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2014-01-05: Luke-The Investigative Gospel – Can We Trust The Map?

Sermon Audio: Can We Trust The Map?
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 1:1-4
Duration: 23:18
Size: 10.6 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Can We Trust The Map?
Luke 1:1-4

Today, I want us to begin on a journey which will lead us to a treasure.

This passage, right at the beginning of this gospel account tries to define for us the credentials of this treasure Map.

Is the Author Credible?

This letter doesn’t have any identifying statement. But we do have some clues.

What we have here is a 2 volume set, written as a history of the Christian church, to some important official.

Really there is no other credible option and there is almost unanimous agreement between scholars today that Luke was the author.

To him, this was no mere game – his whole purpose of life, everything he held dear depended on getting the facts straight.

Are the sources of information credible?

The information that was gleaned however, in this and other accounts was directly obtained from eyewitnesses to the events.

Like he himself, their lives had been changed and so their testimonies were not distant memories, but dynamic and trustworthy accounts of what had happened to change their lives.

Is the method used to make the Map credible?

Luke declares to us that he himself investigated the information.

For Luke, this was achieved by publishing his work while many of his sources were still living.

Is the purpose for writing credible?

Luke’s reason for writing this account was so that Theophilus could know for sure what he had been taught.

As we look into Luke’s Map of Jesus’ life over the coming months, I pray that our eyes would be opened to see Jesus afresh.

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2013-12-29: What Do You See?

Sermon: What Do You See?
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Hebrews 11:6-10
Duration: 47:27
Size: 21.7 MB

What Do You See?
Hebrews 11:6-10

We move forward through life unsure of how to respond to the changing situations in world around us.

As you think back over the past year and look at your own life and the direction of this church what do you see?

1. The Under-taking Church – looking back

Decisions in this kind of church are based on what has worked in the past – if it was good enough for them it is good enough for us.

While you can learn from the past, you can’t live there. You have to live and adapt to where you are or you will perish.

It is impossible to serve God yesterday.

2. The Care-taking Church – looking present

Decisions in this kind of church are based on immediate assets.

As long as the services are good and the needs are met and the people are happy then all is well.

3. The Risk-taking church – looking future

They invest all they have today so that they can be all that God wants them to be tomorrow.

Though he could not see or understand it, he based his life on God’s word and was willing to wait 120 years for the promise to be fulfilled.

God is shaking the kingdoms of the earth and the Kingdom of Heaven is forcefully advancing. Don’t miss what God is doing – join Him.

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2013-12-15: Christmas At The Movies – It’s A Wonderful Life

Sermon: It’s A Wonderful Life
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:1-20
Duration: 32:56
Size: 15.0 MB

Christmas at the Movies

“Christmas at the Movies”
It’s A Wonderful Life
Ephesians 2:1-20

In the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” George Bailey had a gift that he wasn’t sure he wanted. His gift was the gift of life.

George Bailey finally understood how wonderful his life had been because he was allowed to see how much would have been lost if he had never been born.

I. Here in Ephesians 2, Paul is writing to Christians who had been tempted to throw away their gift as well.

False Teachers had come to town telling the Ephesians that what God had done through Jesus Christ wasn’t enough.

His objective was to teach them what would have happened if Jesus had not been born.

II. What would it have been like if Jesus had never been born?

What if by faith they lived as best they could, according to the Law of Moses?

These were great and admirable people that we can look up to; and we wonder if we could ever be like them.

III. Now, that might have seemed practical for individuals who aren’t “bad” people.

The whole purpose of the Law was to drive home that even “nice” people sinned and needed a sacrifice to atone for their bad thoughts their bad words and their bad actions.

Paul was the worst of all sinners? Yes. And he knew it! And being a “nice guy” wasn’t going to change that.

IV. And so Paul pleads with these Ephesian Christians to remember what their lives were like before Jesus was “born” into their lives.

Christmas time is supposed to be a season of peace and goodwill. And with Jesus it can be.

But what happens is that (without Jesus) all some people see is tinsel and lights on a dead tree.

But the beauty of God’s gift of Jesus is that even into an empty life, God can give forgiveness and hope.