1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,119 This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,400 County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,720 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,000 Each time we see our thoughts and our hearts, they convict us 6 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,720 many times of some sin. And it's not to condemn us that 7 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,680 the Lord does that. It's that we might take the 8 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,920 medicine of repentance seriously and be restored to communion and 9 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,120 fellowship with God. First, John 19 tells us that we 10 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,480 might be cleansed from all unrighteousness if we confess 11 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,280 our sins. James 48 says Cleanse your 12 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,200 hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts. 13 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,040 I don't know about you, but I'm a little old school. 14 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,840 I like to change the oil in my car myself. 15 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:16,920 It really isn't that difficult and it doesn't take that long. 16 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,480 One thing about it is how messy my hands are afterward. 17 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,640 For sure, I'm going to spend a good amount of time cleaning up 18 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,480 all the grease and grind before I do anything else. 19 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,000 In today's message with Pastor Clark, he urges you to examine 20 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,760 your heart and to confess any sin to God. 21 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,760 Are your hands stained by the grace and grime of the world? 22 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,760 Ask God and He'll cleanse you. Now. 23 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,680 Here's Pastor Clark in First Corinthians Chapter 11 with 24 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,520 today's edition of Living Waters of Grace. 25 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:51,160 So the purpose of the supper is a healing move of God's Spirit. 26 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,120 We just don't take it as a ritual, the cup and the bread 27 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,000 and OK, we move on to the next thing. 28 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,520 If we take an understanding what it is, Jesus said this is my 29 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,120 body which is broken for you. The apostle Paul said this is 30 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,320 the blood that was shed for you. If we take it examining 31 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,920 ourselves and not taking in an unworthy manner, then we're not 32 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:16,160 going to be weak spiritually. We're not going to be sick 33 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,600 spiritually. We're going to have the strength 34 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,880 of God in US. Repentance transforms us from 35 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,960 living in sin to living in purity and holiness. 36 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,880 John Morris taught us an immense study this morning the 37 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:34,760 importance of living in a holy way, being holy as he is holy. 38 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,840 Repentance changes us from having a propensity to be 39 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,080 unholy, to be pure and to be holy. 40 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:47,120 The Bible says without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. 41 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,120 And so I'm going to say why pray to prayer? 42 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,360 I asked Jesus that came into my heart and be my savior. 43 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,080 Well, it it doesn't work that way if we aren't following 44 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,480 Christ, not only his Savior, but his Lord will be terribly 45 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,800 disappointed at the judgment when he says to me, depart from 46 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,760 you cursed that I never knew you and we'll say, well, why I 47 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,680 prayed a prayer. I asked you to come into my 48 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,520 heart and save me. But Jesus said, why do you call 49 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,040 me Lord Lord and do not do the things that I say? 50 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,720 He says, if you love me, you will keep my word. 51 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,560 Repentance is unending until we die. 52 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,840 Some people think, well, I just repent when I get saved. 53 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,320 Well, that's the beginning of repentance. 54 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,640 I mean, once you come to know Christ and he's in your life, 55 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,800 you become very aware of your inadequacy spiritually. 56 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:41,520 You become very clearly aware of your weaknesses and you realize 57 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,400 your need of God's strength and His help. 58 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,720 And so you are sensitive if you've offended someone, if you 59 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,080 judge someone, or if you've been critical, if you've been 60 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,800 lustful, you've been bitter, you've been angry, you've been 61 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,000 greedy. You can't disallow that, that 62 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,440 cesspool sin to circulate in your heart without being very, 63 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,080 very disturbed and bothered. And you don't have rest and you 64 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,240 don't have peace until you repent and say, Lord, that was 65 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,400 wrong. Forgive me and cleanse me. 66 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,680 And if you have to, you go make the amends with the people that 67 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,160 you've hurt and offended. Each time we see our thoughts 68 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:20,360 and our hearts, they convict us many times of some sin. 69 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,920 And it's not to condemn us that the Lord does that. 70 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,720 It's that we might take the medicine of repentance seriously 71 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,200 and be restored to communion and fellowship with God. 72 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,720 First, John 19 tells us that we might be cleansed from all 73 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,080 unrighteousness if we confess our sins. 74 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,320 James 48 says Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify 75 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,160 your hearts. That's the purpose of 76 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,160 repentance. I'm so grateful for repentance. 77 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,080 I don't know what I would do without repentance. 78 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,880 I remember there was a time in my life I didn't think I needed 79 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:55,840 to repent. I don't know. 80 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:59,080 I was under some bad teaching and I thought, well, I got saved 81 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,200 and and you know, I'm on my way to heaven and this is good as it 82 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,560 gets in. And I never thought about my 83 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,600 offenses toward God. And I would live day in and day 84 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,280 out, week in and week out, month in and month out, year in and 85 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:14,040 year out in delusion, living in perpetual sin. 86 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:19,160 Think and I was OK and meanwhile having an unrest in my heart, 87 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:23,680 having a sense of impurity knowing something was wrong. 88 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,040 But I'm with my brothers and sisters and all of us are in the 89 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,400 same boat, trying to make each other feel good in our sin. 90 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,760 Trying to make each other feel OK. 91 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,680 That it's a weakness in man's nature to be drawn to 92 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,760 pornography. It's a weakness in everyone's 93 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,480 heart. Sin is a sickness and it isn't 94 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,720 OK for men to be in pornography. And just because two other 95 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,680 brothers tell you they struggle with it doesn't mean that that's 96 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,720 OK. Someone there has to be a 97 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,800 brother saying I used to struggle with pornography, but 98 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:01,680 by the grace of God I don't anymore. 99 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,280 And this is what the Lord did for me. 100 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,880 This is how He changed my heart and this is how He set me free. 101 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,520 Purity of heart. And we look at Psalm 122 two, it 102 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,520 says my help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. 103 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,120 The Lord is our helper. But we all are affected by this 104 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,680 law of sin. It exists within all of us. 105 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,120 If you're a Christian here today, you are not sinless. 106 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,640 You still battle with sin in your life. 107 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,480 And it's a law, it's a principle, and it affects 108 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,280 everyone of us. And apart from the blood of 109 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,720 Jesus Christ, everyone of us are doomed. 110 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,200 Amen. If it wasn't for the blood of 111 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,040 Christ, there would be no remission of sins. 112 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,560 And the Word of God is what our weapon is against the sin that's 113 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,760 still within our hearts. That's why the psalmist said thy 114 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,600 word. Have I hid in my heart that I 115 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,680 might not sin against Thee? We don't memorize Scripture to 116 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,080 impress people of our great knowledge of the Scripture. 117 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,240 If you memorize Scripture for no, no other reason, I pray This 118 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:12,600 is why you memorize it, so that you are protected from sin, then 119 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,880 that's a good enough reason to memorize it. 120 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:20,840 Without the word of God, the enemy will Vanquish and capture 121 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,920 you as a spiritual struggler. And some of you today, I'm sure, 122 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:26,800 are being vanquished by the enemy. 123 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,000 You're being beat down. You're struggling in your sin. 124 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,600 You don't have the ability to overcome it because you don't. 125 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,520 It's been so long since you've drawn near to God. 126 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:38,840 You've been running from God, and it's been so long since 127 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,440 you've drawn near to God, you've forgotten that if you draw near 128 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:46,720 to Him, he'll draw near to you. And without the word of God, the 129 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,280 enemy will mess you up. He'll strip you of the divine 130 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:54,400 weapons that God's given you. He'll drag your life into a 131 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,200 horrible pit of sin, of sorrow, of heartache, of bondage and 132 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,200 destruction. And as a pastor, that's what 133 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,120 breaks my heart because I see people that come and go here 134 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,840 that refuse to repent and they want to have life their own way, 135 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,160 and they don't realize that. They think they can get away 136 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,360 with it, but eventually their life will tragically be 137 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,760 destroyed by sorrow and heartache. 138 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,080 The heartache that they'll receive themselves and the 139 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,920 heartache that they're going to cause other people because of 140 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,840 their bondage to sin and the destruction it has occurred in 141 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,720 their life. I think sometimes Cindy and I, 142 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,400 we pray for loved ones and people we care about, brothers 143 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:36,440 and sisters and and I and I'm learning to be patient and gone 144 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,159 upon God. It might not be today that 145 00:08:40,159 --> 00:08:43,400 someone gets busted. It might not be next week, next 146 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,040 month, next year. But they'll come a time when 147 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,360 someone's going to call you up and say, I need help. 148 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:55,840 I got a bad medical report, my wife left me, my kids on drugs. 149 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:01,080 I lost my job. I'm in the pits of despair and 150 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,280 despondency. I don't know which way to turn. 151 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:08,120 There'll come a time of crushing and breaking by the mercy of God 152 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,440 that that person will then begin to say I'm waking up. 153 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,680 There's got to be more to life. I want to get my house in order 154 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,760 because the consequences of my life to this point, if I died 155 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,680 today, I'm not real sure I would be with the Lord because of the 156 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:29,240 way I've lived my life. All the distressing events and 157 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,920 consequences that are occurring in this world today, in this 158 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,560 human life are the result of one purpose, one reason, and that's 159 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:40,000 sin. When tragedy happens and 160 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,760 adversity happens in people's lives, what's the first thing 161 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,120 they do? They complain. 162 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,920 God, why they blasphemy. Just like the people in 163 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,040 Revelation. The sun's too hot, the sores are 164 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,600 too painful. Why are you doing this? 165 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,960 I hate you. Why don't you just get out of my 166 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:58,400 life? Why don't you leave me alone? 167 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,200 Why don't you leave all of us alone, not understanding that 168 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,680 the God of creation created us to be in communion, to have a 169 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:09,240 life of peace and love and grace and joy with the Lord? 170 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,240 Yet in the midst of these adversities of life, God will 171 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,480 work everything out for good for those who love God and are 172 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,600 called according to His purpose. I don't care what adversity you 173 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,400 have today, what trial, what tribulation, what you're facing, 174 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,840 God promises everything will work for good to those who love 175 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:34,000 Him and are called according to His purpose in Romans 828. 176 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:38,960 I think today as I look at this message and I say to myself, 177 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,160 does God find repentance in US today as he looks over this 178 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,400 congregation? Does he find repentance here 179 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,080 today? Have you said or do you say or 180 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,520 even as you're listening to this message, are you saying I have 181 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,800 sinned against heaven and against you, Lord? 182 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,560 Do you hate the sin that's working to destroy your own 183 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:03,600 life? Are you getting to the point 184 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,360 that you hate sin? Because when you start hating 185 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,920 sin, you'll start to flee sin. When you start to hate sin as 186 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:14,000 God hates it, you'll begin to draw near to Him and draw away 187 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:18,080 from the sin. Are you willing to turn deeper 188 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,360 into the ways of God, forsaking the path that you might be on 189 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,360 now? There has to come a time in all 190 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,120 of our lives that we say enough's enough. 191 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:31,680 I've wasted too many days, too many hours, too much money, too 192 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:34,520 much heartache because I wanted it my way. 193 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,320 And now I want to turn to the Lord and forsake the foolish 194 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,400 path I'm on and go deeper in His ways. 195 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:48,040 I've been a pastor now for 14 years, and it's been 14 years 196 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:52,120 that I've decided by the grace of God, to walk in a path that 197 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,960 is deeper. But there was a time in my life 198 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,360 that I was asleep. I was not awake. 199 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,840 I thought it was OK. The nominal Christian life is, 200 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,520 hey, show up for church once in awhile, put a few bucks on your 201 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,280 offering plate, say a few prayers, and then live your life 202 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,480 the way you want. That's not what Christ came to 203 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,400 give us. He came to give us a vital, 204 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,640 intimate, deep relationship with the living God, so that once you 205 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,040 get a taste of that relationship, everything else is 206 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,120 secondary, that you begin to lay your head down the pillow at 207 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:28,160 night and you say, Lord, I want life, your life more than my 208 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,880 life. I want you, Lord, more than life 209 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,360 itself. That's what His desire is for 210 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,840 all of us. And he wants to reveal himself 211 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:39,440 to us that we might follow Him that way. 212 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:45,160 Isaiah 38 One, the prophet says to Hezekiah, you're sick and 213 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,120 you're near death. A bad report. 214 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,840 The prophet says, set your house in order, for ye shall die and 215 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:54,720 not live. Hezekiah freaks out. 216 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,560 He gets that message and he prays and he repents and he 217 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,480 turns to God for mercy. And the Lord gave him another 15 218 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,520 years. I don't know how much time you 219 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,680 have, but it doesn't matter whether you're 5 here today, one 220 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:11,960 here today, 25456575. It doesn't matter. 221 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:15,440 Today is a day to get your house in order. 222 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,880 I don't know how much time the Lord has given you, how much 223 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:24,440 time you have left, But we need the medicine of repentance to 224 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,080 our last breath. I pray on my deathbed. 225 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,240 I'm crying out to the Lord for mercy. 226 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,400 Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. 227 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,000 Lord have mercy. Not laying there arrogantly 228 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,600 thinking my life's OK, There's nothing to examine. 229 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,840 There's nothing to humble myself before a holy God and thinking 230 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,960 I'm just going to glibly walk into that throne room and say, 231 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,360 give me bones, God. I'm going to be on my face 232 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:54,920 before the holy God and ask him as I'm on my face for his mercy. 233 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,240 His mercy will be extended to those who cry out for his mercy, 234 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,440 creating me, as the psalmist said, Lord, a clean heart, which 235 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,280 after you is created in righteousness and true holiness. 236 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:13,520 What is best for you and me as we struggle against the war of 237 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,480 sin in our lives every day. Have we gotten too tired and 238 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,360 lazy because of our pride or forgetful or the things of the 239 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,040 world of crowded? What's really important and 240 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,640 these all become obstacles to humility. 241 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:31,520 Time flies really fast. The years roll by and they draw 242 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,480 us closer and closer and closer to eternity. 243 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,480 And we all see this. We're all aware of it. 244 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:38,680 You look in the mirror. I don't know. 245 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:40,960 You have to be blind to look in the mirror and know you look a 246 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:44,040 lot different than you did five years ago or 10 years ago. 247 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:46,640 But we have this mental numbness. 248 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,320 And what heals us from this pride and numbness is 249 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:54,640 repentance. And the question to me this day 250 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:58,040 is, how white and clean is your soul and mine? 251 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,520 How white and clean is our souls? 252 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,640 Every minute I'm either thinking of myself or I'm thinking of 253 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,560 Christ. Every minute I'm either thinking 254 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:13,440 of his will or my will. And that's why Paul said awake 255 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:18,880 to righteousness and sin. Not he said that to the church 256 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,000 in Corinth, Awake to righteousness. 257 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,200 Why? Because the people were asleep 258 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,440 in in fornication in immorality and pride, wanting to act like 259 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,240 they were more spiritual than someone else. 260 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,040 They had this attitude in the Church of everybody trying to be 261 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:36,960 something they weren't. And Jesus says if you love me, 262 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:41,400 you'll keep my commandments. I that rings on my heart every 263 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,280 day when I have a choice to make my own move and to do my own 264 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,360 thing. I hear the Lord say, hey, Clark, 265 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,040 if you love me, you'll keep my word. 266 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,360 Oh, I love you, Lord. Well, if you love me, you're 267 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:53,040 going to do what I'm telling you to do. 268 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,200 Oh, I love you, Lord. Well, why are you heading that 269 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:56,520 way? Why are you thinking that? 270 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,720 Why do you want to do that? And God in his grace, draws me 271 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:01,920 back. Yes, Lord, I want to prove that 272 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,280 I love you by how I live my life. 273 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,720 Hebrews 413 says God knows our hearts. 274 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,640 We can fool each other. We can act like we got it all 275 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,120 together. But God knows our heart. 276 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:19,280 He knows if it's real or counterfeit faith, it says in 277 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,840 Hebrews 413 And there is no creature hidden from him, from 278 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,560 his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of 279 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,040 him to whom we must give an account. 280 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,520 That means every deed in your life, guys and gals, you have to 281 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,760 give an account of every word, every thought. 282 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,480 It says we will give an account to the Lord. 283 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,440 Someone made this quote. They said sin is like a hook. 284 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,680 It's camouflaged with suitable pleasure. 285 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,520 It comes craftily as someone something sweet and charming to 286 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,160 the tongue in order to attack the soul. 287 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:58,360 However, he who has been lured by momentary pleasures in its 288 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,720 comforts will find it more bitter than poison and more 289 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,040 destructive than a pestilent disease in their soul. 290 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,800 The Bible says you can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season 291 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,040 and then it catches up with you the consequences. 292 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:18,079 I've had the horror in my life to sense the pestilence of the 293 00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:20,680 disease in my soul because of my own sin. 294 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:26,640 And I thank God for His mercy and His forgiveness, that He is 295 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:30,560 merciful to forgive us of our sin as we come to Him and 296 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,400 cleanse us from our own righteousness. 297 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:37,000 Walk on the path of repentance and you'll have a peaceful mind. 298 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,800 Don't let the past trouble you. Many times we are still guilt 299 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,640 ridden from our past. That's the liar. 300 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,400 That's a devil. Jesus, whenever his mercy. 301 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,600 And this is something hard for us to understand. 302 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,600 The apostle Paul says forget the things which are behind and 303 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,680 reach forward to the things which are ahead. 304 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:59,760 And listen to this. As soon as you admit to God that 305 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:04,520 you've sinned and you turn to God away from your sin, God 306 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,400 Forgives us immediately and overlooks our sins. 307 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:12,000 Aren't you glad? Doesn't that give you relief? 308 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:18,080 God chooses to overlook our sins and forgive us. 309 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,160 With repentance everything is corrected. 310 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,320 There is nothing that overcomes the compassion of God. 311 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,640 Another quote. He is merciful to the last and 312 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,440 provides for the first. To this one He gives, and to 313 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,720 that one he shows. Kindness, the love of God, 314 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:42,240 covers and corrects everything, and we all realize today no one 315 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:49,400 is sinless except for who God. Luke 7 tells us about the harlot 316 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:55,080 who repented. She washed the feet of the Lord 317 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,520 Jesus, His Immaculate feet. She washed his feet and shed her 318 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:04,960 tears that were more precious than myrrh, and they attracted 319 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:09,000 God's mercy and forgiveness. Then she heard from the Lord. 320 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:13,280 Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace. 321 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:18,880 Why would we not want to repent today? 322 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,520 Cry out to Jesus, fall before his feet. 323 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,120 I don't care whether you do it in the front of the church at 324 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,920 the end of the service, You do it in your car on the way home. 325 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,080 You do it at your home by your bedside. 326 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:34,160 This gets somewhere and cry out to God and say to the Lord, if 327 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,600 there's something in your life that you know you got to stop 328 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,560 doing, you got to get away from, you got to turn from say I've 329 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,920 sinned. My Jesus, receive my heartfelt 330 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,240 repentance, O Lord and Master of my life. 331 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,120 And rest assured, if you pray and you ask God for that 332 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:53,040 forgiveness and mercy, Christ will forgive you and pour out 333 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,000 His love and mercy upon your life. 334 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,720 You might get tired of Maine talking about this subject, but 335 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,800 for me this is the theme of the body of Christ. 336 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,720 Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 337 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,240 John the Baptist brought that message. 338 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,320 Jesus proclaimed that message, and the message he gave to the 339 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,720 apostles and all those who have followed that vein of gold from 340 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:15,800 the throne of God since the beginning of time. 341 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,560 Is it to a lost and weary world? Repent, for the Kingdom of God 342 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:23,760 is at hand. Don't be deaf today. 343 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,360 This is a difference between sincere repentance and 344 00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:31,120 counterfeit repentance. Sincere repentance is repentance 345 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:33,480 that displays regret for sins committed. 346 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,800 I mourn. I don't look at my past sins and 347 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,440 beat myself up anymore, but I mourn over the fact that I did 348 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,280 them. The psalmist said My sin is ever 349 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,480 before me and against you only. Have I sinned and done this evil 350 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,280 on your sight. It bothers me that at one time 351 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,720 in my life and still at times I will think things and say things 352 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,680 and do things that hurt my Lord and that bothers me. 353 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,080 You know, if you love someone like your wife or your kids and 354 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,480 you, you say something to them, it's wrong or a brother and 355 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,680 sister in Christ and you walk away. 356 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:08,880 You you can't live with that. You got to go back to them and 357 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:10,920 say, I'm really sorry that I said that. 358 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:13,120 Please forgive me that I did that. 359 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,400 And there's nothing more wonderful than to have someone 360 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,920 hug you and say, Hey, man, I forgive you. 361 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:23,560 I love you. Mourning burning tears that 362 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,960 break the strongholds of sin. Sometimes it's important for us 363 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:29,880 to cry and to weep before the Lord. 364 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,200 And sometimes it's been a long time since maybe we've shed a 365 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,960 tear over sin because our hearts have become so hard. 366 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,840 But if we could just see him in living color on that cross with 367 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,680 his arms stretched out, saying, Father, forgive them for they 368 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,200 know not what they do, there wouldn't be one of us standing 369 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,600 there with a hard heart, all right? 370 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:55,600 Our eyes would be filled with tears because of His mercy. 371 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:57,880 And it's His power and his grace. 372 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:02,840 It causes us to go and sin. No more repentance leaves 373 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,480 nothing unhealed. If you're here today and you 374 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:10,560 have wounds and sores and heartache and heartbreak because 375 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:15,840 of sin, if you repent today, God will heal that brokenness. 376 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,080 He'll, He'll heal this, the sores. 377 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,360 And without repentance, there's no one that's going to be saved. 378 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:28,960 No one the victory is given. The overcoming life is poured 379 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:34,000 out through gifts of repentance. And I think of the simplicity of 380 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:38,600 the Christian life where Jesus says let us live in simplicity, 381 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,240 an innocence of heart. Like little children. 382 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:46,200 I love seeing my grandkids. I love hanging out with them, my 383 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:50,160 Isabella, my me and my Liliana, my Logan. 384 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,320 I play with them and, and there's no, I don't know. 385 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:56,480 It's a whole different thing than hanging out with adults. 386 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:02,920 They're so innocent. I took me out. 387 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,160 Last night was her birthday. We were celebrating her birthday 388 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,560 and took her outside and I said, let's go look for the moon. 389 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:09,640 You know, we're looking for the moon. 390 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,520 And we saw a brightness somewhere we couldn't find the 391 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,360 moon walking around the street, around this car and this house 392 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:15,600 and just, you know, couldn't find it. 393 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:18,240 And so she said, where's moon, Papa? 394 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,240 I said, moon's hiding. She said moon hiding. 395 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,000 Moon hiding. This is simple. 396 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:30,560 Jesus isn't hiding today. He's here in our midst speaking 397 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:35,920 through the weakness of a man to get your attention that you 398 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:40,320 might live with simplicity. For Jesus said unless you become 399 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,920 as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of 400 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,440 God. When a little child's heart, 401 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:50,040 they immediately find their parent and say, hold me, help 402 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:51,640 me. We ask them what's wrong. 403 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,400 We comfort them. The Lord is here today to 404 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:59,280 comfort you. This has been Living Waters of 405 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,840 Grace with Pastor Clark. We're going through the 406 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,280 challenging and also intriguing Book of Revelation. 407 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,520 Whether you're a fan of reading ahead in books of fiction, 408 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,800 there's such a benefit to reading ahead in the Bible to 409 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,680 read about how it all ends. But in an interesting turn of 410 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:20,320 events, the Book of Revelation is not really the end, but 411 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,840 rather the beginning. It's the end of life as we know 412 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,720 it here on earth, but there's so much to look forward to. 413 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,760 But what comes after all? The judgement of the earth and 414 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,680 those who reject God? There's a lot to work through, 415 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,160 and it can be heartbreaking to read through the intense 416 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:42,040 judgements and wrath that will come on those who hate God with 417 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,400 all their might. The thing is, God has given 418 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,640 chance upon chance to these people and they don't want it. 419 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:53,400 So the outcome is that there are judgments and consequences for 420 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,720 those who've rejected the good news and the gift of salvation 421 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,160 that's offered through Jesus's death and resurrection. 422 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,400 Are you one who has heard about these things but doesn't really 423 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,480 want it because you want to live life on your terms? 424 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,880 Trust me, living for Jesus is so much better. 425 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,000 That doesn't mean it will be easy, but as you listen and read 426 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,160 through Revelation with us, you'll come to a stark 427 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,160 realization that you don't want to be on earth when the 428 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,280 apocalypse happens. So check out Calvary Chapel 429 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,880 online.com to learn how to come to a saving grace through faith 430 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,680 that will allow you to be with Jesus for eternity. 431 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,200 We'd also love to meet you in person at Calvary Chapel 432 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,960 Westmoreland. Come join us at 400 E Pittsburgh 433 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:50,200 St. Ste. 6B in Greensburg, PA 15601. 434 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,440 This has been living waters of Grace.