Tag: The Final Week

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:34 — 12.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 20:19-31

The Final Week
No Doubt
John 20:19-31

When a man like him announces that he has brought the dead back to life, we have to believe him.

But there’s a couple of other episodes in Thomas’ life help us understand the man.

Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ’s strongest disciples.

They doubt, not because they’ve examined any evidence for themselves, but because they listened to the opinions of people, they’ve spent time with.

If you have doubts about the resurrection of Jesus…read the Bible.

Get what evidence you can, and then determine what you’re going to believe. But realize that the Bible says there’s a lot riding on your decision.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:39 — 16.9MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 20:1-18

The Final Week
Seeing Is Believing
John 20:31-18

But Jesus is not in His grave, and there were witnesses to that as well.

But wait! If John didn’t understand the Scripture about Jesus rising from the dead…what did he believe?

We’re not told that Peter felt anything or said anything when he saw the empty grave…he just went home.

And so, the resurrection was meaningless to him, because he didn’t think Jesus loved him.

But once Jesus touched her life, once He healed her pain, she was a faithful follower of Jesus forever after that.

God uses people we would think are unimportant…to do important things.

The question for you this morning is this: What do you do with it? What do you do with the empty tomb?

Refuse to not know enough. Look for it. Seek it out. Know it. Because if you don’t know it, you won’t show it.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:17 — 16.7MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 19:31-42

The Final Week
What Do You Do With a Dead Jesus?
John 19:31-42

The Jewish leaders had no concerns that He would ever rise from the dead because they didn’t believe anyone would come back from the dead.

They deliberately set out to destroy any belief that Jesus would ever rise from the dead.

If they truly believed Jesus would rise from the dead in 3 days that would have been huge waste of money.

You see, the resurrection from the dead is the core of our faith.

What causes cardiac tamponade is that some people can literally undergo so much stress in their lives that fluid builds up around the heart restricting the heart.

What intrigues me the most about this story is that there is only ONE Gospel that records the Roman soldier piercing Jesus’ side–the Gospel of John.

But we serve a risen savior…in fact there’s an old hymn that says, “I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOUR, He’s in the world today.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:57 — 15.8MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 19:23-30

The Final Week
The Day They Cancelled Jesus
John 19:23-30

It was the cancel culture that put Him on the cross. A cancel culture that hated Jesus so much that it killed Him!

Despite what you may have seen in various paintings and movies Jesus was totally naked on the cross.

When Jesus died on the cross, he experienced all the shame and embarrassment that they had come to know, because He had died for them!

In His entire ministry Jesus never once referred to Mary as His “mother.”

You see, Jesus went to the cross to experience pain, and thirst, on our behalf.

And when Jesus did that for us, it was finished. The price for our sins was paid in full.

In other words (once you’re forgiven) God doesn’t know you by your sins, He knows you by your name.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:51 — 14.3MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 19:1-22

The Final Week
Behold the Man
John 19:1-22

The soldiers, the Jews and the chief priests none of them recognized who Jesus was!

I personally believe that the words that Pilate spoke that day were the words that God spoke…through Pilate.

Jesus…was that man! He’d come to fulfill even that prophecy from Zechariah: “HERE IS THE MAN.”

I’d rather be miserable all my life than to turn to Jesus for help.

Peter began to preach to them explaining from Old Testament prophecies that Jesus was their Messiah–the KING they had waited so long for.

It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished; His dying breath has brought me life–I know that it is finished.

You see, Jesus wasn’t nailed to the Cross by our sins! He volunteered to be nailed there…for our sins.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:15 — 10.5MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 18:28-40

The Final Week
The Significant Man
John 18:28-40

Pontius Pilate? Why on earth would I believe that he was one of the most significant men who ever lived?

Now, by the time Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate could ill afford another revolt and (knowing this) the Jewish leaders demanded that he put Jesus to death.

Despite what the Jews believed and despite what some Christians even today have believed, Jesus did not come to set up an earthly Kingdom.

A lot of people believe that–if you want to get ahead–in politics or business or even in relationships, you have to sacrifice truth once in a while.

All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all sinners who need of forgiveness.

We praise Jesus…and Him crucified.

What will you do with Jesus?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:00 — 13.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 18:1-14

The Final Week
Who Are You Looking For?
John 18:1-14

You know, Jesus loved to ask questions. As I was doing some web surfing, I discovered that Jesus asked over 300 questions in the four gospels.

In fact, Judas was at the Last Supper… and Jesus even washed Judas’ feet.

Jesus came to save the worst of sinners, whether Judas, Paul… or me.

One problem too many people have is that they are afraid that they don’t know enough to witness to others.

There’s a common agreement amongst a lot of scholars that when you read a person’s name in the Gospels it’s probably because he/she had become a Christian.

The way for us to touch people for Jesus is to share how Jesus touched us.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:19 — 16.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 17:1-26

The Final Week
The Prayer of Love
John 17:1-26

And a lot of scholars call this prayer: Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, because in this prayer Jesus is interceding for His church just like a High Priest in the Old Testament would have interceded for God’s people.

And so, in the vital prayer, just days before His crucifixion, Jesus was praying for the Father to protect the church from those dangers.

But here’s the deal: Satan can’t touch you IF you stay close to God.

Because when you quote Scripture…you’re quoting God. You can’t get a higher authority than God.

Jesus prayed that we would be unified: One church, with one message, and one Savior.

More often congregations are torn apart because of conflicts between members…and those conflicts can escalate because other members take sides.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:14 — 16.0MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 16:1-15

The Final Week
The Power That Empowers
John 16:1-15

He’s come to convince the world of their need for Jesus–their need to be saved!

Our job is to witness to them. not condemn them.

And so, the Spirit’s job (and ours) is to point to Jesus’ righteousness (not our righteousness).

Instead, He focuses on convicting people–that they are 1) Sinners, 2) they’re not righteous, and 3) they will face judgment.

Sometimes He convicts people through Scripture.

Sometimes, the Spirit sets people up for you through circumstances.

Sometimes, the Spirit sets people up for us by convicting them of their sin.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:55 — 14.4MB)

Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: John 14:15-27

The Final Week
It’s What’s on the Inside That Counts
John 14:15-27

You see, Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, and it’s a fundamental teaching in Scripture that the Spirit dwells inside of each believer.

The apostles were able to do some very powerful and amazing things. I believe that the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully in their midst.

But the real problem here is that, not only that they were false prophets, but their arrogance serves to undermine the faith of real Christians in the ability of God’s Spirit to really do things.\

He dwells INSIDE of us and He knows exactly what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling.

We can be so filled with God’s powerful Spirit that we refuse to see reason for despair/surrender.

That means that, if you belong to Christ and the Spirit of God is inside of you, when you come before the throne of God at the resurrection that SEAL/MARK of the Holy Spirit is the only thing God’s going to look at.