This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Lewis
Harold, assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland
County in Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Lewis as he
continues teaching through God's Word.
Please pray this prayer, he said.
That prayer is that. You may be filled.
With the knowledge of his will. It is so important that we know.
The will of God, that's how we. Get to know God by knowing His
will. That's how we come to know how
to walk this Christian life out, by knowing His will.
There's just certain things that we don't have to.
Worry about worrying about what I don't.
Know if this is the will of God or not.
Today Pastor Lewis answers a question that many people ask.
How can I know the will of God for my life?
Sure, there are certain things that take extra time to discern,
but really to know the will of God for every facet of life, the
answer is right there in front of us.
So, do you want to know the secret to knowing the will of
God for your life? Open up His Word.
God has given you His Word to lead, guide, and direct you into
His will for your life. His will is for you to be in His
Word and His Word to be in you. Now here's Pastor Lewis in Titus
chapter 3 with today's edition of Living Waters of Grace.
Now during this time that Paul wrote.
This letter he was. Actually in he was in jail.
He was under house arrest in Rome when he.
Wrote this particular letter. And you'll see a lot of
similarities to Colossians and Ephesians and we'll be
referencing that quite. A bit as we go through this
letter. But he mentions Timothy as being
with him now. Timothy wasn't in jail with him,
but Timothy. Was there to assist.
Him and to help him. Timothy was probably the one who
scribed. This letter as Paul.
Was giving his words to it and he says Timothy our brother.
Well, we know that he called Timothy his son, but here?
He's just. Expressing the fact or stressing
the fact that Timothy is a. Brother in the Faith.
Just like he's a son of faith. The other thing I also want to
mention is the fact. That he.
Calls Jesus, he mentions Jesus Christ and he calls that
together now, pretty much. All the epistles.
In his introductory he mentions the name Jesus.
Christ, but if you were. To just think.
About or go back through like the four gospels.
You won't see those two names together.
We know that Jesus. Is the name that means you know,
that means, you know, save our people and we know that Christ.
Is actually his office. I mean, that's his.
Position of authority. He is the Christ.
He's the Messiah, the. Son of the living.
God. But you won't see those two
together. Very much in the Gospels, only
about 8 times you may see those things.
Together, Peter was. One who mentions that when he
says who, you know who, who am I?
Who does man say I am? Peter said.
You. You're the Christ.
You're the Son. Of the living God.
But you don't see that. That often in the Gospels, and
that's why Jesus was so. Quick to say oh.
Flesh and blood didn't. Reveal that to you.
But my father. Who was in heaven?
Because Jesus didn't even reveal himself as that as much in the.
Gospels so he. Knew that it had to be
spiritually reviewed or spiritually revealed to him.
But here you see these names. Together Jesus Christ.
And you'll see that together in most most of the epistles
because by this time. Those who are.
Teaching and preaching the gospel are presenting Jesus as
the Messiah. And when we preach and teach.
Jesus. We should do it as Jesus.
Christ the Messiah. The true God, the the Son of
God. God.
In the flesh and then in verse 2 he says to the Saints and
faithful brethren in Christ who are in.
Colossae, grace to you. And peace from God our Father in
the Lord Jesus. Christ.
We give thanks and that's another thing you're going to
see quite often throughout this. Letter.
The giving of thanks and talking about thanks and we talked.
About it before. That that's something that we.
Should probably be. More intentional about doing in
our lives is giving thanks to God, you know, in our.
Prayers we should always. Take time to give.
Thanks to God. You know, we, we always can go
into talking about a laundry list of things that we need.
And I sure need a lot of things. I need God to do a lot of things
in my life as well. But we should always.
Remember to thank him for the things that he has done.
The things that he's. Already fulfilled in our lives.
Because the truth. Is if God never did another
thing for any of us, He's already done more than what we
deserve. So when he talks about the
peace, he talks about. You know, giving thanks, he
said. We give thanks to.
God to the God. And.
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
Since. That's the key there.
Since. We heard of your.
Faith in Christ Jesus. And of your love for all the.
Saints because of the. Hope which is laid up.
For you in heaven. Of which you heard.
Before in the word. Of the truth of the gospel.
I just want to pause there, he said.
Since he said we never, you know, we.
Pray for you always. Since.
We heard of your. Faith in Christ Jesus and of
your love for all the Saints. Because of the hope.
So right there you have all three of the pillars of the
gospel faith, love and hope. In First Corinthians chapter 13
and 13, you know Paul says now. Abide these three faith.
Hope and love and the. Greatest of these is love.
The greatest of these is love. But he says.
Here since we heard. Of your faith.
Many of us are praying for people that we want God to save.
I certainly am. My wife and I, we are.
We have. Children that are yet not saved.
That we desire before we leave this world.
To see them walking with the Lord.
And I'm sure some of you may have people that you love.
Whether they're your children. Some of you may be your parents.
It could be brothers and sisters, whoever.
It may be nieces, nephews, friends, good friends, whoever
it is that you desire. To be saved and.
I just want to encourage you to please keep praying.
Because there was a. Time that my mother and and my
sisters and and and my and my grandmother was praying for me.
Was that Lord? Please save that boy.
Save that boy. And the Lord did, and He can do.
It for yours as. Well, he can do it for mine, I
believe that and we going to hang on that.
But he said since. We.
Heard of your faith? In Christ Jesus and of your
love, in other words, since we heard you got.
Saved. We've been.
Praying for you always. And what I want to say to you is
now. If they get saved, those people
you praying for once they get saved.
Don't stop praying. In fact, that's when you want to
start praying even more. Once they get saved, we become a
target. When we get saved, Satan comes
right for. US.
He doesn't want. Anybody to leave?
The Kingdom of darkness No one so we.
Have to make. Sure that you know, Paul says.
Since we. Heard you guys saved we we we
pray for you always we want. You to stay in the faith, and
that takes prayers and your faith and your love for all the
Saints. The love is so important because
love is one of the true evidences of a changed life.
A person who loves. The way Jesus loved that agape
love. That unconditional.
Love that we should the church. Should be showing to each other
when people recognize the. Church one of the.
First things they. Should say that sets the church
apart. Should be.
Oh how they love. One another how they love one
another. Look how they care for one
another. Look how they talk to one.
Look how they treat. Look how they look after each
other. They.
Love one another. It always blesses.
Me when someone come to visit. Our church.
And they're overwhelmed by the love that they experience in the
church. What an evidence.
That the Holy Spirit is with us. What an evidence, What a
blessing. To be able to hear that, so he
said for the love. For all the Saints, that
evidence of salvation. And then he goes on, he says.
Which is laid up. For us, and that laid up means
reserved. We have a reservation.
We have a reservation in heaven. And it's already there.
And it can't be cancelled by anybody.
And our confirmation is the Holy Spirit that's in US can't be
cancelled by. Anybody.
We are reserved. We have a place reserved in
eternal life. How?
You've had. Opportunities where you've made.
Hotel reservations before. And you know the comfort you
felt to know that where you're going, you had somewhere to stay
and you ain't have to worry. About it I got.
Somewhere to stay and we're good.
I got my confirmation number. Oh, we hold on to that thing,
don't we? We keep it in our emails.
We may take a. Picture of it.
You know what I mean? We're quick.
You know, once someone that challenges me, I got a
confirmation number. We don't want no trouble in
here. We're.
Good. You know how you feel about
that, that comfort that you get. By having that, how much more,
how much more comfort do we have?
How much more excited? Should we be?
About knowing that we have a reservation in heaven and it's a
reservation that cannot be. Canceled.
We have it forever. We're just.
Waiting for the fulfillment of it.
We're just waiting for. We're just waiting to.
Arrive at the hotel. Amen.
What a blessing that is. So then he goes on here and he
says that. Hope.
That's laid up for you in heaven.
Of which you heard before. In the word of truth of the
Gospel, Amen. The word of truth in the Gospel,
which has come to you as it has in.
All the world Paul was already. Establishing the fact.
That the gospel has gone out to all the world the the the
apostles. And not only himself.
But there's other apostles out there.
And the people that they meet make disciples, and the people
that they meet make disciples, and the people that they meet
make disciples, and all this word.
Goes out. And Paul says I'm confident.
I know it's going out through. All the world, All the world.
I mean, just think about it. Hit.
US. Right here in Little Greensburg,
PA, The gospel and he says going out through.
All the world. And not only is it going out,
but it is bringing forth fruit as it is among as it as it is
also among you, since the day that you heard and knew the
grace of God. In truth, the Gospel always
brings forth fruit. The Gospel.
Always brings forth a. Change in people's lives.
It's the power of God that's. Why Paul said it?
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of.
Christ, because it is the power. Of God and to salvation.
It's a power for you to be changed from.
Death to life is the power of God.
Of salvation. So Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
it. I'll teach.
I'll, I'll, I'll share that message anywhere, anytime in
front of anybody. It's power in that thing.
Praise God. Praise God.
And then he says here in verse 7, as you learned also from.
Epiphras, our dear. Fellow servant, who is faithful
minister of Christ on your behalf now.
Epiphras. He's only mentioned two other
times in the Word of God. He's mentioned at another place
here in Colossians, in Colossians chapter 4, verse 12.
He's mentioned there, and he's also mentioned the 23rd verse of
Philemon. He is a faithful servant with
God with with Paul he probably got.
Converted to Christianity when Paul was teaching in.
Ephesus, in fact, that's. Where a number.
Of people. In Asia got converted.
A places that Paul. Never even went to.
But while he was. Preaching in Ephesus.
There was a young man there named Epiphras.
Who heard the Gospel? And we'll see.
As he says here that he's a. Faithful minister of Christ on
your behalf. Who also declared to us your
love. And the Spirit.
So now just think about it. Paul's preaching in Ephesus,
teaching the Word. Of God.
There's a young man there, sitting and listening.
Paul might not even. Recognize who this guy was,
probably. Didn't even stand out.
To Paul, but he's. Sitting there listening and he
is sitting there hearing the gospel and his life is getting
changed and he goes back. To he goes back to.
Colossians or to colossi? And establishes a church.
And now a church that Paul has never even heard of, Paul's
sending a letter to. Now keep in mind.
Also that Paul. Had begun to.
Work with Epiphras at. One point and he served.
With Paul. In different.
Places but Paul. Had never been to.
Colossae so. You just never know what impact
the gospel has on your life and the life that you and the impact
you can have on somebody else's. You could have an impact on the
city of Greensburg, you know, Thank God.
Thank God that our pastor that Clark heard the.
Gospel somewhere him and his wife and got saved and started
Calvary Chapel here in Greensburg and the people.
Who shared the gospel with him? Probably didn't even.
Know. That this man got saved and was
taken, and the gospel took him the way it did.
But yet he was able to found a church here.
In Greensburg, PA and have impact on the town of
Greensburg. Who knows what impact you have
had on somebody by just sharing the gospel.
You don't have to be up here to do it.
Maybe you were in the Maybe you were in the the lunch room.
At your job. And you were sharing the gospel
with somebody. You never know who that person
wouldn't told and who that person wouldn't told and who
that person wouldn't told. All because of that.
Lunch. That he shared with you.
In that lunch room when you were bold enough and then bold
enough. To share the gospel.
That's why it's so important when he says that, you know?
We are to share the gospel, go on to all the world.
And share it, you know, don't just share it in certain.
Places everywhere you go. You get an opportunity when God
gives you that window. Share Share the Gospel.
You never know what kind of effect it's going to have.
Many of the largest. Pastors or the.
Or what we consider to be the. The the biggest?
Pastors in this country are men. Who just heard the gospel
preached? And went out and began to
minister and start ministries. It's a blessing because there's.
Power in it. It's no power in us.
There was no power in Clark, but there was power in the Gospel.
So we have we have Epifast who shared the the gospel there at
Colossae. And made an impact there in the
city. Of Colossae back.
Right back where he come from. And he had, and Paul had depend
on him to share and to declare to him the love of the Spirit.
That was there at Colossae. And then in verse 9, he goes in
and he says for this reason we also since the day we.
Heard. Do not.
Cease to pray for. You and to ask that may that you
may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding intend that.
You may walk worthy of the Lord. Fully pleasing him, being
fruitful in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of
God. And then one more.
We're going to finish on this one strengthened with All Might,
according. To his glorious power for all.
Patience and long-suffering. With joy now.
I'm going to take just a couple minutes to go back and deal with
just a couple of these points in closing.
First of all, he said I don't. He said that we since.
The day we heard that you got saved just like he said over
there in verse 4. He said since the day we heard
that, you guys say, we didn't cease to pray.
For you we. Realize how important it is.
To pray for you. Since you got saved and to ask
now, this is his. Prayer.
And I'm going to. Ask that as you read this
prayer, whether you read it here or whether you read it at.
Home, I'm going to ask that you. Pray this prayer for yourself
first of all. And secondly.
That you pray it for. Everyone else that's in the body
of Christ and please, please pray it for Clark and I and all
the leaders here in Calvary Chapel and everywhere else
that's here. Everyone else that's here.
Please pray this prayer, he said.
That prayer is that. You may be filled with the
knowledge. Of his will.
It is so important that we know the will.
Of God, that's how. We get to know God by knowing
His will. That's how we come to know how
to walk this Christian life out, by knowing His will.
There's just certain things that we don't have to.
Worry about worrying. About well, I don't know if this
is the will of God or not. What do you mean?
Well, I'm married to somebody that I'm, you know, I think
there's somebody else I should be married to.
So I'm going to divorce this person and go.
I just think that's God's will. No, it's not.
We don't even have. To pray about that.
We know that that's not God's will.
Well, let's see if I just. Cheat on my taxes just a little
bit because I have some big expenses coming up and maybe
this is God's way of making sure that I can meet those expenses.
So I'm going to just. Tattle.
Just a. Little bit, you know, tweak.
These taxes a little. Bit so I can get more money back
and we know that that's not. God's will.
There's just certain things we know is not his will.
So we read his word. To understand His will.
Now watch how these dots connect so you know the knowledge.
Of his will. And all wisdom and spiritual
understanding wisdom. Is just the practical.
Outworking of the knowledge. You have.
You make decisions. That are wise.
Based on the knowledge. You have about a situation so
we. Can walk in the wisdom of God
based on the knowledge that we. Have of God.
And his will. So that first dot.
Connect and the spiritual understanding or understanding
that comes through discernment. That understanding is spiritual
discernment, those things that come through.
The Spirit that reveals to us the will of God.
It reveals that we're the the will of God.
The Bible says that the natural. Man doesn't understand the
things that. Are of the Spirit.
The natural man understands the natural things that are of man.
It's spiritual. Things that understand spiritual
things. So it's the Spirit.
And he says walk in our wisdom and we can walk in our wisdom
because we understand his will and we obtain that will, the
knowledge of that will through spiritual discernment.
And then verse 10 that. You.
Walk may walk. Worthy of the Lord.
Fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every.
Good work. How are we going to be fruitful?
By knowing the will of God? By understanding and discerning.
The will of God. And the knowledge.
Of God by walking. In the wisdom of that which we
know and when we. Do that we are fruitful.
We are fruitful in in every. Good.
Work increasing in the knowledge of God we should never.
Ever, ever stop. Wanting to increase our.
Knowledge of God. That's why men and women who
have been following the Lord. For years.
Who have been serving the Lord for.
Years still go to. Bible studies still go to.
To Wednesday night Bible study and come on Sundays and then go
to the men's Bible studies the men's breakfast is in women's go
to the women's Bible studies in the women's.
Breakfast. Because regardless of how.
Long you've been serving the. Lord, we always.
Want to know more about Him? We always want to know more
about Him. That's the mercy or the grace.
That God has given to us is the desire.
To want to know more about him. It's a beatitude, Lord.
Make me hungry and thirsty. For.
Righteousness, and that's in Him.
So we always want to be hungry. For the word.
Of God. And then this last one
strengthened with All Might, according.
To his glorious power for all. Patience and long-suffering.
Now this patience. Is actually.
Endurance. It's perseverance.
And this long-suffering is. Like it says.
Being able to suffer long, but it's patience.
It's patience. Look at what?
Paul asked for though what he prayed for, he says.
I'm not praying that you become physically strong to be able to
combat. The people who are.
Persecuting you or the people that are causing tribulation in
your life. I'm not asking you to become
physically strong. I want you to become spiritually
strong. That you're able to persevere.
That you're able. To endure, join those.
Hardships that you're able to have.
Long-suffering to have patience and to.
Do it with joy, the disciples. Over in the book.
Of Acts 5, they said after they got.
Beaten for. Preaching Christ, they rejoiced.
And they rejoiced. Because they said we're counted
worthy. Worthy to suffer persecution
for. His name's sake, Jesus even
said, when you were persecuted, rejoice when you're persecuted,
when you're reviled, and when you're lied on.
He said rejoice, rejoice, we have good cheer.
So we want that strength and we want that strength with joy.
It's not important that I'm that we're physically strong.
We know this outward body is going to perish.
We know that. But we want our inward man to be
renewed day by day. Amen.
We want to be strengthened in our inner man.
We want to be strengthened to be able to.
Go through hardships we want to be.
Strengthened to be able. To have the.
Patience to endure our tribulations.
And I pray. That for each and everyone of
you, I don't know, maybe, maybe somebody's going through
something in here right now and you're wondering.
I don't know if I can hold on. I've been going through this for
so long. I've been dealing with this for
so long. I don't know if I can hold on,
Hold on, hold on. Wait on the Lord.
He.
He will renew your strength and cause you to mount up with wings
as eagles. He can do that for you.
Wait on the Lord. Whatever it is that you're.
Dealing with. Our prayers that you're going to
be. Strengthened in the inward man,
you're going to be strengthened with with the endurance.
To be able to deal with it. This has been Living Waters of
Grace, a ministry of Pastor Louis Harrell of Calvary Chapel,
Westmoreland. Today's message has been on the
Book of Titus. This book is a master class in
how Christians should live in modern culture.
Titus was ministering to the people of Crete, an island off
the coast of Greece, but he was facing many challenges.
The Cretans who came to know Jesus seemed to assimilate Jesus
into their existing culture instead of allowing themselves
to be transformed by the Holy Spirit inside of them.
Others were fully devoting themselves to Jesus but shutting
themselves off from the world around them.
The apostle Paul encourages Titus to help his audience find
a middle ground where they can live in this world while still
following a different way of life in Jesus.
If you would like to learn more about what it means to
faithfully follow the teachings of Christ in a world full of
darkness, we'd love to get connected with you in person.
If you are in Greensburg, PA, we'd love to invite you to join
us at Calvary Chapel Westmoreland.
We meet every Sunday at 10:30 AM at 400 E Pittsburgh St.
Ste. 6B. Also, if you visit us at
calvarychapelonline.com, you'll find links to our mobile app,
our giving page, and our contact form where you can leave a
prayer request if you have one. Before we go off the air for
today, we ask you to invite someone to tune in next time
right here on Grace FM 91.7 or streaming online at Grace Radio
dot FM. Word of mouth is the best way to
spread the good news of the gospel with those who are hungry
to hear. Until next time, this has been
another edition of Living Waters of Grace.