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 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,520 What kind of excuse do we have that we don't really follow the 6 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,480 Lord fully? Well, we might say I'm weak, or 7 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,560 I'm this wishy washy, or I'm complacent or you know, I have a 8 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,320 tendency to back, or we can make all kind of excuses, right? 9 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,440 Instead of saying, Lord, I don't want to be that way. 10 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,720 I don't want to have any excuses in my life in regard to my 11 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,840 relationship with you. I want you to work on my heart 12 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,680 so that I don't have an excuse. I want you to remove everything 13 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,840 that I use as an excuse so that there is no more excuses. 14 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,400 We all know what it's like to hear excuses. 15 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,400 If you're a parent, I'm sure you've heard dozens of reasons 16 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,480 why your kids shouldn't have to clean the room. 17 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,640 Or if you're in a management position, I'm sure you've heard 18 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,360 every excuse in the book as to why your employees can't make it 19 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,280 to work on time. Well, today Pastor Clark urges 20 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,960 you not to make any more excuses as to why you're not ready to 21 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:34,040 follow Jesus. Today is the day to take up your 22 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,680 cross and follow him. So what's holding you back now? 23 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,880 Here's Pastor Clark in Matthew chapter 19 with today's edition 24 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,360 of Living Waters of Grace. Again, though, in marriage, you 25 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,840 know, some people get some warped ideas in the culture that 26 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,520 somehow a sexuality is not a good thing. 27 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,160 It's a good thing in marriage, but only in marriage. 28 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,840 That's why Paul says the marriage bed is undefiled. 29 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,960 There's no corruption in the marriage bed with the sexual 30 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:03,760 union between the husband and the wife. 31 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,440 So we're not talking about marriage here. 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,120 In regard to the context of why these people chose to be 33 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,120 virgins. I don't think if you went out 34 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,080 there in that time, in the last days, could any of these people 35 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,840 actually find a godly woman If everybody's heart is thinking 36 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,200 evil continually, the pickings are pretty slim. 37 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,720 Some of you single folks know the pickings are sort of slim 38 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:27,880 now. Or you know, you look and you 39 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,520 say, well, where is a godly man or a godly woman? 40 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,920 Are you willing to wait on the Lord before you would try to get 41 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:37,680 involved with someone just because you think you need to be 42 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,280 married? You'll you'll regret that the 43 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,720 rest of your life. Perhaps no godly women or men 44 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,360 are left to marry at this time. And so these people like Paul 45 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,800 chose to be entirely separated to Christ for the ministry in 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,320 this time of tribulation. So they're not affected by 47 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,120 distractions. Some people are called to this 48 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,520 idea of a celibacy and and being virgins. 49 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,400 Turn over to Matthew 19 and very interesting comments that you 50 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:08,040 find that as I read what Paul said and also what Jesus says 51 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:13,640 himself here in Matthew 19 verse 11 and 12, he says to them, all 52 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:16,560 cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been 53 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,280 given. So in other words, if you have 54 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,560 the gift to be celibate and to be single, this clicks with you. 55 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,080 He says most people can't accept this saying, only those to whom 56 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,720 it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were 57 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,880 born this thus from their mother's womb, and there are 58 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,320 eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who 59 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,600 have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of heaven sake. 60 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,480 He was able to accept to accept it. 61 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,000 Let him accept it. So again, a calling for some 62 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,240 people to be in that place of perpetual virginity. 63 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,600 Why were these guys like this in Revelation? 64 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,720 I really believe it enabled them to have an undivided heart for 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,640 the Kingdom of heaven's sake. It was by choice and by gifting 66 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:06,520 that they were able to do this. So the full focus on ministry 67 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,760 was definitely done by these 144,000. 68 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,680 They had such an amazing testimony. 69 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:18,839 Now I think about their heart, their compassion, their, their 70 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,959 passion for the Lord, their love for the Lord. 71 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,600 It says they're the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he 72 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,960 goes. Man, I I pray that's what's 73 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,920 going on in our hearts here that every day we get up. 74 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,440 Lord, what is it that you want of our lives today? 75 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,920 What's your plan for me today? I'm just not coming to church 76 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,960 Sunday just to fulfill some kind of religious obligation. 77 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:44,280 Lord, I want to be encouraged today that in in my job, in my 78 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:47,240 marriage, in my home, with my kids, if I'm single, whatever 79 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,320 I'm doing, Lord, that I want to be a follower of you. 80 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,680 I want to be called to be a follower of Christ and be 81 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,920 willing to sacrifice and to seek the things that are above and 82 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:01,440 not the things that are upon the earth. 83 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,480 I think of Jesus when he speaks to us in the Gospels about 84 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:12,880 discipleship over in Luke Chapter 9 verse 57, the cost of 85 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,440 discipleship. Now it happens, they journeyed 86 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,400 on the road that someone said to him, Lord, I will follow you 87 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,320 wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, foxes 88 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,600 have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man 89 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,000 has nowhere to lay his head. Then he said to another, Follow 90 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,840 me. But this person said, Lord, let 91 00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:33,400 me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, let the dead 92 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,360 bury their own dead, but you go and preach the Kingdom of God. 93 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,000 Another also said, Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go 94 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:43,520 and bid them farewell who were in my house. 95 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,360 But Jesus said to them, No one, having put his hand to the plow 96 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,160 and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God. 97 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,200 Now Jesus is not saying if your dad dies, your mom dies, that 98 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,480 you know, you shouldn't be interested in giving them a, a 99 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:58,080 Christian burial and that kind of stuff. 100 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:00,760 Or, you know, you want to say goodbye to family before you're 101 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,000 called to the mission field. So you just blow them off. 102 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,160 It's the heart that he's looking at. 103 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,760 What's really tying you into this world and preventing you 104 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,840 from fully surrendering to me? What kind of excuse do we have 105 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,400 that we don't really follow the Lord fully? 106 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,760 Well, we might say I'm weak or I'm this wishy washy or I'm 107 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,440 complacent or, you know, I have a tendency to back. 108 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:24,200 We can make all kind of excuses, right? 109 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,320 Instead of saying, Lord, I don't want to be that way. 110 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,560 I don't want to have any excuses in my life in regard to my 111 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,680 relationship with you. I want you to work on my heart 112 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:36,480 so that I don't have an excuse. I want you to remove everything 113 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,560 that I use as an excuse so that there is no more excuses. 114 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,080 And then by your grace, I'll follow you as a faithful 115 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:46,240 disciple. I need you to move certain 116 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,680 things out of my life in order to make me more willing to 117 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,240 surrender to you. And John chapter 12, Jesus says 118 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,120 in verse 24 and 26, he says, most assuredly, I say to you, 119 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,400 unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and it dies, it 120 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,880 remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much 121 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,400 grain. He who loves his life will lose 122 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,280 it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for 123 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:12,080 eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him 124 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,120 follow me. And where I am, there my servant 125 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:19,000 will be also. If anyone serves me, him my 126 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,440 Father will honor. So we're called to die to 127 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:27,240 ourself, all of us. And as we die to our self, 128 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,720 tremendous things come out of our lives and ministry for the 129 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,000 sake of others. And anytime you do something for 130 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,960 Jesus, there's a cost. And lots of times you don't get 131 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,400 the reward in this world. You're not going to see the 132 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,640 reward until you stand before him. 133 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,800 And then he says to you, looking into your eyes with that love 134 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,480 and that compassion, well done, good and faithful servant, enter 135 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,280 into the joy of the Lord. My favorite verse when I get 136 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:59,760 down and discourage, as we all do, be steadfast, immovable, 137 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,440 always abounding in your work for the Lord. 138 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,320 For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain in the 139 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,360 Lord. So no matter what it is that 140 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,880 you're called to do, and you might think it's insignificant 141 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,240 or unimportant, there's not one thing that Christ has called any 142 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,880 of you to do, witnessing your job, whatever it is, that's 143 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,600 insignificant or in unimportant. God doesn't level. 144 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,080 And he says, well, this is more important to me than this level 145 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,160 of service. No, we're all equal at the foot 146 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,520 of the cross. We all use our gifts for him. 147 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,440 And whatever is he's given you the capacity to do, you do it 148 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:37,240 with complete conviction that he's worthy to serve. 149 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:42,039 And then the last one over there in Luke Chapter 9 verse 23. 150 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:51,000 Luke Chapter 9, 23 Then he said to them all, If anyone desires 151 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,640 to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 152 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,840 daily, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his 153 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,280 life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for 154 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,720 my sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man 155 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,360 if he gains the whole world and is himself destroyed or lost? 156 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,720 For whoever is ashamed of me, in my words of Him, the Son of Man 157 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,960 will be ashamed when he comes in his own glory and in his 158 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,280 Father's, and of the holy angels. 159 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,520 So the good news is, is that God is calling all of us to deny 160 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,160 ourself. And you might want to pray even 161 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,240 today. Lord, what is it in my life that 162 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,760 you want me to deny myself of? Is there anything currently in 163 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,800 my daily life that's getting in the way of my relationship with 164 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,760 You? Am I too obsessed with my 165 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:42,520 career, maybe as my mind and my focus, too overwhelmed with all 166 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,320 the stuff I have to do around my house? 167 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,520 Or, you know, am I? Am I allowing weight in this 168 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,720 life to weigh me down so that I don't have your joy anymore and 169 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,440 I don't have your purpose and I don't have your plan in my life? 170 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:59,600 Lord, help me to like cut loose of the stuff that isn't really 171 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:04,760 your intention so that I can truly sacrifice and lay it down 172 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,880 and just say, Lord, take it so that I can be more responsive to 173 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,520 your will. And these people, it says were 174 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:14,120 redeemed in Revelation chapter 14. 175 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,280 They were redeemed. They were redeemed from among 176 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,600 being firstfruits to God the Lamb. 177 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,320 I love what it says over there in First Corinthians chapter 6 178 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,520 about this subject. You know, when you're talking 179 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,840 about laying your life down, it isn't like one of these things 180 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,360 like, well, maybe I should consider that. 181 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,200 Maybe I don't have to consider it. 182 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,680 We all have to consider it because this is what Paul says 183 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,800 regarding the subject and especially in regard to sexual 184 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,680 immorality in the context he says in first Corinthians 615, 185 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,000 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? 186 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,600 Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of 187 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,160 a harlot? Certainly not. 188 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,240 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is 1 body 189 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,800 with her, For the two he says shall become one flesh, but he 190 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,160 who is joined to the Lord has one spirit with him. 191 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:08,200 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is 192 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,720 outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins 193 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,520 against his own body. Or do you not know that your 194 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:18,080 body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you 195 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,600 have from God, and you are not your own? 196 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,520 That should be a wake up. We're not, we don't. 197 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,960 I don't own this body. You don't own yours. 198 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,240 That's why he says that we're present our bodies to to God, a 199 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,040 living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is 200 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:40,040 our reasonable servants. He says you are not your own. 201 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,960 Your body is a temple, the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you 202 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,840 have from God, and you are not your own, for you were bought at 203 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,360 a price. Therefore glorify God in your 204 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,240 body and your spirit, which are gods. 205 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,040 Paul Dye told us in the men's study last week that that was a 206 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:00,600 life changing verse for him when he realized that he couldn't 207 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,000 make promises to God. I'll do this, I'll do that as a 208 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:04,840 missionary. He knew they'd all fail. 209 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,480 All he could do was say, Lord, here's this body, this vessel, 210 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:13,000 this clay, and I'm just going to surrender it to you for you to 211 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,360 move it around and do with it what you please, what you want, 212 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,440 what we're redeemed with. Peter says in first Peter 118 213 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,760 and 19, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible 214 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,880 things like silver and gold. Jesus in bias with money. 215 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,800 Some people say money can buy everything. 216 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,520 It can't buy your salvation. It can't buy mine, can't buy 217 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,280 yours, can't buy anybody. But this is what we're redeemed 218 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:42,040 with by the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without spot, 219 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:46,400 without blemish. You know, you think about the 220 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,520 fourth first portion here, that he, there's so much in these two 221 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:51,920 verses. We could go on and on, but when 222 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,320 you slow down and you think about every little statement, 223 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,680 every little word within 2 verses, you can, as I say, have 224 00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:03,600 a lot of teaching material. But the first portion in regard 225 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:08,720 to the nation of Israel was the harvest spiritual awakening in 226 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:10,920 Israel. And this is a picture of the 227 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,840 preparation that God has for Israel in the millennial 228 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,160 Kingdom. In Romans Chapter 9, he talks 229 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,960 about the number of the children of Israel will be as a sand to 230 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,760 the sea. The remnant, the first fruits 231 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,440 will be saved. And then he talks about it in 232 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,360 Chapter 11. He says Even so then at the 233 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,400 present time there is a remnant according to the election of 234 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,760 grace. God in His divine sovereign 235 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:41,680 decree has those He's called already prepared for this time 236 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:44,760 in Revelation. He's not scrambling around 237 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,320 trying to recruit people to hey, you want to sign up to be part 238 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,400 of this amazing group of people. They're already called, like 239 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,080 Paul says, I was called in my mother's womb before the 240 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:56,920 foundation of the world to be an apostle. 241 00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,680 That's crazy. I mean, all those years, he 242 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:01,840 certainly didn't give any evidence that he was called. 243 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,280 He persecuted Christians. He he came after them and you 244 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,080 know, and then God says, hey, Paul, it's time. 245 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,640 And on that road to Damascus, he met the Lord Jesus Christ. 246 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,560 And right away he knew it was, and he said, Lord, what would 247 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:17,480 you have me to do? And so be encouraged, you know, 248 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,880 in all the laws of the people you care about, you're 249 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,720 preaching, you're sharing, you're praying, nothing seems to 250 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,600 be happening. But the God in his mercy, when 251 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,880 it's time for those he's called, he reveals himself, and they 252 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,840 can't help but to come. The Lord in his grace draws us 253 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,720 by his Spirit. This is goodness that leads us 254 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,920 to repentance. So the first stage of the final 255 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,640 harvest of Israel and in Revelation 14 four. 256 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:48,120 These are the ones that keep God's word, his commandments and 257 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,400 have the testimony of likeness of Jesus Christ in their lives. 258 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,160 In verse 5, as we begin to wind down, it says in their mouth was 259 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:00,000 found no deceit for they are without fault before the throne 260 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,240 of God. I think about how do we walk. 261 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,640 The Bible says our tongue is like a poison. 262 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,320 Have you ever been guilty of using your tongue for something 263 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,720 you wish you never did or said? Yeah, it's it's a very, very 264 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,280 embarrassing thing. As you look back, you wish you 265 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,840 could take words back. You wish you could have not said 266 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,920 certain things. The Lord forgives us as we 267 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,680 repent. Sometimes people don't. 268 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,920 All we can do is ask for humility and ask for their 269 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,120 forgiveness. But the tongue is very, very 270 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:30,760 dangerous. So how do we walk? 271 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:35,600 Are we like these people that in our mouth is found no lies, no 272 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,480 deceit, no lies? Can you remember a time when you 273 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,640 thought it was OK to tell a little white lie? 274 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,240 Or maybe even now you're telling some lies and your heart's 275 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,160 convicting you and you know you shouldn't, and He's asking you 276 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,920 to come clean and tell the truth, no matter what the cost, 277 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,920 that your conscience is so connected with the Holy Spirit 278 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,600 that the slightest little thing that's just not right, you can't 279 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,760 live with. You got to make it right. 280 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:05,200 You can't hide it, you can't ignore it. 281 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,480 You can't act like you didn't see it when God shows it to you. 282 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:08,800 Got to do something about it, right? 283 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,920 I'm going through my reports at work on the computer and there's 284 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,600 this one account that the business went down. 285 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,480 So I call them up and they say we this in an area I don't call. 286 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,680 And they say, and if I get credit for it, they say, well, 287 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,600 we don't even use you. We don't send any worker. 288 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,160 I'm thinking, well, who's sending us this 6 or $7000 of 289 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,160 business a month and it's coded under me, right? 290 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,360 I'm thinking, well, no one knows about it but me and you, Lord, 291 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,480 my boss doesn't know about it. The company doesn't know about 292 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,080 it. I just keep getting credit every 293 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,520 month. I can't, I can't live with that. 294 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,760 There was a time when I would have probably just like ignored 295 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:41,800 that. No big deal. 296 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,680 Business is business, church is church. 297 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,680 But you can't do that, can you? When God is in your heart and 298 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,240 he's working in your life, everything has to be right. 299 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,920 No deceit. So Monday I got to e-mail them, 300 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:54,520 hey, I don't know who these people are, but I shouldn't be 301 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:57,800 getting credit for this. No deceit, no lies. 302 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,160 Proverbs chapter 8 says listen, I will speak of excellent 303 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:06,720 things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things, 304 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,160 for my mouth will speak truth. Wickedness is an abomination to 305 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,000 my lips. All the words of my mouth are 306 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,880 with righteousness. Nothing crooked or perverse is 307 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,680 in them. That's Proverbs 8 verse 6 308 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:25,000 through 8 if you want to look at that later without fault. 309 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:29,240 John the Apostle says these people are how can they be 310 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,280 without fault? Is any of us here today? 311 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:33,960 Can any of us raise our hand and say them without fault? 312 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,160 I know my fault, you know yours. But the beautiful thing in 313 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,880 regard to the economy of God and through Christ is that he makes 314 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:48,720 us blameless from his throne's perspective because he he looks 315 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,440 at us in the person of Jesus Christ. 316 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,520 He looks at us through the blood of the Lamb. 317 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:59,000 When Jesus died for your sins, He died for every one of them, 318 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,600 the ones you committed and the ones you haven't committed. 319 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,840 That's hard for our minds to grasp that He's made us 320 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:12,320 blameless. Blameless people represent holy 321 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,240 behavior. They're faithful because of 322 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:20,080 God's grace to be something far beyond what they themselves 323 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,880 could ever exhibit. God gives us favor when we 324 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,160 commit ourselves to Him to serve Him. 325 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,600 I have a lot of faults, but I have a lot less faults than I 326 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,520 used to have. That's not because I'm getting 327 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,480 better. It's because Christ is taking 328 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,160 over me more as I yield. And as you yield more and more 329 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,480 to the Lord, we become conformed to His image and His likeness. 330 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:44,800 We can't take credit for that, can we? 331 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,960 None of us. It's a work of His grace. 332 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,800 So wonderful. It happens for all of us. 333 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,920 It happens in all of us and God makes us what we know we could 334 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,240 never be in ourselves. And so before the throne of God, 335 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:02,560 it's I began to wind down here. He says that I look at this 336 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,240 picture in Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah had this vision. 337 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,920 He's a prophet. He has this vision of the throne 338 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,720 of God. He sees the Lord on the throne 339 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,400 high and lifted up, and his train filling the temple. 340 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:19,080 He hears the Sarah from crying out. 341 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,520 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. 342 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,600 The whole earth is full of his glory. 343 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,880 And this is Prophet Isaiah's response. 344 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:32,960 Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the 345 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:37,200 midst of an unclean people. And as he's saying that, he's 346 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,400 freaking out because the post to the temple and the door is 347 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,560 shaking and the whole house is filled with the glory of God, 348 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:48,360 the smoke of God's presence. He says, woe is me, I am undone. 349 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,320 And all of us could, I'm sure, relate to that. 350 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,840 Even today, as we are here in the presence of God, we say, woe 351 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,520 is me, I am undone. I'm a man of unclean lips at 352 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:03,160 times, and I dwell in the midst of an unclean group of people, 353 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,640 even in the church. But what's beautiful is a 354 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:11,400 seraphim brings this coal and puts it on the lips of Isaiah. 355 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,320 And this is a picture of the grace of God, the work of God, 356 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,600 because he makes Isaiah someone he could never be in himself. 357 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:23,320 He takes His Holiness, God's own holiness, and he pours it out 358 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,120 upon the lips of his servant Isaiah. 359 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,160 And he touches his lips and he says to him, Your iniquity is 360 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,320 taken away and your sin is purged. 361 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,560 And that's all we need to do. We ask the Lord, come and purge 362 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:42,920 me, cleanse me, touch my heart, touch my lips, touch my mind so 363 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:50,520 that I can become blameless. First, John 19 tells us that if 364 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:56,080 we confess our sins, and that's part of being blameless, I make 365 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,280 a mistake, I sin against God, I repent of it, I confess it. 366 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,920 I hurt you or you hurt me. We come to one another and say 367 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,080 please forgive me. I was insensitive, I was 368 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,640 ungodly. I have no excuse for my 369 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,880 behavior. Forgive me and Christ will 370 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,320 forgive us of our sins through the power of his blood. 371 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:26,200 And as we do that first, John tells us in chapter 1 verse 5, 372 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,840 this is a message which we've heard from him and declare to 373 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,120 you that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 374 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,960 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and we walk 375 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,640 in darkness, we lie and we do not practice the truth. 376 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:44,200 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have 377 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,000 fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ 378 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,280 His Son cleanses us from all sin. 379 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,080 The blood of the Lamb is what makes us blameless. 380 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:57,040 The blood of the Lamb is what cleanses us from all our 381 00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:00,920 impurities and unrighteousness. And He says if we say that we've 382 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,880 not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in US. 383 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,600 I'm so thankful that God is helping me by His grace to get 384 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,920 over pride in the sense of not being willing to admit to God 385 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,360 when I don't do what's right. I want to be quick with 386 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:21,320 repentance. I want to be fast with being 387 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,840 upfront about my life with the Lord, with my wife, my family. 388 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,560 If I mess up, I don't want to act like it didn't happen and 389 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,600 ignore it. I want to go right to the 390 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,280 situation and say I was wrong. Please forgive me. 391 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,920 And God is merciful because you know no matter what it is you've 392 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,640 done in your life or what you could do or what you you 393 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,520 shouldn't have done, whenever you make it right with the Lord 394 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,200 through repentance and you humble yourself among other 395 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,600 people. They might not forgive you, but 396 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,520 they can't point the finger anymore and say you're. 397 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:57,480 This is because they know you saw it was wrong and you wanted 398 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,360 to make amends. You did what you were supposed 399 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,120 to do right. You set things right on your 400 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:04,720 side of the fence. What they do with it, that's 401 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:09,240 between them and God that you've walked away as a blameless 402 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,640 person and it tells us in Jude chapter or Jude does only 1 403 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,040 chapter verse 24. It says not to Him who is able 404 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,840 to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless or 405 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,560 blameless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. 406 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,520 Remember, it's not works of righteousness which you have 407 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:29,160 done. It's nothing. 408 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,720 You could do nothing in my hands. 409 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:38,520 I bring Amen only to the cross. I cling and rest assured in Him. 410 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,480 Not to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to 411 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,800 present you faultless. You can't present yourselves 412 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,400 faultless, guys. I can't either. 413 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,480 He's the one that does that. Worthy is a lamb that was slain 414 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,280 for the foundation of the earth, for you and for me who trusts in 415 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,280 me. This has been Living Waters of 416 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,840 Grace with Pastor Clark. We're going through the 417 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,320 challenging and also intriguing Book of Revelation. 418 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,560 Whether you're a fan of reading ahead in books of fiction, 419 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,840 there's such a benefit to reading ahead in the Bible to 420 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,720 read about how it all ends. But in an interesting turn of 421 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,560 events, the Book of Revelation is not really the end. 422 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,840 I'd rather the beginning. It's the end of life as we know 423 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,720 it here on earth, but there's so much to look forward to. 424 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,760 But what comes after all? The judgement of the earth and 425 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,640 those who reject God? There's a lot to work through, 426 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,160 and it can be heartbreaking to read through the intense 427 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:42,040 judgements and wrath that will come on those who hate God with 428 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,400 all their might. The thing is, God has given 429 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,640 chance upon chance to these people and they don't want it. 430 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:53,400 So the outcome is that there are judgments and consequences for 431 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,720 those who've rejected the good news and the gift of salvation 432 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,160 that's offered through Jesus's death and resurrection. 433 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,400 Are you one who has heard about these things but doesn't really 434 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,480 want it because you want to live life on your terms? 435 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,840 Trust me, living for Jesus is so much better. 436 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,000 That doesn't mean it will be easy, but as you listen and read 437 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,160 through Revelation with us, you'll come to a stark 438 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,160 realization that you don't want to be on earth when the 439 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,280 apocalypse happens. So check out Calvary Chapel 440 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,880 online.com to learn how to come to a saving grace through faith 441 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,680 that will allow you to be with Jesus for eternity. 442 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,200 We'd also love to meet you in person at Calvary Chapel 443 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,000 Westmoreland. Come join us at 400 E Pittsburgh 444 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:50,240 St. Ste. 6B in Greensburg, PA 15601. 445 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,440 This has been living waters of Grace.