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 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,960 Whenever I leave here today, even though I sense His Holiness 6 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,520 and His presence in the midst of us gathering as a congregation, 7 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,000 I will sense that same holiness when I leave here. 8 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,720 And God is with me wherever I go and where He's with you. 9 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,440 Wherever you go, He dwells in us. 10 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,600 The temple of God is you and me. When we gather together as a 11 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,560 corporate group, it's it seems like it's more dynamic. 12 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,480 And it is because whenever two or more gathered together in His 13 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,880 name, He's definitely clearly there in the midst of us. 14 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,680 You don't need to have a fancy building, the charismatic 15 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,080 pastor, or even a worship band to enter into God's presence. 16 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:18,040 When Jesus died on the cross, God's presence ripped the 17 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:22,000 curtain to the Holy of Holies in two, making God's presence 18 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,520 accessible to anyone who calls on His name. 19 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,400 Pastor Clark teaches you today that God is with you always, 20 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,640 even when you're not around other believers. 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,920 You could still sense His presence with you even when 22 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,440 you're going about menial activities in your everyday 23 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,480 life. Now here's Pastor Clark in Acts 24 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,040 Chapter 7 as he continues his message. 25 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,880 Jewish history began with Abraham. 26 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,560 Next day he appears to two of them as they're fighting. 27 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,360 So 2 Jewish guys, they're fighting about who knows what. 28 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,040 And he tries to reconcile them saying men, you're a brethren, 29 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,120 you, you belong to each other, you're family, Why do you wrong 30 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,880 one another? But he who did his neighbor 31 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,320 wrong pushed him away, saying, who made you a ruler and a judge 32 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,039 over us? You want to kill me as you did 33 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:12,000 the Egyptian yesterday. Then as this saying, Moses fled 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,200 and became a dweller in the land of Midian where he had two sons. 35 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,600 So Moses hears us. He's probably looking around. 36 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,640 I hope no one heard this. I'm getting out of here because 37 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,000 they catch me for this. I'm I'm in trouble. 38 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,080 So so he took off. It's interesting that any 39 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,680 messenger that God has sent and you can study throughout the Old 40 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,600 Testament. Isaiah was a prophet. 41 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,320 He was sown into Jeremiah was sown in a prison. 42 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,560 I mean, all the people that God had sent to bring the message 43 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,840 was always we somehow either martyred, rejected or just 44 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,800 betrayed. This is just the the history of 45 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,280 of the nation of Israel. I find it amazing that here God 46 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,000 picks his people group. They have these miracles. 47 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,720 They go through the the miracle of the deliverance through the 48 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,960 Red Sea. They have the pillar of cloud by 49 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,120 day to guide them. Tabernacle moved around God's 50 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,520 presence, the pillar of fire at night. 51 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,760 They had manna provided for them food. 52 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,320 They had quail to eat, protein, they had clothing that never 53 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,560 wore out. I mean, they had one miracle 54 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:15,920 after another miracle after another miracle. 55 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,000 And they get to the point that they aren't going to listen 56 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,320 anymore. They're not going to listen to 57 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:24,280 God, let alone the people that he sends to tell them about who 58 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,400 he is. And so Moses, then he takes off. 59 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:31,480 He fled and he became a dweller in the land of Midian. 60 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,120 So he he became a sheep herder in the backside of the mountain 61 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,440 of the deserts for 40 years, every day getting up, taking 62 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,320 care of the livestock. He had a wife and couple, couple 63 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:43,720 kids. That was it. 64 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:45,600 He probably every once in a while thought, I wonder how 65 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,960 things are going in Egypt. I wonder how my people are 66 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,440 going. But he knew he couldn't go back 67 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,880 because of the murder he had committed in verse 30. 68 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,680 And when 40 years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to 69 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,000 him in a flame of fire in a Bush in the wilderness of Mount 70 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,480 Sinai. So here he is, another day. 71 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,040 There's another mundane, boring day of doing work whatever up 72 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,000 there on the mountain. He probably passed that Bush at 73 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,040 different times. All the sudden this Bush is on 74 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,000 fire and he hears a voice coming from the Bush. 75 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,600 It's an Angel of the Lord getting his attention. 76 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,800 And when Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. 77 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,200 And as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to 78 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,920 him, saying, I am the God of your father's, the God of 79 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,440 Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 80 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:33,120 And Moses trembled and dared not look. 81 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,680 Then the Lord said to him, Take your sandals off your feet, for 82 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,960 the place where you stand his holy ground. 83 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,840 I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are 84 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:44,040 in Egypt. I have heard their groanings, 85 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:45,680 and I've come down to deliver them. 86 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:47,920 And now come, and I will send you to Egypt. 87 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,960 So I think about all these years of people crying out to God. 88 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,680 It's never the fact that God doesn't hear. 89 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:04,240 It's always the timing of 1 responds to what it is the cry 90 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,800 is about and we can't speed that up as much as we wonder like 91 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,480 Lord, how come you haven't answered me yet? 92 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,600 How come you haven't helped me with this yet? 93 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,000 How come you haven't shown me yet? 94 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,880 It isn't that he's ignoring you, but He has a perfect time when 95 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,360 he's going to deliver you or help you or provide for you in a 96 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,000 way that you'll know it's him. It wasn't you or anybody else, 97 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:27,840 it's Him. And so God shows up in a very 98 00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:30,440 powerful way and now he's Speaking of Moses. 99 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,160 And Moses isn't an arrogant man anymore trying to use physical 100 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:35,920 force to get people to get straight. 101 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,600 Now he's a timid, fearful, weak man. 102 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:43,600 And that's who the kind of people God uses. 103 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,920 He's not looking for people to have it all together who think 104 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,480 they're perfect or they're trained or they're skilled or 105 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,400 whatever. He chooses the weak and foolish 106 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,560 things of this world to confound the wise that no flesh with 107 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,080 glory in his presence. So Moses at this point is not 108 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,640 probably the best candidate from our perspective because of his 109 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,240 lack of pride. God maybe, or his lack of, I can 110 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,320 get this done or I can do it. Hey, you picked the right guy. 111 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,480 I'm all ready to go. Moses does everything he can. 112 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,320 If you remember to say, hey, not me. 113 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,160 I can't talk. I I can't do this. 114 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,400 And God's frustrated with him. Like I'm going to do this in you 115 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,160 and through you. It's not going to be you, Moses. 116 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,760 But God gave Moses a break for a little while and had Aaron, his 117 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,160 brother, do some of the speaking initially, until Moses began to 118 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,160 see that the mighty hand of God was doing all these miracles. 119 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:37,600 It wasn't him or Aaron. It was God in and through these 120 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:42,600 servants of His. And so the Lord is speaking to 121 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:47,600 him now and the people they are, this is the way they are, this 122 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,120 Moses whom they rejected saying, who made you a roller? 123 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,560 And a judge is the one God sent to be a roller and a deliverer 124 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,040 by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the Bush. 125 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,080 He brought them out after he'd shown wonders and signs in the 126 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,200 land of Egypt, in the Red Sea and in the wilderness 40 years. 127 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,800 So you see the rebellion of Israel against God starting in 128 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,840 verse 37. This is that Moses who said to 129 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,520 the children of Israel, the Lord your God will raise up for you a 130 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,560 prophet like me from your brother, and him you shall hear. 131 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,760 So he's already telling him that Jesus is coming. 132 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,880 He's on his way, and he's the one you're going to hear. 133 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,840 He's the one that's the true leader. 134 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,360 He's the one that's the true deliverer. 135 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,080 He's the one that is the Messiah. 136 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,000 And this is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness 137 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,560 with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our 138 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,800 fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us 139 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,000 the 10 commandments whom our fathers would not obey, but 140 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,480 rejected. And in their hearts they turned 141 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:46,880 back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us. 142 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:49,880 As for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we 143 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:51,720 do not know what has becoming him. 144 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,480 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the 145 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,400 idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 146 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,080 And then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of 147 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,560 heaven as it is written in the book of the Prophets. 148 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,320 Did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifice during 40 149 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,240 years in the wilderness of House of Israel? 150 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,480 You also took up the Tabernacle of Molech and the Stars of your 151 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,640 God Rap fan images, which you made to worship. 152 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,480 And I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 153 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,240 And so in this midst of God doing all these awesome miracles 154 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,600 and the group of people that you would think would be tuned in to 155 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,640 be faithful, to follow, to be loyal to, to have allegiance to, 156 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,440 to pay homage to, they are just blowing it off like never 157 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,840 happened at the bottom of Sinai. Moses is up there dealing with 158 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:46,040 God and the law and, and all the holiness and the purity of who 159 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,120 he is. And they're down there partying, 160 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,480 they're getting drunk, they're having orgies, they're 161 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,320 worshipping Pagan deities or they're molding idols. 162 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:57,480 I mean, it's just a horrific scene. 163 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:02,320 And whenever Moses came down off that hill, Joshua, his helper 164 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:04,920 said that there's a sound of a lot of voices down there. 165 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,520 What what's going on? It sounds like war closer they 166 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,480 got down there, they realized it wasn't a war. 167 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,280 It was a horrible picture of ungodliness under the holy 168 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:18,680 mount, Mount Sinai. And so God had to deal with it 169 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:23,520 and, and over 22,000 people were killed that day because of their 170 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:28,400 disobedience to the Lord. So the picture here is that 171 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:33,000 Steven is preaching and showing the nations history of how 172 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,960 they've always acted and they're still acting this way even 173 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,080 though initially they're acting like OK, Jesus is a good guy, a 174 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,640 prophet, whatever, you can have your religion, we'll let you go. 175 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,160 They are getting more and more convicted because they're 176 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,480 supposed to be representing to their own people group, true 177 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:53,040 religion or true faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 178 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:57,520 But because of their unbelief and their rebellion, they are 179 00:09:57,560 --> 00:10:01,560 going against what it is that God is endeavoring to show them. 180 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:08,240 So it continues in verse 44, our fathers is talking about God's 181 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,040 true Tabernacle. Our fathers had the Tabernacle 182 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,480 of witness in the wilderness as He appointed instructing Moses 183 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,040 to make it according to the pattern, and He had seen which 184 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,760 our fathers having received it, in turn brought with Josh, went 185 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:22,880 to the land possessed by the Gentiles. 186 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,280 So when Moses couldn't continue to lead the nation and God took 187 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:31,360 him up, Joshua was the next kind in the leadership there to to 188 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,160 lead the children of Israel. This temple, this Tabernacle was 189 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,560 so specifically designed. The beauty of it and all the 190 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:42,040 different parts of it and all that these things represented to 191 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,120 the people, this presence of God. 192 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,480 They were told to, you know, take care of this and move it 193 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,400 around. This is how God would show up 194 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,680 and speak with them at that particular time. 195 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:56,040 Joshua, they they take God drove out before the face of the 196 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:00,160 fathers, all these bad people in the promised land until the days 197 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,840 of David, who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling 198 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,440 for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. 199 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,920 So there's another temple built in the times of David. 200 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:15,120 However, in spite of all these historical facts and history, 201 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,880 the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands. 202 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:23,240 As the prophet said, God never intended us to worship a 203 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,200 building or worship an environment that we think is 204 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,360 holy. The only thing that that's holy 205 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:37,920 in the environment when people gather is the holy God, and we 206 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,640 are partakers of that holiness. As his followers, we're to be 207 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:43,640 holy. The Bible says is he's holy. 208 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,320 But whenever I leave here today, even though I sense His Holiness 209 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,760 and his presence in the midst of us gathering as a congregation, 210 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,160 I will sense that same holiness when I leave here. 211 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,720 And God is with me wherever I go and where he's with you, 212 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,320 wherever you go, He dwells in us. 213 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,360 The temple of God is you and me. When we gather together as a 214 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,240 corporate group, it's it seems like it's more dynamic. 215 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:11,080 And it is because whenever two or more gathered together in his 216 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,320 name, he's definitely clearly there in the midst of us. 217 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,800 But he's also, this is really, and this is present when you're 218 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,080 with him in your home or wherever you are meeting with 219 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,600 him in prayer or the word or just talking him about whatever 220 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:26,480 is on your heart and what you need help with. 221 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:31,040 But then the prophet says, and he's, he's quoting here from 222 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,640 Isaiah chapter 66. However, the Most High does not 223 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,720 thrown temples made with hands. As the prophet says, heaven is 224 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:39,760 my throne and earth is my footstool. 225 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,320 What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is 226 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,160 the place of my rest? Has my hand not made all these 227 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,640 things comical? You know, you want to know the 228 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,680 throne room of God? It's the whole universe, way 229 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:55,280 beyond what we can even see or even comprehend. 230 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,280 The Bible says in Him we live, move and have our being. 231 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:05,800 And it's staggering that we would think that God is in a 232 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,760 box, in an altar. And we sit and we look at the 233 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:13,560 box, somehow thinking, you know, well, God's in that box, which 234 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:18,240 in some religious traditions represents the communion, the 235 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,240 Eucharist, the Lord's Supper. You can't contain God in 236 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:26,080 anything. God's omnipresent, everywhere 237 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:31,600 present, He fills all things. And so our minds, I guess before 238 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,440 we come to know Christ, they're real small, aren't they? 239 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,520 We don't have the ability to fathom a creator God because 240 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,240 everything's like we're looking and we got a penny in front of 241 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:46,000 our eye and the penny blocks the vision of the glory of God 242 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,520 because we're so narrow minded and so short sighted that we 243 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,480 can't see what it is that God wants us to see until we begin 244 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,680 to, to read the Scriptures. And then they the Bible says the 245 00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:59,280 entrance of God's word gives light, it turns the lights on, 246 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,840 it takes the darkness away because understanding the simple 247 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,240 minded people like us. So Israel resists the Holy 248 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:06,680 Spirit. So they're resisting the 249 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:09,240 prophets. They're resisting the message of 250 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,920 Moses. You know, the brothers, the 251 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,640 patriarchs rejected Joseph's leadership until, you know, he 252 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,240 provided for them. And they then begin to know that 253 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,520 it was God's plan. Everything had happened. 254 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,720 But it's just his tendency of human nature to reject the will 255 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:26,760 of God. So then he starts really getting 256 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:31,240 into it here you stiff 5th neck and verse 51 and uncircumcised 257 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,080 in heart and ears. Now they were circumcised 258 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,240 physically, but they weren't circumcised in their heart and 259 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,520 the true circumcision of God is a new heart. 260 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,840 God says I will take out your heart of a stone and I will give 261 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,480 unto you a heart of flesh. And when God gives us this new 262 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,320 heart right, which most of us probably have in here is born 263 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,160 again believers. We definitely have it if we're 264 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:53,360 born again, if we're not saved yet, we don't. 265 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,600 We still have a heart of stone and that's what continually 266 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,640 resists the seed of the word of God on in our heart. 267 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,040 We just reject it, push it away. I did that for years. 268 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,920 I'm sure some of you did too and want to hear it and want to 269 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:05,600 acknowledge it and want to accept it. 270 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,000 But he's telling them that they're like this. 271 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,240 They're stiff necked and uncircumcised. 272 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,400 He, he told them this over 20 times in the Old Testament, that 273 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,800 this is how they react. You always resist the Holy 274 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,040 Spirit as your Father's did, and so do you. 275 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,160 Which of the prophets did your Father's not persecute? 276 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,360 And they killed those who foretold the coming of the just, 277 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,360 one of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who 278 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,760 have received the law by the direction of angels, and have 279 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,760 not kept it so. They have all this religion, 280 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:40,360 they have this temple, they have the Torah, the first five books 281 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,880 of the Bible at the time. They have the the 10 282 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,360 commandments, the law, and no one's keeping it, no one's doing 283 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,320 it. It's just showing up, going 284 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:51,560 through ritual, the ceremony, and then going out and living 285 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:56,680 life like God doesn't exist. And so when they heard these 286 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,720 things and these are the people, the audience that the Lord had 287 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,160 collected to hear. Now at this point in time, most 288 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,000 of the people in Jerusalem that heard the message have already 289 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:07,920 become believers. The last time we looked at the 290 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,520 numbers, approximately 20,000 people, I don't know how many 291 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,080 people were living there at that time, but it was still a small 292 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:15,920 percentage of the total population. 293 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,600 So God knows when he moves and he moves within a people group 294 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,800 and a nation, a country that there will eventually be a 295 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,120 number that's sort of like stabilized. 296 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,040 And the rest of the people that are rejecting the message would 297 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,560 be people that hate Jesus and hate him. 298 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,320 And I'm not saying there's no hope for them, but the heart of 299 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:39,520 the heart becomes the more difficult it is to put your 300 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,800 faith in Jesus Christ. That's why Paul said the day is 301 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,120 the day of salvation. If you hear his voice now, he's 302 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:50,520 softening it. Receive Him and believe in him, 303 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,040 because you might not get another chance if the Holy 304 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:59,080 Spirit's convicting you. And you know I need Jesus, let 305 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,160 him save you. Get out of the way and ask Him 306 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:06,200 for forgiveness that you want to follow him and he'll he'll save 307 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:07,760 you. It's, it's, it's that simple. 308 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,800 So these people are resisting. So when they hear these things, 309 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,359 verse 54, they're cut to the heart, meaning they're convicted 310 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:16,240 and they gnash at him with their teeth. 311 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:18,760 They're so mad and angry. You ever get really mad at 312 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,119 somebody just hurt your teaching. 313 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,520 I hate you. I hope you guys don't do that, 314 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,280 but you've probably done that before. 315 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,319 The Bible talks about weeping and gnashing of teeth being 316 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,760 symbolic of the consequences of what it's going to be like being 317 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,440 in hell will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 318 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,960 But he being full of the Holy Spirit, Steven never missed a 319 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:41,680 beat. He was under the control and 320 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,600 influence of the Holy Spirit. He wasn't going to back off or 321 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:50,000 not tell these people the truth. He was a true faithful witness. 322 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,280 He gazes into heaven. I don't know if he had some kind 323 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,160 of vision or this is something that he was able to see and no 324 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,880 one else was able to see. And he saw the glory of God and 325 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:02,200 Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 326 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,880 Jesus is standing there ready to receive his first martyr that's 327 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,960 given his life for the sake of the gospel. 328 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,240 Jesus already gave his life for you and me. 329 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,800 And Stephen has the privilege of being the first human being to 330 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,840 give his life for Christ and, and Christ is rooting for us all 331 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,000 the time. He's our biggest fan, isn't he? 332 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,320 Like when we walk our in our lives and do things according to 333 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,840 his will, he's cheering you on. You're with me. 334 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,440 You're my family, you're my son, you're my daughter. 335 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,360 I rejoice in what you're doing. I see your suffering. 336 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:42,320 I know it's hard, I know it's difficult, but it's going to be 337 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,520 worth it. Just keep, keep on keeping on. 338 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,200 Like it says in First Corinthians 1558, be steadfast 339 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,680 and movable, always abiding and to work for the Lord as much as 340 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,000 you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 341 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:59,680 It's never a waste of time. And so he sees the Lord Jesus 342 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,480 standing there at the right hand of God, says, look, I see the 343 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,440 heavens open and the Son of man standing at the right hand of 344 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,600 God. Then they cried out with a loud 345 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,320 voice. They stopped their ears and they 346 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,760 ran at him with 1 accord and they cast him out of the city. 347 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,960 And the way they do this, they put him in some kind of pit and 348 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,480 they had all these rules of how many feet you had to be away 349 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,320 until they, you know, repented or, you know, said, I'm not 350 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,200 going to do this anymore. There was no opportunity for any 351 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:25,800 of this. Stephen was committed and he 352 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,520 wasn't changing his mind. They cast him out and they stone 353 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,160 him, and the witness laid down their clothes at the feet of a 354 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,920 young man named Saul. So here's the apostle Paul 355 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,160 before he's saved. And keep your in your mind, you 356 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,160 might know someone in your life. Oh, that person's never going to 357 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,000 be a believer. They're so wicked, they're so 358 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,160 ungodly, they're so Pagan, they're so hateful. 359 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,720 Pray for them. Be a light like Stephen was. 360 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:52,720 Stephen's countenance shine like an Angel. 361 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,320 Paul had to observe all this, right? 362 00:19:55,880 --> 00:20:01,040 Who knows the background in all the details of when Paul 363 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:06,320 eventually became a believer, But Stephen had an impact on 364 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,720 Paul as he's had an impact on everybody that's ever read the 365 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,200 story and all those who were there. 366 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,320 And so they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God, saying, Lord 367 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,440 Jesus, receive my spirit. Remember the Lord Jesus when he 368 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,000 died on a cross into your hands I commit my spirit. 369 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,400 Stephen's doing the same thing, committing a spirit to the Lord. 370 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,760 He knelt down and he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not 371 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,600 charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he 372 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,680 fell asleep. What a man of God, What a loving 373 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,640 man, loving his enemies. Jesus says love those who hate 374 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,480 you, pray for those who hate you, love those who hate you, 375 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,280 pray for those who despitefully use you, and say all manner of 376 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,880 evil about me for my namesake. Don't you want to be like Jesus? 377 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:48,760 Don't you want to be like Stephen? 378 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,560 I know I do, and I can't do it in my own strength and neither 379 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,920 can you. That as the Holy Spirit works in 380 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,400 US and the grace of God fills us with the Spirit of God, we can 381 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,320 have lives that testify like this. 382 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,880 And as he said, like Jesus said, Father, forgive them. 383 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,760 They know not what they do. What a profound thing to say 384 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:12,120 when they were surely determined and focused and knew why they 385 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:15,440 wanted to get rid of Jesus. But Jesus and his grace said, 386 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:17,880 forgive them. So they don't know what they do. 387 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,480 And Stephen says do not charge them with this sin. 388 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,360 It says in chapter 8, there's a few verses now Saul was 389 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:28,760 consenting to his death. So the apostle Paul's like, kill 390 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,240 this guy, throw the stones at him. 391 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,360 Let's get rid of him, silence him. 392 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,960 He's coming against the great institution of Judaism in the in 393 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:40,080 the nation of Jerusalem. And so we got to get rid of him. 394 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:43,360 And so Saul was there pushing this stuff. 395 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,480 And at that time a great persecution arose against the 396 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,680 church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered. 397 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,880 They were pushed out of Jerusalem, the comfort zone, and 398 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,160 they ended up in the regions of Judea, Samaria, except the 399 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,240 apostles and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and they 400 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,280 made great lamentation over him. They were broken hearted over 401 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,880 this man's death. As for Saul, this is what he did 402 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:08,480 until the Lord got a hold of him. 403 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,560 He made havoc of the church. He came in and caused problems 404 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:15,720 everywhere he went. He hated Christians, he entered 405 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,720 every house, and he drag men and women out into prison, 406 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,800 committing them to prison because of their faith in the 407 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,560 Lord Jesus. What blows me my mind about the 408 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:28,960 Bible? You go through a chapter like 409 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,720 that and you got the whole history, don't you, in one 410 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,440 chapter and it's so clear, it's so simple to understand. 411 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,040 So if you're here today and you're like those people wanting 412 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:43,160 to throw stones, put the stone down and say, Lord, I get it, I 413 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,200 need you. I believe this, I see it 414 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,200 documented in history. This is historical fact. 415 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,720 This isn't make believe stuff. This is true. 416 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,680 And whenever we come to the Lord with open hearts and soft hearts 417 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,960 and ask him and speak to him in prayer, He listens, He'll give 418 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,280 you a sense of his presence. He'll give you a sense of him 419 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,000 being near to you. And you'll begin to see life 420 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,120 change and, and become completely different than it is 421 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,200 now. Living without God. 422 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,160 God's created us to live with him. 423 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:16,840 He'd never created us to live without Him. 424 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,640 And really, we can't live without him. 425 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,800 The way things are happening in the world right now and what 426 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,640 could potentially be coming down, you're going to need the 427 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:25,920 Lord. I'm going to need the Lord of 428 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,840 ways that we never thought we needed him before until all we 429 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,920 have is him, right? And he'll protect us, He'll 430 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:36,000 stabilize us. And the best thing that is in 431 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,560 store for us is that we're going to see this one who stood up, 432 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:43,880 Stephen, and we're going to walk up into his presence that day as 433 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,240 his kids. And we're going to hear by his 434 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,440 grades and see a smile on his face. 435 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,800 And he's going to hug us and say, well done, good and 436 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,720 faithful servant, enter into the joy of the world. 437 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,280 We're so glad you joined us today on this edition of Living 438 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:03,240 Waters of Grace. Pastor Clark is teaching through 439 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,560 the Book of Acts, which is the only book that chronicles the 440 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,400 history of the early church immediately after Jesus's 441 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,560 ascension. It gives us a front row seat to 442 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,800 how the Gospel began to move outwards, starting in Jerusalem 443 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,720 and reaching into the heart of the Roman Empire. 444 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:24,200 In just three decades, a small group of frightened ordinary 445 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,960 believers became a bold, spirit empowered movement that 446 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:32,120 transformed the known world. Acts is not just a history 447 00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:34,440 lesson. It's a reminder of what God can 448 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,720 do when His people are surrendered, obedient, and 449 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,920 filled with the Holy Spirit. Their perseverance still 450 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:46,040 inspires us today. May we follow their example and 451 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,640 live faithfully for Christ in our own time. 452 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,200 We hope today's message encouraged you. 453 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,160 Living Waters of Grace is a ministry of Calvary Chapel, 454 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,480 Westmoreland. If you're in the Greensburg, PA 455 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:00,960 area, we'd love to have you join us in person. 456 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:06,720 Our Sunday service begins at 10:30 AM at 400 E Pittsburgh St. 457 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,760 Unit 6B. Be sure to visit 458 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,680 calvarychapelonline.com to confirm times and learn more. 459 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:17,400 If you are in the Greensburg area, you can listen to Grace FM 460 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,400 on the new 91.7 frequency. Please pray about supporting 461 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,960 this outreach. Gifts can be sent to Grace FM, 462 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:31,240 PO Box 716, Greensburg, PA 15601. 463 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,840 Stay connected through Facebook, YouTube, or our Calvary Chapel 464 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:39,360 Westmoreland app. Join our e-mail list, submit 465 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:45,600 prayer requests, and give online all at calvarychapelonline.com. 466 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,400 Thank you for tuning in and spending this time in God's 467 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,360 Word. Be sure to join us again for 468 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:52,040 Living Waters of Grace.