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 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,000 How in the world can I be a blessing to you? 6 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,800 How can you be a blessing to me if corruption is in the heart? 7 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:52,760 How can we have fellowship with the Father if we regard iniquity 8 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,320 in our heart? How can we minister to our kids 9 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,360 and our grandkids? If we are defiled, we're we're 10 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:05,560 bringing judgement toward one another and toward the body of 11 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:11,480 Christ whenever we compromise. The great theologian CS Lewis 12 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,000 penned these words in his book The Screw Tape Letters. 13 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,880 Indeed, the safest road to hell is the gradual 1, the gentle 14 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,760 slope, soft under foot, without sudden turnings, without 15 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,760 milestones, without signposts. It's not the flashing sign, but 16 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,560 the small pivot towards sin in the body of Christ. 17 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,640 We are called to hold firmly to God's command, to remain 18 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,080 steadfast. Pastor Clark reminds us in 19 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,760 today's sermon that compromise will lead to sinful behavior and 20 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,200 our destruction. Now here's Pastor Clark in 21 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,840 Galatians Chapter 5 with today's edition of Living Waters of 22 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,680 Grace. I'm not interested in compromise 23 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,520 anymore. One time I was. 24 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:57,400 I thought that was just the way it was. 25 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,040 Everybody compromises. Yeah, you believe, but you 26 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,160 really don't live like you believe sometimes. 27 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:03,360 Because we're all human, you know? 28 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:08,840 We all cut each other's slack. You know, I got drunk last 29 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:10,520 night, you might say. And the other person. 30 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:12,800 Yeah, I was drunk two weeks ago. I know I shouldn't have done it, 31 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,160 but I did it. That's not the gospel. 32 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:21,320 That's not salvation. It tells us in Galatians 5, it 33 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,840 gives a list of the sins of compromise, and this is written 34 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,000 to believers. Galatians chapter 5. 35 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,640 He says the works of the flesh in verse 19 are evident, 36 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:38,000 adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry. 37 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:43,600 And this church was full of idolatry and thyrotyra, sorcery, 38 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,720 hatred, contentions, jealousies, outspursts of wrath, selfish 39 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,360 ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, 40 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,880 drunkenness, revelries and the like of which I tell you 41 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,760 beforehand. Just as I also told you in time 42 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:02,400 past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the 43 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:08,280 Kingdom of God. God has called us for holiness 44 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:13,840 and purity. People many times Ask me, do you 45 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,120 believe in eternal security? Do you believe once saved, 46 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,240 always saved? You believe you can be saved and 47 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:23,080 not be saved? That's not the that's not the 48 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:29,960 question we should be asking. Am I living in light of what the 49 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:36,040 Bible says is true salvation? Or am I kidding myself? 50 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,720 Did someone just make me feel good? 51 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,400 You know, I get a kick out of these people that sometimes 52 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,080 these churches, they get them to come up front and they'll come 53 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:44,520 up front. If you want to accept Jesus a 54 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,880 day and you don't want to go to hell, and who in the world wants 55 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:48,480 to go to hell so everybody comes up. 56 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,400 I mean, that sounds like a good deal. 57 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,600 Jesus died for my sins. If you ask Him to come in your 58 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,200 heart and save you, you won't go to hell. 59 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,720 You'll go to heaven, man. Who wouldn't want that? 60 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,200 But there's no message of death to self. 61 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,560 If any man will follow me, let him deny himself. 62 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,720 He who finds his life for my sake must first lose it. 63 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,560 There's a cost, the right to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. 64 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,640 If any man will follow me, let him deny himself and take up his 65 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,240 cross daily and follow me. So the people come down, and so 66 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:21,920 the pastor's. I pray this prayer after me. 67 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:27,480 Lord Jesus, I'm a Sinner, please forgive me of my sins came into 68 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,320 my heart and save me so I don't have to go to hell and I can be 69 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,000 in heaven with you forever. So the person prays it. 70 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,600 Then the pastor goes, praise God, you're a Christian, you're 71 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,800 saved. And the person's like I am. 72 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,480 Sometimes I don't feel different. 73 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:47,360 I don't sense anything's happened to me or but I guess if 74 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,440 that's what you're saying, I guess that's what I am. 75 00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:53,160 And so they come to church week in and week out, month in and 76 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,320 month out and year in and year out thinking that they're 77 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,160 Christians because they prayed a prayer. 78 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,480 But down deep inside, their heart is still doing the same 79 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,120 things, thinking the same things. 80 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:07,920 You and I, we can't save ourself. 81 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:10,160 It's the mercy of God. It's his grace. 82 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,760 And when God changes a life, folks, he changes a life. 83 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,320 We don't have to pretend it. We don't have to fake it. 84 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,440 We don't have to have power, positive thinking. 85 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,360 Well, yeah, I prayed this prayer, even though I'm still 86 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,600 acting this way, you know, I'm saved because I prayed a prayer. 87 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:29,320 No, we're saved if we are living like Jesus Christ. 88 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,080 We're saved if we love the things that he loves and hates, 89 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,480 the things that he hates. We're saved if we're new 90 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,480 creations, right? If any man is in Christ, he's a 91 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,200 new creation. Old things are passed away, 92 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,680 right? My old desire is to do the 93 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,520 things I used to want to do are passed away. 94 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:53,000 I don't want to do them anymore because my heart's been changed. 95 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:59,280 All things have become new. So if we're here today and we're 96 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,400 still struggling with old things and things haven't become new, 97 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,680 we're still without Christ. And the good news is, is that 98 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,440 Christ is still here and able to save. 99 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:11,600 And so he's speaking to this church. 100 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,720 He's talking about judgment. He's talking about the need for 101 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,160 repentance. Repentance is critical to 102 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,160 conversion or salvation or change or purity in the church. 103 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,400 The church is a place that repentance should be the most 104 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,920 intense, guys, not the world, It's US. 105 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,440 Judgment, the Bible says, must first begin with us, and with 106 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,440 us, the House of God. What is it that we are 107 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,600 compromising with secretly? What is it that we're thinking 108 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,200 or watching or seeing or doing that only God sees and no one 109 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,080 else sees? What is it that we're turned on 110 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,320 by? What is it that we're turned off 111 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,680 by? What is it that comes on the TV 112 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,800 that the Spirit of God is just crying out? 113 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,000 You turn that filth off. I don't want you to be defiled. 114 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:02,800 I don't want you to become impure. 115 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,000 I don't want your thoughts to be corrupt. 116 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,320 I don't want you to be defiled as we're studying in the Old 117 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,840 Testament right now about the purifications systems and all 118 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,680 that and the, and the roles that God gave to Moses regarding the 119 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,280 ministry of the sacrifice and touching what's clean and, and 120 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:25,080 not touching what's unclean. I'll tell you, God was so clear 121 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,600 on his displeasure for the slightest thing that would 122 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,120 defile or make one impure or unholy. 123 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,680 And do you realize a thought that comes into your heart that 124 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:42,520 is not sent there by God is designed to defile you and 125 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:48,920 corrupt you? It says that we're to cast down 126 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,560 imaginations and every thought that exalts itself against the 127 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:54,600 knowledge of God. How many thoughts did you have 128 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,880 this week that came to try to exalt themselves against God's 129 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,840 knowledge in your life, recognizing where they're coming 130 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,440 from, why they're being sent, what the source is. 131 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,720 It says to bring every thought into captivity, into the 132 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:11,280 obedience of Christ. Every thought. 133 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,760 I mean, are we like David? The words of my mouth and the 134 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,480 meditations of my heart be acceptable to you. 135 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:26,400 Every second, every moment is my thought pleasing God. 136 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,360 If it isn't and I'm embellishing, or I'm embracing, 137 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:37,320 or I'm allowing the thought to begin to become part of my life, 138 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:43,120 I'm becoming defiled. And so I communicate to you as a 139 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:47,800 brother and my mind's been defiled, how in the world can I 140 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,400 be a blessing to you? How can you be a blessing to me 141 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:58,120 if corruption is in the heart? How can we have fellowship with 142 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,520 the Father if we regard iniquity in our heart? 143 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:06,320 How can we minister to our kids and our grandkids if we are 144 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,240 defiled? We're we're bringing judgment 145 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:16,480 toward one another and toward the body of Christ whenever we 146 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,960 compromise. Jezebel, we think as we study 147 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,920 this book, the word Jezebel is not so much a person, but a 148 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,520 movement of false religion in the church. 149 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:32,840 Jezebel had an influence in the Old Testament upon Israel and 150 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:40,080 got Israel to worship Pagan deity and worship Baal Bear 151 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,720 worship and temple service. Let's let's bring a little bit 152 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,280 of the world into the church. Let's bring a little bit of the 153 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:55,800 world into the home and in the car and in the movie theater so 154 00:09:55,800 --> 00:10:00,160 we can be culturally relevant to the masses. 155 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:09,840 I mean, because if we were too pure, how in the world can we 156 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:16,200 impact anybody else? Well, the Bible talks about salt 157 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,840 losing its savour. What good is salt to flavor if 158 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:26,080 it's lost its ability to impact the meat to make the sacrifice 159 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,840 pleasing? It's your life and my life. 160 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:37,320 What good is our lives if they're compromised the world 161 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,720 today and the church in the culture is lost its influence. 162 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:48,640 It's entertainment, it's social, but it's far from holy. 163 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,360 And as we study these churches, you know, we don't look back and 164 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:53,680 say, boy, that church was messed up. 165 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:55,800 I'm glad we're not like this or like that. 166 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,520 No, we, we read in here and we say, Lord, what is our church 167 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:00,520 like? What are we known by? 168 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,880 Why do people come here? What is it that interests them? 169 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,520 What keeps people away from this church and what draws people to 170 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,760 it? What is it, Lord, that this 171 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:16,640 church is known for the spirit of Jezebel idolatrous practices? 172 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,200 They're OK. Do whatever you need to do to 173 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,080 keep your job. Don't get too serious about your 174 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,080 faith because you'd be looked upon as a fanatic. 175 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,440 Everybody sleeps around. Single people in the church 176 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,640 here, who knows what's going on in their lives. 177 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,760 Who knows what's going on in married couples lives unless 178 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,400 there's accountability and faithfulness to the body and the 179 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,080 church in the home and prayer and the husband and wife 180 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,520 relationship. She's a teacher. 181 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:48,240 The movement, the false teaching is saying hey I do this stuff 182 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,400 and let's let me do it along with members of the church. 183 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:55,160 There's been churches here in Greensburg that fell because of 184 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,520 sexual immorality in the pastors lives. 185 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,920 There used to be a very large church in Greensburg years ago 186 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,400 when I was in my 20s. There was 3 pastors there. 187 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,160 They all condoned behind the scenes a sexually immoral 188 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,520 ministry and it was like a poison. 189 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,760 It came through the church, the crowds were there, everybody's 190 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,320 worshiping, praising, thanking God, but no one knew except for 191 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,960 God what was going on in the hearts of those who were leading 192 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,440 that church. And KP Johannon came through 193 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,600 Gospel for Asia. He preaches at our Calvary 194 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,000 pastors conferences talking about the unreached people in 195 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,280 India and he spoke a word of prophecy in that church. 196 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:37,040 He said I sense and declare that God is going to write Ichabod on 197 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:38,960 this church. No one knew what he was talking 198 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:40,720 about. It means the glory. 199 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:42,640 The Lord hath departed from this place. 200 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:48,680 The place now is an office complex, and the sheep have been 201 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:51,320 scattered and are still scattered. 202 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,840 The deceptions of what goes on in ministries nowadays, people 203 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:59,360 talk about deep things of God, superior enlightenment. 204 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,120 There's certain truths that only certain people can understand 205 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,400 because they're there for those who are deep. 206 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,880 And they make Christianity into something that never was meant 207 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,040 to be. Christianity from Christ's 208 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,280 perspective is to be simple enough for a child to 209 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,920 understand, right? And whenever someone tries to 210 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,360 make it more complicated than it is, man run. 211 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,000 That's the antinomian or the Gnostic spirit. 212 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,160 Antinomian means to live as though there is no law, that 213 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,200 we're under grace. So it doesn't matter what we do 214 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,160 or how we live, we're under grace. 215 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,600 And Paul says, what then shall we send? 216 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,160 Because we are not under the law, but under grace. 217 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:41,200 He says, God forbid Jesus sees everything, Hebrews 413 it says, 218 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,480 and there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things 219 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,520 are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an 220 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,800 account. That means this morning there's 221 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,560 nothing in your heart or mine that is hidden from his sight. 222 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,840 All things are naked. Everything I did this week, 223 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:09,920 everything I thought is open to the eyes of him to whom I must 224 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:16,120 give an account. I think sometimes a delusion in 225 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:20,280 the church today is, well, I die and I'll just be with Jesus. 226 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,080 That's great. Well, it's going to be great to 227 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:26,720 be with Jesus, but I guarantee that giving of an account is 228 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,720 going to be a very, very painful thing if we don't deal with this 229 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,680 now. It says it's a fearful thing to 230 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,480 fall into the hands of the living God. 231 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,480 You know John the Apostle, the beloved of Christ, Whenever he 232 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:45,200 saw Christ, what did he do? That's what we need to do, guys, 233 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,240 get on our face before God. It's a fearful thing to fall 234 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:50,640 into the hands of the living God. 235 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:55,360 John was the buddy of Christ. He laid his head on the breast 236 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,680 of Jesus. He bragged at times saying, I'm 237 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:00,840 more loved by Jesus than anybody else. 238 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:05,080 I'm the beloved John. How different it is though, when 239 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:09,280 you see Christ in his exalted state and his glory and his 240 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,040 purity and His Holiness, and those eyes like a flame of fire, 241 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,120 when you stand before him in the judgment, they shine through 242 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:16,600 you. And you say, woe is me, huh? 243 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,360 And we don't want to wait till we get there to fear God. 244 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:25,040 We need to fear God now, right? And respect Him and honor him 245 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,200 and love Him. And when he says something is 246 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:31,400 sin, we say, yes, Sir, forgive me, I repent. 247 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,240 And then he says, that's OK, go and sin no more. 248 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,160 Not this glibly saying, well, yeah, the Lord forgives me, I'll 249 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:38,920 just do it again. Yeah, he forgives me, I'll just 250 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,080 do it again. That's not repentance. 251 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,280 And then he talks about the feet of brass in Isaiah chapter 63. 252 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:51,320 This is a reference to this. Who is this who comes from Edom 253 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:55,040 with dyed garments from Borza? The one who is glorious in his 254 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,360 apparel, traveling in his greatness, traveling in the 255 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,360 greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness, 256 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,240 mighty to save. Why is your apparel read in your 257 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:05,960 garments? Like one who treads in the wine 258 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,120 press? I've trodden the wine press 259 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:12,040 alone and from the people. No one was with me, for I've 260 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,040 trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. 261 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,760 Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I've stained all 262 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,320 my robes. For the day of vengeance is in 263 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,600 my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. 264 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,440 He will come to judge the wicked in the church, and no one will 265 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,800 be able to stop or resist that judgment. 266 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:39,520 Now, what's ironic about this church in Thyatira is that this 267 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,480 was going on at the same time that the church actually was 268 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,960 doing some good things. There was no shortage of works 269 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,640 in this church or love of service, faith, practice. 270 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,680 It seemed like the church is getting stronger in a sense of 271 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:55,480 ministry, not colder. And Jesus says their works were 272 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,760 increasing, their last works were more than their first, 273 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,360 meaning that the church seemed to be more intense and there 274 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:07,000 seemed to be no defection in their love for one another. 275 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:14,520 Yet like unlike Ephesus, who lost the purity of the love for 276 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,079 God, and yet we're really focused on the importance of 277 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:19,880 sound doctrine. This church was very, very 278 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,119 loving, but wasn't focused on the importance of sound 279 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,480 doctrine. And whenever you have a church 280 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,319 that preaches the truth, that's unloving. 281 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,840 And whenever you have a church that is loving but doesn't teach 282 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,480 sound doctrine, they're both hated by God. 283 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,120 In other words, they're churches that don't represent the truth. 284 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:40,600 And this spirit of Jezebel has been a problem for a long time, 285 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,720 way back in the Old Testament. It's not a recent origin, but 286 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,560 God in his mercy. And I find this astounding, as 287 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,520 God is a merciful God, He's given her in verse 21 time to 288 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:54,440 repent of the sexual immorality. And she did not repent. 289 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:56,920 God always gives us time to repent. 290 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:01,200 How much time, I don't know. For me, He gave me more time 291 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,320 than I deserve. I marvel that I wasn't taken out 292 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:10,200 a long time ago. But God's always given folks 293 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,360 time to repent. He's not willing that any should 294 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:15,000 perish, but that all should come to repentance. 295 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,200 But it says she didn't repent. So what's God's, what's his 296 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,320 choice? I'll cast her into the sick bed. 297 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,520 That doesn't mean every time you're sick it's because of sin, 298 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,840 but sometimes people are sick because of sin. 299 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,040 That's why it says in James Five that if someone's sick among 300 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:36,480 you, you call the elders of the church to anoint with oil and to 301 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:40,320 pray for the sick, and the person confesses their sin. 302 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:45,280 The Bible says publicly before the elders, and it says the 303 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:49,320 prayer of faith will save the sick and God will forgive their 304 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:54,720 sins. I don't know about you, but 305 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,280 whenever I go through a trial, I'm searching my heart. 306 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,640 You do that, Lord, I'm just checking. 307 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,120 Is this because of something's going on in my life right now 308 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:07,040 that shouldn't be? And if he reveals to me 309 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,960 something that shouldn't be, I want to repent of it and deal 310 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,440 with it. And if there's nothing, then I 311 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:15,680 say, OK, Lord, teach me in the midst of this trial and the 312 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,080 struggle right now, the sickness or adversity to depend upon you, 313 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,640 to be closer to you. But God loves us so much, guys. 314 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,080 And I can see some of you just don't want to hear this message 315 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,040 today. That's OK. 316 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:31,120 It's not mine. It's from the scriptures you 317 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:33,760 press, you push God away. How long are you going to push 318 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:38,880 him away for? Today's the day of salvation. 319 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,360 Today's the day to get right with God. 320 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:43,920 Today's the day to say, Lord, I'm not going to live 321 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,120 superficially. I'm not going to live 322 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,080 continually compromising. I want my life to be totally 323 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,760 surrendered and given to you. I don't want to have to be 324 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,520 thrown into some kind of adversity in order for me to 325 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:05,040 realize that I'm not God, only you are God. 326 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:11,120 It's perplexing at times why some of us seem to get away with 327 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:14,840 so much for so long and others don't get away with much of 328 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,160 anything. And sometimes people they. 329 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,280 Realize God's all over their case and he's saying enough's 330 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:26,600 enough because he loves us. And for some wonderful, glorious 331 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,680 reason, we're hearing what He's saying and we're saying, I 332 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:34,240 understand, Lord, yes, enough's enough and I want to surrender. 333 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,120 I don't want to be hard anymore. I don't want to be distant. 334 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,960 I don't want to be like pushing you away from what you want for 335 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,800 me anymore. I want what you want from me, 336 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,200 Lord. I don't want to play church. 337 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,200 I don't want to this go through the emotions. 338 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,680 I just don't want to show up Sunday after Sunday and 339 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:54,880 nothing's changing in my heart. I want you to take over my life, 340 00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:04,530 Lord. He says I'll kill her children. 341 00:21:04,530 --> 00:21:07,850 And we believe as we study in the commentaries that this is 342 00:21:07,850 --> 00:21:10,490 referring to the followers of this false teaching. 343 00:21:11,090 --> 00:21:15,200 He says I will bring death, and he says he'll do this so that 344 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,240 all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds 345 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,040 and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to 346 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:29,760 your works. He says, Now to you I say, and 347 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,280 to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine. 348 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,520 And he's, he's speaking out to those in the church that aren't 349 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,720 following this false teaching, who have not known the depths of 350 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,200 Satan. As they say, I will put on you 351 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,160 no other burden. In other words, the Lord is not 352 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,280 interested in putting guilt trips on us or pressure. 353 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,200 If we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, we're 354 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,680 free. There's nothing to get hung up 355 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:57,680 about. But if we are following 356 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:01,680 wickedness in our lives and we're doing things that we 357 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:07,280 shouldn't be doing, then we need to repent. 358 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,640 He says, hold fast what you have till I come. 359 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,040 So the faithful, the remnant, those in the church that are 360 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,000 refusing to compromise, those folks in the church who are 361 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,920 worshipping God in the secret place of their own lives, you 362 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,520 alone with God on your face at your home in the morning or 363 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,520 night, this you and the Lord, the Lord sees it. 364 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,520 No one else does. And you're endeavoring to live 365 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,280 only for Him. He says He who overcomes and 366 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:42,160 keeps my works until the end, to Him will I give power over the 367 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,640 nation's. You know Christ is going to come 368 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:48,880 back in the rapture and take the bride out of the world. 369 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,400 And we're going to be given the privilege and the opportunity to 370 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,120 roll and reign with Him when He comes back during the millennial 371 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:57,640 Kingdom. And we'll roll and reign with 372 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,680 him. It says I will give them power 373 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:01,880 over the nation's. We'll serve with him. 374 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,120 It says He shall roll them with the rod of iron. 375 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:07,080 That's referring to Christ. They shall be dashed to pieces 376 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,280 like Potter's vessels. And I also receive from my 377 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,240 Father, and I will give him the Morning Star. 378 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,320 That's referring to who Jesus is later on in the Book of 379 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:19,320 Revelation. He says he's the Rose of Cherim, 380 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,720 Cherim and the bright and Morning Star. 381 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:26,200 He says he who has an ear. As we begin to conclude, do you 382 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,840 have an ear today, guys? He says he who has an ear, let 383 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,640 him hear. How can you hear if you're 384 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:36,120 downstairs, right? He who has an ear, let him hear 385 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,560 what the Spirit says to the churches. 386 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,920 Has a spirit spoken today? Has he spoken? 387 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:46,560 And may we be as a church, ready to serve and to help those who 388 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:51,080 are broken. We are digging into the Book of 389 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,520 Revelation here on Living Waters of Grace. 390 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,480 Pastor Clark is tackling this challenging book as we try to 391 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,800 discern the messages that are within its pages. 392 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,360 There's so much imagery, and at times you're not always sure 393 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,560 what's literal and what's metaphorical. 394 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,160 At one point, there's a reference to an adulterous woman 395 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,360 riding on a beast. And as someone else mentioned, 396 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:17,840 at one point it almost sounds like a rodeo from hell. 397 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:23,120 And in actuality it kind of is. You learn about the downfall and 398 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:27,120 demise of a sinful and rebellious world, falling down 399 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:32,640 in worship to someone who is the anti hero, the enemy, Satan 400 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:37,920 working his insidious ways into the minds of fallen people. 401 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:43,600 It's sad and it's heartbreaking, but it's a classic story of good 402 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,920 versus evil. Thankfully, we know how this 403 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:52,640 story ends. Jesus wins, Jesus reigns, and 404 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,680 evil is conquered once and for all. 405 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:00,480 We pray and trust you've received Jesus as your Savior. 406 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,440 But if you haven't, don't wait until the events and revelation 407 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:06,920 become what's happening on the streets. 408 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,480 None of us wants you to be there at that time. 409 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:15,440 Instead, we'd love for you to be with us in heaven as we 410 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:20,960 celebrate the marriage supper with Jesus as his bridegroom. 411 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,440 To get a better understanding of where we are in the Book of 412 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,840 Revelation, to listen to any messages before or after this 413 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,840 one, you can find them at our website, 414 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:37,000 calvarychapelonline.com. That's it for today's edition, 415 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,880 but we hope you'll want to hear Pastor Clark teach more from the 416 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:44,480 Book of Revelation. It can be exciting to think 417 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:48,160 about the future for believers, but it can feel a bit harrowing 418 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,720 for those who don't believe. Come here more next time on 419 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,440 Living Waters of Grace.