1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,119 This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,400 County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,720 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,440 I mean, you just couldn't wait to tell people about what the 6 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,000 Lord's done for you. You were yakking and blabbing 7 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,640 and wanting to grab everybody and take him into heaven. 8 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,320 And then what happens so many months or years later? 9 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:49,600 You're. Oh yeah. 10 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,040 The good old days When I was born again, I remember that I 11 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,200 was really on fire. And boy, I wish I could go back 12 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,920 to those days. Well, you can go back to those 13 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:03,360 days, get rid of trying to do it in the flesh, and ask the Holy 14 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,200 Spirit to fill you again and control you and empower you. 15 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,760 When a child gets a new toy, what's the first thing they do? 16 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,240 They show it around to everyone, showing just how cool it is. 17 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:16,840 But what happens after a couple of days? 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,480 Well, the toy becomes old news and they forget about it. 19 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,040 We cannot let that happen to us when it comes to the gospel 20 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,720 today, Pastor Clark says when we choose to follow Jesus, 21 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,640 initially we want to share with the whole world, but then over 22 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,320 time it becomes a memory we refer to. 23 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,000 The Bible calls you to make disciples of all nations. 24 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,640 Don't take that lightly. Now here's Pastor Clark in 25 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,200 Galatians Chapter 3 with today's edition of Living Waters of 26 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,200 Grace. We get so weighed down at times 27 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,520 and we like all I'm just not passionate about the Lord 28 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,400 anymore and I don't want to read his word and and I don't, you 29 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,160 know, I don't, I know I should be involved or plugged in and 30 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,960 served and where, but I just don't have the energy and I'm 31 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,680 lukewarm and I'm backslidden and we make all these excuses of God 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:08,720 and God's like, what's your problem? 33 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:10,680 I mean, you know, what do you expect? 34 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,040 You think you're going to do something? 35 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,360 No, it's through the power of the Spirit, by faith. 36 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,880 And so we ask God to do for us, in us, through us, what there's 37 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,640 no way we could do ourselves. That's why Paul said be filled 38 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,160 with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit. 39 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,320 It's a command. Be energized in your daily life 40 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,920 by the Spirit, because what the flesh profits nothing. 41 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,760 Have you tried to prop up your humanness, your your fleshly 42 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,560 abilities to try to do something for God? 43 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,720 It doesn't work man. And it's something we all have 44 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,040 to fight against every day of our life because it's just, it's 45 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,080 just, it seems like it's endemic in human nature to somehow want 46 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,360 to justify itself by its so-called self righteousness. 47 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:01,600 You know when someone criticizes you for something or they make a 48 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,920 statement to you about something, some failing in your 49 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,240 life or weakness, are you insulted? 50 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,400 And your ire goes up and you think, well, who are they to 51 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,920 tell me about whatever it's self righteousness because you're 52 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,760 wanting to prove to someone else that you're better than you 53 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,800 really are, instead of just saying, hey, you're, you're 54 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,160 right. I'm even worse than that. 55 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,840 That's freeing, you know? And then say, but pray for me so 56 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,880 that God can work in me, so that I can be what He's intended in 57 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,640 me to be, not by my own abilities, but by the work of 58 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:34,840 the Holy Spirit in and through my life. 59 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,840 And so he says in verse 4, Have you suffered so many things in 60 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,560 vain? If indeed it was vain, Therefore 61 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,560 he who supplies a spirit to you and works miracles among you, 62 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,600 does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of 63 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,000 faith? The question again, just as 64 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,760 Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for 65 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,240 righteousness, therefore know that only those who are of faith 66 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,040 are the sons of Abraham. So when you look at all the Jews 67 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,960 who have ever lived throughout the course of history, those who 68 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,000 are part of the remnant in the Old Testament and the New 69 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:11,040 Testament who have believed in the Messiah to come by faith are 70 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,880 justified. Abraham for sure never proved to 71 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,440 you or me by his life that he was perfect, nor did he ever 72 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,720 make a statement that he was accepted to God, accepted by God 73 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,680 because of what he's done, but because of what Christ has done. 74 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,720 And he's noted in the book of Hebrews as the father of faith. 75 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,520 And so it says the Scripture foretelling that God would 76 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,560 justify the Gentiles by faith, preach the gospel to Abraham 77 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,080 beforehand, before Christ was even born, saying in you all the 78 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,720 nations shall be blessed. So Abraham's out there that 79 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,760 night and God gives him a vision, shows him the stars. 80 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:52,360 And it says as a in this heaven, and as the grains of sand in the 81 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:59,080 sea, so shall be my descendants, those who believe in that 82 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,040 Messiah. This is Abraham has. 83 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:06,960 And so the scriptures for seeing this would justify the Gentiles 84 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,360 by faith. Preach the gospel to Abraham 85 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,600 beforehand, saying, in you all the nation shall be blessed. 86 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,480 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing 87 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,520 Abraham, there's only one way to get to heaven. 88 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:25,760 And Jesus said you must be born again If you flip over to John 89 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,480 chapter 3. For some of us, it seems 90 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,400 somewhat elementary, but if you're dragging around your 91 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,480 human carcass trying to live the Christian life, you need to be 92 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,200 reminded, as I did, that you and I, if we're Christians, that 93 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,720 they didn't get here by something we worked up in 94 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,320 ourselves. It was a miracle. 95 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,400 And if you remember back when the Holy Spirit came into you 96 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,560 and you were born again, wasn't life exciting the Christian 97 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,520 life? Wasn't it exhilarating, Huh? 98 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,520 I mean, you just couldn't wait to tell people about what the 99 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,040 Lord's done for you. You were yakking and blabbing 100 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,600 and wanting to grab everybody and take him into heaven. 101 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,160 And then what happens so many months or years later? 102 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:04,360 You're. Oh yeah. 103 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,720 The good old days When I was born again, I remember that I 104 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,440 was really on. Fire and boy, I wish I could go 105 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,400 back to those days. Well, you can go back to those 106 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,720 days, get rid of trying to do it in the flesh and ask the Holy 107 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,360 Spirit to fill you again and control you and empower you. 108 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,080 And when the Spirit here, it empowers us, life gets thrilling 109 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,800 again and exciting. And I can talk about this by 110 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,000 experience. I got saved when I was 20. 111 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,720 And long, long pilgrimage of ups and downs and walking in my own 112 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:36,640 humanness and my weakness and my flesh. 113 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,720 And I'm learning, as you know, as I go on a little more every 114 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,840 day, to really believe it when the Lord says it's not by Mike 115 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:49,360 Clark, not by your human ability, it's not by your power, 116 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,040 it's not by your intentions, it's not by your obsessive 117 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,600 compulsive behavior, it's not by anything but by my spirit, saith 118 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,840 the Lord. And it takes the pressure off me 119 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:02,480 guy, and you guys too. I mean, if you're here today and 120 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,520 you know, you know that it's been a long time since you've 121 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,480 drunk from that fountain of life that brings living water to your 122 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:10,640 soul. It's here today. 123 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,360 He's here, It's him, He's available. 124 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,520 And all you got to do is say, Lord, I've been trying to do 125 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,800 this myself again, and I'm giving up. 126 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,600 And the Lord is not going to say, what do you mean you're 127 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:21,000 giving up? You can't give up. 128 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,640 I'm depending on you. I need you got the Lord's a 129 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,520 good. Now I can take over. 130 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,800 Yeah, well, now we can begin to get some things accomplished 131 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,800 because I'm in charge, not you. So Jesus says you must be born 132 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,680 again. He's speaking to this guy in 133 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:40,360 verse one Pharisee name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 134 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,400 And the man comes to Jesus by night and this is a Jewish 135 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:48,800 leader and he's a servant in the in the fair recidical movement. 136 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,600 And he addresses Jesus as rabbi teacher. 137 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,920 We know that you're a teacher coming from God, for no one can 138 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,400 do these things that you do unless God is with him. 139 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,360 And Jesus answered him and said, most assuredly, I say to you, 140 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,280 unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. 141 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,280 He wasn't talking to him about obeying the law and fulfilling, 142 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,040 fulfilling the law. He was talking to him about 143 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,680 something he never heard in his life before. 144 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,120 He said, and Nicodemus says to him, how can a man be born when 145 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,720 he is old? Can he enter a second time into 146 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,800 his mother's wombs and womb and be born? 147 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,200 And Jesus answered most assuredly I say to you, unless 148 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,800 one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the 149 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,720 Kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is 150 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:35,600 flesh, and that which is born of spirit is spirit. 151 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,559 Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again. 152 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,480 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, 153 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,320 but cannot tell where it comes from, where it goes. 154 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,040 So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. 155 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,160 And Nicodemus answered and said, How can these things be? 156 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:54,720 And Jesus answered to him and said to him, Are you the teacher 157 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:56,600 of Israel? And you do not know these 158 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,080 things? Isn't that interesting? 159 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:02,080 The blind leading the blind how many churches a day on a Sunday 160 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,640 throughout the earth are trying to tell the people they got to 161 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,800 get better, they got to work harder, They got to do this and 162 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,120 they got to do that and they're condemned and they're beaten 163 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,400 down and they're walking out. Man, I got to do that. 164 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,000 I'm such a loss. I just can't do it and instead 165 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,920 of the shepherd's taking the load off and Jesus said my yoke 166 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,400 is easy and my burden is light right coming to me, all you that 167 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,440 labor and are heavy laden. I'm that isn't my guilt trip. 168 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,080 That isn't what I'm giving you learn of me, for my yoke is easy 169 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:33,840 and my burden is light. And Jesus is saying you're a 170 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:35,720 teacher of Israel and you don't know these things. 171 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,480 Most surely I say to you, we speak what we know and we 172 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,560 testify what we've seen and you do not receive our witness. 173 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,160 And there's a struggle in society and Christian society 174 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,000 today of a group of people that believe in works, righteousness, 175 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,280 and a group of people that believe in grace. 176 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,440 And Paul couldn't have gone any clearer in Ephesians 289. 177 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,640 For by grace you've been saved right through faith. 178 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:06,200 And this is not yourselves. It's what a gift of God, not of 179 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,080 works, bless. Any man should boast. 180 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,280 We need to praise our Lord for what he's done for us. 181 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,640 Amen. We need to thank him for his 182 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,480 grace. We need to praise him for his 183 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,240 grace and Be Walking in Grace is a great book, if you've never 184 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,240 read it, called Why Grace Changes Everything. 185 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,560 It's the whole philosophy of what Calvary Chapel is about. 186 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,280 And I encourage you to read that book if you haven't read it yet 187 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,440 because we can forget. And Paul wrote the book of 188 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,640 Galatians to Christians in Galatia who were starting to 189 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,040 forget that they were saved by grace and they were trying to 190 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,200 get back in God's good graces by the energy of the flesh. 191 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,920 And that's why he said, oh, foolish Galatians, who deceived 192 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,160 you? So he says, no one has ascended 193 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:50,920 to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is the Son of 194 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:55,160 man who's in heaven as Moses was lifted up, as Moses lifted up 195 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,480 the serpent and the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be 196 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,360 lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but 197 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,280 have eternal life. For God so loved the world that 198 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:09,920 he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him 199 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,640 should not perish, but have everlasting life. 200 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,960 This is a good news for you and me today. 201 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,040 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the 202 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:21,320 world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 203 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:24,960 He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not 204 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,360 believe is condemned already because he's not believed in the 205 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:31,160 name of the only begotten Son of God. 206 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:33,760 So today there's two groups of people here. 207 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,440 We have the condemned and the free. 208 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,160 If you're here in Christ today, you're forgiven, you're under 209 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,360 his mercy and his grace, and you're free. 210 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,080 But if you're here today and you reject the message of Christ, 211 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,400 you're condemned already because there's no other way to be saved 212 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,480 but through the miracle of new birth. 213 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,040 And you might sit here and say, well, I don't know if I've ever 214 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,880 had that happen to me. If you're, if you're saying that 215 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,480 today it hasn't happened to you, but it can happen to you. 216 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,520 And there's many here that can testify of the power of the 217 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,040 spirit and, and the experience of being born again. 218 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,280 I remember when I was 2020, I was living at the shore and I 219 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,520 was working in a parking lot and I was just coming out of hippie 220 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,040 thing. And, you know, I, I still, you 221 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,640 know, thought that way and that I was slowly changing because 222 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,400 the Holy Spirit had come into my heart and my bedroom. 223 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,120 I was reading the Bible and I was saying, God, if there's, if 224 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,680 this is real, I need you to reveal yourself to me because I 225 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:31,080 think I'm going to lose my mind from the abuse of drugs in my 226 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:32,840 life. And I started with Matthew and I 227 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:34,880 went through Mark and I went through Luke and I went through 228 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,360 John. And by the time I got to John, I 229 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,480 was in love with this person, Jesus Christ. 230 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,840 I said, I've never met or discovered or read about anybody 231 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,600 like him. He was cool all the time. 232 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,160 He handled every situation perfectly. 233 00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:54,000 He had a love that I wanted to emulate my life for people. 234 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,200 And when his love apprehended me, it changed my life. 235 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,320 The beginning of the road that leads to life. 236 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,440 And so I, these guys are saying, you know, you go to this church, 237 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:06,840 man, it, you know, it's good down there. 238 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,400 And that's a church, man. I've been in church. 239 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,160 I'm not interested in church. You know, I've been in these 240 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:12,920 dead churches. I don't, I'm not into the 241 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,040 instant American, you know, I'm not into the institutional 242 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,600 church and had such a disdain for it that Cindy and I refused 243 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,880 to get married in a church. We had to get married outside of 244 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,240 church because of what it had represented to us growing up, 245 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,200 both of us. So I remember, you know, they 246 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:28,520 said we'll get down here, man, it's cool. 247 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:30,480 You know, there's people down there talking about Jesus and 248 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,200 I'm thinking people in church actually talking about Jesus and 249 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:34,560 they love him and they want to follow him. 250 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:36,720 You know, I'm thinking that I've never seen anything like that. 251 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,600 So I went in and right across the top of the church, big 252 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,760 Brownwood statement, you must be born again. 253 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,240 I walked in. I was like, that's what happened 254 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:49,840 to me. That's what happened to me. 255 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,960 You know, my hair is jumping down and I had my multi colored 256 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,640 quarter away pants on. And people are like, yeah, man, 257 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,040 you know. But the pastor, he, he just like 258 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,680 he, he knew what it was about. He knew what had happened in my 259 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:02,680 life. And so he began to mentor me and 260 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:06,360 eventually Cindy and and you know, so if you haven't been 261 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:07,880 born again, I highly recommend it. 262 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,800 Acts chapter 4 again, this is the power of the Holy Spirit 263 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:20,120 through the apostle and he's preaching and this is the the 264 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:21,840 power of God through this man's life. 265 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,200 Peter and verse 8 filled with the Holy Spirit said to them in 266 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,840 verse 8 of chapter 4, rulers of the people and elders of Israel. 267 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,640 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless 268 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,800 man, by what means has he been made? 269 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:37,640 Well they just the Lord just healed. 270 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,120 This guy says let it be known to you all and to all the people of 271 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:44,800 Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you 272 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:49,320 crucified, whom God raised from the dead by him, this man stands 273 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,240 here before you whole. This is a stone which was 274 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:57,200 rejected by you builders, which has become the chief 275 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,640 cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any 276 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,400 other, for there is no other name under heaven given among 277 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:08,040 men whereby we must be saved. So the the authority of the 278 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,920 Apostle Peter, a born again Jew, filled with the power of the 279 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,440 Holy Spirit, speaking to his own people. 280 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:16,920 You guys missed it. You're trying to build these 281 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,960 tabernacles and do all this religious worship and, and all 282 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,080 this stuff you're trying to be so precise with and so detailed 283 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,040 with. And the main thing that makes us 284 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,880 all work is Jesus Christ. And you've just pushed him 285 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,200 aside. And so your structure and your 286 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,080 building and everything you've stand stood upon in regards to 287 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:38,000 your spirituality is going to fall and be decimated because it 288 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,000 can't stand up against the truth of the person of Jesus Christ. 289 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,880 So again, you can't get saved through Buddha, Krishna, 290 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:48,480 Muhammad, any everybody but Jesus Christ Jesus said I am the 291 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,680 way, I am the truth, I'm the life. 292 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,200 No man comes to the Father but through me. 293 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:57,440 So today in Revelation 1217 we see the Jewish remnant and to 294 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,720 the day as we think about Israel, they're filled with 295 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,560 unbelief for the most part. As I said earlier, the virtually 296 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,520 the whole world is anti Israel and the stage is being set in 297 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,520 these last days for the tribulation events that are 298 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,520 going to come upon the small nation of whom the Lord loves 299 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,320 Iran of Jennidad, however he pronounces his name. 300 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,880 That guy thinks daily his purpose in life is to wipe 301 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:23,400 Israel off the face of the earth. 302 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:27,400 He's he's not a fool. This guy is focused, he's 303 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:32,760 determined and he's not going to let anything set him aside from 304 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,720 his goal. Now we're thankful God's 305 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,920 sovereign and and it's not going to happen the way he predicts, 306 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,720 but nonetheless, he could be used by the evil one that caused 307 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,240 great chaos in this nation. And every day there's pressure, 308 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,360 the mounting in that part of the world because of what's going on 309 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,840 in that part of the nation. Now, what's God's heart for 310 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,800 Israel? If you turn to Luke chapter 13, 311 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,680 as we begin to wind down, it's real important to get a picture 312 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,400 of how the Lord feels about this country, how he loves it. 313 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:06,680 Luke chapter 13, Luke chapter 13, verse 34 and 35. 314 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,680 This is Jesus lamenting over his beloved city, Jerusalem. 315 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:15,800 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and 316 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:17,520 stones those who are sent to her. 317 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,119 Think about all the Old Testament scriptures where they 318 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,400 rejected God's prophets and his messengers. 319 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,640 How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hand 320 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,320 gathers her brood under her wings. 321 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:34,480 But you were not willing. See, your house is left to you 322 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,720 to desolate. And assuredly I say to you, you 323 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:42,040 shall not see me until the time comes when you say, blessed is 324 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,480 he who comes in the name of the Lord. 325 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,840 The Bible says when Christ returns at the second coming, 326 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,960 every eye will see him coming down out of the clouds of glory. 327 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,440 And the Jews, the remnant, all the people who are on the face 328 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,280 of the earth, it says they will look up and see him whom they've 329 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,040 pierced and realize He's their Messiah. 330 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,280 And there'll be a great in gathering of multitudes of 331 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,680 people into the heavenly Kingdom at that time. 332 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:15,560 Now flip over to Romans Chapter 11, Romans Chapter 11, verse 23. 333 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,400 And they also, if they do not continue and unbelief will be 334 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:22,000 grafted in, for God is able to graft them in. 335 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:23,960 Again, this is talking about the nation of Israel. 336 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,240 OK, they they rejected Christ and it appears that there's no 337 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,480 interest, but that's not the way it ends. 338 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,880 This is what the Lord's able to do if they don't continue an 339 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,360 unbelief. In other words, if they begin to 340 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:39,240 become believers and and there are many born again Jews over 341 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,640 the last since 1948 when the nation was restored. 342 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,120 There's this movement toward the homeland and and Jewish people 343 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:47,640 all over the world. It's like a magnet. 344 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,880 They're not a they don't understand why all of a sudden 345 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,840 they want to go to Israel, but God has put it in their heart. 346 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,480 That's their homeland, that's their, their birth land. 347 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,920 And so there's this movement of, of immigration into this nation 348 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,560 from all over the world. But the Lord has a heart and a 349 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:04,960 purpose. And he says that he can graft 350 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:09,000 them in again. For if you were cut off of the 351 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,000 olive tree, which is wild by nature and were grafted contrary 352 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,360 to nature into cultivated olive tree, how much more will these 353 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:19,560 who are natural branches be grafted into their own olive 354 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:21,520 tree? So the wild branches where they 355 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:26,040 Gentiles people like us that God in his mercy transformed us and 356 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,680 made us fit into his eternal plan. 357 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,520 But he didn't set aside the nation of Israel, his remnant, 358 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,880 his people and he's going to be able to graft them in again. 359 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:41,480 Who are the the natural born people that God has intended to 360 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,920 save from the beginning and verse 25 for I do not desire 361 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:47,040 brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery. 362 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,840 And so the Lord telling us today his brothers and sisters in 363 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,480 Christ here at Calvary. He doesn't want to us to be like 364 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:54,800 confused about this stuff mixed up. 365 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,760 I mean, it's amazing how many evangelical churches that they 366 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,080 have different opinions about this subject. 367 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,720 Lest you should be wise in your own opinion. 368 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,040 That blindness, in part, has happened to Israel until the 369 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,000 fullness of the time of the Gentiles has come in. 370 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:14,680 And so now we see that the body of Christ is the Gentile 371 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,600 movement. The time of the fullness of the 372 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,920 Gentiles is when that last person gets saved as as the 373 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,520 gospel goes into the ends of the earth, when that bride of Christ 374 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,720 is complete, then we're taken out. 375 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,720 The rapture occurs. But the Lord is not finished 376 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,960 with Israel though. And the good news is that Israel 377 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,640 was set aside for a period of time so that God can have his 378 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,160 perfect will and work and our hearts and lives. 379 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,360 Now Revelation 17 flip over there. 380 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:43,840 We're going through a lot of flipping around today, but 381 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,920 that's good because that way you'll get familiar with these 382 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,680 things and you can share them with other people. 383 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,320 Revelation 17 says Behold, he's coming with clouds, every eye 384 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,520 will see him, even they who pierced him, and all the tribes 385 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:02,080 of the earth, referring to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac 386 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,320 and Jacob of the earth, will mourn because of him. 387 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:09,680 Even so, Amen. They pierced him. 388 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:14,520 They rejected him. Zechariah chapter 12 refers and 389 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,400 details the ones who are identified as the ones who 390 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:22,160 pierced him as the House of David and the inhabitants of 391 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,440 Jerusalem. And he prophesized that they 392 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,480 will have tears of true repentance because of what they 393 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,160 did to their Messiah. And it says here in Revelation 394 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:38,400 17, all the tribes will mourn. Zechariah 12/10 says, And I will 395 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,520 pour on the House of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 396 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,320 the spirit of grace and supplication. 397 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,440 Spirit of grace. That's what we need, isn't it? 398 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,400 All of us. I pray that this place is a 399 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:56,120 spirit of grace for you, that God's Holy Spirit pours out on 400 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:59,280 you and builds you up and strengthens you and encourages 401 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,960 you in the grace of God. For there's nothing else that 402 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,560 can sustain you and me but by the grace of God. 403 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,200 And then they will look on him whom they Pierce. 404 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:15,400 I like to end in reading Psalm 122 tremendous messianic Psalm 405 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,240 prophetical that will one day be completely fulfilled. 406 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,560 It says I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the 407 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,520 House of the Lord. Our feet have been standing 408 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:30,560 within your gates of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city 409 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:34,240 that is compact together where the tribes go up, the tribes of 410 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,600 the Lord to the testimony of Israel to give thanks to the 411 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,960 name of the Lord. For Thrones are set there for 412 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,160 judgment. The Thrones of the House of 413 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,880 David. Pray for the peace from 414 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,680 Jerusalem. We support the ministries in 415 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:50,640 Jerusalem. We pray for the peace of 416 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,640 Jerusalem, because until there's peace in Jerusalem, there will 417 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:58,280 be no peace on this earth. Peace be within your walls, 418 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,600 prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brethren and 419 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,880 companions, I will now say peace be within you. 420 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,160 Because of the House of the Lord our God. 421 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,920 I will seek your good. Does God have a plan for Israel? 422 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:14,680 Amen. He sure does. 423 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:19,280 Does he have a plan for us? Yes, he does, as I have not seen 424 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,280 nor ear heard nor entered into the heart of man the things that 425 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,040 God has prepared for those who love him. 426 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,040 If I was a dancing pastor up here, I'd be dancing all around 427 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:30,960 like a maniac. I'm psyched today. 428 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,200 I mean, I just, I mean, this, this stuff, if it doesn't like 429 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,280 wake us up out of our complacency and lethargy, man, 430 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,200 what do we need? We need a blood transfusion, 431 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,640 right? Not a human blood transfusion, 432 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,760 but a Holy Spirit poured out. Holy Ghost Jesus, blood 433 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:47,400 transfusion. Amen. 434 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,840 We are digging into the Book of Revelation here on Living Waters 435 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,600 of Grace. Pastor Clark is tackling this 436 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,520 challenging book as we try to discern the messages that are 437 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:03,120 within its pages. There's so much imagery and at 438 00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:06,600 times you're not always sure what's literal and what's 439 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,440 metaphorical. At one point there's a reference 440 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,760 to an adulterous woman riding on a beast. 441 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,200 And as someone else mentioned, at one point it almost sounds 442 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:20,680 like a rodeo from hell. And in actuality it kind of is. 443 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,000 You learn about the downfall and demise of a sinful and 444 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,280 rebellious world, falling down in worship to someone who is the 445 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:36,200 anti hero, the enemy, Satan working his insidious ways into 446 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:40,880 the minds of fallen people. It's sad and it's heartbreaking, 447 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,600 but it's a classic story of good versus evil. 448 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,080 Thankfully, we know how this story ends. 449 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:55,320 Jesus wins, Jesus reigns, and evil is conquered once and for 450 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,880 all. We pray and trust you've 451 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:02,880 received Jesus as your Savior. But if you haven't, don't wait 452 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,160 until the events in Revelation become what's happening on the 453 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,680 streets. None of us wants you to be there 454 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,960 at that time. Instead, we'd love for you to be 455 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,760 with us in heaven as we celebrate the marriage supper 456 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:23,240 with Jesus as his bridegroom. To get a better understanding of 457 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,400 where we are in the Book of Revelation, to listen to any 458 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:31,080 messages before or after this one, you can find them at our 459 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,680 website, calvarychapelonline.com. 460 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,360 That's it for today's edition, but we hope you'll want to hear 461 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,840 Pastor Clark teach more from the Book of Revelation. 462 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,240 It can be exciting to think about the future for believers, 463 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,320 but it can feel a bit harrowing for those who don't believe. 464 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,440 Come hear more next time on Living Waters of Grace.