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 --> 00:00:18,760 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:41,120 I'm here again at this place of brokenness and repentance. 6 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,800 Revive me again, Lord, give me hope, give me victory, give me 7 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,400 strength. Keep me from doing the things 8 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,840 that I did last week that were unpleasing in your sight, making 9 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,120 my life a drag for people that have been around me. 10 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,240 You know, the Christian life is a life of being positive, 11 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:04,280 excited, joyful, overcoming, and that comes by the word of God 12 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,280 and confession of our sins to God and to one another. 13 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,560 The church is designed to be a hospital for sinners because 14 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,480 while the life of a Christian is supposed to be positive and 15 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,120 joyful, we can also admit that it's a life of complete 16 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,920 brokenness. We fully depend on God's grace 17 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,960 and forgiveness to be able to live a life of hope, victory, 18 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:30,520 and strength. Today, Pastor Clark teaches us 19 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,200 that the life of joy we live as believers only comes through 20 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,400 confession and forgiveness of one another, forgiveness that's 21 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,800 brought through grace and understanding of God's love. 22 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,040 Now here's Pastor Clark in Revelation Chapter 21 with 23 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,240 today's edition of Living Waters of Grace. 24 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,400 I trust the Holy Spirit is the one that's ministering to you 25 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,680 today through my life and that you're listening to the word of 26 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,320 God through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives and dwells 27 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,240 in you. But how often do we forget that 28 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,760 the Holy Spirit lives in us? We get up on Monday morning all 29 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,000 ready to go and we're thinking, oh man, I got to do this and do 30 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,720 that. And all this stuff's in front of 31 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,480 us and we're wondering how we're going to do it and how we're 32 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,760 going to make it. And somehow we get our weary 33 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,920 bodies up and chug a couple gallons of coffee down our 34 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:23,240 throat and we get in our car and we're starting to go and, and 35 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,400 man, you know, it's just not really working that well. 36 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,960 We don't feel real motivated and real excited and we're not 37 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:32,040 anticipating God doing anything because we think God's up there 38 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,240 somewhere. And the mystery is God is on his 39 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,240 throne. And it's the same time he's in 40 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,520 us. In him dwells the fullness of 41 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,720 the Godhead bodily. I love an ancient prayer. 42 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,000 It says, O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,120 are in all places, and fill us all things. 44 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,560 Treasury of good things and giver of life, come and dwell in 45 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,960 US and cleanse us from every stain and save our souls. 46 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,480 O gracious Lord, you know the Holy Spirit resides in the body 47 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,400 of Christ. He doesn't depart like he did in 48 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,280 the Old Testament when David cried out to the Father. 49 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,440 Please do not take your Holy Spirit from me. 50 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,160 If you're in Christ and you belong to Christ, the Holy 51 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,840 Spirit is in you until the day you're taken to be with Him in 52 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,480 glory. But let's be honest this 53 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,440 morning, do you ever forget that the Holy Spirit lives in you? 54 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,640 Raise your hands. It's about every one of us. 55 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:30,680 Now, if we go out to our car after church and we see the gas 56 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,920 gauge on empty, we realize we have to go get fuel, right? 57 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,840 We're not going to drive around and think that gas gauge is 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:40,760 lying. It's not real. 59 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,120 I have faith I'm going to keep driving because eventually the 60 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,000 car is going to sputter and it's not going to have the capacity 61 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,120 to go forward anymore. That's the way it is with us as 62 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,280 Christians. But the good news is God, the 63 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,560 Spirit doesn't diminish in US ever. 64 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,800 He's the fullness of the Father dwelled and manifests in us. 65 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:05,520 But we leak and the way we leak is sin, pride, self will, 66 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,880 independence. And so all of a sudden we have 67 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,200 this sense that we don't have any empowerment in our life. 68 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,800 And that's when we have to repent and we just say, Lord, 69 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,800 I've gotten off track somehow and I want to come back and get 70 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,240 things right. And the way we get things right 71 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,760 is humbling ourselves again and again and again and again and 72 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:29,400 repenting again and again and again and again, and be restored 73 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,640 to the Lord so he can restore to us the joy of our salvation. 74 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:37,760 And as we humble ourselves, as we yield, as we repent, the 75 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,440 Spirit of God begins to well up within us and begin to take 76 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,840 control and begin to cause our senses to be under his 77 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,120 leadership. And our mind begins to be 78 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,520 renewed. And our heart has a joy and a 79 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,640 strength and a stability in and all of a sudden we realize, like 80 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,960 Paul, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens 81 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:57,640 us. Amen. 82 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:03,200 That's the good news. Now we have to realize that the 83 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,240 Christian life has not been designed to live without the 84 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,600 Spirit of God. It's foolishness. 85 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,400 But we're told in the Scriptures that we quench the Spirit of 86 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,240 God, we grieve the Spirit of God. 87 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,840 And when we quench the Spirit of God, it's basically saying, I 88 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:20,200 don't need your help. I can do this myself, which is 89 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,160 pride and will fall. We can grieve the Holy Spirit. 90 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,000 The Holy Spirit's saying, don't do that, I don't want you to act 91 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,240 that way. I don't want you to do this or 92 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,120 think that. And we're blowing them off and 93 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,080 we're just going to do what we want to do. 94 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:37,600 And it breaks his heart. We grieve him. 95 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,800 And so all of a sudden, the sense of his presence is not 96 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,200 alive. We don't sense his nearness. 97 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,960 We don't sense his leading, his guidance, his blessing, and how 98 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:51,840 foolish that is to, to live in a way that the Holy Spirit is not 99 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,480 dominating our lives. And the purpose of the church, 100 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,080 you know, isn't like Sunday, OK, got to go to church. 101 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:00,520 You know, it's the right thing to do. 102 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,800 And I, I show up, I come to church and I hope you come to 103 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,640 church to be corrected and redirected all the time. 104 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,120 My mind is brought back to the main focus of where it needs to 105 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,880 be, and I get filled up with the presence of God, the Spirit of 106 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,280 God. I have a stability in my life if 107 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:20,760 I'm faithful in my study of God's Word and doing what God 108 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,160 says to me to do in His Word when I want to be with 109 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,920 believers, when I want to pray with Christians, when I want to 110 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,040 be in the Word, when I want to gather. 111 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,720 That's why Paul said don't forsake the assembling of 112 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,280 yourselves. And so many think they can take 113 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:36,880 church or leave it. I know what happened to my life 114 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:38,520 when I started blowing church off. 115 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,960 I mean, it messed my life up. It messed my marriage up. 116 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,640 It messed my kids up. I mean, you got to be 117 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,720 disciplined. You got to be focused. 118 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,440 You got to be committed to the things that the Lord says he 119 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,160 wants you to be committed to. He says these things to keep us 120 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,960 protected. He says if you forsake the 121 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:02,400 assembling of yourselves as a man, or some do, he says a root 122 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,880 of bitterness will spring up among you and you'll start to 123 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,160 get hard in your heart and you'll begin to start judging 124 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,720 people and you'll think everybody's hypocrites. 125 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,200 Why would I want to go to that church? 126 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,680 They're a bunch of hypocrites. Well, we come to church because 127 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,200 we know we're hypocrites, right? We repent of our hypocrisy. 128 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,480 We ask God to change us and to break us and to cleanse us and 129 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:25,800 to fill us so that we become more like Christ. 130 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,440 We don't come to church because we're perfect, do we? 131 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,960 The church is designed to be a hospital for sinners, not a 132 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,560 museum for the Saints. The early church understood that 133 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:42,000 the church was a place of restoration to heal broken lives 134 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,840 that have been destroyed through sin and have been ruined through 135 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:46,920 sin. That's why we have an altar call 136 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:48,560 here every week. It's not a tradition. 137 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,520 It's a place we're coming down lame spiritually. 138 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,600 We're coming down hobbling to the front. 139 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,560 Maybe we don't look like that physically, but inwardly we are. 140 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,880 We're saying, Lord, I'm here again at this place of love, 141 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:03,320 brokenness and repentance. Revive me again, Lord, give me 142 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,440 hope, give me victory, give me strength, keep me from doing the 143 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,520 things that I did last week that were unpleasing in your sight, 144 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,680 making my life a drag for people that have been around me. 145 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,800 You know, the Christian life is a life of being positive, 146 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:24,920 excited, joyful, overcoming, and that comes by the Word of God 147 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:29,080 and confession of our sins to God and to one another. 148 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,919 But even though the Spirit of God dwells within us, which we 149 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:37,880 all know, we don't grasp this like we will one day when we see 150 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,120 the Holy Trinity before our very eyes in the throne room of 151 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,600 heaven. Everything today that I'm 152 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,800 speaking about to you and you're listening. 153 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,280 You have to receive it by faith. I can't prove anything to you 154 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,960 other than my own life hopefully being somewhat of an example and 155 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,600 yours to me. I can look in your lies and see 156 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,160 Christ alive. And the Bible says we're living 157 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,560 epistles known and read of men. It isn't hard to to know when 158 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,000 you meet a Christian, is it? And you just know by the way 159 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,520 they act, the way they talk, the smile on their face, their 160 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,280 gratitude, their gratefulness, their thankfulness, their 161 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,840 humility, it just dawns on you that this person is a believer. 162 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,680 And you know what it's like when you're with someone who doesn't 163 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:21,360 have the Spirit of God in them. Matter of fact, Paul says their 164 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,160 spirit bears witness with our spirit that we're the sons and 165 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,360 the daughters of God. You know, when someone comes to 166 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,320 the church here the first time, I've never seen them before. 167 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:35,360 I feel immediate connection when I know that the Spirit of God's 168 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:36,800 in him. It's like I've known in my whole 169 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,040 life, they're my brothers, They're my sisters. 170 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,560 And I might not know where they live or what their names are yet 171 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:45,440 or what their interests are or what their likes or dislikes 172 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,160 are. But there's this fellowship in 173 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,560 this community of oneness that occurs by the Spirit of God that 174 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:54,960 tells us his Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we 175 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,200 belong to Him. There's no division and the body 176 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,240 of Christ from God's perspective. 177 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,040 There's no caste system. It's all the oneness and the 178 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:08,880 fullness of God in Christ. Now Hebrews tells us, though, 179 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:12,040 that faith is a substance of things hoped for. 180 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:15,320 So today we're learning about what we're hoping for, what God 181 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,920 has promised to us. But it also tells us that faith 182 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,120 is the evidence of things not seen. 183 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:28,120 And as the apostle Paul said, I know whom I've believed in, and 184 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:33,000 I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed 185 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,640 unto him against that day. Isn't that awesome? 186 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,680 The faith of that man in his example to us, where we too can 187 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:47,240 say, I know whom I've believed in, and I'm persuaded that he is 188 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:51,960 able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that 189 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:57,640 day. 2nd Corinthians 57 says we walk by faith, not sight. 190 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:03,000 If you turn over to 1st John chapter 2, first John chapter 2 191 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:08,400 verse 28 and now little children abide in him, that when he 192 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,960 appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him. 193 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:13,840 It is coming. What a warning. 194 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,240 If you're in a situation right now you shouldn't be in and 195 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,400 you're living in a way you know you shouldn't, don't do it 196 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,920 anymore. He doesn't want you to be taken 197 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,960 by surprise. He wants you to have confidence 198 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:28,880 and not be ashamed when he comes. 199 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,000 If you know that he is righteous, you know that 200 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,000 everyone who practices righteousness is born of him. 201 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,240 And I love that illustration. Practicing righteousness. 202 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,600 If you're an athlete here today, in order to be a good athlete, 203 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:43,960 you have to practice. You just can't say I want to be 204 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,840 a good basketball player and, and go to the coach and say, 205 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,280 well, just call me. Tell me what time the game is 206 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,240 and I'll be here and I'll show up and I'll play. 207 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:52,880 You'll get out there. You'll be a fool. 208 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:54,720 You won't know the plays you'll mess up. 209 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,320 You'll your shots will you won't go in the net. 210 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,760 You'll everything will be wrong. You got to practice to get good 211 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:05,880 or proficient, hard practice, discipline, sacrifice, and 212 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:07,360 that's what it is in the Christian life. 213 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:11,320 Righteousness is sacrifice. Practicing righteousness is 214 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,120 forcing yourself to do the things that God says you're to 215 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,560 do, whether you want to do them or not, because they're good for 216 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:19,280 you. When he says pray without 217 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:20,880 ceasing, I don't really feel like praying. 218 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,440 Pray anyway because God's going to give you strength and bless 219 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,520 you because you're doing what He tells you to do. 220 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,640 Love your enemies. Pray for those who despite for 221 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,320 Lord, I don't want to love my enemies. 222 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,520 Do it anyway. Use your will to do what God 223 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:37,360 says even though you don't feel like it. 224 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,720 As you begin to pray for your enemies, you'll begin to love 225 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,680 your enemies. You know, perfect love casts out 226 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,040 fear. We were talking about that a 227 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:48,400 little bit last night. When God's love is manifested in 228 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,800 us the way He designed it to be, there's nothing we fear. 229 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,480 There's nothing we worry about. There's nothing that we should 230 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,080 be struggling with because we know God is greater than 231 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,160 anything we have to face. And then He tells us in first 232 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,640 John chapter 3 verse one, behold what manner of love the Father 233 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,040 has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of 234 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,240 God. What a privilege. 235 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,560 Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know 236 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:17,200 Him. Beloved, now we are the children 237 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,920 of God. It has not yet been revealed 238 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:24,080 what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we 239 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,400 shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 240 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:33,920 One day we will see Him as He is, and it says in verse 3. 241 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:38,160 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as 242 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,480 he is pure. It's like, man, guys, whenever 243 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,440 you were going to take your future bride out in your first 244 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,600 date, you didn't know you were going to marry that person at 245 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,720 the time. But boy, think about how 246 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:54,120 everything was perfect, right? The car was clean, the gas tank 247 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,320 was full. Unless you had ulterior motives, 248 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,480 right? You wanted to run out of gas and 249 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:02,200 then you had an excuse. So I guess we just got to talk 250 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,920 for a little while, right as you can move over to put get the 251 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:06,200 guts to put your arm around them. 252 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,080 But you know, our clothes were clean. 253 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:11,680 We made sure we had breath mints. 254 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:13,320 I mean, we had everything covered. 255 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,360 We made sure we had money in our wallet to go to the restaurant 256 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:18,640 or the movie. I mean, everything was thought 257 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,600 out before we had that date. Well, how much more we're the 258 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,600 bride of Christ, our our king is coming the opportunity we have 259 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,600 right now to purify ourself as he is pure take out of your 260 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,600 house what's in the house that shouldn't be there. 261 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:36,000 Go through the magazine rack and see if Jesus came today and he 262 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,080 saw these magazines, he would ask me what in the world of 263 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,760 these here? What's the get rid of them, the 264 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,640 books, the videos, anything in the house that isn't pleasing to 265 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,080 the Lord and more importantly, what's in your spiritual house, 266 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:56,160 whatever's in your heart, any sin, anything that's unclean, 267 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:01,320 allow the Lord to purify, but he's the one that purifies you. 268 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,280 You just submit to him and say, Lord, this has to go. 269 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,160 I want it to go. And each one of us should be 270 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,480 from week to week in this fellowship getting more holy and 271 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:19,160 more holy and more holy, right? More pure, more pure, more pure 272 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,360 by His grace, by the grace of God. 273 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,560 For now we see in a mirror. It says in First Corinthians 13 274 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:31,680 verse 12, dimly, but one day we will see face to face. 275 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,160 I love the song. It is well with my soul. 276 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,960 O Lord, haste today when my face shall be sight. 277 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,760 The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. 278 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,280 The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend. 279 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:52,680 Even so, it is well with my soul as we begin to conclude in this 280 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,760 wonderful glorious chapter of Revelation. 281 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,920 We see in verse 6 where Jesus has the one who claims this 282 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,200 about himself. He says also in Revelation 18 283 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,680 the same thing He said to me. It is done. 284 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,120 I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 285 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:16,160 I will give of the fountains of the water of life freely to him 286 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,760 who thirsts. It says in verse 7, He who 287 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,480 overcome shall inherit all things, and I will be his God 288 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,720 and he shall be my Son. We studied about victory several 289 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:29,960 weeks ago. We're not going to lose as we 290 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,680 trust in Christ, because we overcome sin. 291 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:38,640 We overcome failings through the blood of the Lamb, as the 292 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,560 martyrs overcame, it says in Revelation. 293 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,280 They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our 294 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,920 testimony. When we stand before the Lord on 295 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,040 that glorious day, we stand not in our righteousness. 296 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,240 We stand because of his blood. Amen. 297 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,880 We stand because he has made us righteous. 298 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,680 Our righteous standing is because of Jesus Christ and him 299 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,600 alone. And what's the word of our 300 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:02,920 testimony? We won't be saying, well Lord, I 301 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,079 did this and I did that and I helped this and I did. 302 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:09,640 We won't need to say anything because all glory be to the 303 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,720 Lord, whatever privilege we had in this short life to live for 304 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,560 His purposes, our all because of his grace. 305 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:19,280 The unbeliever though will be the one that will be standing 306 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:23,040 there saying why I did this, I did that, I did this, and the 307 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,319 Bible says our righteousness, our good works are like filthy 308 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:30,160 rags. It tells us not by works of 309 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,760 righteousness, which we have done in Titus, but according to 310 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:38,400 his mercy, He has saved us. In verse 8, again, the reminder 311 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,760 of what happened in verse chapter 20, the eternal state of 312 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,680 the unbelieving reminding us this has already happened. 313 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,320 Of course, in the 20th chapter when it says in verse 15, 314 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,160 whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the 315 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:55,480 lake of fire. But these things are written 316 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:59,560 because we're still here and some of us have an opportunity 317 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,000 to still get saved. It says that cowardly, if you're 318 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,760 here today, unbelieving, abominable murders, sexually 319 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:13,480 immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, liars shall have their part in 320 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,720 the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the 321 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,680 second death. You all have an opportunity this 322 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:27,120 week wherever you go to bring to people in all walks of life the 323 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:30,960 ministry of reconciliation. And that's really the job of the 324 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,120 church in these last days is to call people to repentance. 325 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,080 The church is not a social organization. 326 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:44,080 It's a spiritual Organism designed by God to edify and 327 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,480 build us up in the strength and faith of the person of Jesus 328 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,600 Christ. And it's also instituted by 329 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:56,040 Christ to be the foundation and descending agency to send 330 00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:00,800 believers like us out into the world to beg people to come to 331 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,760 Christ. And you might say, well, 332 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,040 begging, isn't that a little bit drastic? 333 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,360 If we could see the lake of fire before us today and see our 334 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:11,080 loved ones or our friends standing on the edge of it, we 335 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,120 would do everything in our power to pull them away from that. 336 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,040 Just like the firefighter when he hears the alarm and he goes 337 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,480 into the house and the burning building and the mother's 338 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,400 outside screaming, saying, my son's still in the house, My 339 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,440 son's still in the house. A firefighter doesn't have to 340 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,160 think, well, yeah, maybe I might risk my life or whatever he goes 341 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:33,240 in risking his life to find that child wherever he's hid and pull 342 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,360 him out to safety, risking his own life. 343 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,400 And that's what we should be like, risking our pride. 344 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,840 What if they think we're nuts? What if they think we're stupid? 345 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,880 What if they think we're overreacting? 346 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:47,120 Guys, we're not overreacting, are we? 347 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,080 Hell is real. It's forever. 348 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,280 And I got an e-mail from Gary and Kathy this morning. 349 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,280 We've been praying for them, their intercessors at Calvary 350 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,080 Chapel Chino Hills for our church. 351 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,440 We'll be moving out here soon. Her dad has been ill. 352 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,880 You've been reading about it, praying for her. 353 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,640 Not real sure of his salvation. They shared with him, prayed for 354 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,560 him and he passed away last night and they're broken hearted 355 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,000 that they just don't know. They don't have that assurance 356 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,400 that his soul was OK. My prayer is that somehow in the 357 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,200 times that they talked to him that they were used by the Lord 358 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:24,080 where Ray just said I believe and only eternity in heaven and 359 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,480 Christ will reveal that one day. But this is what Paul says in 360 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:33,440 conclusion as we begin to make our way to the altar and pray, 361 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,480 if you want to pray this morning, Second Corinthians 362 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:40,800 chapter 5 verse 17 says if anyone is in Christ, he's a new 363 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,040 creation. Old things are passed away. 364 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:45,160 Behold, all things have become new. 365 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,360 If you've been born again here today, you know this is true. 366 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,800 It's the greatest thing that could ever happen in a human 367 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,080 being's life. But now Paul begins to speak 368 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,840 about those who are still on the edge. 369 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,640 All things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through 370 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,600 Jesus Christ. He's given to us a ministry of 371 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,960 reconciliation. That's the good news of the 372 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:10,000 gospel, that Christ died for our sins according to the 373 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,440 Scriptures. That he was buried the third day 374 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,840 He rose again from the dead and to send us into heaven and 375 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:18,520 sitteth at the right hand of the Father. 376 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,800 That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to 377 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:26,360 Himself, not imputing or holding the human race accountable for 378 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:29,240 their trespasses, but has committed to us a word of 379 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,320 reconciliation. So we have to go out and tell 380 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:33,320 people, hey, I got good news for you. 381 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:34,720 You're a Sinner. What do you mean? 382 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,840 That's good news? How dare you call me a Sinner? 383 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:38,840 No, listen to me. It's a good news. 384 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,040 You're a Sinner. But Christ isn't going to hold 385 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,480 your sin against you. He took it for you. 386 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,280 What? Yeah, He took your sin for you. 387 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,200 Well, anybody knows. How can that be true? 388 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,920 Someone would take all my guilt and all the things I've done 389 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:58,440 wrong in my life and take them on themselves for for me. 390 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:00,360 Well, that's what Jesus has done. 391 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:05,360 He shed his blood and he died on the cross for all those who will 392 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:10,720 believe it's finished. He said his sacrifice is 393 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:14,120 perfect. His sacrifice is complete and 394 00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:20,160 his whole, as he said, for God so loved this world that he gave 395 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:24,720 his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 396 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,160 should not perish, but have everlasting life. 397 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:34,000 The Philippian jailer said to Paul, What must I do to be 398 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,480 saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus 399 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:41,800 Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Now then, we are ambassadors for 400 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,440 Christ as though God were pleading through US and pleading 401 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:49,240 his begging, imploring. Today is a day of salvation. 402 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,160 If you hear his voice, don't hold off. 403 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,400 Don't keep living in a life that's going to destroy you and 404 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,440 those you love. Come to Christ and say, Lord, 405 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,120 I've been kidding myself. I've been thinking I'm a 406 00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:04,040 Christian, but I'm not. There's no way because my life 407 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,320 doesn't represent. I'm a follower of you. 408 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,240 I live as a follower of the devil. 409 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:13,080 Lord, give me grace and humility to admit that before you this 410 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:16,160 day. And we beg, as Paul said today, 411 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:21,360 we plead, be reconciled to God. We implore you on Christ's 412 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:25,000 behalf, be reconciled to God. Be made right with God, be 413 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,640 saved. For it says in verse 21, For he 414 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:33,840 made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become 415 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,560 the righteousness of God in him. What a deal. 416 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:44,840 What a deal that God has made. He has made it possible because 417 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,360 He's the one that's never sin, to become the bearer of sin for 418 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:54,920 you and me, that we might become as He is, the righteousness of 419 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:59,280 God. This has been Living Waters of 420 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,840 Grace with Pastor Clark. We're going through the 421 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,320 challenging and also intriguing Book of Revelation. 422 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,520 Whether you're a fan of reading ahead in books of fiction, 423 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,840 there's such a benefit to reading ahead in the Bible to 424 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,680 read about how it all ends. But in an interesting turn of 425 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:20,320 events, the Book of Revelation is not really the end, but 426 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,840 rather the beginning. It's the end of life as we know 427 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:28,320 it here on earth, but there's so much to look forward to for what 428 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:31,680 comes after all the judgement of the earth and those who reject 429 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,640 God. There's a lot to work through, 430 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,160 and it can be heartbreaking to read through the intense 431 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:42,040 judgements and wrath that will come on those who hate God with 432 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,400 all their might. The thing is, God has given 433 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,480 chance upon chance to these people. 434 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,080 They don't want it. So the outcome is that there are 435 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:55,360 judgments and consequences for those who've rejected the good 436 00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:59,560 news and the gift of salvation that's offered through Jesus's 437 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,640 death and resurrection. Are you one who has heard about 438 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,520 these things but doesn't really want it because you want to live 439 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:13,040 life on your terms? Trust me, living for Jesus is so 440 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,600 much better. That doesn't mean it will be 441 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,440 easy, but as you listen and read through Revelation with us, 442 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,800 you'll come to a stark realization that you don't want 443 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,720 to be on earth when the apocalypse happens. 444 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:30,480 So check out Calvary Chapel online.com to learn how to come 445 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,880 to a saving grace through faith that will allow you to be with 446 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,520 Jesus for eternity. We'd also love to meet you in 447 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:40,920 person at Calvary Chapel Westmoreland. 448 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,360 Come join us at 400 E Pittsburgh St. 449 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:52,880 Ste. 6B in Greensburg, PA 15601. This has been living waters of 450 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:53,440 Grace.