Richmond Community Church

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:17 — 12.5MB)

Lordship Living — God Provides

Sermon: Lasting Returns — Faithfulness
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Duration: 27:17
Size: 12.4 MB

What Good Is a Coat of Many Colors
If It Has a Stain on It?

The Book of Genesis closes with the remarkable story of the Old Testament character Joseph and his family. The life of Joseph has some strong parallels to the life of Jesus Christ. Both were gifted, both lived holy lives, both suffered, and both were responsible for the salvation of lives (although in Joseph’s case, it was physical salvation, rather than spiritual).

Among the many attributes Joseph possessed was that of longevity—endurance. He was true to his God, whether things were going well or not so well.

Endurance is a characteristic God wants to cultivate in each one of us. Today, let’s examine the life of Joseph and see if we can’t learn some of his secrets for Lordship Living.

Today’s Focus: God rewards those who are faithful to Him.

Food for Thought: I will put my time, talent, treasure, and touch to work for the Kingdom.

Lasting Returns

1. When we model unfaithfulness, others are affected by our actions.
2. When we model faithfulness, we influence others to be faithful!

Faithfulness Is a Choice

1. It’s not always easy to follow through on our choices.
2. Faithfulness is a choice, and it’s one we have to stick with if we are to please God.

Through Our Faithfulness, We Gain Lasting Returns

1. The natural inclination of every one of us is to cling to the things we have.
2. God wants us to be generous—with Him and with others.

Waldo Weaning’s Three Levels of Giving

1. You have to (Law)
2. You ought to (Obligation)
3. You want to (Grace)

God Gives Us Gifts and Talents for a Reason

1. God has given you gifts for a reason, and that reason is to bless others.
2. In God’s eyes, all gifts are equal because they equally serve the Body—His Church.

How much do you own in that direction?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:36 — 13.1MB)

Lordship Living — God Provides

Sermon: How Am I Doing? — Trust
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Genesis 22:1-18
Duration: 28:36
Size: 13.0 MB

“What Would You Sacrifice?”

Have you ever sacrificed anything to help someone else? What did you give up? Did you miss it? Has anyone ever sacrificed anything to help you?

The Old Testament story of God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac may cause us to wonder, “What was God thinking?” But the real issue wasn’t the survival of the boy, but rather the trust of Abraham—and whether he loved the Lord enough to obey Him—even when it involved the life of his precious child.

Today, let’s look at this amazing story and mine it for nuggets of truth to help us better understand how God works in this journey of Lordship Living.

How Am I Doing?

1. If the story of Abraham and Isaac models any expectation God has for us, surely it is total reliance on God.

The God and Abraham Story

1. Abraham passed God’s strange test of faith by living through the trial with a completely surrendered heart.
2. Abraham’s total compliance to God proved his total reliance on God.

Clue Number One

1. A surrendered heart is always ready to sacrifice regardless of the confusion.
2. God was not after Isaac’s death; God was after Abraham’s life!

Clue Number Two

1. A surrendered heart is always willing to worship regardless of the cost.
2. Abraham was obliged both in duty and devotion, even with gratitude, to part with Isaac, because he was offering his beloved son to a trusted friend.

Clue Number Three

1. A surrendered heart is always open to obedience regardless of the countermand.
2. Abraham and his son traded their undeniable devastation for indescribable celebration.

Trust

1. Partial obedience is perfect disobedience!
2. Total reliance on God is total obedience to God!

God doesn’t want dead martyrs as much
as He desires living sacrifices.

Next week: Lasting Returns

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:07 — 14.2MB)

Lordship Living — God Provides

Sermon: The Blessings We Don’t Deserve — Relationship
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Duration: 31:07
Size: 14.2 MB

“Go Ahead—You Deserve It!”
(Don’t You?)

Have you ever noticed some people around us don’t seem to get what they deserve? I mean, you’re standing in line at the grocery, you’re dog-tired, the kids are squealing, and some young, skinny, cute person—without a care in the world—steps in front of you. Did I mention you’re in the line for “12 Items Only,” and the line-breaker has 35 (you have only 3)?

If only we were God! We could discreetly point our finger and ZAP—the line-breaker would shrink to the size of the little person we already knew her to be (about the size of a housefly). Then the clerk would swat the little annoying creature, and we would once again be ready to pop our groceries on the belt.

Ah, but line isn’t like that, is it? We see undeserving persons receive glory, promotions, honor and other benefits all the time, when we know full well they don’t really deserve them (but we do).

What do we really deserve? It’s a question worth asking. Today let’s examine it and try to find some answers.

The Blessings We Don’t Deserve

1. God expects us to extend grace and mercy to those who seemingly don’t deserve them, because the truth is, we don’t deserve them any more than they do.
2. As we consider the characters Jacob, the Prodigal Son, and the Dying Thief, remember: God provides new beginnings for old scoundrels.

Three Undeserving Scoundrels

1. Without doubt, our God is the God of underdogs.
2. Jacob was an old scoundrel who received a blessing from the Father, and who finally turned from rebellion to a right relationship with the Lord.
3. The Prodigal Son was an old scoundrel who received a blessing from his father and finally turned from his rebellion and to obedience and humility.
4. The point is: the Dying Thief was an old scoundrel who received a blessing from God in his final breaths.

Rebellion, Religion and Relationship

1. Jacob truly represents an undeserving rebellious scoundrel. But his older twin brother, Esau, represents an apathetic, religious scoundrel.
2. Jacob, the Prodigal Son and the Dying Thief—clearly understood they did not deserve to receive the blessings of Father God—so they finally humbled themselves, turned from rebellion, and entered into right relationships with the Lord.
3. Rebellion is shaking a fist in God’s face.
4. Religion is climbing the ladder of self-righteousness believing we will meet God at the top.
5. Relationship is God coming down the ladder in the person of His Son and meeting us at the bottom rung where we’ve humbled ourselves.

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.
Sin has left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.
—Elvina Hall

Next week: How Am I Doing?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:18 — 14.8MB)

Lordship Living — God Provides

Sermon: Isn’t It All Mine? — Ownership
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Genesis 1:1
Duration: 32:18
Size: 14.7 MB

“In the beginning God created…”

The entire 66 books of the Bible begin with this simple but rich phrase. The opening chapters of Genesis go on to tell us God created every part of our world, from the lowliest piece of plankton to the most complex of creatures—man and woman.

If God created you and me and all the wonderful things around us, how should we treat these items? More importantly, if God is the Provider of everything we possess, what should be our response to Him?

This week we begin a journey in Lordship Living through the chapters of Genesis. Over the coming days, we will look at the lives of some of the saints of the faith, and we’ll find we have a lot in common with them.They learned, and so can we, that God provides—what we need, when we need it.

Join me today ans we examine the significant issue of ownership.

Isn’t It All Mine?

1. Our present culture has a mentality and a mission statement much like a strong-willed 2-year-old, since it does not recognize Almighty God as the Source, Creator and Owner of His own world.
2. Actually, the theme of Genesis may be best defined with two eye-opening words: God Provides!

Question One — Isn’t Almighty God the Source of Everything? (Genesis 1:1a)

1. Without the Source, there would be no resources.

Question Two — Isn’t Almighty God the Creator of Everything? (Genesis 1:1b)

1. Little things of nature we usually take for granted, like rosebuds and hummingbirds, point us to a creator.
2. God provides for His birds, His flowers, and His children. So don’t worry, just worship! (Matthew 6:25-34)

Question Three — Isn’t Almighty God the Owner of Everything? (Genesis 1:1c)

1. Human beings are the crown of God’s Creation.
2. Instead of having attitudes like toddlers and clutching everything that belongs to God, let us surrender all and come willingly to the Lord for an attitude transplant.

“Where God presides, God provides!”
—Kerry Willis

Next week: The Blessings We Don’t Deserve