This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Lewis
Harold, assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland
County in Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Lewis as he
continues teaching through God's Word.
He's. Preparing you.
He is causing you to be a vessel prepared for the masters.
Use. I don't know what he's going to
use. You for I don't.
Know what he has coming around? We can only see to the corner.
He's the only one that can see around it.
We don't know what he has prepared for us, but.
What we do know? Is that He can prepare us and
use us for great things, even us.
Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is
preparing you for something good?
In the mundane and humdrum of life, it can be easy to just get
up, get ready for work, go to work, come home from work, eat
dinner, veg out and watch Netflix, go to sleep, rinse and
repeat. God in heaven has a greater
purpose for your life. He is preparing you to do what
He's made you to do. And yes, you do have a purpose.
Today, Pastor Lewis invites you to discover that purpose and
take a step of obedience. Now here's Pastor Lewis in the
Book of Second Timothy, Chapter 2, with today's edition of
Living Waters of Grace. To argue.
And strive about words to no prophet to the ruin of.
Hears that has. Nothing to do with teaching the
word of God. Profane and idle babbling that
has nothing to do. With the word of God, those.
Things are ungodly, but when we study.
The Word of God and we are. Workmen.
The Bible says we are workmen. With the word of God we study it
just like Paul said a couple verses back.
That one of the things we are is a.
Farmer A hard working. Farmer and in doing that we have
to make. Sure that we are.
Hard workers getting into the Word of God, spending time with
him in prayer. So that we rightly.
Divide and that word. Rightly divide.
Actually means cutting straight, cutting the word of God.
Straight. We know that farmers cut furrows
straight. A Carpenter will cut a board
straight. We as pastors or as teachers of
the Word, are to cut the Word straight, cut it straight, give
it straight. We don't add to it, we don't
take away from it, we don't sugarcoat it, we don't
breakdance around sin. We cut it straight, just the way
the Lord gives it to us. And this and this sum, when he
says, Sean, that means to keep away from profane means
irreverent, unconsecrated and babbling just simply means empty
chatter, He said stay away from those things.
Because they don't lead. To godliness it leads to more
ungodliness. These things only lead to
arguments bitter arguments bitter.
Debates. And no one comes out of it
benefiting. No one benefits out of it but
when you teach. The Word of God there should be
a spirit that is. Along with it.
That will lead. Us to godliness.
It encourages us, it corrects us.
If need. Be it convicts us, but it.
Leads us to godliness and then in verse 17, verse 17 here it
says and their message will spread like here in my in the
new King James, it says cancer. But in most other versions it
actually uses the term gangrene. And I don't know how many of you
are familiar with gangrene, but it is a very nasty infection
that one can get and you get it from.
A lack of or. No blood flow.
Blood flow that's supposed. To be going to the tissues or
the limbs or organs and when it doesn't.
Go. The tissue dies.
When there's no. Blood flow to the.
Organs or the limbs? Or the tissue.
That tissue dies. And that's what Paul is saying
to to Timothy, that their message.
Will spread like gangrene. It'll spread quickly.
But it is an infection that gets into.
The body of believers. And because there's no life in
teaching error, there's no life in that.
There's no life in teaching heresy.
There's no. Life in arguing.
There's no life in any of that. And because of that the.
Remembers the tissue begins. To die the.
Ministry will begin to. Die the life.
Is in the blood, isn't it? So he.
Says Hymenaeus and Philetus. Are of this sort.
They have, you know, they are the ones who were teaching these
things and they were actually saying look at verse 18.
They have strayed from the truth, and they were saying that
the resurrection has. Already passed, so there's been
a lot of error. Teaching in.
Error that has. Come into the churches, even
back in Second Thessalonians we read about.
Where the teachers the false teachers?
Were coming to the Thessalonians and they were basically saying
that the second coming had already.
Passed had already come. Jesus already come.
You missed it, and they stumbled, the people.
And now here they're saying that the resurrection has already
come and they're stumbling, the people.
But that's what. Happens with heresy.
That's what happens with air teaching in air.
You stumble the people. And we know how important the
resurrection is. That is a core.
You know, it's it's a. Core source of our theology.
I mean, without the resurrection we have no.
Hope do we? Without the resurrection, we
have no hope. So Paul's saying these.
People, you got to. Stay away from them.
But then he says, he gives us that assurance here in verse 19.
He says nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands.
Having this heal, the Lord knows.
Those who are his, the Lord knows those who are here.
The solid foundation stands First Corinthians 311 for no
other foundation can be laid other can anyone lay than that
which. Is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Who is our firm foundation? He is the solid rock Isaiah. 40
and 8. Says the grass.
Withers and the flower. Fades, but the Word of God
stands. First Peter one in 25, but the
word of the Lord endures forever.
And then of course, we all know about Matthew and Seven.
The Story of. Building a foundation on a rock
and building it on the difference of building on a rock
and building it on sand. The foundation that is built on
a rock will stand. That's a wise man who builds on
a rock. And when adversity comes, rather
be rain, wind. Or floods.
It can. Beat upon the house, but the
house will stand. If you are built.
On the solid foundation on the truth.
Of God's Word. Not heresy, not someone's ideas,
not someone's thoughts, not someone who wants to argue when
you are built on the truth. Of God's Word.
It is a solid. Foundation and you will stand in
adversity. You won't fall away, you.
Won't deny him. You will stand in adversity.
It can keep. You.
So then we go to verse. 19 Let's go to the bottom of 19, it says.
The Lord knows. Those who are his.
And let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from
iniquity, and those. Who are Christ?
Will depart from iniquity. They will not walk in the ways
of the Sinner. They won't walk in the way of a
Sinner. They will depart.
From Iniquity back in Numbers chapter 16, back around verse 5,
Moses is confronting Cora and those who are in rebellion with
him, and he said tomorrow the Lord are going to show.
Those who are with him, the Lord are going to show.
Those who are his. Tomorrow and then in verse 20. 6
after it was clear. That it was Moses who was the
one that the people should be following.
Because of the rod. That Aaron had.
That actually spouted. A rod that was not connected to
anything, just spouted. And because of that.
The Lord said to them. Get away, those of you who are
with the Lord, get away. From these tents of wickedness
get away from them, and that's. Exactly what, Paul?
Is saying here that everyone who names the name of Christ depart
from iniquity, And then in verse 20 says, But in a great house
there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also wood
and clay, some of honor and some of dishonor.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter.
He will be a. Vessel of honor sanctified and
useful for the Master prepared. For every good work, this is a.
Very encouraging verse here because what it's saying here
basically that in a great. House The church is a great
house. And there's vessels in a church,
just like in your own house you have.
Vessels that you probably brought out.
On for Thanksgiving. Because they were your.
Good China, you know, when company comes over, we bring
this China out, you know? Because that's the good stuff.
Other stuff to use every day. I know myself.
We like to eat off of plate more paper plates you.
Know we don't have. The good stuff out every day.
We eat off of paper plates. Eat.
Throw them away, but in every. House there is, vessels there,
there are. Vessels of gold and.
Silver, they're good vessels, vessels that.
Stand. They're valuable.
And then there's. Vessels of wood.
And clay, those vessels are not so.
Valuable what Paul is. Saying here is that just like
they're vessels of honor, vessels of gold and silver,
they're vessels of honor because they contain good stuff.
They contain good stuff and because of that.
They are vessels of. Honor, but they're.
Also vessels of. Dishonor.
They don't contain good stuff, they contain ungodliness, things
that are contrary. To the word of God.
They are your disapproved workers of God.
And he says. As a result of that, but if that
vessel. Would cleanse himself.
He can. Become a vessel of.
Honor and we cleanse by confessing and allowing the Lord
to cleanse us from the things that are unrighteous in our
life, and we can become. Vessels of.
Honor, we don't have to remain vessels of dishonor.
Don't let the enemy make. You feel guilty about.
Something you've done and make you feel that God can't reach
you now. God can't ever use you again.
That is the biggest lie. To Christians, and unfortunately
there's Christians who will tell other Christians things like
that. You've blew it.
You've blown it. God can't use you anymore.
You've lost that position. God loves each and every one of
us. And he desires for us.
To turn back to Him and we can become vessels of honor again.
We can repent and we can turn and become cleansed again.
It's the blood of Jesus. Christ that has cleansed us from
all sin. Is what the Bible says.
So then he goes on and he says, and be sanctified.
That means be set apart and useful for the master.
Prepare for every good work and. This preparing is important to
me because there are things that I go through sometimes and I
wonder, Lord, why am I going through this?
What is going on? What is going on in my life?
Why am I going through this? Why?
It just seems like it just seemed like things will keep
coming sometimes. You get stretches of that.
I don't know if anyone else can relate to that, but sometimes
you just get stretches of things that keeps coming time after
time and time again. And I'm realizing now that God
is preparing you. For a good work he's.
Preparing you he is. Causing you to be a vessel
prepared for the master. 'S use.
I don't know what he's going to use.
You for I. Don't know what he has coming
around. We can only see to the corner.
He's the only one that can see around it.
We don't know what he has prepared for us, but what?
We do know. Is that He can prepare us and
use us for great things, even us.
And then he goes on into verse 22.
He says flee also youthful lust. You know, flee those things.
Those things are not of servants of honor or vessels of honor.
That's for vessels of. Dishonor.
Flee those things. Flee sexual immorality.
Flee the love of money. Flee power.
But also flee talking about profane and idle babblings.
Flee from that. Flee from teaching and error.
Flee from striving. Over words, flee.
From those things, flee from always wanting to be right.
Flee from that, but then you have to pursue.
So God. Gives us three things here that
we need to do. We need to flee, pursue and
avoid. We know what to flee, but now he
tells us what we need. To pursue.
And we need to pursue faith. We need to pursue love.
We need to pursue. Peace.
And that. Righteousness is righteous.
Righteous. Standing right, standing with
God. Let's pursue that.
Pursue faith or faithfulness. Pursue love, that agape love.
That unconditional. Love that love like Jesus Christ
loves. It's very difficult in our flesh
to love that way. We usually love those who love
us. We usually love those who.
Do good things to. Us or for us, we love those who.
Act the way we want them to act, and then when they don't, all of
a sudden we don't love them as much and we know the.
World. The world.
'S love is very conditional. They'll walk out of a marriage
because they'll just say I just don't love you no more.
I just don't love you no more. Very conditional.
But the love of God is unconditional, and it never.
Fails. It never fails.
Even in his chastisement. Of us, It's his love for us.
When he convicts us, he's showing his.
Love for us and. Obviously, when he.
Blesses us. He's showing his.
Love for us, but the. Biggest act of his.
Love for us? Is when he sent his son Jesus
Christ to come and. Die on a cross.
For not his sins, our sins. That was the greatest act of
love ever. But he said.
We do that with. Those who calling the Lord.
Out of a pure heart. Need to find other people who
are seeking the Lord. The way that we.
Either want to seek the Lord or are seeking the Lord.
Everyone that sits in the Great house is not necessarily.
Of a pure. Heart, and if we're honest with
ourselves, most of us from time to time.
Will have a heart that's not necessarily pure.
There are things that come into our our thoughts.
There are things that come into our mind, There are things that
we we think about that are not necessarily.
Pure. But we have a God that is
totally pure. And we can always go to him and
ask him even to cleanse us from any impurity that we.
Do have but then. In 23.
He says avoid Foolish. And ignorant disputes avoid
pointless or stupid and. Useless.
Unlearned disputes avoid those things because they only
generate strife. That means more battles, more
fights, more arguments. That's all it does.
Getting into these debates sometimes, I mean these
conversations got to make sure that when we get into these
conversations that first of all our motives are right.
You know, we have men that we do breakfast with sometimes.
Our brother Tom runs that and we have.
Bible. Studies.
The men have Bible studies and I can't talk about what the women
have because I'm not invited to that.
Y'all don't ever, y'all don't invite us to y'all women's
studies. But I understand that that's a
blessing that we have those. Studies as well.
But the point I'm trying to make that in all of these studies,
whether it's men's studies or whether it's women's studies,
the point I'm making is that if there's a discussion, there is
discussion about. The word of God.
There's not debate, it's not argument, it's discussion about
the word. Of God, because it's.
Based on the. Word of God when?
Someone comes with a perspective.
It is rooted and grounded from the word.
Of God I love. Going to our breakfasts on on
Saturday mornings because I. Always leave there edified.
I've never left one of those. Breakfasts and felt.
Angry or bitter? Or upset.
Or felt like I was in. An argument with anybody.
I've never left there feeling that way.
The discussions that we have and we may only get through one or
two. Verses because of.
Discussion. But it's not discussion about
somebody trying to be right or somebody coming up with some new
theology. It's not.
That it's a discussion about the Word of God.
And it's based on the word. Of God.
So when you. Leave there.
You leave there edified. You leave there looking.
To. Be more godly you leave there.
Encouraged to be more. Godly so he says.
There, as in verse 24, he says and a servant of the Lord must
not quarrel, that means a servant of the Lord must not
fight, must not be battling, must not get into argument, that
word. Quarrel.
Actually means it's like hand to hand combat.
It's a military term and it actually means like hand to hand
combat. A servant of the Lord shouldn't
be involved in that. It should not be involved in.
Even with just words, you should not be involved in something.
That would symbolize. Hand to hand combat.
But he said. But be gentle to all, and be.
Able to. Teach and be patient.
Be able to teach. And be patient.
That's a servant. Of the Lord.
It's that and then in verse 25, it talks about that humility,
the humility of correcting those who are in opposition.
And there are sometimes that we come against people who are in
opposition of the word, but that doesn't mean again, that we
leave them wounded and bludgeon. I mean, there are times that you
could get into conversations with some people.
Who are just bitter. They're hurting anyway, so they
unleash. All of that wrath.
On you in a discussion and it's covered.
It's covered with thinking. We're we're talking.
About the word of. God, no.
We're. Really talking about some issues
that you have because you walk away.
From that feeling bludgeoned. Beat up.
Never underestimate the effect. Of our words.
It can wound and leave deep wounds, but he says in humility.
We should be. Correcting those who are in
opposition. And now this is the part I love
the most. And it's been, it's been weaved
throughout the entire section. There's four reasons.
Why we? Should be gentle.
There's four reasons why we should.
Be. Humble when we're correcting
people, even in opposition. There's four reasons why, and
it's the ultimate reason #1 repentance.
The whole. Reason for correcting people and
getting into a. Discussion about the truth of
God's Word. Is that that person will come to
repentance, or we will come to repentance if we're wrong #2
that they may know the truth. All of these are right here.
That they may know the truth. John 8 and 32 says, And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
It's bondage being in heresy and under air.
But the truth will set you free. And then the third reason that
they may come to their senses or that they recover.
People that the devil. Are using to get into these
debates and get into these arguments that they enjoy.
That's not of God. That's all this.
That's of Satan. That's of the devil.
It's a plan to try to get there to cause.
Confusion in the church, that vision in the church when you
come with all those different attitudes and, and, and being
angry, that's just being used of the enemy.
And it's like being into like being in a drunken stupor.
And then the 4th and final reason.
Is to escape the trap of that devil.
To know that you've you've been used.
By the devil. To do things that are ungodly
ungodly. It causes confusion, it causes
opposition, causes division. It's like a plant to plant
destructive heresies, and it comes in secretly, and that's
the reason they want. No, Paul is saying.
We want to bring that person to repentance, not to just.
Destroy that. Person not to just belittle a
person who may be an heir, but that person can come to
repentance and sometimes that person can come to repentance
through you. And then at the very end it says
that he to escape the snare of the devil, having been taken
captive by him. To do.
His will we no longer have to do the will of the evil 1 and if
there. Are teachers that we.
Even know or teachers that are out there and then we talk
about, you know, teachers of prosperity, teachers of
inclusion and all these different types of theology and
gospels that are out to these different type of gospels that
people were preaching air heresy.
Let's pray for him. Let's pray.
Let's pray that God will. Bring them to repentance, not
just talk about them and talk about how.
Evil it is, or how bad it is and how they.
Should be ashamed of. Themselves or how they get
themselves. God's going to deal with them.
Well, we got some things God going to deal.
With us about too. Let's.
Pray for these people. That God will.
Perhaps bring them to repentance and that they turn.
They weren't always like that. And God can restore.
So if we are people who strive, if we're people who.
Get involved in empty chatter. If we quarrel, we can repent.
If we have some youthful lust that we need to flee, we can do
that today and repent from our youthful lusts.
And if we need to turn toward godliness, if we need to turn
toward righteousness, we need to turn toward faithfulness, love,
and peace, if we want God to supply more of that in our lives
and in our hearts, we can pray. For that and of course.
If you're 1, who's here that have not received Jesus Christ
as your Lord and. Savior, let this be the last day
that. You don't have eternity with.
Jesus Christ. Today you can repent and turn,
and you can receive salvation from the wrath of God that is
coming. You have an opportunity to do
that today. So, Father, we remember today
everything that he endured. We remember today.
His love for us to even leave glory.
To come here, not for his to die.
For his sins, but to die. For our sins.
And we're grateful for that. Amen.
You've been listening to Pastor Louis Harrell here on Living
Waters of Grace. We're digging into all that Paul
shared with Timothy in the books of First and Second Timothy.
Timothy was commissioned to do the following, fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were
also called, and have confessed the good confession in the
presence of many witnesses. Timothy would be carrying on
what Paul had taught him and continuing on in ministry, even
though Paul knew that more hardships would come for
Timothy. This is the Christian life.
It's not glamorous. It's not some celebrity status,
It's hard fought, it's gritty, it's unpopular, but it's worth
it. Do you believe that today?
Are you willing to fight the good fight even at the cost of
earthly pleasures? Living the life of a follower of
Jesus will have its heavenly rewards.
To be a part of a community that's looking forward to that
heavenly reward, we invite you to join us at Calvary Chapel
Westmoreland. If you're in the Greensburg, PA
area, come be with us this Sunday at 10:30 AM at 400 E
Pittsburgh St. Ste. 6B.
Check out Calvary Chapel online.com For more information
on directions and any other details you might want to know.
You can also download our mobile app from our website
thatscalvarychapelonline.com. If you have friends or family
members who want to tune in, encourage them to listen on
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Thanks for prayerfully considering this, and thank you
for listening to Living Waters of Grace.