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 --> 00:00:18,760 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:41,640 Anything in your life or mine that causes us to love whatever 6 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:46,240 it is more than we love. God is appealing to the lust of 7 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,480 the eye, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life. 8 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:51,760 It's called worldliness. Anything that moves you away 9 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:56,120 from God's will is worldliness. Anything that causes you to not 10 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,400 pursue God with all your heart is worldliness. 11 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,840 Anything that causes you to spend your money on things that 12 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,280 are going to perish, as opposed to investing them in things that 13 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,440 are going to last for eternity, is worldliness. 14 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,800 It's far easier to live worldly lives than we realize. 15 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,280 The smallest things that we've been conditioned to believe and 16 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,480 perceive as normal hold us back from seeing Jesus daily. 17 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,960 Allowing our hearts and minds to be filled with self love and 18 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:27,840 money continues to blind us from the sin that we've become numb 19 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,520 to today. Pastor Clark teaches us that 20 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,640 giving our time, energy, and love to things of this world 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,880 hinders us from setting our affections on the things above 22 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,320 where Christ resides now. Here's Pastor Clark in the Book 23 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:46,760 of Revelation chapter 20 with today's edition of Living Waters 24 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,840 of Grace. Revelation chapter 20, verse 4. 25 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,160 And I saw Thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was 26 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,080 committed to them. And then I saw the souls of 27 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,840 those who had been beheaded for the witnesses to Jesus and for 28 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,480 the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his 29 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,479 image, and had not received His mark on their foreheads or in 30 00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:13,440 their on their hands. And they lived and reigned with 31 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,720 Christ for 1000 years. But the rest of the dead did not 32 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,960 live again until the thousand years were finished. 33 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:23,360 This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has 34 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,640 part in the first resurrection over such the second death has 35 00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:32,480 no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and 36 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:37,000 shall reign with him 1000 years. Now as we're studying the 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,440 millennial Kingdom, the beginning of of God's 1000 year 38 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,240 reign when He rules with authority and power on the face 39 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,120 of the earth, when the devil is bound for that 1000 years. 40 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,160 We're told some wonderful things regarding this future House of 41 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,320 God when Christ comes and rules in Jerusalem from his throne and 42 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,000 temple. And it says in chapter 2 of 43 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,400 Isaiah, the word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah 44 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,880 and Jerusalem now shall come to pass in the latter days, that 45 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,960 the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on top of 46 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,200 the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all 47 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,000 nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 48 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,120 Come, and let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the 49 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,640 House of God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and 50 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:26,080 we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth 51 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:27,960 the law and the word of the Lord. 52 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,440 From Jerusalem He shall judge between the nations and rebuke 53 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,840 many people. They shall beat their swords 54 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,520 into plowshares and their Spears into pruning hooks. 55 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,320 Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall 56 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,840 they learn war anymore. O House of Jacob, come and let 57 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,320 us walk, and the light of the Lord. 58 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,680 And then in Isaiah chapter 35 says, The wilderness and the 59 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,800 wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall 60 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,800 rejoice and blossom as a rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and 61 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,880 rejoice even with joy in singing the glory of Lebanon. 62 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,200 Shall I give to it the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. 63 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,800 They shall see the glory of the Lord, the Excellency of our God. 64 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,200 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 65 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,120 Say to those who are fearful hearted, Be strong, do not fear. 66 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,880 Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with a recompense of 67 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:20,839 of God, and He will come and save you. 68 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,000 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the 69 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,200 deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a 70 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,320 deer in the tongue of the dumb, saying, For water shall burst 71 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,840 forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. 72 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,520 The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land 73 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,440 springs of water, and the habitation of jackals. 74 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,920 Where each lay. There shall be grass with reeds 75 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,360 and rushes. A highway shall be there in a 76 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,240 road, and it shall be called the highway of holiness. 77 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:52,000 The unclean shall not Passover it, but it shall be for others. 78 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,200 Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. 79 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,760 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beasts go up 80 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,240 on it. It shall not be found there, but 81 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,320 the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransom of the Lord shall 82 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,240 return and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy in 83 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,400 their heads. They shall obtain joy and 84 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,960 gladness and sorrow, and sign shall flee away. 85 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,440 How awesome is that going to be, huh? 86 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:22,880 1000 year reign. No more politics, no more world 87 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,120 rollers trying to take control of the earth. 88 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:29,040 We'll be under the authority of Jesus Christ and him alone. 89 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:31,240 There'll be perfect peace on that earth. 90 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,400 At that time, everybody, the New Age people are thinking they're 91 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,640 going to push Nirvana into place and have the world come together 92 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,000 in the concentric circles and bring in a peace. 93 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,840 But there will be no peace until Jesus Christ comes. 94 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,360 He is the Prince of Peace and we need to be praying for the peace 95 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,160 of Jerusalem in these days because as that peace comes upon 96 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,880 Jerusalem, the peace will come upon the whole world. 97 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,680 And so this is what we look forward to at the end of the 98 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,640 tribulation period. But what we see in verse 4 here, 99 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,920 it says I saw Thrones and they that sat on them and judgment 100 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,960 was committed to them. The picture of the privilege 101 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,320 that we will have, the position that we will have and enjoy 102 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,960 during this millennial Kingdom. It says in verse four that it'll 103 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,920 be granted to them authority to judge under Jesus Christ. 104 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,760 In first Corinthians chapter 6, verse two and three, it says, do 105 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,600 you not know that the Saints will judge the world and if the 106 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,160 world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge in the 107 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,160 smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall 108 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,520 judge angels? How much more things that 109 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,440 pertain to this life? So you're going to be a judge 110 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,520 one day under the authority of Jesus Christ, sitting on a 111 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,600 throne and judging under his leadership. 112 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,080 We have no idea in our small minds, our finite minds, the 113 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,240 great things that God hath prepared for those who love him. 114 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:02,240 It says in Luke chapter 19. And he said to him, well done 115 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:06,160 good servant because you were faithful and a very little have 116 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,520 authority over 10 cities. And the second came saying, 117 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:15,160 master, you're 1 minor or money equivalent to three months wages 118 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,880 has earned 5 Minas. Likewise he said to him, you 119 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:25,200 also will be over 5 cities. As we live our lives, all of us, 120 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,160 everything we're doing right now will have an effect on what 121 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:30,960 we'll be doing in the millennial Kingdom. 122 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,920 If you're faithful in the small things in this life, God has a 123 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,080 plan for you in that thousand year reign, a very specific 124 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:43,000 honorable plan that he's going to give to you to lead and to 125 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,920 serve in that millennial Kingdom. 126 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,800 Some of us might think, well, boy, I don't really have much of 127 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,560 an influence and impact in this life, in this world. 128 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,960 I guarantee if you're faithful in the smallest of things in 129 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:58,120 this life, God will blow your mind and what He's going to give 130 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,040 you the privilege to do in the millennial Kingdom under His 131 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,120 authority. Some of you might be mayors and 132 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,120 governors. Some of you might be running 133 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,600 different types of business enterprises. 134 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,880 And in this life, it seems like you never get a shot or you 135 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,440 never have the privilege to do maybe what you really would like 136 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,760 to do or what you think you're capable of doing. 137 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:19,440 I love it. What it says in First 138 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,680 Corinthians 1558. Be steadfast, immovable, always 139 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,800 abounding in the work for the Lord, for as much as you know 140 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:28,640 your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 141 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,280 And then that day in that millennial Kingdom, when God 142 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,240 calls your name and says, this is what I have for you to do for 143 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,919 me during this millennial Kingdom, you'll turn around and 144 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:38,480 think, He can't be talking to me. 145 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,720 But yes, He will be talking to you because everything you do in 146 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,280 this life, no matter how small it might seem, is being written 147 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,840 and recorded by Him in the book of remembrance, and He'll have a 148 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,960 very, very special job for you in that Kingdom. 149 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,600 And the Scriptures tell us that in this time of judgment, 150 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,920 there's souls of those who have been beheaded for their witness 151 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:01,880 to Jesus and for the Word of God. 152 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,240 Why? Because they did not worship the 153 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,600 beast or his image. It had not received his marker 154 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,240 on their foreheads or on their hands. 155 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,560 This world is very alluring. It's very tempting, isn't it? 156 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,760 It's very easy for us to be drawn into things that we 157 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,720 shouldn't be drawn into as Christians. 158 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,640 Every day we have to fight against the temptations of our 159 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,720 fallen nature that still tries to raise its ugly head up. 160 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,360 We have to be on guard continually against the Wiles of 161 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,360 the devil. The devil is insidious in how he 162 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:41,080 approaches us and how he wants to trap us into things that 163 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,680 would cause problems for us in this life. 164 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,360 James tells us in chapter 4 verse four, he refers to those 165 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,560 who have an affinity or a love for this present evil world as 166 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:56,120 adulterers and adulteresses. It says, do you not know that 167 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,680 friendship with the world is enmity with God? 168 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:01,760 Meaning, if you're a friend with the world, you're an enemy of 169 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,360 God. Whoever therefore wants to be a 170 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:08,480 friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 171 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,520 You can't serve 2 masters. The Bible says you'll love the 172 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:16,000 one and you'll hate the other. It tells us in first John 173 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,720 chapter 2. If you flip over there for a 174 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,240 minute regarding this world system, First John chapter 2 175 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:26,360 verse 15, it says do not love the world or the things in the 176 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,200 world. If anyone loves the world, the 177 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:29,920 love of the Father is not in him. 178 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,000 For all that is in the world, the lusts of the flesh, the 179 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,120 lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, 180 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,400 but is of the world, and the world is passing away in the 181 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,320 lust of it. But he who does the will of God 182 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:47,440 abides forever. All of us are struggling and 183 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,280 fighting against this power of this world every day. 184 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:55,800 The lust of the eye, the things that we see that seems pleasant, 185 00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:00,640 as we've studied in the book of Genesis, the woman looked at the 186 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,080 tree and it was pleasant to her eyes. 187 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,120 The eye is is a gateway to the mind. 188 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,560 That's why it tells us don't stand in the counsel of the 189 00:11:10,560 --> 00:11:13,800 ungodly, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. 190 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,680 The enemy would try to draw us into evil through the things 191 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:24,680 that we see with our eyes, the lust of the flesh, that is where 192 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,840 she saw the tree, that it was good for food. 193 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:32,040 And this appeals to our lower appetites, the old nature, the 194 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,720 things that are vain in our lives. 195 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,600 The Scriptures say, Pray that the Lord would take my eyes from 196 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,760 beholding vain things. And then the pride of life. 197 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,160 It's a tree, she said, to be desired. 198 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,400 And the the devil said it's a tree to be desired, to make one 199 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:51,920 wise. And the pride of life manifests 200 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,440 itself in flaunting our materialism and affluence, to 201 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,920 try to make impressions upon other people by perhaps the car 202 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,960 we drive or the house we live in, or the things that we own. 203 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,080 And Jesus says that man's life does not consist in the 204 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,120 abundance of the things he possesses, but everything in 205 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,560 this world will be to appeal to the lust of the eye, the lust of 206 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:13,960 the flesh, and the pride of life. 207 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,960 The marketers spend big money to make you feel that your life 208 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,560 isn't fulfilled or satisfied unless you acquire whatever the 209 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:24,680 advertisers are going to put on. I mean, the amount of money that 210 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:27,760 they spend in the Super Bowl to advertise their product. 211 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:29,640 You know why? Because they know it works. 212 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,960 They know there's going to be countless millions of people all 213 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,280 over the world watching that football game and they'll do all 214 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,000 they can to appeal to the lust of the eye, the lust of the 215 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:44,480 flesh and the pride of life. Now, worldliness is a matter of 216 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,560 the heart. And I struggle myself with this 217 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:50,520 aspect of worldliness that I have to constantly be on guard 218 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,320 about. And worldliness is defined as 219 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:58,800 having an allegiance or a loyalty to anything that you 220 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:00,520 would love more than you would love God. 221 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,840 Jesus said to these people that ask them the questions, what's 222 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,480 the most important commandment? And Jesus says to love the Lord 223 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,480 your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all 224 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,440 your soul, with all your strength, and to love your 225 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,240 neighbor is yourself. If you do these two things, 226 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:27,120 you'll fulfill the entire law. Anything in your life or mine 227 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,840 that causes us to love whatever it is more than we love. 228 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:35,480 God is appealing to the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, 229 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,720 the pride of life. It's called worldliness. 230 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,480 Anything that moves you away from God's will is worldliness. 231 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,520 Anything that causes you to not pursue God with all your heart 232 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,440 is worldliness. Anything that causes you to 233 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,080 spend your money on things that are going to perish as opposed 234 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,640 to investing them in things that are going to last for eternity 235 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:58,040 is worldliness. Anything that is profane and 236 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:03,560 lustful and focused on your own self will is worldliness. 237 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,560 That's why the apostle Paul said in Colossians chapter 3 verse 2, 238 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,720 set your affections on things above, not on things on earth. 239 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,560 Set your affection on things that are above, not on things 240 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:18,560 that are on the earth. And you have to ask yourself 241 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,040 this morning, where is my affections? 242 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,920 Are they upon the things above, where Christ resides, where my 243 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,040 life is hid with Christ and God, Where I'll spend all eternity 244 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,480 someday? Definitely during the millennial 245 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,320 Kingdom serving Him. And then at that final battle of 246 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,760 Gog and Magog at the end of the Millennium, I'll spend all 247 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,200 eternity with Him in the heavens. 248 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:44,960 Or are my affections on the things of the earth? 249 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:49,520 Am I wasting my life? You know, the one servant that 250 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,600 was given the money to invest in the Lord's Kingdom, he hid it in 251 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,800 the ground because he was fearful of the master, that the 252 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,120 master came back and if there was nothing left, then he would 253 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,840 be in big trouble. Well, the Lord is looking for 254 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:04,920 fruitfulness in all of our lives. 255 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,120 So He gives you and me one life, one shot, one chance in this 256 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,840 life that we're going to either blow or we're going to used for 257 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,600 his purposes and for his Kingdom. 258 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,720 And so the picture of that servant, he hid the money in the 259 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:20,440 ground. And when the master came back, 260 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,520 he said, well, what do you have to show for what I entrusted you 261 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:25,280 with? And he said, well, master, I was 262 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:26,720 afraid you. I thought you were a harsh 263 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,000 servant. So I hid it in the ground and 264 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,000 here it is. And the master was livid in the 265 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,360 sense that I gave you this and I entrusted you this with this to 266 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,560 multiply and to grow and to increase and, and you didn't do 267 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,440 that. In all of our lives, Christ is 268 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:47,760 looking for a harvest, a fruitful existence, so that at 269 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,840 the end, when we stand and give an account of ourselves before 270 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:55,000 the Lord and our lives are put through that judgment seat of 271 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,920 Christ where everything is revealed as to what our 272 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:00,600 priorities were in this life and what we were living for. 273 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,560 That it won't burn up and just have nothing. 274 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,240 It says some will be saved as oh by fire. 275 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:13,320 God in his mercy will save and is saving those who come to Him 276 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,880 and trust in Him. But salvation is more than this. 277 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,840 Asking Christ that came into our life and forgive us of our sins 278 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:20,560 so that we can have eternal life. 279 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,840 Salvation is the beginning of a new destiny for all of us to 280 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,000 live for purposes that will last for all eternity. 281 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,120 That our life no longer is benefiting ourselves, but it's 282 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,120 benefiting and prospering other people. 283 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:38,320 Jim Elliott, the famous missionary who was struggling to 284 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,840 go to South America to work with the the tribal Indians, just 285 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,680 like us, a normal guy. But everybody eulogizes and puts 286 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,240 Jim Elliott on a pedestal because he was an amazing man. 287 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,160 He was martyred for his faith in Christ. 288 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,800 But Jim was challenging himself whenever he had the call to go 289 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,760 and be a missionary. The couple weeks before he left, 290 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,160 he was saying, am I nuts? Selling all my stuff, giving it 291 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,480 away, going to a group of people that you know could care less 292 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,760 maybe or what's the consequences of going there and he's 293 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,119 struggling back and forth just like we all do. 294 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,680 Whenever God begins to work by his spirit and challenge us and 295 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,960 say, I want to draw you into a deeper relationship with me. 296 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,480 I want you to know my heart for your existence. 297 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,640 I want to live my life through you and for my glory. 298 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,320 And all of us when we start hearing God that way, we have 299 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,840 several attitudes. Wow, this is awesome. 300 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:35,560 And yes, Lord, I want what you want. 301 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,280 And then we also have the the fear at times, well, what will 302 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,720 this cost me? What will this require of me? 303 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,800 And Jesus says if you want to find your life, you have to lose 304 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,920 it. If you want to save your life, 305 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:51,680 you have to lose it for my sake. And that's a paradox. 306 00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:57,200 If we really want to find real life, we have to actually lose 307 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:02,200 it, lose what we think is important so he can show us what 308 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:06,360 really is important. Well, Jim Elliott, he said that 309 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:10,240 famous phrase that he's known for after his martyrdom. 310 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:15,880 He is no fool to lose what he cannot keep to gain what he 311 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,040 cannot lose. He is no fool to lose what he 312 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,720 cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. 313 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:28,000 Going back to Sodom and we're studying in Genesis. 314 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,960 We haven't gotten to this section yet, but a lot is in 315 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:36,080 this horrible place, Sodom and Gomorrah, and it's a picture of 316 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,240 the world as it is back then, as it is today. 317 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,120 The world is full of evil and wickedness and ungodliness and 318 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:46,720 impurity. The majority of the human race 319 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,240 detests. The Lord Jesus Christ does not 320 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,480 want to have anything to do with Him, and if He was here on earth 321 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,960 again, they would crucify Him. This as they crucified Him last 322 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:00,960 time. So Lot is told to get out of 323 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:05,560 that city. And as he's being basically 324 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,920 dragged out of the city by the angels, it says he lingered for 325 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,440 a while. And lingered means it's like 326 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,920 sort of slowing down. And like, yeah, I know I'm 327 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,360 supposed to go this way, but I'm just, you know, I'm just not 328 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:21,120 like really wanting perhaps to go with all my heart. 329 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:24,800 I'm just sort of still have a longing to be back here. 330 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,080 But it says in the Bible that God's grace pulled them out of 331 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,720 that city. Lot, his wife and his daughters. 332 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,360 They were told not to look back behind them. 333 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,480 But his wife, unfortunately, as she was walking away from Sodom, 334 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,880 her heart still long for the world and they were warned not 335 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,240 to look back. And when she looked back, she 336 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:57,560 turned into a pillar of salt. Her life was destroyed, Jesus 337 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:02,600 says in Luke Chapter 9 verse 62. But Jesus said to him, no one 338 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,280 having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the 339 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,840 Kingdom of God. I don't know where you are 340 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,960 today, but as we're studying this Book of Revelation, some of 341 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:17,240 us are here and we unfortunately, if Christ tarries 342 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:22,200 or some of us are taken out at what is called the rapture, the 343 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,960 catching away. And those who are left behind 344 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,400 that never committed themselves truly and fully to Jesus Christ, 345 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,120 because of them lingering and missing that return of Christ, 346 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,520 and because of their love for the present world system, they 347 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,960 will be deceived into taking the mark of the beast, the mark of 348 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,840 the Antichrist. And some of you here today will 349 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,960 perhaps end up taking that. That is not my prayer. 350 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,320 It's not the Lord's Prayer. He's not willing that any should 351 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,600 perish, but all that come, come to repentance. 352 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,200 But things are going to get so bad during that tribulation that 353 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,840 if you're left here with without faith in Christ, you will be 354 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:09,200 tempted and most likely moved to say, well, this doesn't make 355 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,920 sense not to take this because if I don't get this 356 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,840 identification code, I don't have any ability to access my 357 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,600 bank accounts. I can't work at my job anymore. 358 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,640 I can't buy food for my family. I'm I'm going to get that mark 359 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,760 and the mark is the ultimate betrayal of, of your soul to the 360 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,680 devil. And once you take that mark of 361 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,760 the beast, you'll never be able to withdraw from that 362 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,520 commitment. Hebrews tells us about the 363 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,120 subject of what we call the perseverance of the Saints. 364 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:39,720 And if you're really gods today, if you really belong to him, if 365 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,440 you've really been saved and your life has been radically 366 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,520 transformed, you don't have to worry about being left behind 367 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,800 and you don't have to worry about any kind of mark on your 368 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,600 body that will represent your allegiance to Antichrist. 369 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,240 It says therefore in verse 35 of Hebrews chapter 10. 370 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,480 Therefore do not castaway your confidence, which has great 371 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,040 reward, for you have need of endurance, so that after you 372 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,520 have done the will of God, you may receive the promise for yet 373 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,360 a little while, and he who is coming will come and will not 374 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:12,080 tarry. Now the just shall live by 375 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,120 faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure 376 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:18,880 in Him. But we are not of those who draw 377 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,760 back to perdition or hell, but are those who believe to the 378 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,480 saving of the soul. So we use this term sometimes 379 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,480 backsliding. And we've all been there where 380 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,520 we've been walking with the Lord and we've been following Him. 381 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,840 And then some events, some crisis, some temptation, some 382 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:38,880 trial, some failing our life causes us to move away from the 383 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:40,920 Lord. In other words, we were like a 384 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:42,960 lot. We're lingering in an area that 385 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,720 we shouldn't be hanging out in. Or perhaps some of us are, are 386 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,600 like Lot's wife that we're falling the Lord and and the 387 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,240 devil's whispering in our ear. Well, you're missing out on this 388 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,440 and you don't do this anymore. And wasn't this good? 389 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,600 And, and all of a sudden you look back and Jesus is saying, 390 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:02,680 if you're truly called to follow me in the Kingdom, you put your 391 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,440 hand to the plow and you just keep going forward. 392 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:07,520 You keep going forward. You're not going to look back 393 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,880 anymore. And I've looked back different 394 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,480 times in my life and I suffered the consequences of looking back 395 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:15,760 when I was in Bible college as a young man. 396 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,360 And I, I'm dealing with the emotions of a young man and the 397 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:22,840 instability and the weaknesses of my own will and the 398 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,240 immaturity of my own walk with the Lord. 399 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,960 And I'm in Bible college and I'm hearing about unreached people 400 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:29,800 group. People have never once heard the 401 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,640 gospel. And I had this compulsion in my 402 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,760 heart that wanted to be involved in going to reach people have 403 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,480 never heard. But you know, when I go out on 404 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,760 weekends to visit families from the church, we're attending nice 405 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,040 houses, nice cars, nice careers. I'm thinking of Lord, why can't 406 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,720 I be like one of those people? They love you, but they have, 407 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:47,520 they sort of have the best of both worlds. 408 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,000 In the Book of Revelation, Pastor Clark is taking us 409 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,840 through all kinds of events and happenings that are predicted 410 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,520 for the future. But for those who believe and 411 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,480 follow Jesus, there's much to look forward to in heaven with 412 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,480 Jesus. However, for those who are here 413 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,760 on earth during the Tribulation, there's all kinds of chaos that 414 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,720 will unfold. The Bible talks about an 415 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:18,000 Antichrist, false prophet, and of course that evil enemy Satan. 416 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,840 Do you see how there are such clever attempts for the enemy to 417 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,040 disguise himself as God and even the Trinity? 418 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,560 The true Savior of the world is God and how he comes to rescue 419 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:34,880 through his triune nature God the Father, Jesus the Son, and 420 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:39,080 God the Holy Spirit. Just like Satan tried to take 421 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,640 over for God in heaven was cast out, Satan will try to convince 422 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,560 people on earth that he is the triune God to be worshipped 423 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,280 instead of the legitimate God in heaven. 424 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,400 It's an attempt, and although he will capture plenty in his 425 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,360 schemes, he will not win. The true God wins, and 426 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:03,200 Revelation unpacks how that will all happen in detail. 427 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,640 Be encouraged because there's a way out for all of this madness 428 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,320 that will ensue on this earth. But you don't want to wait 429 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,600 indefinitely to make that decision about Jesus. 430 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,880 We don't know when the church will be raptured, and you want 431 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,960 to be ready to be with Jesus. To learn more about this, head 432 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:28,200 over to calvarychapelonline.com. We're so glad you've been with 433 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,320 us today. And if you'd like to connect 434 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,600 further with this ministry, find us on Facebook or YouTube. 435 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,840 You can also download our mobile app at calvarychapelonline.com. 436 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:44,440 Be sure to join us for weekly services at 400 E Pittsburgh St. 437 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:53,000 Ste. 6B in Greensburg, PA 15601. This has been living waters of 438 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:53,560 grace.