b-23a)
Basically, they tell Paul that the believing Jews have been misinformed about him, and that the peace and unity of the church is at stake.

III. We Keep the Peace by Making Personal Sacrifices for the Good of All (Acts 21:23b-26)
Well, Paul did care about the Law of Moses. He says that the Law is good, not evil.

Paul was more than willing to make this personal sacrifice and more for the sake of peace and unity among the followers of Jesus.

Lord make me an instrument of Your peace.

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Sermon Audio: Preparing For Your Future
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 21:1-15
Duration: 26:52
Size: 18.4 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Preparing For Your Future
Acts 21:1-15

Our preparation for the future must be based on God’s loving presence and the good plan He has for our lives.

I. God Often Uses Fellow Believers to Prepare Us for the Future (Acts 21:1-4)
Well, the first wave probably came after the Day of Pentecost in the year of Christ’s death and resurrection.

What I want to point out from these verses is that any of us can hear from God–if we are willing to listen.

II. God Invented Prayer to Help Prepare Us for the Future (Acts 21:5)
Prayer is a gift that was God’s idea. We can call on Him from our hearts, and somehow, He hears us and responds to our cry.

III. God Raises Up Prophetic Voices to Prepare Us for the Future (Acts 21:6-12)
In spite of many wanna-be prophets and those wanting to draw attention to themselves, there are many prophets today who really do hear from the Lord.

God will sometimes speak to us about the future. He may speak to us through Scripture or during times of prayer, or he may even speak through someone else, as they use the gift of prophecy that He gives.

IV. God Wants His Will to Guide Us Toward our Future (Acts 21:13-15)
But if we live each day in the center of God’s will, then we will find ourselves in the center of His bigger plan for our lives.