Category: 2015 Sermons

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Sermon Audio: Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 12:1-3
Duration: 18:33
Size: 8.49 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
Luke 12:1-3

The question is what we will do when we come across signs of them in our lives, sticking up out of the sand?

I. The Example of Hypocrisy

It describes something small that spreads silently, almost secretly, but ultimately pervasively.

We may give people the impression that we are really rather righteous when in fact our hearts are far from God.

Are you doing anything or saying anything or thinking anything or watching anything with which you would rather not have your name associated?

II. The Exposure of Hypocrisy

But the more we do it, the greater our hypocrisy becomes as we try to hide it.

If you do not confess your sins, including the ones you think that no-one else knows about, then you will live your life in fear of being discovered.

There is no sin that is beyond the forgiveness of God.

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Sermon Audio: The Marks of a Hypocrite
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:37-54
Duration: 23:03
Size: 10.5 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
The Marks of a Hypocrite
Luke 11:37-54

Jesus reserved his harshest words, not for thieves, or prostitutes but to a segment among the religious folks who he identified as hypocrites.

In pursuit of the Truth and the attempt to carry out the will of God, we can get caught up in a spirit of self-righteousness which causes us to watch others to see that every i is dotted and every t crossed as we believe it should be.

The Pharisees were concerned only with what a man did; Jesus was concerned with what a man was.

The first mark of a hypocrite is that they major on the minors.

Whatever the issues are, if we use them to define whether person is spiritual or not, we are guilty. We are guilty of majoring on the minors.

The second mark of a hypocrite is that they are preoccupied with being noticed.

Are your acts of service to Christ done to be seen by men? Are you satisfied to serve unnoticed?

The third mark of a hypocrite is that they make men worse rather than better.

The Pharisees were like unmarked graves that did not look like graves at all.

The fourth mark of a hypocrite is that their teaching produces a burden not a blessing.

Jesus accuses them of taking all the joy out of living for God and made serving God a burden.

The fifth mark of a hypocrite is their works are a monument to their guilt.

Do you ever wonder if in some cases this showy tomb is evidence of guilt, more than of love?

The sixth mark of a hypocrite is that they make the truth harder to find.

It is easy to see the marks of being a hypocrite in the lives of others, but not near as easy to see them in our own lives.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do you major on the minors?
• Are you preoccupied with being noticed?
• Does your influence make men worse not better?
• Do you make peoples burdens heavier?
• Are your works monuments to your guilt rather than your love?
• Because of your life, do others find the truth harder to find?

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Sermon Audio: Essentials of Discipleship
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:27-36
Duration: 21:23
Size: 9.79 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Essentials of Discipleship
Luke 11:27-36

Wholehearted commitment is essential to true, vital Christianity.

I. Disciples Obey the Word of God

Jesus agreed that Mary was blessed. However, Mary was blessed because of her obedience to Jesus and not because of her relationship to Jesus.

Imagine what would happen if Jesus’ disciples listened to and obeyed the word of God with the same earnestness.

II. Disciples Believe the Resurrection of Jesus

Jesus was referring to his own death, burial, and resurrection from the dead.

They will say that we had so much more evidence than they ever did, and we have no excuse whatsoever for not believing and not obeying.

We will have no excuse for not believing the resurrection of Jesus.

III. Disciples Reflect the Light of Jesus

A failure to understand the person and work of Jesus is not because Jesus did not give enough evidence about his person and work.

Those who do believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of sinners reflect the light of Jesus to the world.

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Sermon Audio: Who Then Is This Jesus?
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:14-26
Duration: 19:44
Size: 9.03 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Who Then Is This Jesus?
Luke 11:14-26

We have just that sort of case before us this morning, the incident relayed to us in Luke 11:14-26 presses three relevant questions upon us.

1. Is Jesus the Son of God As He Claims?
Since they could not deny the power that Jesus possessed, the man had indeed been delivered; they question the source of his power.

Perhaps like some today they thought of themselves as being open minded, willing to be convinced if enough evidence is presented.

2. How Do I Know He is Who He Says He Is?
If Satan’s goal is to destroy and Jesus is reversing that destruction by healing, then how can he be in the service of Satan.

Logic would demand that the religious leaders acknowledge that Jesus was God or that His power was God’s power and yet in the face of all the evidence they refused.

3. What Must I Do In The Face Of This Evidence?
There are only two sides, God’s side and Satan’s side. There is no other side.

If a man or woman is empty and without God, then a vacuum exist in their soul and that vacuum will be filled by something.

The entire Christian faith all of its claims and all of its promises hangs on the witnessed, historical verifiable event, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There is no middle ground; you cannot be neutral about Jesus, Who do you say that he is?