Pastor Gale Watkins has been serving at Westminster Presbyterian Church for the past twenty-eight years. He also teaches part-time in the College of Theology at nearby Grand Canyon University. Pastor Watkins especially enjoys helping others, both in the church and in the college classroom, discovering the riches of God's grace in the Bible.
"We can benefit from the story of Bartimaeus. Consider those three moves he makes. He cries out to Jesus and approaches him. He receives help from Jesus. Then he follows Jesus down the road of life." (Extracted from one of Pastor Gale's sermon)
As the pastor's wife, Laurie Watkins is an active and integral part of Westminster Presbyterian Church. She is a talented singer who adds to the beauty of the Westminster choir. Her co-management of the coffee hour is appreciated every Sunday. She also participates in the World Vision marathon as a one-half marathon walker. Here is what Laurie says about walking for World Vision: "This is what motivates me. I am thinking of children as I walk. I'm also thinking of their mothers. In one of the videos, a mother who now has clean water says, 'You have lifted a burden from me. All I could do was carry water every day.' Children now can go to school."
Scripture and sermon excerpt from Sunday, July 14, 2024
Mark 6:6b-13 (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)
Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
My message today is that we Christians, individually and together as the Church, are sent.
When we read the gospels, we find that Jesus has twelve apostles.
At one point in the story, these twelve are literally sent.
They go in pairs to various villages.
They are sent by Jesus himself to do the same things they’ve seen Jesus doing.
They speak as he speaks. They bring healing as he brings healing.
Yes, they are tasked with doing what they’re told.
They are in the servant role.
But they are authorized by Jesus.
They are empowered.
When they go to those villages, they go in the name of Jesus himself.
So it is that, when the twelve are sent out, they do the same things that Jesus was doing.
They speak as Jesus spoke, calling people to repent.
To repent is to change your mind and to change the direction you’re headed.
Whey they go, the twelve speak as Jesus spoke and do the very things that Jesus did.
They serve people by bringing them freedom from spiritual oppression and from disease.
They have some success.
Many lives are changed.
It appears that this was his strategy in those days, and that it’s also his strategy today.
He had the twelve apostles them, and he has an apostolic Church today.
The twelve were sent out to serve.
Likewise, the Church is sent into the world to serve.
For the Christian, it’s a greater privilege to serve at the pleasure of the Lord of all.
It is no insult to be sent.
In fact, Jesus himself was sent by the Father. Now he sends us.
The Church as a whole is sent on a mission to a hurting world.
Each disciple is therefore one who is sent, into a small part of this hurting world.
How do you feel about that?
Even if the world looks down on servants, and calls them go-fors, to be authorized by the Lord of all and sent in his name is the greatest honor you can imagine.
So, let’s give thanks that we too are sent.
Let’s look at our current placement as an assignment given by the Lord!
If you’re a Christian, you are called to serve the Lord in some way. It goes with the territory. This is not an onerous burden, but a great privilege. In serving, we are participating with the Lord himself in his redemptive mission. Let’s accept our calling, and serve the Lord in some way with gladness.
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