The Gospel In A Story
Jerry Watts
Luke 18:9-14
2 Timothy 3:1 says, ''In the last days, perilous or difficult times will come'' and then Paul list a plethora of attitudes which honestly, seem the be the norm for 21st century America, both inside as well as outside the church. It is like we heard on Apollo 13 (the flight and movie), ''Houston, we have a problem.'' The root of our problem is not that we have empty pews (which should break our hearts) or a declining membership (which also should also break our hearts) Perhaps, the root of our problem is found in the fact that this culture which for so many years was so friendly to those who claimed to be Christ, have morphed us into a brand of salvation and Christianity which is foreign to God's word. Could it be that culture has influenced us in ways that we don't realize?
Just so I'm clear in laying the foundation for this ''MESSAGE'', I'm not talking about the culture influencing us in the ways many people think. This is not about Worship Styles, buildings, programs, or even our schedule. None of those are specifically mentioned in God's word. I submit that the very reason many out there don't care to be in here is because they have been in here and see little change from out there - so they stay where they are because have little to no understanding of what Jesus does in a life and how Jesus works and the choice they need to make.
After being in ministry for over 40 years and preaching for over 25 years, I have discovered something; people do not need to hear what I have to say nearly as much as they need to hear what scripture says. People can and do argue with me, but when it comes from God's word they are not arguing with me, they are arguing with the one who created it all, will destroy it all in the end, and one day, will make the judgment about where they will spend eternity. I believe that the familiar story which we are about to read contains a 'picture' of the entire gospel. This is not some ...
Jerry Watts
Luke 18:9-14
2 Timothy 3:1 says, ''In the last days, perilous or difficult times will come'' and then Paul list a plethora of attitudes which honestly, seem the be the norm for 21st century America, both inside as well as outside the church. It is like we heard on Apollo 13 (the flight and movie), ''Houston, we have a problem.'' The root of our problem is not that we have empty pews (which should break our hearts) or a declining membership (which also should also break our hearts) Perhaps, the root of our problem is found in the fact that this culture which for so many years was so friendly to those who claimed to be Christ, have morphed us into a brand of salvation and Christianity which is foreign to God's word. Could it be that culture has influenced us in ways that we don't realize?
Just so I'm clear in laying the foundation for this ''MESSAGE'', I'm not talking about the culture influencing us in the ways many people think. This is not about Worship Styles, buildings, programs, or even our schedule. None of those are specifically mentioned in God's word. I submit that the very reason many out there don't care to be in here is because they have been in here and see little change from out there - so they stay where they are because have little to no understanding of what Jesus does in a life and how Jesus works and the choice they need to make.
After being in ministry for over 40 years and preaching for over 25 years, I have discovered something; people do not need to hear what I have to say nearly as much as they need to hear what scripture says. People can and do argue with me, but when it comes from God's word they are not arguing with me, they are arguing with the one who created it all, will destroy it all in the end, and one day, will make the judgment about where they will spend eternity. I believe that the familiar story which we are about to read contains a 'picture' of the entire gospel. This is not some ...
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