2020-06-14: Acts: Life In The Spirit — Marks of an Effective Christ-Follower

Sermon Audio: Marks of an Effective Christ-Follower
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 16:1-12
Duration: 24:19
Size: 16.7 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Marks of an Effective Christ-Follower
Acts 16:1-12

That is what a Christian is supposed to be, and many are. However, those who say they are but act differently are clearly not following Christ.

I. Effective Christ-Followers Keep Paying it Forward (Acts 16:1-3)
After all, the very letter they were carrying to the various churches from the elders and apostles in Jerusalem essentially said that circumcision was not necessary for Gentiles.

Effective Christ-followers keep paying it forward, investing in others, and training them to share the good news about Jesus.
Secondly…

II. Effective Christ-Followers Work as a Team (Acts 16:4-5)
As we are on this journey together, it takes more than just me to know where God is leading us.

III. Effective Christ-Followers Listen to the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6-8)
The dark night of the soul is one way God brings us into a hush, a stillness so He can do an inner work on our soul, taking us to newer and higher levels of intimacy with Him.

IV. Effective Christ-Followers Act on the Revelation They Receive (Acts 16:9-12)
God reveals His nature, His plan, and many other things to us through the Bible. God may also speak to us through impressions in our hearts or spirits.

We’ve covered a few different areas, but take just a moment of silence and ask God this one question: “Lord, what one thing do You want me to do in obedience to You?”

2020-06-07: Acts: Life In The Spirit — Handling Conflict Within God’s Family

Sermon Audio: Handling Conflict Within God’s Family
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 15:36-41
Duration: 22:35
Size: 14.0 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Handling Conflict Within God’s Family
Acts 15:36-41

Those who follow Christ can hold strong convictions without sacrificing good relationships.

I. Christ-Followers Need to Foster an Encouraging Environment (Acts 15:36)
It may be safe to say that we should always be on one end or the other of encouragement.

II. Christ-Followers Will Sometimes Disagree Strongly (Acts 15:37-40a)
God had called Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and if Mark didn’t really think Gentiles should get into God’s family without being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses, then he would cause more harm than good as they revisited the Gentiles they had led to Christ.

III. Christ-Followers Should Relate to One Another in Loving Humility (Acts 15:40)
Now, as we look at the dispute between Paul and Barnabas, it appears that neither one of them was guilty of an offense or a sin against each other, so in a sense, there was no reconciliation or forgiveness needed between them.

The important thing to remember is that even if we cannot agree with another believer, we can and must love them and be humble in our relationship with them.

IV. Christ-Followers Must Never Allow Conflict to Stop the Flow of God’s Grace (Acts 15:41)
This life will be filled with disagreements, arguments, problems, fights, embarrassment, stupidity, and other unpleasant things, but we must never let any of those negative things derail God’s plan for our lives.

Forgiveness and grace will preserve our relationships with one another–even when we disagree strongly.

2020-05-31: Acts: Life In The Spirit — A Model of Love

Sermon Audio: A Model of Love
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 15:22-35
Duration: 21:29
Size: 9.83 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
A Model of Love
Acts 15:22-35

Point #1 is that there was the attitude that brought about this decree of salvation and that attitude was humility. Acts 15:22-23.

The leaders, the apostles and elders, placed themselves on an equal level with the brothers of the church.

Point #2. There was the declaration of the decree. Ritual and law are not necessary to salvation and the disputers of that were rebuked. Acts 15:24.

Salvation is by grace alone and nothing is to be added to it. God and God alone saves.

Point #3. There were men chosen to proclaim the truth. Acts 15:25-27.

This message was so important that it needed to be proclaimed also by word of mouth.

Point #4. There were a few rules that were necessary. Acts 15:28-29.

Point #5. There were glorious results. Acts 15:30-35.

Note how God took the dissension and its subsequent events and worked it all out for the good of the Antioch church and for the cause of Christ.

Personal involvement communicates a strong message of love.

But love finds what is praiseworthy, the evidence of God’s work, and encourages.

2020-05-24: Acts: Life In The Spirit — The Simplicity of God’s Grace

Sermon Audio: The Simplicity of God’s Grace
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 15:1-21
Duration: 16:47
Size: 7.68 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
The Simplicity of God’s Grace
Acts 15:1-21

God’s amazing grace is amazingly simple.

I. God’s Grace Travels Light (Acts 15:1-2)
We cannot qualify God’s grace by saying, “It only works, if…”. The only conditions for receiving God’s grace are faith and sincerity.

II. God’s Grace Is a Cause for Celebration (Acts 15:3-4)
God’s grace is a cause for celebration, and we should never stop celebrating.

III. God’s Grace Alone Is the Basis of our Forgiveness (Acts 15:5-11)
Again, when we try to add anything to God’s grace, it dilutes it, or taints it–however you want to look at it.

IV. God’s Grace Produces Freedom, not Bondage (Acts 15:12-21)
This was the same kind of mission Jesus had sent His apostles on. They were to minister light and freedom to those who were in darkness and bondage.

2020-05-17: Acts: Life In The Spirit — The Making of a Disciple

Sermon Audio: The Making of a Disciple
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 14:19-28
Duration: 22:12
Size: 10.1 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
The Making of a Disciple
Acts 14:19-28

God uses transformed people to transform people. Restated, it takes a disciple to make a disciple.

I. The Price of Making Disciples (Acts 14:19)
Jesus said to count the cost before committing to follow Him.

II. The Priority of Making Disciples (Acts 14:20-21b)
A true disciple of Jesus will keep following Him and doing what He has commanded until it there is no breath left to do it with.

III. The Pattern for Making Disciples (Acts 14:21c-23)
“The local church is the hope of the world.”
It is through the local church that disciples are made.

The pattern for disciple-making will include strengthening others, and encouraging them to remain true to their faith in Jesus.

IV. The Pause in Making Disciples (Acts 14:24-28)
If we fail to recognize the value of pausing and resting from our labors, it will begin to take a toll on our physical and mental health.

Some of the church fathers write that the Christian day for worship became Sunday in honor of day that the Lord rose from the grave.

God wants us to become disciples who love and obey Jesus, and then make disciples who love and obey Jesus.