Waterbrooke Church

Repent Before It’s Too Late, Luke 13:1-9

With September drawing closer, it is astonishing to think that 9/11 happened almost 21 years ago. I was a sophomore in high school when I heard that “airplanes flew” into the Two Towers in New York City while I was in gym class. It is an unforgettable atrocity. Like everyone on that day, I was shocked, scared, and saddened by the thousands of lives lost. During this time, people––both religious and irreligious––rushed to churches to try to make sense of it all. The questions on people’s minds were, “Why did this happen? How could an all-loving God allow this evil to happen? Why are there disasters at all? Why do bad things happen to good people?”In Luke 13:1–5, some people confront Jesus with similar questions above. Two disasters are mentioned. In the first one, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, slaughtered a bunch of Galileans while they were sacrificing in the temple in Jerusalem. In the second one, the Tower of Siloam––also in Jerusalem––accidentally fell, crushing eighteen people. What does Jesus have to say when disaster strikes? Jesus responds, “If you don’t repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). The answer is not what you would expect, especially coming from “gentle and lowly” Jesus. Jesus responds this way––not because he is harsh, but because he is loving. He lovingly and urgently warns us that if we do not turn away from our sin and turn toward God in faith, we will perish and face God’s judgment. In other words, all the disasters that we witness and face in life point beyond themselves to a greater disaster to come. God’s judgment is imminent. We don't know when our last breath will be, so we all need to repent before it’s too late. But there’s also hope. What is the positive way of saying, “If you don’t repent, you’ll perish?” It is, “If you do repent, you’ll be saved.” That’s why Jesus came. It is because of him that any of us has time to repent today. Because of his death and resurrection, anyone can be forgiven of their sins––if they repent and believe in Jesus. In a sense, we need to ask ourselves, “Are you ready? Have you repented of your sins? Is there an area of your life that you have not surrendered to King Jesus?”   

Disruptive Reign: How the Kingdom of God Shakes up the Status Quo, Luke 12:49-59

Sometimes Jesus says things that we don’t expect. Sometimes the things that Jesus says are hard for us to grasp and make sense of. The sermon text for this weekend is one of those times.  There is nothing greater than following Jesus by faith. It’s what we are created for. While at the same time we have all experienced hardships as a direct result of following Jesus. What do we do with this?  This weekend we are going to study Luke 12:49-59 and the sermon title is Disruptive Reign - how the Kingdom of God shakes up the status quo.  The big question this text brings up is, how should we live in a world that is deeply loved by God, but wants to put God in a manageable box? 

Glorious Disruption - Are we Ready?

This weekend we are picking up where we left off in our study through the Gospel of Luke. Last week Jesus ended by telling us,  "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," and this week He is going to tell us why that matters so much. Jesus says that there is coming a time, and it could be any moment, that He is going to return and make all things new. The big question is..."Are we ready?"There are so many things in our day to day lives that distract us from living in light of the second coming of Jesus. We are daily met with crazy circumstances, demanding jobs, unending homework, schedules packed with sports and various activities. Not to mention the suffering we face, the sin we struggle with, and the confusion we encounter in our personal lives. This week's sermon, from Luke 12:35-48, is called "Living Wisely and Faithfully While We Wait" and we are going to see how Jesus encourages us to be ready for the day when He will return to judge the living and the dead and to make all things new. 

Tremble and Trust By Pastor Kevin Dibbley

This Sunday, we studied Luke 12:1-12. The message is called Tremble and Trust.As Jesus’ ministry becomes enormously popular, the opposition becomes intensely hostile. Instead of being filled with fear of men, Jesus reminds His disciples that they need to see things from His perspective. Jesus sees the awful consequences of sin, hypocrisy, and religious pride. Jesus points out that we ought to fear falling into hypocrisy rather than facing opposition. It’s not the children of God who are in danger. God is jealously protective over His own. The greatest danger is to turn against Christ and His disciples. When we face opposition and religious hypocrisy – we need to tremble and trust. May this passage drive us to Jesus and embolden us to live as courageous witnesses to the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Cultivating a Truly Gospel Culture by Pastor Kevin Dibbley

Our sermon this week is entitled Cultivating a Truly Gospel Culture.We will be looking at Luke 11:37-54. In this passage, Jesus prophetically speaks several “woes” over the Pharisees and the lawyers. His strong words are a warning against the incipient nature of religious hypocrisy and pride.We all have the temptation of trying to pretend that we have it together better than we do. The problem, of course, is that we can inoculate ourselves against the hope of the gospel when we try to prove that we are in deep daily need of Jesus. We also injure the weak and the wounded who need the message and the ministry of the grace and mercy of Jesus. We don’t need spiritual super-heroes. We need a humble church with a solid hope in Christ. Come as we listen to Jesus and pray to become the kind of church that becomes a refuge for the broken and guilty.
 
To find out more about Waterbrooke Church go to www.waterbrooke.church

Deadly Indecision – A Word to Gospel Hold-outs.

We are very excited this weekend to celebrate the baptisms of several of young men and women. Whenever anyone responds to Christ in faith and love and obedience we rejoice together as a church family for the grace of what God has done and for the promise of grace that lies ahead. The Christian life is not easy but it is a progressive journey into ever increasing glory.We are also reminded that their obedience in faith is a call to all of us to respond in faith and obedience to the message of Jesus Christ. It is a word to those who have yet to receive Christ by faith that now is the time to respond. It is fitting this weekend that we are studying Luke 11:27-36.
Our sermon is called: Deadly Indecision – A Word to Gospel Hold-outs.Jesus clearly warns that developing a posture of delaying and demanding more and more evidence is not acceptable in God’s eyes. Today is a day of salvation and we ought to respond. Would you pray that this weekend many people would give up being spiritual hold-outs to Christ and salvation? Would we pray that the Holy Spirit would remind us that no decision is a decision and that decision has present and eternal consequences? Looking forward to a celebratory time together and praying for a work of grace in all of our lives together.
To find out more about our church go to www.waterbrooke.church

The End of Tyranny by Pastor John Hall

This weekend is Independence Day weekend and it is a fitting weekend for our message in Luke 11 called The End of Tyranny.Last week, Pastor John asked the question “Have you stopped dreaming Kingdom-size dreams?” It is clear from our passage this week, that the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ has come and the tyranny of Satan is coming to an end. If we asked the question last week, what do you want Christ to do through you?… this week’s question – What does Christ want to do in you?The end of Satan’s tyranny in the world includes those areas of our lives where we still believe that lie he uttered in the Garden of Eden, that we can be like God. Liberty and freedom in the gospel isn’t the freedom to live as we please. It is freedom from guilt, and shame, from sin and Satan. It is the freedom from the dangerous and debilitating Satanic lie that we are masters of our own lives and destinies.Here’s the question that we are going to ask this weekend and maybe you can begin to pray about it now: What area of your life have you been unwilling to relinquish to King Jesus? As his Kingdom expands in the world ousted all of Satan’s tyranny, may His kingdom push out any remnant of rebellion and resistance and radical autonomy that remains in my heart and in yours. Let’s pray Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done in me and in you.

Teach Us to Pray: Knowing and Loving God as Our Father Part 1 - Pastor John Hall

In the classic book, 'Knowing God' J.I Packer famously wrote, "What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father."This Sunday is Father's day! As we continue to move forward in our study through the gospel of Luke, Jesus is going to teach us to pray in light of the wonderful reality that God is our Father.Jesus continues to welcome us into his mission to claim the nations as his own and this weekend we are going to see that one of the ways we can stay engaged in mission over the long haul is by knowing and loving God as our Father.Before we ever do anything for God, we are invited to enjoy God.Join us this weekend to worship our gracious Savior as He teaches to pray to our heavenly Father who loves us.
 
Do you need prayer?  Contact us at www.waterbrooke.church/prayer

No Turning Back - Glorious Disruption by Pastor Kevin Dibbley

Here’s the question for this Sunday’s sermon: What’s really holding you back? In the passage that we are studying this week, Luke 9:51-62, the whole narrative of the gospel shifts to Jesus making His way to Jerusalem and the cross. The next 10 chapters is a journey narrative. Luke says that Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem.”As Jesus begins to get more and more volunteers for his ministry, he makes the gospel call more challenging and not less. He reminds those that want to come and follow Him that there is no turning back. Thank God that Jesus’ resolve to rescue sinners is unshakeable.Yet, we have to admit that the bumps along the way have caused many of us to look back, turn back, or just put our commitment in neutral gear. We are sitting the mission out. We are holding back. And we are miserable or at least numb.This week, we are going to rejoice in the resolve of Jesus to go to the cross for sinners. We are also going to see that His resolve is the fuel for our resolve. What is holding you back from jumping into the mission of the church and the mission of the gospel? Let’s pray for the grace of Christ to free us to follow him joyfully and without reserve. This week’s message is called No Turning Back.

Cruciform Me -Glorious Disruption by Pastor John Hall

This week we are going to continue our study in the Gospel of Luke. The last time we were in the gospel we got a glimpse at the glory of Jesus, the True and Greater Moses and Elijah. This glimpse of glory should have deeply humbled the disciples. What we are going to see, however, is that rather than humbling the disciples, they double down on their pride and self-sufficiency.Jesus is showing the disciples and us what true discipleship looks like. He is showing us what kind of King he really is. He is a king who reigns from the cross.The sermon title this weekend is "Cruciform Me" and I hope that we all walk away amazed at the grace of Jesus and are encouraged to embrace the way of the cross for ourselves.As we prepare for Sunday let's be praying along with John the Baptist, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Something Old, Something New Colossians - Andy Keppel

As we continue the study in Colossians, Paul reminds the church that Christ has ascended to heaven, but He has not left us to the world (we are hidden in Him,) and He has not left us to ourselves (He has left us to each other.)  Join us in a celebration of Christ's sufficiency as we remember the grace shown to us individually and learn to stand on the foundation of Gospel hope as we live out our renewal corporately.
 
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“The Transfiguration” - Glorious Disruption by Pastor Kevin Dibbley

This Sunday, we studied one of the most powerful revelations of Jesus’ triumphant purpose in Luke’s gospel. In Luke 9:28-36, Luke recounts the details surrounding what is famously called “The Transfiguration.” We are calling it “Exodus 2.0.” It is a fascinating moment in the life of Jesus.
It is clear from this passage that the Old Testament story of Israel’s exodus out of Egypt and their encounter with God at Mount Sinai was a powerful dramatization of the coming of a greater Exodus under a greater Moses – Jesus Himself. Luke shows us that all of the language of Israel’s Mount Sinai experience foreshadows what happens here in the life of Jesus. For the disciples who have just been called to take up their cross and follow Jesus, this is a gracious and glorious encounter. They, like us, are spiritually inconsistent.
We can easily lose heart and grow discouraged at the cost of discipleship when we are such struggling half-hearted souls. In the grace of God, the call to a life of discipleship is followed by a much needed vision of the glorified Jesus. Let’s come together and with the disciples get a glimpse of Jesus and his glory so that we can recognize that His story is our story.
Our hope as Christians rests not in our weak, weary, and wandering selves but in the Christ who is a better Moses leading us out of the wilderness of our sin. There is hope. There is help. There will be glory.
 
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”The Cross-Shaped Kingdom.” - Glorious Disruption

This Sunday’s message is entitled, "The Cross-Shaped Kingdom." It is really one of the most crucial realities for every Christian to understand. Christ advances his kingdom through the cross. Discipleship in the kingdom is a call to carry your cross. Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously wrote that when Jesus bids a man to come and follow him, he bids him come and die.
The kingdom of God is backwards to most people’s expectations. Let’s be honest, life often is totally other than what we had hoped or dreamed. It can be painfully hard. So, this Sunday, we looked at one of the core truths of the Christian faith – the kingdom of God is shaped like a cross. Here’s a couple of questions that we asked this weekend: What did you expect Jesus to do in your life? What were you hoping that Jesus would do through your life? Christ’s ways are definitely not our ways... but His ways are always good.
Let’s thank God for the cross and rejoice that His ways are higher than our ways.

“The Tenacious Welcome of Heaven” - Glorious Disruption

This Sunday’s message is called “The Tenacious Welcome of Heaven.” That word “tenacious” is important. No one, no power, no king, is going to stop Jesus from saving lost and broken sinners. They are His family and He will stop at nothing to bring His people safely home. We have many adopted children in our church. Praise God!
Some of the stories of determination to bring those children out of harm’s way and safely home are actually stunning. The perseverance! The pain! The passion! That is why some of you already understand what I mean by “tenacious welcome.” Jesus marched into an inhospitable world to extend the welcome of the kingdom of God to broken and lost sinners scattered throughout the nations.
One of the things that ought to bolster our faith as we seek to fulfill our mission at Waterbrooke Church is that Jesus is already “all in.” This is Palm Sunday, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, even as the crowds cheered, He knew what He had to do. And He did it! Let’s rejoice and give ourselves joyfully to the cause of Christ.
 
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“Shepherded Out of Shame - Glorious Disruption

This Sunday, we looked at two very different people who have one very similar problem – fear of shame. It is possible that many of us are living less than full Christian lives because we feel the stain of past sin and guilt and we are afraid that we are going to be exposed. We are broken. We know it. We need Jesus. We need him desperately, but we are afraid. We fear the disapproving and knowing glances of people who are all too aware of our past and our problems.
We prefer to hide like Adam and Eve in the shadows. On the other hand, some of us live in fear not of criticism and condemnation but rather transparency. We aren’t known for our sin but our spiritual success. We are respected. We are surrounded by good churchy folk. We move in circles of people who seem to have it together and we are afraid to be honest and admit that things aren’t really going so well right now. Here’s the great news of the gospel: It’s okay to not be okay.
Jesus never leaves us in our shame. He refuses to let us hide anymore. He calls us not to worry about what others say to us. We only need to hear what He declares over us. This Sunday’s message is called “Shepherded Out of Shame,” and it is a great encouragement for spiritually messy people and impressive religious performers! You don’t need to fear anymore.

From Fear to Freedom - Glorious Disruption

This Sunday, our message was called "From Fear to Freedom." There is no doubt that fear is a factor in all of our lives. The Bible regularly calls us to “Fear Not.” The Bible tells us that Satan loves to play on our fears. In the remaining section of Luke 8, Jesus performs four miracles. All of these miracles reveal the various fears that can grip people. Yet, the antidote to fear is clearly faith. We conquer fear when we consider Christ. We stop being afraid when we look to Jesus. Here’s a good way to prepare for this message: Ask yourself what do you fear most right now? Are there any fears that have followed you throughout the last week or even throughout your life? Do you want freedom from fear? Let’s pray the words of the old song, “From our sins and fears release us!”

Why do you call me Lord? - Glorious Disruption by Pastor John Hall

For the last several weeks we have been walking through Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6. His mission is counter-intuitive, counter-cultural and nothing like we would naturally expect.This week we are going to finish the Sermon on the Plain as we study Luke 6:39-49 together. The sermon for this weekend is called, "Why do you call me Lord?" Jesus asks this piercing question to each of us: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord but you don't do what I say?" He is putting his finger on the experience that we all have. A frustrating gap exists between what we know and how we live. There is a disconnect between our professed values and our lived values.Let us allow Jesus examine our hearts this week as he shows us various ways that we can bridge the gap between what we profess and how we live. And let's pray as we prepare to worship Jesus together through song, word and the Lord's Supper this weekend.In Christ,John Hall, Pastor of Students and Young Adults
 
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Scandalous Mercy Part 2 - Study of Luke by Pastor Kevin Dibbley

Part 2 - Listen to Part 1 Here
 
ast Sunday, we saw that the mission of Jesus Christ  is counter-intuitive. The gospel will inevitably evoke hostility. However, hostility does not mean a closed door to ministry. We are called to love our enemies. Loving our enemies is where the gospel is often best displayed because that is what Jesus did in his life and death on the cross.I stated last week that the battlefield of the gospel is the place where God does some of his most powerful surgery, in his enemies and in our hearts. So, this Sunday, we are going to look at what Jesus tells his disciples about their own hearts when they are loving those who are less than lovable. We all need to hear this because this is what Jesus did for us and what He wants to do in and through us. Let’s pray for all of us to have receptive hearts to the Word and the way of Jesus as he calls us to display “Scandalous Mercy.”

Scandalous Mercy Part 1 - Study of Luke by Pastor Kevin Dibbley

This Sunday, we discussed how Jesus is calling us to go on the front lines of gospel mission which surprisingly is different than many of our evangelical cultural ideas about sharing our faith. We often think that the time when the gospel will make its greatest advances is when Christians have somehow earned cultural capital and acceptance and approval. Of course, Jesus never got that in his lifetime. Neither did his disciples!Our sermon is called "Scandalous Mercy," and we are going to look at the call of Christ to love our enemies and to forgive extravagantly. Hostility to our faith and our testimony is not a dead end for evangelism, not when Jesus is King. Hostility is the front line of gospel ministry because the battle is for the hardest object in the universe: the human heart. And it is fought with the most powerful weapon in the universe: the love of God in Christ. Come and let’s help each other find the comfort from the uncomfortable truth of Christ!  Watch this sermon at  www.waterbrooke.church

January 23, 2020 ”Glorious Disruption” Luke 6:12-26 By Pastor John Hal

This week we continued our sermon series in the gospel of Luke. We are going to be working through Luke 6:12-26. In last week's sermon text we saw that the religious leaders were filled with fury and began plotting as to how to get rid of Jesus. In our passage this weekend, we are going to see Jesus begin to establish a new leadership for his kingdom.In the sermon this weekend we are going to see how Jesus overcomes our fears that keep us back from following him wholeheartedly. When we consider the risk of diving head first into following Jesus in our day and age, it can seem daunting and overwhelming. Fear can grip our hearts. The fear of loss of control, reputation, and security can keep us from enjoying Jesus and the mission that He has called us into. In the end we'll see the only real risk is not trusting Jesus wholeheartedly.
 
In Christ,John Hall, Pastor of Students and Young Adults