Category: 2015 Sermons

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:18 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: Persistent Prayer
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:5-13
Duration: 20:18
Size: 9.29 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Persistent Prayer
Luke 11:5-13

Now having given the disciples a pattern for prayer, Jesus continues his instruction by telling a story.

1. We Are To Pray Boldly

Jesus is asking each of his listeners, “which of you has the nerve to wake up his friend (and possible his family as well) in the middle of the night to ask for bread?”

Jesus is not comparing God to a sleepy, selfish and angry neighbor. He is contrasting the two.

But what gives us the right to come boldly or shamelessly to God with our needs.

2. We Are To Pray Passionately

There is a progression in this persistence, asking, seeking and knocking.

By a continued practice of asking, seeking and knocking we break the habit where prayer is just an option, or is for emergency use only.

As we keep on asking we are to keep on seeking and a part of this seeking is seeking to discover what the will of God is in this matter.

3. We Are To Pray Expectantly

He can be expected not only to answer our prayers, but in answering them in such a way that it is for our highest good.

God is eager to respond to his children who unashamedly ask, persistently seek and expectantly knock at His door with their needs and requests.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:09 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: Lord Teach Us To Pray (Part 2)
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:1-4
Duration: 19:09
Size: 8.77 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Lord Teach Us To Pray
Part 2
Luke 11:1-4

In the last half of the prayer we turn from praying for God’s glory to praying for our needs.

1. Praying On The Basis of a New Dependence – “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

God never gives us a reservoir of grace in our lives, but expects us to turn to Him everyday for the grace sufficient to meet the challenges of that day.

The only bread that will satisfy completely and forever is the provision of the Lord Jesus Himself.

2. Praying On the Basis of God’s Pardon – “Forgive us our sins”

Christian’s can and do still sin and Therefore stand in need of daily confession and forgiveness.

Some say but I can’t forgive, is it really I can’t or is it I won’t?

3. Praying On the Basis of God’s Protection – “And do not lead us into temptation”

Rather it accepts the danger of temptation, acknowledges our deficiency in dealing with it, and asks for deliverance from it.

Because we do not know what dangers we will face each new day, we need God’s protection to cover us.

“Our father in heaven, Hallowed be your name,” focus on the God of the Universe as Father.

priorities – “Your kingdom come”

purposes – “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

provision – “give day by day our daily bread”

pardon – “forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who is indebted to us”

protection – “and do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.1MB)

Sermon Audio: Lord Teach Us To Pray (Part 1)
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 11:1-4
Duration: 17:47
Size: 8.14 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Lord Teach Us To Pray
Part 1
Luke 11:1-4

Jesus gave the Lord’s Prayer in response to the disciple’s request in verse 1, “Lord, teach us to pray”.

It is actually given to us as the Lord’s blueprint for prayer that is acceptable to God.

1. Praying On the Basis of A New Relationship

Jesus is stating the importance of starting our prayers with the awareness that God is our Father.

Perhaps your father was angry and unapproachable or abusive or just not around.

God is not an angry judge looking for an opportunity to condemn us, nor is aloof and distant, too busy to hear you.

2. Praying On the Basis of a New Respect – “Hallowed be Your Name”

We hallow his name with our lips, both privately and publicly, and by our actions.

3. Praying On the Basis of a New Priority – “Your Kingdom Come”

When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are acknowledging God’s right to rule all people, including us.

4. Praying On the Basis of a New Submission – “Your Will be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven.”

Notice you are not asking God to change His will or to bless your will, you are asking Him to help you find and do His will in your life.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:13 — 10.6MB)

Sermon Audio: Duty vs. Devotion
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 10:28-32
Duration: 23:13
Size: 10.6 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Duty vs. Devotion
Luke 10:28-32

I believe that we many times have wrongly contrasted Martha and Mary, as though each Christian should make a choice to either be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary.

1. Loss Of Focus Caused Martha To Resort To Self-Pity.

Martha’s problem was one of balance, between the going and doing and the sitting and listening.

2. Loss Of Focus Causes Martha To Become Angry At Others.

And the more the pressure, the most tempting it is to focus on the urgent rather than the essential.

It is even worse when we can think of someone who we do not feel is pulling their weight and who has let us down.

3. Loss Of Focus Causes Martha To Find Fault With Others.

We all have ways that we use to get a message across.

4. Loss Of Focus Causes Martha To Question God’s Care.

Martha was angry at Mary for being so selfish and she is angry at Jesus for allowing this to go on.

Whenever our service causes us to criticize others and pity ourselves because we feel overworked, we had better take time to examine our lives!

It all boiled down to the fact that Martha wanted to force Mary to serve Christ her way.

5. Loss of Focus Can Be Eliminated by Remembering Why We Are Doing What We Are Doing?

It was Martha’s attitude that needed correction, but Martha’s work was both good and necessary.

The Christian life is learning to balance duty and devotion.
Sitting without serving is powerless.
Serving without sitting is directionless.
Serving after sitting produces power and balance.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:29 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: The Story of the Good Samaritan
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 10:25-37
Duration: 25:29
Size: 11.6 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
The Story of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37

The question asked of Jesus by this lawyer is: “What do I have to do to have eternal life?”

Jesus wants the lawyer to see that law cannot save anyone because no one can keep the law perfectly.

Jesus defines neighbor with a story but notice that Jesus did not call this story a parable, so it could be the report of an actual occurrence not unlike a first century “Kitty Genovese Story.”

1. Compassion Is Based On Need Not Worth.

The priest has been excused by some down through the years, by saying that he didn’t want to touch the man because he might have been dead, and this would have made the priest ceremonially unclean and he would have been unable to carry out his duties.

Both of these men, saw the man but ignored the need.

2. Compassion Feels Something.

The Samaritan saw the same pitiful man lying in agony beside the road and his heart churned within him so that he could not pass by without helping.

3. Compassion Does Something.

You must move toward people to express compassion, in order to build relationships.

In every one of his acts he demonstrated compassion as he responded in a practical, timely and unselfish way.

4. Compassion Cost Something.

There is nothing more the Samaritan could have done to show his compassion for this man.

5. Compassion Demonstrates Our Relationship to God.

The second question that the lawyer had asked was, “Who is my neighbor?” the question had been turned on him and is now, “What kind of neighbor am I?”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:32 — 1.0MB)

Sermon Audio: Bringing Joy To The Lord’s Heart
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 10:1-24
Duration: 22:32
Size: 10.3 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Bringing Joy To The Lord’s Heart
Luke 10:1-24

1. There Is A Call That Needs Answering

But we do know that when Jesus called they were ready to go.

It is the notion that there is just too much work to do in God’s mission field, and I am only one person what difference can I make.

It is impossible to earnestly pray for the Lord to send laborers into the harvest and not make ourselves available to be a part of the answer.

2. There Is A Consequence That Needs to Be Considered

What is at stake is the eternal destiny of every person who hears the gospel.

People sometimes reject Jesus because of Christians, may that never be true of us.

3. There Is A Joy That Needs To Be Tempered

There is a joy that needs to be tempered by remembering that spiritual highs and emotional victories will come and go but…

4. There Is A Grace That Needs To Be Remembered

The disciples need to remember that while it is true that they’ll be with the Lord forever, it is not because of anything they have contributed but because of His grace.

5. There Is A Privilege that Needs to be Contemplated

He rejoiced because the understanding of that truth did not depend on natural abilities or education.

What is God like? Exactly as Jesus has revealed him.

• The world is perishing with Christ.
• Jesus is coming soon.
• There is a great territory to be covered, a great harvest to reap.
• The need for reaching many as quickly as possible with the gospel is urgent.
• Jesus is Still Sending Are You Going?