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 --> 00:00:40,240 Some people stop reading their Bible because their heart isn't 6 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,560 right with God. Some people stop praying because 7 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:44,920 their heart isn't right with God. 8 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,240 Have you ever tried to pray when your heart isn't right with God? 9 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,600 Have you ever tried to open your Bible when your heart isn't 10 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,080 right with God? Nothing going to happen, right? 11 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,880 You just don't want to do it. You know, down deep inside you 12 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,120 should, but there's something blocking you from doing what it 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,360 is that the Lord wants. And then all we simply need to 14 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,200 do is say, Lord, my heart isn't right with you. 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,000 Forgive me, I repent. Soften my heart. 16 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,360 A healthy relationship with God is 1 where you constantly grow 17 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,040 in Him. The old sins that you used to 18 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,520 commit shouldn't have a place in your life anymore. 19 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,600 It should look different today. You'll get to see with Pastor 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,920 Clark that your life should stand out as a Christian. 21 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:28,520 People should notice something different about you. 22 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,680 One of those differences is that you now should be telling others 23 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,840 about the good news of salvation that you've received. 24 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,360 That's how others can hear and receive salvation too. 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,400 Now here's Pastor Clark in the book of Acts Chapter 8 with 26 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,160 today's edition of Living Waters of Grace. 27 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,160 Philip, he's another one of the men who were chosen to take care 28 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,440 of the widows and the orphans we studied earlier. 29 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,840 Stephen was one of those guys. And Philip, he's going down to 30 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,040 the city of Samaria and preaching Christ to them. 31 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,440 Now Samaria was a place of half breeds. 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,960 If, if you understand 1/2 breed someone maybe who has this 33 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,039 ethnic background. They marry someone of another 34 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:12,200 ethnic background. They're not pure bred Jewish 35 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,680 people, right? But it doesn't matter because 36 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,480 God came for the whole world. He's not looking at these things 37 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,400 the way we do as people. But they were disrespected by 38 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:27,120 the Hebrew Jews and they were intermarrying during the 39 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,800 Assyrian captivity. When they were taken up into the 40 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,880 north, they met Pagan Gentiles and and some of these people got 41 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:35,680 married. And so they had these families 42 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,440 that were mixed in the sense of religious background. 43 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,600 So he goes into Samaria and he preaches Christ to them and the 44 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,880 multitudes with 1 accord. He did the things spoken by 45 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,320 Philip. So in other words, there's a lot 46 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,640 of people. He's not in a building like 47 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:51,920 this. He's on the streets. 48 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,920 There's a big crowd collecting every time these guys would go 49 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:58,760 around and preach the word and all these people are listening 50 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,800 to what he's saying and they're believing what it is he's 51 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:03,720 saying. And they hear and they see 52 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,920 miracles, which he did for unclean spirits. 53 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,800 Crying with a loud voice came out of many who were possessed, 54 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,840 and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 55 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:15,600 And there was great joy in the city. 56 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,320 So whenever God does miracles and whenever he changes a life 57 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,280 or he, he takes someone out of the burden of sin and gives them 58 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,120 a brand new start, a brand new heart. 59 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,400 I mean, that's a joyous experience. 60 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:29,400 This is what was happening as a result of the word being 61 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,480 preached that there would be joy in the hearts of the people and 62 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,560 there was great joy in that city. 63 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,400 And then in verse 9, it says, but there was a certain man 64 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,960 called Simon who previously practiced sorcery. 65 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,440 In other words, he was into occult, witchcraft, all kind of 66 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,560 weird New age kind of stuff even before we even knew what new Age 67 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,600 stuff was. It existed way back then and 68 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,160 astonished the people of Samaria. 69 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,120 In other words, he he did counterfeit miracles, claiming 70 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,160 that he was someone great to whom they all gave heed. 71 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,000 In other words, all these people at the time thought this guy was 72 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,520 a man of God from the least to the greatest, saying this man is 73 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,800 the great is the great power of God. 74 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,120 So when they looked at Simon the sorcerer, because of his magic 75 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,360 incantations, they sensed that he had some kind of power, but 76 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,079 it wasn't of God, it was really of the devil. 77 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,959 And so they heeded him because he had astonished them with his 78 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:26,320 sorceries for a long time. So these magic arts that this 79 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,480 guy did, he had had a big business and people followed him 80 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,680 around because of his ability to do really amazing things. 81 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,800 But when they believed Philip, as he preached the things 82 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,320 concerning the Kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, both 83 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,840 men and women were baptized. So in other words, there's this 84 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:45,280 revival going on, Philip's preaching. 85 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,560 People are believing and they are getting baptized pretty much 86 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,200 immediately after their profession of faith in Jesus 87 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,840 Christ. He's preaching to them 88 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:00,200 concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. 89 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,200 Both men and women were baptized, so there's a 90 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,560 difference between bringing a message with Christ and without 91 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,040 Christ. The sorcerer brought 92 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:15,480 incantations and magic arts without any emphasis on Jesus 93 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,840 Christ as people do today. It's false teaching and false 94 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,320 doctrine, and people can't get saved by following magic arts or 95 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,080 occult or witchcraft or casting spells, all this stuff. 96 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,160 It's a big deal out there in the culture now. 97 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:35,520 People get demonically oppressed and possessed by messing around 98 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,320 with this kind of stuff that's out there. 99 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,200 If you are involved in any of these kind of things, New Age 100 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:46,040 stuff, trying to have seances through Ouija boards to talk to 101 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,560 the dead, or you're trying to get involved in all this dark 102 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,480 side of what they call mysticism, you're opening your 103 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,320 yourself up to demonic activity and you're not even aware of it. 104 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,280 And so these people are going to get set free now because they're 105 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:03,880 no longer going to follow Simon the sorcerer. 106 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,560 They're going to follow Jesus Christ as savior. 107 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:08,640 And there's a big difference in truth, right? 108 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,200 There's only one truth, one way, one life, and that's in Jesus 109 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,880 Christ, not in this other kind of crazy stuff that's out there. 110 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,480 So Simon himself also believes that this guy was convicted, 111 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:25,520 obviously, and he appears to have put his faith in Christ and 112 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,400 he was baptized. He continued with Philip. 113 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,560 He he kept going around with Philip and was amazed seeing the 114 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,400 miracles and signs which were done. 115 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,040 He just blown away. He had miracle power in himself, 116 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,560 but nothing like what he was seeing happening through 117 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,640 Philip's life. Because what was happening in 118 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,120 Philip's life is being done by Christ, by the Holy Spirit 119 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,080 through this man's life. Now when the apostles who were 120 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,640 at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, 121 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:54,960 they sent Peter and John to them. 122 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,720 So the apostles go down to meet these new believers who when 123 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,320 they came down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy 124 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,360 Spirit. For as yet he had fallen upon 125 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,000 none of them. They had only been baptized in 126 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,960 the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on 127 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,080 them and they received the Holy Spirit. 128 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,360 So when you look at Acts chapter 1 to Acts chapter 10, it's a 129 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,240 transitionary period. You can't pull a doctrine out of 130 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,160 something you read in Acts. It's mentioned one time and say 131 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,760 that's how the church performs the empowerment of the Holy 132 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,120 Spirit. In other words, you need a 133 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,480 special person to lay hands on you to pray for you to receive 134 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,920 the Holy Spirit. That's not taught in the rest of 135 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:35,800 the Bible. But in the beginning stages, 136 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,920 because everything was new in different people groups, you had 137 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,280 the Jews that were baptized by the Spirit at Pentecost. 138 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,520 No one really had to lay hands on them. 139 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,360 The power of the Spirit came out at Pentecost and filled the 140 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,720 people in the upper room, 120 people at that time. 141 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,560 And then when people believed, they were baptized by the Holy 142 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,840 Spirit, by God the Holy Spirit supernaturally and placed in the 143 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,080 body of Christ in the church as Christians. 144 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,880 But as time moved on in the initial stages, these different 145 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:09,520 people groups were beginning to hear the gospel. 146 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:14,400 And so God chose to use this method initially to bring the 147 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,160 power of the Holy Spirit through the hands of the apostles on top 148 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,240 of the heads of the people who had thus become believers. 149 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,600 And so this is what happened. And they laid hands on them and 150 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,480 they received the Holy Spirit. Now in the New Testament, 151 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,480 though, we see that the Holy Spirit, this idea of being 152 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,919 filled with the Spirit of God happens all the time. 153 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,720 We need to be constantly asking God to fill us with the Spirit 154 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:43,600 because we get empty, we get weak, we, we drain, we get upset 155 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,320 or we get, you know, whatever we're going through. 156 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,480 And whenever you're going through stuff that is making you 157 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:52,080 weak and, and tired and cast down, that's when you need by 158 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,880 faith to say, Lord, I need a fresh infilling of your Holy 159 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,120 Spirit. I need you to fill me again. 160 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,720 Refresh me and he will. It's by faith we pray and God 161 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,680 fills us with the Spirit. Sometimes we have someone to 162 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:06,720 pray for us and, and we know someone's hurting and they're 163 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:08,800 wounded. So we can lay our hands on 164 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,000 someone and there's no special power in our hands, but there's 165 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,040 power in prayer. And so when we lay our hands to 166 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,320 pray for someone who's broken or hurting or or physically 167 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,960 infirmed or whatever the issue might be, it isn't the hands 168 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,160 that does anything, but it's the power of God's Spirit in the 169 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,920 midst of the prayer that can change and transform 170 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:32,280 circumstances in people's lives. You know, you can get your 171 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,200 husband to pray for you. You can get your wife to pray 172 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,480 for you. You can pray for your kids, you 173 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:39,360 can get your kids to pray for you. 174 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,640 And God works. He's not limited by Sunday 175 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,080 morning in the front of the church. 176 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:45,920 And prayer. I encourage you if you need 177 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,400 prayer to come, we have people here to pray for you. 178 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,320 But if you're intimidated and you don't feel like you want 179 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,560 people to know what you're up to, what's going on, you can get 180 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:57,600 in the car with your husband and say, can you lay hands on me and 181 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,600 pray for me that I might have a fresh infilling of the Holy 182 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:02,000 Spirit? It's that simple. 183 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,080 You might be upset or bummed out about something in life. 184 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,160 You, you sort of lost your way with God. 185 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,080 Your heart's become cold. You become indifferent to the 186 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,080 ways of the Spirit. And you just say to someone you 187 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,120 trust you love, hey, can you pray for me? 188 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,560 I got to get right with God. I got to have a new beginning 189 00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:21,120 with God again. I want to be refreshed with the 190 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,480 Lord again. I want to sense his presence in 191 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,000 my life as I did when I first met Jesus. 192 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,800 Amen. And God can do that. 193 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:32,120 He's the God of new beginnings, a new beginning every day, an 194 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,880 opportunity community to have the Lord cause our hearts to be 195 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,360 alive again in our faith and our relationship with the Lord. 196 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,760 And so when Simon saw that through the laying on of the 197 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,360 apostles hands the Holy Spirit was given, He offered him money. 198 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,320 Isn't that crazy saying give me this power also that anyone on 199 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,480 whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit? 200 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,080 So this guy's used to having a sorcery business. 201 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,200 This is a whole new like development of building his 202 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,240 business. I never had this kind of angle. 203 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,040 So I'll give you guys some money to show me how to do this. 204 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,600 Well, first of all, you can't show anybody how to do it. 205 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,480 It's the work of the spirit of, of this work of supernatural 206 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,080 gifting. So this guy's clueless, you 207 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,360 know, he just doesn't get it. But of course, new believer is 208 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,240 what he's thinking. Peter says to him, your money 209 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,600 perish with you because you thought that the gift of God 210 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,640 could be purchased with money. You have neither part nor 211 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,320 portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight 212 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:31,400 of God. Boy, that's a calling out, huh? 213 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,280 What a rebuke, man, You're messed up. 214 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:38,880 You got it all wrong here. You know your attitude, your 215 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:45,160 your methodology, your way of wanting to to be used by God is, 216 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,200 is manipulative. It's not coming from the Spirit 217 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,920 and your heart isn't right in the sight of God. 218 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,680 You know, sometimes you, you don't realize about your heart 219 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,600 how it cannot at times always be right with God. 220 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,560 The Holy Spirit's given to us is speak to us when our heart isn't 221 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:05,480 right with God. He speaks to me all the time and 222 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,800 I'm sure he does to you. That's an attitude of pride, 223 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,440 that's an attitude of hardness of heart. 224 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,880 That's an attitude of unforgiveness or that's an 225 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,440 attitude of lack of faith, right? 226 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,360 He talks to you about all kind of stuff and when he talks to 227 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,200 you, He wants you to have your heart right again, right? 228 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,600 And maybe today God wants to get some hearts right with him. 229 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,200 I don't know what you're thinking or what's happening in 230 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,560 your life, your family. Are you impeding the move of God 231 00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:35,040 in your family because your heart isn't right with God? 232 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,360 Some people stop going to church because their heart isn't right 233 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,040 with God. Some people stop reading their 234 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,440 Bible because their heart isn't right with God. 235 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,760 Some people stop praying because their heart isn't right with 236 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,120 God. Have you ever tried to pray when 237 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,200 your heart isn't right with God? Have you ever tried to open your 238 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,360 Bible when your heart isn't right with God? 239 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,160 Nothing going to happen, right? You just don't want to do it. 240 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,080 You know, down deep inside you should, but there's something 241 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,160 blocking you from doing what it is that the Lord wants. 242 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,400 And then all we simply need to do is say, Lord, my heart isn't 243 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,000 right with you. Forgive me. 244 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,360 I repent, soften my heart. I like David's prayer. 245 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,920 Lord, search me, O God, and know my heart. 246 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:19,520 Try me and know my thoughts. Give God a chance and see if 247 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,960 there's any wicked way in and leave me in the way everlasting. 248 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,880 Then he says in another Psalm, Let the words of my mouth and 249 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:30,560 the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O 250 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,240 Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. 251 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:37,360 I mean, I don't want my heart to be like ugly before my Savior. 252 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,520 I mean that that's bad because it, it quenches the Holy Spirit, 253 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,200 it grieves the Holy Spirit. And our lives are designed by 254 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,320 God after we become Christians to be a blessing to one another, 255 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,440 not a curse to one another, not a heartache to one another, not 256 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,120 a hurting of one another, not being so caught up in the world 257 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,880 and the things that the world has to offer that we have put 258 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,080 Christ on the back shelf and we're just living our lives for 259 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,400 our own selfish ambition. Lord help us all right. 260 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,960 And the Bible teaches us and God's the one that creates in us 261 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,800 a clean heart. David's heart was messed up 262 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,480 after he committed adultery with Bathsheba. 263 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:17,800 After he had Uriah killed in battle. 264 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,840 He went through a real dry period for a little over a year 265 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,760 until he was confronted with his sin. 266 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,480 In Psalm 51 he writes, God created me a clean heart. 267 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,040 This is after his sin, getting right with God. 268 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,440 Renew a steadfast spirit within me, a stable spirit. 269 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,600 Then I'll teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be 270 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,440 converted unto you. We can't even begin to do any 271 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:47,200 kind of ministry in each other's lives, let alone the lost, if 272 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:48,720 our hearts aren't right with God. 273 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,320 And I really believe in these days that we live God's calling 274 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,680 us to get our hearts right with Him. 275 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,920 Our problem in our world today isn't the left. 276 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,920 It isn't all these movements that have been raised up 277 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,600 recently to create havoc in the streets. 278 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,680 What God's interested in the Bible says, God's looking to and 279 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,880 fro throughout the whole earth to find one whose heart is 280 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,400 perfect toward Him. If he can find one person whose 281 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,840 heart is right with him, he can use that person to turn the 282 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,440 world upside down. He can use you wherever you are 283 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,520 and the group you're with, the family you're with, the kids, 284 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:29,640 you have the jobs. You have to be a light in the 285 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:33,720 midst of Pagan darkness, not a holier than thou kind of 286 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,760 attitude. This looks like a compassion. 287 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,120 You need Jesus and he's the only answer. 288 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,680 He's the only one we can save your life and save your soul. 289 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,600 So Peter's exhorting him. You have neither part nor 290 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,320 portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight 291 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,000 of God. Repent therefore of this your 292 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,160 wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of your 293 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,840 heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned 294 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,480 by bitterness and bound by iniquity. 295 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,000 Have you ever been poisoned by bitterness? 296 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,600 Do you have an unforgiveness towards someone? 297 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,680 You have a judgement every time you see someone, you just like 298 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,720 hate him down deep inside. You don't respect him, you don't 299 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,600 like him, you don't love him. You just have attitude about 300 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,800 them all the time. That's bitterness. 301 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:23,000 That's the root of bitterness and that's not what God wants in 302 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,040 our lives. It poisons us and then we're 303 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,480 controlled by the sin that that bitterness will begin to 304 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,600 develop. Simon answered and said, Pray to 305 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,000 the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken 306 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,600 may come upon me. So he's looking to Peter as an 307 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,720 apostle, a man used by God. Peter, can you pray for me? 308 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,200 But probably more importantly, he needed to pray for himself, 309 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,600 right? You don't need to go through an 310 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,560 intercessor other than Jesus to get your heart right with God or 311 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:58,320 to have your sins forgiven. The Bible never teaches that. 312 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,160 The only way you and I can get right with God is if we go to 313 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,560 someone else and get them to pray for us. 314 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:06,040 I mean, it's nice to have people pray for us and we need it, but 315 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,480 you need to go to God personally. 316 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,720 I need to go to God personally and say, Lord, this attitude is 317 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:16,760 ungodly and it's got to stop. And I ask you to forgive me 318 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:21,599 Lord, and to change my attitude, to change my vision, change my 319 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:23,319 heart. And isn't awesome. 320 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:25,160 He does. And husband and wife 321 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,319 relationships. We can have conflict and we do 322 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:29,800 all the time. The only way marriages stay 323 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:36,160 together is by humility and forgiveness and praying for each 324 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,000 other. No marriage can stand the test 325 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,200 of time if there's bitterness. A matter of fact, bitterness in 326 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:47,280 a life destroys many. The Bible says no. 327 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,360 Be careful with this in the church setting. 328 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:54,760 If a root of bitterness springs up among one person in the body, 329 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:58,720 it can be like a cancer and then begin to defile many and stumble 330 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,000 and 'cause people to become self-righteous and judgmental 331 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:07,040 and critical of each other. I love the the portion of 332 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,560 scripture where the public and went into the temple with the 333 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,840 Pharisee, the Pharisees, the self-righteous religious person 334 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,760 thinks he does everything right, goes in and he's condescending 335 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,640 to the to the center beside him. He's thinking like, why are you 336 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,880 even in this building, this temple, the synagogue, you, you, 337 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:25,160 you don't have any right to be in here. 338 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,840 You're unclean or whatever. He's like, you know, just 339 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:29,320 putting this guy down in his heart. 340 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,080 He's bragging about how he gives and how he does this and does 341 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,960 that and and he's proud. He's standing there before a 342 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,880 gracious holy God who is merciful and he's trying to 343 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,760 impress God by what he says. Meanwhile, his heart is really 344 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,080 not what God would require or desire. 345 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,520 And yet the Sinner beside him, he didn't even have the ability 346 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,560 to look his head up and gaze up into the heavens. 347 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:57,600 He just struck his chest and he said, Lord, be merciful to me, 348 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,640 Sinner. You know what Jesus said, That 349 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,520 man went out forgiven. The other one didn't. 350 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,440 So we need to be constantly aware of the fact that we're 351 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,400 fallen. None of us are perfect. 352 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,720 We're all works in process. We're learning to follow the 353 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,840 Lord deeper. We're learning to obey Him more 354 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,520 seriously. This just doesn't happen 355 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,120 overnight. It's a process of growing in the 356 00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:25,320 grace and the knowledge of God. I've been a pastor now 26 years 357 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,760 and sometimes I feel like I'm just starting, you know, and 358 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,840 keep learning the same things over and over and over again. 359 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:36,160 The basic foundations, the fundamentals, being filled with 360 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,360 the spirit. That's, that's a good thing 361 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:42,120 right now. How much in life do we try to do 362 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:44,400 life on our own strength? Think about it. 363 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,600 Maybe you have a tape recorder. Well, Lord has a tape recorder. 364 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,000 He knows every thought, every word. 365 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,360 You know, we're going to give an account of a someday the Bible 366 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:52,880 says. But you know, Lord, how many 367 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,800 times did I ask you to fill me with your spirit last month? 368 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:58,560 Wouldn't it be shocking if he said, well, like I think I can 369 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,760 see there was 3 * 3 times in a month that you physically, 370 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,000 emotionally, mentally, psychologically ask God to fill 371 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,680 you with His spirit. That's like the epitome of 372 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,920 arrogance. I can live life by myself and I 373 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:16,400 don't really need the Spirit unless I'm really in a jam where 374 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,800 Jesus says. Without me, you can do nothing. 375 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,840 So we're supposed to abide in the vine. 376 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,360 He we're the branches. He's a vine and constantly have 377 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:26,200 that life flow that comes from Jesus. 378 00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:30,840 But it only comes perpetually and continually by this ever 379 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:35,040 flowing fountain of living water that dwells in US, Jesus that 380 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,880 can flow through us. But if I'm not asking to be 381 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,840 filled with the Spirit, guess who I'm filled with me, right? 382 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,840 And the world doesn't need me, it needs Jesus, right? 383 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,560 You guys don't need me, you need Jesus, you need his word. 384 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,280 My wife, Cindy, she doesn't need more Clark. 385 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,440 She needs less Clark and more Jesus, right? 386 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,480 My kids, my grandkids, my son-in-law is everybody I'm 387 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,440 connected with. You know, they need Jesus in and 388 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,160 through my life, and I need it in and through their lives to 389 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,400 me, right? It's like living water. 390 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,040 And boy, when that fountain's flowing and it's growing and 391 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,560 it's spreading and it's being poured out, we're all wonderful, 392 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,000 blessed recipients of what it is that the Lord has done for us. 393 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,640 So Simon, you know, he's, he's, he's thinking about what's 394 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,680 happening here and he knows that he's not in a good place. 395 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,400 And Scripture doesn't give a whole lot more information about 396 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,840 this guy, but we just trust that the Lord did deal with him and 397 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,680 that he got out of that background and began to learn 398 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:37,560 how to live and follow the Lord. And it ends in verse 25 and it 399 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,640 says, and so when they had testified and preached the word 400 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,040 of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem preaching the gospel 401 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,360 in many villages of the Samaritans. 402 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,760 So I, I think of the city of Greensburg. 403 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:54,320 I, I went down, walked down to that fair yesterday and I was 404 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,120 amazed at the police presence. I really was. 405 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:58,600 And it was glad to see him down there. 406 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,920 I've been to that fair. I might see one security guard 407 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,360 walking around, but the police in our nation and and the 408 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:07,160 schools now I hope there's a wake up call that there's 409 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:09,480 really, and I don't want to scare anybody, but where is 410 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,880 there a place to go that you're completely safe anymore? 411 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,040 If we don't have law enforcement presence, we don't have people 412 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:17,600 watching, keeping their eyes out. 413 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,960 We have security in the church. We have armed security in the 414 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,400 church. No one's going to get in here, 415 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,400 God willing to cause any harm on you or me or anybody else, 416 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,000 right. You got it's unfortunate we have 417 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,960 to be that way now, but it's it's wisdom right from the Lord. 418 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:36,520 But, you know, you think about the the fear and the anxiety 419 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:40,840 that's on the planet right now and what's happening, you know, 420 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,000 to understand how do we get the school secured now? 421 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:47,200 One point of entry, police presence. 422 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,040 No way you're going to get in a door unless you are checkpoint 423 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,960 and metal detectors, all that kind of stuff. 424 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,240 I mean, this is where things are going. 425 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,600 I don't see it getting any better personally. 426 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,760 It's probably going to get more challenging. 427 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,280 But more than ever, we need to be people that have an outward 428 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:08,640 vision toward a world that is completely inward and doesn't 429 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,520 even know anything about what it is we're talking about today. 430 00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:15,320 Young people that are here today, majority of your friends 431 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,360 that go to public school or high school or wherever you go, they 432 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,600 don't know anything about what it is we're talking about today. 433 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:26,280 People you work with never heard any of this stuff before. 434 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,760 And so we're supposed to be salt and white in the world. 435 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,720 And your life has an influence upon me and my life has an 436 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,120 influence upon you for either good or evil. 437 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:41,120 So we really need to pray. And we need to understand as a 438 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:44,840 church the importance of prayer. We have prayer Zoom. 439 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,720 We have prayer meetings that people want to pray. 440 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,280 And also the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, right? 441 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:54,440 We need fresh and filling of God's Holy Spirit. 442 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,240 All of us thank. You thanks for joining us on 443 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,440 today's edition of Living Waters of Grace, a ministry of Calvary 444 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,800 Chapel, Westmoreland. Today, Pastor Clark is teaching 445 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,960 about the book of Acts. And as we learn more about Acts, 446 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,360 it becomes clear that the early church didn't miss a single 447 00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:16,920 opportunity to share the gospel. In nearly every chapter, you see 448 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,640 apostles like Peter and Paul stepping into conversations, 449 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:25,040 crowds, and crises with boldness, ready to proclaim the 450 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,520 name of Jesus. Their example challenges us to 451 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,520 consider how we might step into gospel moments in our own lives. 452 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,600 What doors might God open this week for you to speak truth, 453 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,080 offer hope, or live out your faith in a way that points 454 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,160 others to Him? The story of Acts reminds us we 455 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,320 are part of the same mission. Today, let's live with eyes open 456 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,040 and hearts ready to respond. We hope you are challenged by 457 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,040 today's message. If you're in the Greensburg, PA 458 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,320 area, we'd love to see you in person this Sunday at 10:30 AM 459 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:02,360 at 400 E Pittsburgh St. Unit 6B. 460 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,480 For more information, visit calvarychapelonline.com. 461 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:10,360 You can also join our e-mail list, give online, or submit a 462 00:25:10,360 --> 00:25:12,320 prayer request right from the site. 463 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,040 If you can't make it in person, be sure to tune in on the 464 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,640 Calvary Chapel Westmoreland YouTube channel. 465 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,720 Subscribe so you never miss new teachings. 466 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:25,880 If you're in the Greensburg area, you can listen to Grace FM 467 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:31,040 on the new 91.7 frequency. Pray about helping financially 468 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,360 support the new station that will reach thousands more 469 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:37,320 listeners. Send financial gifts to Grace 470 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:43,640 FMPO Box 716, Greensburg, PA 15601. 471 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,800 Once again, we're so grateful you joined us today to be 472 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:50,800 inspired by God's Word. Please tune in again for more 473 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,600 Living Waters of Grace.