Watermark Sunday Messages

In this sermon, Jonathan Linder, Director of Men’s Community, walks through Acts 22 and shows us what it looks like to be prepared to give a defense for the hope we have in Jesus, even in the face of opposition. Paul’s response reveals a passion for people rooted in the gospel, a testimony that points to Jesus, and a willingness to follow wherever the Spirit leads. Like Paul, we are called to live on mission, trusting God with the results and taking faithful steps to share the hope we’ve found in Christ.

God’s will can feel blurry when we don’t know what is next, but Scripture gives us clarity about what God is doing in every season: making us more like Jesus. Through Paul’s journey toward Jerusalem, we see that God’s will is revealed by the Spirit and requires us to live with open hands. Rather than waiting for God to conform his will to ours, we can trust him with what we cannot control, surrender what we are holding onto, and believe that even in waiting or suffering, Jesus will meet us there.

From the beginning, God created men and women in his image, equal in value and essential to accomplishing his purposes. Throughout Scripture, women lead, disciple, teach, serve, and use their gifts for God’s mission. At Watermark, the office of elder is reserved for qualified men, but that distinction should never diminish the significant role women have in the life and mission of the church. The invitation for all of us is to use the gifts God has given us, encourage others to do the same, and flourish together as the body of Christ.

In Acts 20, Paul charges the Ephesian elders to pay careful attention to themselves and to the flock God has entrusted to them. Elders are called by the Holy Spirit to steward a church that belongs to Jesus, remaining qualified themselves while caring for and protecting his people. Whether or not you are called to the office of elder, the invitation is to pray for your elders, gladly receive their shepherding, and, through the transforming power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit, grow into an elder-like follower of Jesus.

Every follower of Jesus is called to be a minister, which means leadership isn’t reserved for people with a title. In Acts 20, Paul points to his own life as an example of leadership shaped by Jesus: character that matches what he believes, humility that comes from submission to Christ, genuine care for people, courage to speak the truth, and a commitment to finish the ministry God has given him. The invitation is to become a leader worth following by depending on the Spirit, becoming more like Jesus, and faithfully living out the ministry God has entrusted to you.