1 00:00:03,880 --> 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 --> 00:00:40,880 There's a purpose in all these things and God is ultimately 6 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,120 glorified. And one day this enemy of our 7 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,440 souls and the enemy of the Kingdom of God will be one day 8 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,080 in that final judgement cast into the lake of fire forever 9 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,600 and ever and ever to bother or hassle anyone again. 10 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,720 But he's always working to trouble the church. 11 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,480 His big focus is to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ. 12 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,160 The good news is Jesus Christ says I will build my church and 13 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,480 the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 14 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,200 I was recently encouraged by a friend who shared with me that 15 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,760 we need not fear the devil in his schemes. 16 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,960 He said that gates are a defensive structure, something 17 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:20,680 used to prevent or withstand an attack. 18 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,200 If hell has gates, that means that Christ and all of heaven 19 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:30,080 along with him is on the attack. Pastor Clark reminds us today 20 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,000 that while we ought to be wary of the devil and his Wiles, to 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,480 be vigilant, but we should also walk in confidence knowing that 22 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,000 we've already been given the victory through Christ. 23 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,840 Now here's Pastor Clark in the Book of Psalms Chapter 32 with 24 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,600 today's edition of Living Waters of Grace. 25 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,160 He promises He'll never leave us or forsake us. 26 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,120 Sometimes we feel like God, where are you? 27 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:55,680 I felt like that at times. I'm sure you have too. 28 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,000 You're going through something. You're like, Lord, where are you 29 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,840 in all this? But He's there, He's always 30 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:02,640 there. He promises never to leave us. 31 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,000 He walks through it with us. I like what Psalm 32 says. 32 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,560 He says, behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, 33 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:13,800 on those who hope in His mercy to deliver their soul from death 34 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,000 and to keep them alive. And in falling. 35 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,080 Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield, 36 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,720 for our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in 37 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,640 His holy name. Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon 38 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:33,520 us, just as we hope in you. He says that in these trials, in 39 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,240 the midst of these trials, they're rich. 40 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,360 And James says in chapter 2, verse 5, Listen, my beloved 41 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,280 brethren, has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in 42 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,480 faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to them who 43 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,720 love Him? I think about the Christians in 44 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,480 Haiti. You've seen them on TV, haven't 45 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,200 you? They have lost everything. 46 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,680 They didn't have anything to begin with. 47 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,800 One of the most poor countries in the world. 48 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,640 They have this horrendous earthquake that wipes out over 49 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:06,600 200,000 people. Many of them lost their 50 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,360 children, their spouses, their loved ones, their friends and I 51 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,280 was blown away to see them assembling together, raising 52 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:21,000 their hands and worshipping God. Poor inheriting the Kingdom of 53 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,240 God. He speaks about the adversary, 54 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,240 the devil, and he is a real being. 55 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,560 He is interested in destroying all of our lives. 56 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,240 The Bible tells us the devil has come to seek and to kill and to 57 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:40,680 rob and to destroy. He is involved in this world 58 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,640 every day to keep it from knowing the truth of Jesus 59 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,160 Christ. He is sending his emissaries out 60 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,000 all the time to prevent you and me from growing and the grace 61 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,640 and the knowledge of God. He wants us to be stunted, 62 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,800 immature Christians. He wants us to live without our 63 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,000 inheritance in this world, not experiencing the Kingdom of God 64 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,120 within. He'll do everything he can to 65 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,000 destroy your faith. The Lord allows him to work. 66 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,040 That's the mystery. And the purposes of God are 67 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,600 sometimes very, very complex for our human frail minds to 68 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,800 understand. But the Bible tells us that 69 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,839 God's ways aren't our ways. Neither are his thoughts. 70 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,480 Our thoughts for his ways are so much higher than our ways, and 71 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,480 His thoughts so much higher than ours. 72 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,800 There's a purpose in all these things, and God is ultimately 73 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,960 glorified. And one day this enemy of our 74 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,200 souls and the enemy of the Kingdom of God will be one day 75 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,840 in that final judgment cast into the lake of fire forever and 76 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:41,160 ever and ever to bother or hassle anyone again. 77 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,120 But he's always working to trouble the church. 78 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:47,760 His big focus is to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ. 79 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:52,240 The good news is Jesus Christ says I will build my church and 80 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:54,560 the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 81 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,920 The enemy can take everybody out, but it can't stop the work 82 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:03,160 of God moving on. And many of these people had 83 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,480 given their lives in this day and Smyrna for the sake of the 84 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,680 gospel. But it hasn't stopped the 85 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,080 movement of the gospel 2000 years later. 86 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,280 He speaks about these people that are enemies of God and 87 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:18,440 they're tools of the devil. It says these folks say they are 88 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,920 Jews and they are not two different kind of Jews. 89 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,360 Jews that have a heart for Messiah. 90 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,000 Jews who are waiting. Jews, even at the time of Christ 91 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,920 crucifixion, were sensitive, even though they couldn't 92 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,000 understand that he at this time was the one they were waiting 93 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,200 for. They had a vulnerable, a 94 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,840 vulnerability of softness. Many of them eventually did come 95 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,320 to believe on Christ. Because the early church was 96 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,280 made-up primarily of Jews and they carried the worship of the 97 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,480 synagogue right into the New Testament. 98 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,720 Many of the symbolism and the pictures and the art and the 99 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,000 design of the priestly garments and robes were carried through 100 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,840 from the Jewish temple. It's interesting as we're 101 00:05:58,840 --> 00:06:01,880 reading right now in Exodus, isn't it the, the, the specific 102 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:07,560 detail on how God wanted that Tabernacle built, the colors, 103 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,880 the, the length of the, the material that was used, the 104 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,920 embroidery and the, the symbolism, the type at this, 105 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:17,240 this mind blowing of the, of the beauty of, of God and and his 106 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,600 Kingdom, his church. But there were obviously as 107 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,720 there is today, not any Jews but Gentiles who cannot stand the 108 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,840 gospel of Christ and they are the enemies of the gospel. 109 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:36,560 I would say organizations like the ACLU, they are dead set 110 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:41,040 against our freedoms as Christians and the message that 111 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,160 we proclaim the person we believe in and trust in his Lord 112 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:49,840 and Savior. Many, many people today on the 113 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:55,160 liberal side of the agenda that are pushing all these teachings 114 00:06:55,160 --> 00:07:01,600 of of really ungodliness are against what we do here, what we 115 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:05,080 do as churches in these last days, standing on the scriptures 116 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:09,240 and teaching the word of God. And so because of the large 117 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,720 population of Jews in Smyrna, the Christians were really 118 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,080 overrun by all these people that wanted to destroy them. 119 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:17,960 It was a tough place to be a Christian in. 120 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,600 They were the main enemies of the gospel. 121 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,520 Verse 10, he says to them again, don't fear these things which 122 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:30,400 you are about to suffer. Luke chapter 12, verse 4, Jesus 123 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,600 says to the disciples, my friends, do not fear those who 124 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,960 kill the body and after that have no more that they can do, 125 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:43,320 but fear the one who has the power to cast 1 into hell. 126 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:48,760 So Christ himself reminding us that we're not to fear what man 127 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,800 can do to us. You know, there's this element 128 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:56,600 of fear that we all have, a fear of disease, fear of failure, 129 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,200 fear of financial ruin, fear of losing job. 130 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,560 We all, we all struggle with a certain type of fear, but a fear 131 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,960 of knowing that you're in the jail cell tonight. 132 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,320 This is your last night on earth. 133 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,120 And you know, tomorrow you're going to be thrown to the lions 134 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,120 or you're going to have your head cut off because of your 135 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,560 faith. And you're probably walking 136 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,040 around pacing in the cell saying, Lord, I really believe 137 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:19,440 you. But I really have to go through 138 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:20,680 this. Is there another way out of 139 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,480 this? You know, would you mind if I 140 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,760 just, you know, I really believe in you, but would you mind if I 141 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:29,080 just told him I didn't? I'm sure those things would go 142 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,640 through all of our minds and our hearts, especially when our 143 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,799 families maybe were at home and we knew that we wouldn't see 144 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:40,720 them again until the next life. The struggle of having to wait 145 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,360 for the Lord to bring everything to a final culmination in the 146 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,720 last day. But I think about martyrs. 147 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,640 I think about Stephen, the first martyr in the New Testament in 148 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,600 Acts Chapter 7. This is what happened after he's 149 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,680 being accused of treason and he's speaking out and 150 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:01,480 proclaiming the gospel with all his heart, all his mind, all his 151 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,640 soul is strength, such conviction and fervor and love 152 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,400 in his heart for the people he's speaking to. 153 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,840 He's speaking to them about who Jesus is and what he did for 154 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:11,640 them. It says that people were so 155 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:15,280 angry they clenched their teeth. They just like, let me, Adam, 156 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,880 let me get rid of him, just like they wanted to get rid of 157 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,880 Christ. And it says, but he being full 158 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,000 of the Holy Spirit. And that's the key, guys. 159 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,160 No matter what we're going through in life, the struggles, 160 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,360 the fears, the anxieties, the pressures at work or home or 161 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:34,280 wherever, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we're 162 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,040 overcomers. But when we're filled with our 163 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:41,880 own vanity and pride and our own fear, we're basket cases. 164 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:43,520 Stephen's full of the Holy Spirit. 165 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:46,160 He gazes into heaven and God gives him a vision. 166 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:50,160 He sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand 167 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,480 of God. I love that Christ stood up. 168 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,760 He it says right now he's seated at the right hand of Father ever 169 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,880 living to make intercession for us, his Saints day and night. 170 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:01,400 He's praying for us all the time. 171 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:02,960 But there's a limit, isn't there? 172 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,360 What he's going to allow to happen to his kids. 173 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,800 And so he sees what's going on with Stephen and he couldn't 174 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,440 help but to stand up. And one day he's going to stand 175 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,520 up and not only stand up, but come back and put all things in 176 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,680 order and he's going to destroy wickedness from the face of the 177 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:21,960 earth, and no one will ever raise their hand to one of his 178 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:23,840 children again. What a day that'll be. 179 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,560 When are Jesus? We shall see when we look into 180 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:31,640 his face, the one who saved us by his grace, the old song, what 181 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,400 a day, glorious day that will be. 182 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,240 And so Jesus, he stands in the right hand of the Father. 183 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,920 And Stephen says, look, I see the heavens opened and the Son 184 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:45,080 of man standing at the right hand of God. 185 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,080 What a privilege he was given. And as they began to stone him, 186 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,920 he's calling on God, and he's saying, Lord Jesus, receive my 187 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,080 spirit. He kneels down and he cries with 188 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:04,000 a loud voice. Lord, do not charge them with 189 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,560 this sin. And when he had said this, he 190 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:08,320 fell asleep. He went to be with the Lord. 191 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,400 What love, huh? You know, the the example of 192 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,640 martyrs, they're not proud and they're not hating the people 193 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,000 that are killing them. Their hearts are breaking for 194 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,280 the people that are taking their lives. 195 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:20,840 And that's the love of Jesus Christ. 196 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,520 I think of what he said when he was being crucified on the 197 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:26,040 cross. He said, Father forgive them for 198 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:29,520 they know not what they do. All of us are responsible for 199 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:33,160 crucifying Christ. We know we're guilty and we know 200 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,080 it's our sin that caused him to die. 201 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:40,600 And he says to his Father, Father, forgive all those people 202 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:45,920 for they know not what they do. And and then we see Stephen, a 203 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,600 stunning example of the person of Jesus Christ and his witness, 204 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,400 his testimony, his countenance. Lord, don't charge us to them. 205 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:59,240 Don't charge us sin to them. I think of the the gospel and 206 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:04,640 the Beatitudes when Jesus says love your enemies, pray for 207 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,880 those who despitefully use you and say O manner of evil about 208 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,000 you for my name's sake. Guys, if we're not loving 209 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,800 people, the people that drive us nuts, the people that mess our 210 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:20,320 lives up, the people that hurt us the most and wound us the 211 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:25,360 greatest, if we don't love them, then we aren't like Stephen, are 212 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:27,640 we? We're not like Jesus. 213 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:32,840 We need to say to the Lord, when people do things to us, Lord, 214 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:37,600 don't charge this sin to their account on my behalf that we 215 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,560 love them. That's the gospel. 216 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:41,320 That's what Christianity is, isn't it? 217 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,560 Not a bunch of words. It's real action, real love. 218 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,440 First Peter 314 says even if you should suffer for righteousness 219 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:56,040 sake, do not be afraid of their thoughts or be troubled or their 220 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,880 threats or not to be afraid. And the, the definition of 221 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:04,320 fearlessness, being fearless is not necessarily a total absence 222 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,640 of dread. You know, when you're facing 223 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,880 something that you know, man, you're, you're scared and you 224 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,520 don't know how you're going to get through it. 225 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,320 When you're fearless, it doesn't mean you don't have a sense of 226 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,040 dread or what if or you know that's human stuff. 227 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:21,480 But rather it's the refusal to succumb to the intimidation of 228 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,080 the circumstance of trial so that the threats of harm do not 229 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,760 turn you back from your loyalty and faith in Christ, no matter 230 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,880 what. He speaks about this warfare in 231 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,800 verse 10. Do not fear these things which 232 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,960 are about to come upon you. The testing, the persecution. 233 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,440 The devil, he says clearly is about to throw some of you into 234 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:49,800 prison that you may be tested. He says you will have 235 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:55,320 tribulation for 10 days. You know, the devil is, it's 236 00:13:55,320 --> 00:14:00,840 interesting his, his influence. On one hand, he's a destroyer. 237 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:04,400 On the other hand, God uses them in some sense to be a 238 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,320 sanctifier. Isn't that ironic? 239 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:14,520 Because like in Job, a book that Christians don't like to read, 240 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,160 the worst of things happen to this guy, right? 241 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,360 And there was a conversation in the 1st chapter where God's 242 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,040 talking to Satan. Where you been? 243 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,560 Oh, I've been roaming up and down on to and fro, going all 244 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:31,080 around, you know, and this subject comes up about Job. 245 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:36,680 He's a man of great faith, a man who would never deny and always 246 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,680 be faithful. And Satan saying, well, you 247 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:41,960 know, it's easy for him. You got a hedge around him. 248 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,120 Nothing can touch his life. I bet if you took that hedge 249 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,080 down and gave me some opportunity to mess with him, 250 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:52,200 he'd curse you. Well, Job never cursed God. 251 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,240 He struggled through the circumstances and the trials. 252 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,840 His heart was broken at times. He had questions. 253 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,440 God can handle the questions when you want to ask him. 254 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:06,160 Doesn't mean you're going to get an answer. 255 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,080 But he did give Joe some pretty profound answers. 256 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,200 Were you there when I hung the universe in space and suspended 257 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,120 the stars? He just begins to talk about his 258 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,760 great creative power and his incredible miraculous ability to 259 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,560 create all this out of nothing. And I can just see Joe because 260 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,480 he's hearing that. I get it, Laura. 261 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,800 I get who am I? Who is any of us the question of 262 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:36,240 greatness of our God, but the testing will make us stronger in 263 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,160 the Lord. When you guys go through trials, 264 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,840 I know it's not something you want to jump up and down and be 265 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,400 excited about, but it says in James 1/2, it says my brother 266 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,480 encountered all joy. When you fall into various 267 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:52,320 trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, 268 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:54,400 it's going to make you more like Jesus. 269 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,640 It really, it really does. And all of us who have been 270 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,440 through trials and testings and difficulties, we're becoming 271 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:06,400 more like him. But whenever we fight the trials 272 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,160 and we try to run away from them, we don't want to deal with 273 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,360 it. We have to later on go back and 274 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,040 go through perhaps something different in order to learn what 275 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,880 it is that the Lord wants us to learn. 276 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,000 Jesus tells us in the Gospels in Matthew 5. 277 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,160 Blessed are you when there reviling and persecuting you and 278 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,400 they're saying all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. 279 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,840 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in 280 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,080 heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before 281 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:37,680 you. So when you got people that 282 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,320 really hate you because of your stand for Christ or they want to 283 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,160 make comments about you because they don't think you're perfect 284 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:49,360 enough or whatever, just smile, enjoy it because great will be 285 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:55,360 your reward when you are given persecution and criticism and 286 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,920 remarks about your walk with the Lord and your faith. 287 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,360 That's a wonderful thing to have the privilege of, of, of 288 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,040 hearing. And if you accept it lovingly 289 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,680 and pray for the people that are saying these things about you, 290 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:10,000 he promises a great reward in heaven. 291 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,000 First Peter chapter 1, If you flip over there just for a 292 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,680 minute, so much of this parallels the the writings of 293 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,800 some of the other apostles. First, Peter, I want you to read 294 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,359 this for yourself first. Peter, chapter one, verse 6 295 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:28,160 through 9, it says in this you greatly rejoice, though now for 296 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,600 a little while if need be, you have been grieved by various 297 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,040 trials. Some of you today I know are in 298 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,080 various trials and you're grieved about it. 299 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:37,640 You don't like what you're experiencing. 300 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:39,080 You don't like what you're going through. 301 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,200 But the purpose of this is in verse 7 that the genuineness of 302 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,720 your faith being much more precious and gold that perish, 303 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,720 though it's tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and 304 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,040 glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 305 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,480 In other words, is our faith real? 306 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,960 If it's real, it'll last the trial, it'll get through the 307 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,280 difficulty. It won't abandoned the gospel of 308 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,480 Jesus Christ. It'll get stronger and closer to 309 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,960 the Lord. What's the scripture say? 310 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:15,000 Though he slay me, yet I will trust him. 311 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:21,200 That's someone who knows who God is, someone who loves God and 312 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:26,120 knows, hey, this body going to last 7080 years at best. 313 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:31,240 But my Lord and my God, I will be with him for all eternity. 314 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,960 For Peter says whom having not yet seen you love, though now 315 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,320 you do not see him yet you believe you rejoice with joy 316 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:42,960 inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith, 317 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:47,200 the salvation of your souls. He talks about this ten days of 318 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,240 of trials and it's not so much we're just going to have 10 days 319 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,120 of problems here and everything is going to be cool. 320 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:55,760 Now there was actually in the sense of we take a literal 321 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,120 perspective of what he's he's representing here. 322 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,000 There was a wave of persecution that began and continued to the 323 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,240 3rd century unlike any other time of persecution on the face 324 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,840 of the earth, unlike any time up until the soon coming 325 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,880 tribulation that will fall upon this earth in Christ timing. 326 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:18,360 There was 10 actual empires, emperors that persecuted the 327 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:20,520 church throughout the first 3 centuries. 328 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,320 And so we believe this is what this is referring to. 329 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,960 And it's important to realize that we all want everything to 330 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,560 go great in our lives, right? I mean, that's just human 331 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,880 nature. No pressure, no hassle. 332 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,080 Martyrdom, boy, God bless those people. 333 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,640 Not here in America. Let that stay over there in 334 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,480 Indonesia and China and Afghanistan and Sudan. 335 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,200 Not here, but I don't know where we're going as a country. 336 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,680 It doesn't seem like we're going in the right place right now. 337 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:49,760 And if things don't turn around, if Christians don't stand up for 338 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,360 the truth and that our light is not hid under a basket, but it's 339 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,720 seen in the workplace, the marketplace, the community. 340 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:01,280 If we're not preaching and being using the freedoms we have, 341 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,400 we'll lose the freedoms. And but we're not, we're not 342 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,240 promised to be protected from martyrdom. 343 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:09,360 I can't stand here today and tell you this. 344 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:11,680 Keep believing in Jesus and love Him. 345 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,080 And you'll have no problems in your life. 346 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,360 Joel Osteen will tell you that. I can't tell you that. 347 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,200 The Bible doesn't tell you that, does it? 348 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,320 In the world you will have tribulation, Jesus says, would 349 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,200 be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. 350 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,600 And so Jesus says, be faithful unto death, and you'll receive 351 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,400 the crown. James 112 says blessed is a man 352 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,960 who endorsed temptation. For when he has been approved, 353 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,960 that means when he's been seen as being faithful, he will 354 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,200 receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those 355 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,160 who love him. And he promises that these folks 356 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,760 in Smyrna, if they endure, when they're tested, he will give 357 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:54,800 them the crown of life and they will not have to deal or be hurt 358 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:58,800 by the second death. Revelation 2040 talks about 359 00:20:58,800 --> 00:20:59,920 that. You flip over there. 360 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:04,160 We'll get to that down the road. But 2014, it says the death, 361 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,920 then death in Hades, it's the end of time. 362 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,440 We're cast into the lake of fire. 363 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,560 This is a second death, and anyone not found written in the 364 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,320 Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. 365 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:18,760 No call to repent in this church. 366 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,120 How would you like to be a member of the church in Smyrna? 367 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,480 Any hands raised? You'd rather be in Ephesus or 368 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,320 Laodicea? They're rich and everything's 369 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,720 going great. And Jesus says that you know 370 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:34,480 you're naked and poor, wretched and blind. 371 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:36,840 How many months have joined the Church of Smyrna here? 372 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,240 I don't think any of us want to join that church because of what 373 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,840 they went through. But look at the promise that God 374 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,400 said they're going to have. See the problem with us as 375 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,200 humans? We're looking at like the here 376 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,960 and now. We need to have a vision of 377 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,480 eternity, guys, right? Because all this stuff here 378 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,000 today isn't going to last. What's going to last is what's 379 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,000 going to be in eternity. Souls, humans, people who are 380 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,720 saved, heaven and earth will pass away. 381 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,560 But he that does the will of God, the word of God abides 382 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,480 forever. I pray though, that we have a 383 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,840 kind of heart like Smyrna, though, guys, not Ephesus, but 384 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,720 be hot. Be hot for the Lord in the 385 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:23,760 trials that you go through. Let the Lord make you deeper and 386 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,320 more faithful and more radical in your commitment and your love 387 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,080 for him. And I love the fact that this 388 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:31,680 church wasn't given the admonition of needing to repent. 389 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,680 Because when you're in trials, you don't need to repent because 390 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:37,520 you're, you don't, you don't know 1 needs to tell you to 391 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:38,920 repent. You are repenting, right? 392 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:41,120 The first thing that happens when we go through a trial. 393 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,960 Is there anything, Lord, in my life that you need to deal with? 394 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,120 And if there is, here it is. I give it to you. 395 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:48,200 I want what you want. I don't want my way. 396 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:52,160 I want your way. And, and then man, your, your 397 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:53,880 life as a Christian is astounding. 398 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:59,200 And so God knows when to bring the trials and he knows what 399 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,040 he's doing in all of our lives, whether we think he does or not. 400 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,000 I don't want to see anybody have to deal with the second death 401 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,080 being thrown into the lake of fire and hell forever. 402 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:12,440 If you've never put your faith in Jesus Christ, this is not 403 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,680 made-up here. What I'm talking to you guys 404 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:18,120 about this is the word of God. Your soul's weigh in the 405 00:23:18,120 --> 00:23:20,400 balance. You hear the gospel, you hear 406 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,640 the message, you hear the truth of Jesus Christ. 407 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:26,360 The day is a day of salvation. If you're here today and you've 408 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:30,800 never said, Lord, I'm a Sinner and I need Jesus to be my 409 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,360 Savior, Just quietly in your own heart, just let the Lord do 410 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:36,360 that. Let him save you. 411 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:38,480 Just submit to him that you're a Sinner. 412 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,600 It's real simple. And that you want him to save 413 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,120 you and that's, that's it. And then He'll Holy Spirit comes 414 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:46,600 into you, and He begins to show you the way to walk and makes 415 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:51,040 things clear. We are digging into the Book of 416 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,480 Revelation here on Living Waters of Grace. 417 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,440 Pastor Clark is tackling this challenging book as we try to 418 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,760 discern the messages that are within its pages. 419 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,360 There's so much imagery and at times you're not always sure 420 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,520 what's literal and what's metaphorical. 421 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:12,080 At one point there's a reference to an adulterous woman riding on 422 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,360 a beast. And as someone else mentioned, 423 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:17,840 at one point it almost sounds like a rodeo from hell. 424 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:23,120 And in actuality it kind of is. You learn about the downfall and 425 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:27,120 demise of a sinful and rebellious world, falling down 426 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:32,640 in worship to someone who is the anti hero, the enemy, Satan 427 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:37,960 working his insidious ways into the minds of fallen people. 428 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:43,600 It's sad and it's heartbreaking, but it's a classic story of good 429 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,920 versus evil. Thankfully, we know how this 430 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:52,640 story ends. Jesus wins, Jesus reigns, and 431 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,680 evil is conquered once and for all. 432 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:00,480 We pray and trust you've received Jesus as your Savior. 433 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,480 But if you haven't, don't wait until the events in Revelation 434 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,920 become what's happening on the streets. 435 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,520 None of us wants you to be there at that time. 436 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:15,480 Instead, we'd love for you to be with us in heaven as we 437 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:21,000 celebrate the marriage supper with Jesus as his bridegroom. 438 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,480 To get a better understanding of where we are in the Book of 439 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,840 Revelation, to listen to any messages before or after this 440 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:31,840 one, you can find them at our website, 441 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:37,000 calvarychapelonline.com. That's it for today's edition, 442 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,880 but we hope you'll want to hear Pastor Clark teach more from the 443 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:44,480 Book of Revelation. It can be exciting to think 444 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:48,160 about the future for believers, but it can feel a bit harrowing 445 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,720 for those who don't believe. Come hear more next time on 446 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,480 Living Waters of Grace.