This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark
Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland,
County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he
continues teaching through God's Word.
Luke chapter 17 verse 26. This is Jesus speaking as it was
in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son
of Man. People will be eating, drinking,
marrying wise, and they were given in marriage until the day
was that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed
them all. So it'll take the world by
surprise. And Jesus said that his time of
return and all the stuff that's going to happen on the earth is
going to be very similar to the days of Noah.
Business as usual. Isn't that where we're at in the
world today? Sure, they're always world
events that put people on the edge of their seats, but for the
most part, we're just doing what we always do.
Generally, people aren't concerned enough about the way
the world is going to actually do anything about it.
In Pastor Clark's message today, he tells you that that's exactly
what Jesus said the world would be like all the way up until his
return. So what are you waiting for?
Are you prepared to meet Jesus now?
Here's Pastor Clark in the Book of Revelation chapter 14 with
today's edition of Living Waters of Grace.
Revelation chapter 14 verse 4. These are the ones who were not
defiled with women, for they are virgins.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God
and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no
deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Matthew 24 talks about what it's going to be like in the last
days. Jesus says, but woe to those who
are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those
days. Paul makes some interesting
comments over in First Corinthians Chapter 7 regarding
marriage. If you turn over there for a
minute, First Corinthians Chapter 7, verse six and eight,
he says, but I say as a concession, not as a
commandment. And this isn't something he's
saying everybody does or should do, but for him this is the way
it is. He says, I wish that all men
were even as I myself, but each one has his own gift from God,
one in this manner and another in that.
But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for
them if they remain even as I am, but if they cannot exercise
self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than
to burn with passion. And then down in verse 25, he
says, Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the
Lord, yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has
made trustworthy. I suppose therefore that this is
good because of the present distress, that it is good for a
man to remain as he is. Now during Paul's days, the
church was under persecution, a lot of struggle, very, very
difficult to have a Christian homes, Christian family.
And of course Paul was always on the run from one city to the
next, sharing the gospel and also watching out for his own
life. Eventually was martyred.
And he says in verse 27 are you bound to a wife question mark,
Do not seek to be loose. Are you loose from a wife Do not
seek a wife. So he's giving both perspectives
there. If you're married, stay in the
place of marriage and be grateful and and and serve the
Lord. But if you aren't exhorting
people to consider being single. Verse 28 but even if you do
marry, you have not sinned and if a virgin married she has not
sinned. Nevertheless, such will have
trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.
But this I say, brother, in the time is short, so that from now
on even those who have wives should be as those who had none.
Interesting comment, huh? I mean, you know, what does that
mean? I mean, you can read into all
kinds of things regarding that. But I think what the apostle is
bringing forth is that we love our wives as Christ loves the
church. We're dedicated, we're loyal,
we're faithful, we work on our marriage.
We have a strong marriage to pray together, but we're not so
fragmented in our Christian walk that every little situation in
the world and, and sense of you should do this.
If you're married, you should have this kind of place or this
kind of, you know, you can really get carried away with the
world in regard to the objects and the material issues that are
required. I I think it's wise as Paul
lived to be simple and have a very basic and very, very simple
life in regard to how connected to the world.
But in verse 30 says those who weep as those they did not weep,
those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy
as though they did not possess and those who use this world as
not misusing it for the form of this world is passing away.
So in other words, everything that we can put our emphasis on
in our lives in the culture as married people can really get
out of context right. It's very easy to get into debt.
It's very easy to begin to pursue things that aren't good
for developing our our Christian life.
I mean, Paul teaches also everything in moderation, but I
won't be brought under the control of any certain thing.
But he says I want you to be without care.
He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he
may please the Lord. And I have some friends who are
single and they don't have rebellious teenagers.
They don't have MasterCard or visas that maybe aren't under
control. They're not worried about
replacing the sofa, you know, or getting the new dining room
table. They're just not connected with
those kind of concepts, right? And so they're able to totally
focus on the Lord. This 100%.
And nothing distracts him. Verse 33.
But he who is married cares about the things of the world,
how he may please his wife. And us guys know if Mama ain't
happy, no one is happy, right. I've learned that after 39 years
of marriage. You know, I mean, the Bible says
I'm the head of the house. But you know, really it seems
like Cindy has many times, you know, even though she, you know,
respects the spiritual headship and all that.
It's, you know, my, my job is to to please her.
And I'm thankful she's a godly woman and she's not asking me
for anything that's unreasonable.
But nonetheless, our job as as husbands is to please our wives.
There is a difference between a wife and a virgin.
The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she
may be wholly both in body and spirit, but she who is married
cares about the things of the world, how she may please her
husband. And this I say to your own
prophet, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is
proper and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
So again, today, if you're single, don't put pressure on
yourself to think you have to get married.
I mean, God may have a plan for you to get married.
I think there's a lot of pressure in the culture today in
churches, they look at some single person, well, when are
you going to get married? And the person's like, I don't
know, there's no one even in my life.
And and then they think maybe there's something wrong with
them if there isn't a person who they're going to get married to.
Well, that isn't the general context all the time.
God does choose some people to live celibate lives.
Some people, as Paul said, lost a husband or a wife through
death, or maybe someone abandoned someone.
It isn't necessary all the time for that person to find another
mate. Sometimes, as Paul said, the
Lord freed that person. Now they don't have to be held
in that kind of capacity anymore and they're free to do what the
Lord wants them to do. As a married man, and Cindy is a
married woman, we are committed to the Lord 100% to do whatever
it is He's called us and asked us to do.
But there are sometimes some certain impossibilities that
marriage does perhaps cause a little bit more difficulty
sometimes if you're called to go to China to be a missionary, if
you're single, it's a lot easier than if you are married and have
a bunch of kids. It has to be supported right.
So it's it's different for everybody.
But at the same time, Paul tells us in Hebrews 13 four marriage
is honorable among all and the bed undefiled but fornicators
and adulterers. God will not judge.
So when you read this in Revelation about these ones that
were not defiled with women, the apostle John isn't saying
sexuality is impure or immoral within marriage.
It's a beautiful thing. As Paul said in Hebrews, the
marriage bed is undefiled. So he sanctifies the sexual
union between a a man and a woman.
But you have to look at the context.
So what was it like in those days that people are living on
the earth during this tribulation period and these
144,000 Jewish evangelists who are totally committed to the
things of the Lord and have chosen by a gift not to become
married. What is it like in the last days
and what type of intensity will be brought upon the earth?
Now today, marriage is mocked. I I get calls all the time.
People want me to get married in the church and want me to do a
wedding. Well, the first thing I asked
them, are you living together? And they say, yeah, so well, you
know, before we even begin to to talk, you need to not be living
together and you need to have counseling, marital premarital
counseling. My purpose in doing that is to
see people come to Christ during that time and also to give them
insight as to what they're going to be dealing with when they
make these commitments. Most of the time I hear the
phone click after I say that, well, we'll get back to you and
that kind of thing. So the the institution of
marriage within the culture and within the context of the church
is very, very mock today. What's big today is
cohabitation, isn't it? How many people know people
living together raise your hands despite everybody in here you,
you have friends or people you know that they just think it's
OK to live together. How about same sex unions?
That's growing today, right? There is not as closet mentality
anymore. People are very open about
living together in a same sex unions divorce rate.
Today, four out of five marriages end up in divorce.
And that's even within the context of the Christian
community, which is unbelievable.
There's a growth of all this immoral context in the media,
the Internet and magazines and billboards and media and songs
and that kind of stuff. It's unbelievable how graphic
the immorality is on the airwaves.
It's just out of control. Marriage is disconnected from
Christ. There's people getting married.
They don't want anything to do with getting married in the
church, seeing it as as a celebration and as a blessing to
be married before the Lord and what we call holy matrimony.
A lot of people don't even want to have a a wedding in churches
nowadays, let alone be counseled or pray or or consecrate
themselves to to the Lord in regard to their marriage.
Romans chapter 1 talks about the way the world was back in Paul's
day and that we think things are getting worse now.
I don't think I mean, I think the world has always been messed
up. It's just the fact that we know
about it more because of the media and connection of Internet
and all that kind of stuff. News 24 hour news networks.
But it says in verse 21 of Romans one, because although
they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor we're
thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish
hearts were dark, darkened, professing to be wise.
They became fools and they changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and
birds and forfeited animals and creeping things.
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness and the lusts of
their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves.
And we see that today with fornication, adultery, sexual
immorality, homosexuality, lesbianism, I mean all over the
place, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and
worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator
who is blessed forever. All men.
For this reason God gave them up to vow passions for even their
women exchange the natural use for what is against nature.
So lesbianism or homosexuality isn't a current phenomena.
It's been that way since the beginning of time.
It says likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the
woman they burned in their lust for one another.
Men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in
themselves the penalty of the air which was due so perhaps in
this time, in the last days. I mean, things are so bad now
and I don't think we noticed it because we're isolated.
If we're Christians, we're not feeding on that garbage.
We're not listening to it, we're not participating it.
It's certainly not in the in the church community.
But we see in this day and age the growth and at the end of
time, when the Holy Spirit in the church is pulled out, the
Holy Spirit will still be convicting the world, but the
church presence won't be here. You won't have people working
against ungodly principles. You'll have people today who
stand up against things that the government tries to do that are
ungodly, right and impure. We have voices, people who will
get out in the streets and canvas the community, and we're
like a tide against the spread of darkness and immorality in
the world. But when the church, the bride
isn't here anymore, who's going to be the voice against these
kind of things? And so the heightened level of
sexual immorality and fornication and even going back
to Pagan rights is going to be unbelievable.
Idolatry will be huge in the last days.
The worship of self through gratification of the desires of
the fallen nature, using religion, Pagan religion, as its
deception. Back in Ephesus they had the
Temple of Diana. It was a large temple in the
midst of Ephesus where people would go and do religious
things, but it was all under the guise of impurity, prostitution,
sexual immorality. And so they were involved in
that. And they had a sense that what
they were doing was OK because it was like in a religious type
of service, but it was a Pagan ungodly, right?
And so people will be moved in that the deception, the worship
of Antichrist himself is going to be manifesting itself itself
in unrighteousness, Val uncleanness, perversity like we
remember in the Old Testament, the study of the fertility
called Savastrath where sexual sin was rampant.
Now we look at things a day and unless you're reading or talking
with people who are in these kind of lifestyles, you sort of
maybe miss the fact that the things are really bad.
I mean, most of us have filters on our computer to prevent
impure stuff from coming into our homes.
And so we're isolated. We have filters maybe in our TV
or maybe we don't prescribe to certain cable networks because
of the Holy Spirit in our lives and that we belong to the Lord.
Video games, we're cautious about what our kids are playing
with and watching that kind of stuff.
So we're somewhat isolated for the tide of immorality that's
spreading around the world, but it is it is an all time high.
The sex slavery market where people are being kidnapped in
different countries, young girls and young boys, and taken to
places like Thailand where the sex trade is, is just
unbelievable. And these poor kids are put out
in the street to be abused and sodomized by ungodly people.
It's just the filth upon the earth is just unimaginable.
I can't imagine how much worse it's going to be again when the
church is taken out at the rapture.
And then of course, the willful abandonment of God will truly
flourish at that time because there'll be no one to bring any
spiritual conviction outside of these 144,000 and a few others
like them who will still preach the gospel regardless of what
things occurred to them and their martyrdom and that kind of
stuff. If you turn to Luke chapter 17
for a minute, Luke chapter 17, 14 verse 26, this is Jesus
speaking as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in
the days of the Son of Man. People will be eating, drinking,
marrying wise, and they were given in marriage until the day
was that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed
them all. So it'll take the world by
surprise. And Jesus said that his time of
return and all the stuff that's going to happen on the earth is
going to be very similar to the days of Noah.
Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot.
And they ate and they drank and they bought and they sold, they
planted, they built this everyday life going on, right?
But on that day, Lot went out of Sodom.
It rained fire and brimstone in heaven and destroyed them all.
Even so, will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Now you think about Sodom and Gomorrah.
Things were horrible there. God is telling a lot to get out
his wife and his kids. These impure people are knocking
on the door. Whenever the angels came to warn
them to flee the wrath, it was to come.
They're knocking on the door. Let us in that we may have sex
with those men in there. The angels impure Lot was
freaking out. He didn't know what to do.
He's like trying to barter with them.
We'll take my daughters. They're virgins.
I mean, that blows your mind in the in the sense that here's
God's calling Lot, righteous lot and fearing for his own life.
Thank God the the Lord protected his daughters.
But nonetheless, it says in these last days, this is what
it's going to become, like Genesis chapter 6 verse 5 says
regarding Noah and the days of Noah.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually. Can you imagine that having a
mind? Maybe you remember when your
mind was like that, before you knew Christ, that every thought
you had was evil continually. You were constantly planning in
your mind what next corrupt thing you were going to do, what
next sinful thing you were going to plan.
And as the Lord looks on the earth today, He sees the human
race for the most part being this way, that the thoughts of
the heart are people outside of the Lord are only evil
continually. Can you imagine when again, when
we're not around the bride of Christ, there's no salt left,
there's no light to repel the darkness.
Sin will be released like a flood, drowning the world in
perdition and judgment. And how amazing is this group in
Revelation chapter 14 when you think about their commitment to
the Lord? In verse four and five, it says
these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
These are the ones that follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They've been chosen by the Lord to be entirely separated unto
the Lamb. They follow Jesus, His plan, His
life, His teaching, at all costs, at at all times and in
all places. I wonder what we're like in our
own lives and our own walk with the Lord when no one else sees
us. Are we like these that are
represented here in Revelation That we follow the Lord's plan
in our life and His teaching at all costs, at all times and in
every place that we might find ourselves?
Psalm 119, verse one and two says blessed are the undefiled
in the way who walk in the way or the law of the Lord.
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with
the whole heart. They also do no iniquity and
they walk in His way. So the picture of the people
that the psalmist is speaking to is very similar to the people
here in Revelation chapter 4, that God says you're blessed in
your life. You're walking in not impurity.
You're walking in the way of the Lord.
You're walking in the law of the Lord.
You're blessed if you keep His testimonies, if you seek Him
with your whole heart, not part of your heart or just on Sunday
or whenever you feel like it, but every day you're like, Lord,
I want my heart to be your heart.
I want my thoughts to be your thoughts.
I want Your Holy Spirit to control me and convict me so
that there isn't anything in my life that will be found to be
impure and bring disgrace on You.
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with
the whole heart. I want to be blessed, don't you?
And if you want to be blessed, do what the psalmist says, keep
the word of God, seek him with your whole heart, and you'll
find that you're not going to be interested in intentionally
sinning against him. You're going to walk in his
ways. The definition to undefiled
means not to be filthy. That's why the Bible says we
aren't like filthy jesting, dirty language, dirty talks,
dirty stories. We're not like that anymore.
We want purity in our life. We're uncorrupted in the sense
that we're not allowing the ways of the world to defile us.
These people that were the virgins weren't allowing
themselves to be involved in any kind of sexual union.
That would be seen as being impure.
Sexual union that would be impure would be homosexuality,
fornication, adultery and a lot of people justify that today.
Well, I'm in love and I have emotions and my hormones or
whatever and and the Lord does never makes allowances for that.
He says if you are struggling with your sexual drive and you
can't address it and allow the Lord to control it and give you
peace. He as Paul speaks, you need to
get married so that you don't burn the lust.
But if you're able to, as these virgins obviously were these
144,000 Jewish evangelist, they were able to look to the Lord
and not allow themselves to be drawn into the context of the
culture of the prostitutes that were in the streets, constantly
calling them to come in and enjoy them.
They kept their eyes fixed on the Lord and they wanted to do
what he wanted them to do. Again, though, in marriage, you
know, some people get some warped ideas in the culture that
somehow a sexuality is not a good thing.
It's a good thing in marriage, but only in marriage.
That's why Paul says the marriage bed is undefiled.
There's no corruption in the marriage bed with the sexual
union between the husband and the wife.
So we're not talking about marriage here.
In regard to the context of why these people chose to be
virgins, I don't think if you went out there in that time, in
the last days, could any of these people actually find find
a godly woman? If everybody's heart is thinking
evil continually, the pickings are pretty slim.
Some of you single folks know the pickings are sort of slim
now. Or you know, you look and you
say, well, where is a godly man or a godly woman?
Are you willing to wait on the Lord before you would try to get
involved with someone just because you think you need to be
married? You'll you'll regret that the
rest of your life. Perhaps no godly women or men
are left to marry at this time. And so these people like Paul
chose to be entirely separated to Christ for the ministry in
this time of tribulation. So they're not affected by
distractions. Some people are called to this
idea of a celibacy in in being virgins.
Turn over to Matthew 19 and very interesting comments that you
find that as I read what Paul said and also what Jesus says
himself here in Matthew 19. In the Book of Revelation,
Pastor Clark is taking us through all kinds of events and
happenings that are predicted for the future.
But for those who believe and follow Jesus, there's much to
look forward to in heaven with Jesus.
However, for those who are here on earth during the Tribulation,
there's all kinds of chaos that will unfold.
The Bible talks about an Antichrist, a false prophet, and
of course that evil enemy Satan. You see how there are such
clever attempts for the enemy to disguise himself as God and even
the Trinity, the true Savior of the world is God and how he
comes to rescue through his triune nature, God the Father,
Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Just like Satan tried to take over for God in heaven was cast
out, Satan will try to convince people on earth that he is the
triune God to be worshipped instead of the legitimate God in
heaven. It's an attempt, and although he
will capture plenty in his schemes, he will not win.
The true God wins, and Revelation unpacks how that will
all happen in detail. Be encouraged because there's a
way out for all of this madness that will ensue on this earth.
But you don't want to wait indefinitely to make that
decision about Jesus. We don't know when the church
will be raptured, and you want to be ready to be with Jesus.
To learn more about this, head over to calvarychapelonline.com.
We're so glad you've been with us today.
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